Built-in Wine version
The default Wine version bundled with Winlator is:| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Version | Wine 9.2 |
| Architecture | x86_64 |
| Identifier | wine-9.2-custom |
| Displayed as | Wine 9.2 (Custom) |
Custom suffix in the identifier signals that this is Winlator’s own patched build — not an unmodified upstream Wine binary. The patches include fixes and optimizations specific to running Wine under Android/Box64.
The built-in Wine version cannot be removed. It is always listed first in the Wine version selector.
Wine executables
Depending on the container mode, Winlator selects a different Wine binary from/opt/wine/bin/:
| Binary | Used when |
|---|---|
wine-wow64 | WoW64 mode is enabled (default) — handles both 32-bit and 64-bit Windows apps in a single process |
wine32 | Pure 32-bit mode — runs only 32-bit applications, lower overhead for exclusively 32-bit titles |
wine64 | 64-bit only — used when addressing a 64-bit Wine installation without WoW64 |
getExecutable() copies either wine-wow64 or wine32 to a generic wine binary path and sets the executable bit, so Wine always starts via a consistent entry point.
WoW64 mode
WoW64 (Windows 32-bit on Windows 64-bit) lets the 64-bit Wine process run 32-bit applications without a separate 32-bit Wine server. It is enabled by default for every new container (wow64Mode = true).
WoW64 enabled
- Runs the
wine-wow64binary - 32-bit and 64-bit apps both work
- Box86 handles the 32-bit x86 translation layer
- Default for maximum compatibility
WoW64 disabled
- Runs the
wine32binary only - Exclusively for 32-bit apps
- Slightly lower overhead for pure 32-bit titles
- 64-bit apps will not launch
Installing additional Wine versions
You can download community or upstream Wine builds and import them into Winlator. Installed versions are stored under theopt/installed-wine/ directory inside the Winlator image filesystem (at ImageFs.getInstalledWineDir()).
Download a Wine XZ archive
Obtain a Wine build packaged as a
.tar.xz archive. Community-built Winlator-compatible Wine builds are typically shared on the Winlator GitHub Releases or community forums.Tap Install Wine Version
Under the Installed Wine Versions section, tap the Install Wine Version button and accept the warning dialog.
Select the archive file
Use the file picker to select the
.tar.xz Wine archive you downloaded. Winlator extracts it via WineUtils.extractWineFileForInstallAsync() and detects the version by running wine --version internally.Wine version naming convention
Installed Wine versions follow the pattern:| Identifier | Meaning |
|---|---|
wine-9.2-custom | Built-in Wine 9.2 (Winlator custom build, x86_64) |
wine-9.0-x86_64 | User-installed Wine 9.0 for 64-bit |
wine-8.21-1-x86 | User-installed Wine 8.21 sub-release 1, 32-bit |
WineInfo.java:
Removing an installed Wine version
Installed versions (not the built-in one) can be removed from Settings → Installed Wine Versions. Tap the remove button next to the version. Winlator will refuse to remove a version that is still assigned to an active container.Per-container Wine version
Each container stores its chosen Wine version in its.container config file under the wineVersion key. If the key is absent, the container uses the built-in Wine 9.2 (Custom). Changing the Wine version in Container Settings regenerates key system DLLs and DLL overrides for that container.