ShadeOn

I might not speak on CodeWeavers behalf, as I just translate from EN to RO part of the app, but I do the beta testing for new versions also. Be sure that almost every time I test the Affinity Suite v2 in a advanced user way (but still as newbie) (click click, setting up environment, no library installs etc cause I don't know those stuff) when a beta is up, and if I see any progress done, I will give a small "update and Hurray" on this forum where the discussion is continued. Currently it isn't even showing a .exe part after install, just like some other apps that I test. But... surprisingly v23 (with Wine 8.x) has made huge progress on Guild Wars 2, made it almost lag free even in big battles (20vs20) with only integrated graphics card, no dedicated one, so yeah.. it's a big thing alright... But we all must know that those from Valve with their steam games app (arguably.. cause even software works now there, and can't be said it's a games app "only") and their Proton made this possible, as they mostly contribute to the development of Wine nowadays by a fair margin. But what I can say for sure is that.. CodeWeavers are dedicated on making porting apps and games possible on Linux so we skip the dual boot or VM variants, but the priority development and updates of Wine is given to those companies that give a funding (it doesn't need to be every month, it can be even yearly or whenever they see bugs and want to be fixed asap) for keeping their apps/games working. (or after a initial funding and the app works, the company with the funded app can dedicate a developer for the Wine part to keep their apps in check, and then they don't need to give funding afterwards, as far as I know at least). And of course, apps that weren't funded in any way, are "tried" by us, aka users to see if any progress made on other apps, helped the non-funded app to progress forward also (as most might have same library in common) Only after this, when they got available time to dedicate to something else, they check that list where we voted which ones we want to see it ported, and they check what libraries mostly in the list have in common And while we are on the topic.. yes, I have a dream that if Affinity or Gimp doesn't progress further (Gimp 3 seems to be interesting when they'll let it on the market) , I would like someone with courage and intuition from the Blender development to step forward and start a funding for a app or a series of apps that give raster and vector capabilities and can complete each other . I know Photoline exists, but it's UI needs to be updated and make some tabs separate for raster and vector, not all in same area like in Photoshop... But even Blender team some time ago acknowledged Affinity Suite and given a thumbs up to have courage to become a default icon on Linux as a "go-to" for raster and vector editors (and this can translate in giving a idea option for other OS users to make a workflow on their system as well). But same as Blender and CodeWeavers... the ball is on Serif's side to decide how to handle the SWOT table in the unforeseen future. (or just stay relaxed and let us try and try and try (15 years later....) the app to work under Wine if enough development was made from Wine developers side for free )

I tried with PlayOnLinux and Crossover 22 (January 2023). While CrossOver 22 (Wine 7.7) couldn't pop-up the install menu, PlayOnLinux with 6.17 64-bit Wine could start up the install menu, but I couldn't go further cause it appeared the warning that I don't have a supported Windows version. Let's see if others progressed further. On both I set up Win10 environment

Agree.. even the Nvidia renting hardware thing will accompany this. I mean.. even someone from GW2 told me that they play from a dual core 4 GB DDR2 SSD Laptop with some low video card with 1920x1080 resolution, using only internet cable that is in sync with his Nvidia's account, and he's doing all the gaming and using apps from the browser.. But like in some previous posts I specified.. it's still better to have a local OS, have working apps locally, otherwise on blackout and internet down, nothing will work. Only those with generators can still work on their PC for a couple of minutes of hours. Now I got to that part of the forum topic where even Patrick Connor starts to see the "handcuffs" where they can't control anymore.. W12 here we come (in virtual box) In Linux and Mac is same thing anyway.. installing through the Software Center (or whatever Mac has) and goes into a default partition. But at least you can have control over it from both sides (Dev company & users)

Interesting stuff I read until now from that topic 1stn00b added here. This person got to the same idea and style of how to be a simple and effective install on any OS. (in this case Windows from that topic) Sounds familiar ? 1stn00b, here are users from Windows who share and got to same conclusion as you (and I agree, in Linux companies can control their software, and if a distribution makes wrong moves, company can leave. That's why most offer to .deb , .rpm, and now snap, flatpak etc which is easier to contain all file dependencies and it's file versions. Same needs, different OS, but same world. From now many pages from that topic, we can get to some conclusions : 1. Not many accept the store's thing, and more options are welcome. There is a saying "Don't add all eggs in same basket" . If something goes wrong with a OS, at least you have control over the others until the affected one is fixed. 2. What happens later if Windows 12 will be released and .exe and .msi get restricted ? (psst.. Mac OS or Linux) (I stopped believing when they said W10 was the last version and won't do another one after..) The difference between the 2 topics is that, on that one, people remained on Windows cause they are tied to apps they are dependent for work, and try to ask for help for at least those apps to work in sync. And on this topic, we moved from Windows as main OS and try to adapt to paid or free softwares that can meet our professional dependencies/aspirations, while asking help to have at least those apps to work here so we can continue using those. The more options are available, the more people can move around (or have more active OS like me with 7,8.1 and 10 on laptops, Linux on Main PC , and W10 VM over Linux on Main PC. (and yes.. not all of us have the $$$$ to buy every 5-7 years a new Apple product) Plus.. if we think about the new Universal License which can be used on Mac, IPad and Windows... we can conclude that number of users on Mac, Windows and Linux is done, buried, out of question, cause it's not valid anymore... right ? Hope this gets fixed so we can see Serif recover and continue it's development (both in code and heart) And yes.. the idea of having virtual machine with W10 for V2 still remains if with Wine/Bottles will not progress forward with new additions into dependencies..

As long as we have a chance to install it on Wine/Bottles, and Mark can pin-point us why some errors appear and 1stn00b or others can't fix it without those dependencies, I welcome it, since we can skip the virtual machine

Interesting.. the first scratches of thorns on the skin for making a 100% dedicated client to an OS using ONLY what that OS is promoting (by being the only way, ignore the rest) to enhance the whole apps developed on that platform comes as a backfire. (not even those who promote those on that platform can confirm if it's bad or good.. yikes!) (and we talk about W10/11 here..) Now they got into a fork path.. continue doing 100% what an OS says it's best (and ignoring other old school working ways on that OS) or do what things work so users can use the apps and get their $$$$ in their pockets. That Topic 1stn00bb added before shows that W10/11 already starts not to be a noob's os like in the old days it was known for. (click-click-yes/no-yes/no->finish->open->yay it works and now I can play/work with it) and it clearly shows where Windows will head to in the future. While I agree I am a Windowist (since I grown up with as OS) and am used to it's way of how it was organized to the user's mindset and workflow, W10/11 kinda starts to break, either making too simplistic and some details are hidden (and later on you have problems troubleshooting it like in that above topic, and some changes cannot be made in the visual side), or they re-organize all the logical that was fine for decades, into new "try out" (and untested enough, but forces to be used as standard ASAP and patches after patches along the way... ) like the brands that change their logo even though the brand's name is same and all people know it. What I want to say is that people are starting to change stuff that worked and had logic into something different, subjective "just so we could refresh stuff cause we don't feel alright to use same stuff like our parents or grandparents used". Good thing Tesla cars don't burn out of nothing while driving or in the parking space.. Anyway.. if they change the installation client mode and it makes it possible to install afterwards in Wine, we're back on the good road. Like the user "Zero Zero" sums up very nice trying to remind Affinity their mission and why they started doing Graphics Programs (cause they like what they are doing and want to let others use it also, as any developer's heart + mind set should be) : " I very much like what Serif is doing with Affinity and love the software but cannot stand this insane change to the standard installation procedure. Please Serif fix this unwanted installation mess asap. and please retain some independence from the dumbing-down that Micro$oft continually applies to Windows in the so-called attempt to make it better. I sincerely hope you listen. "

Same in my situation. I am used to Windows from 95 up to 10, but I prefer 7 or 8.1 as last true version. 10 is a joke and I use it only for "business". Win 11 is even worse than 10 because of hardware discrimination (valid only for those who have CPU from 2019 onwards). While you can install W11 on those pre 2019, it gets sluggish (it has same code under the hood but uses a different store which is in the center of the OS); and if it has Win10 on it, somehow miraculously works normal. (Even the 7 or 8.1 have their problems also, I agree (for example 7 didn't have internet connection driver out-of-box, and it had to be installed with the client's mainboard driver CD back in old days), while 8.1 had good Win7 fixes but had that Metro thing for tablets as default for all devices.) After the major updates fiasco with forced updates ...the one where HDDs were formatted "for free, out of charge, not accidentally", the HP or whatever brand that had drivers and functionality problems (only those with that brand had this great feature experience), the latest one in 2020 which in summer, all images were corrupted and couldn't be printed straight forward (all had to be forced converted into PDF and most small copy business centers used some free online PDF converters) and even Wacom drivers had problems in Windows... (on one hand.. if after one update, wacom drivers didn't work 100% alright, Wacom fixed it, then after another update it was broken again, and irony.. reverting to a previous driver version fixed it (LOL) and it was clear that it wasn't a Wacom driver thing from the start) So from this situation, I prefer to use Win 10 in a virtual box, and have Linux Ubuntu (or Ubuntu Studio / Debian later on if I switch distribution, still with .deb or snap) for a safety measure. W10 is not trusted enough to let it be a main OS on a working PC/Laptop (with internet cable in it, day by day) At Linux and Mac there are not such fake troubleshooting problems, if there are.. it's truly from let's say.. Wacom hardware/drivers and not the OS. (I am not talking about fresh releases of new Wacom devices which need some time until drivers and updated and such to work on OSs, this is normal. I talk about already working devices, released some time ago, and worked) And don't say stuff like "you can now disable updates if you want". I know that, but it has a twisted side also that many didn't encounter. If you don't update the OS after 3 years (and do only small fixes updates and stuff), you will get a "expiration" notification and it's HIGHLY RECOMMENDED to update it. On 8 or 7 or XP , I could let it disabled even for 6+ years and it didn't happen this. Plus I had the possibility to choose only some updates to make which were needed. In the 10, if you didn't update for those 3 years (real case study from personal experience, repairing computers btw), once you started updating, it had to literally get EVERY SINGLE previous update in order, no skipping any minor or middle patches (even the ones with problems that were reported). @MattyWS They can't change the present from the chosen path from the past. They chose to be tied to dedicated libraries that are tied to a OS (and adapt them individually, making many repeating tasks written differently) instead of making a universal app with their own home-made libraries, and then just do strings attach (like frameworks home-made) as minimum to dedicated libraries for each OS, for example for things that are not displaying the same (like in old days with Javascript displaying differently on browsers) and nowadays with webkit-like things. They had more power of control and just go forward being able to adapt to any scenario, and keeping their base unified. We can only adapt to their choice by using virtual machines with w10, and we'll see in 5-10-15 years what happens (continuous development, or a new suite rewritten)

If it's something that not even Wine currently can handle, it means they had a stormy weather to rush things (like I stated in some posts ago) for a reason (or majority won who voted for functionality over flexibility). When you indeed need it, I can only sum up that until CrossOver will check on this topic, VMware or equivalent (virtual machines) are the only valid options with Windows 10 on it (since the V2 I see them having dropped Win 8.1 (and 7) from the list, which is not good... at least 8.1 should have still been on the list). And btw.. I don't see anywhere something about half price discount for those who own V1 and want to upgrade , only the limited time offer on time of writing this post.

Yes, Adobe bought Figma (announced at the end of September 2022) . This means there is a chance that Adobe will increase price and the free stuff will become more limited than what Figma has to offer now (at the time of writing) (or they add some new free stuff but step by step will reduce them again). Figma done a good job until now, offering a good experience free usage so that new Web Designers that enter this job domain to feel safe, able to use all tools available and have a decent portfolio to show off at job offerings. And best of all... if you can't pay monthly anymore, you are still able to have access to the projects and tools (in free use mode, which is acceptable). Companies buy the standard monthly fees as a ~donation~ for the continuous development. I am sure that Adobe will somehow play with Figma to modify/adapt it to be closer to Illustrator alternative (or rename it altogether), since they already have the online Photoshop variant, and only Illustrator and InDesign is still needed to have the full suite adapted for online. I do go forth and speculate they will make also a Figma clone to create a InDesign variant. If the limitation will start to roll out or prices will go up in Adobe expensive style, we already get ready to save the projects and move on to other options. Currently, the closest project near Figma capabilities and experience is this : https://penpot.app/ , and it's in beta (time of writing) To be honest.. I prefer to use offline tools as backup, especially since most countries warn people to get blankets, candles and canned food cause of possible blackouts that could be hours or days. This wouldn't be a problem if some teammates can't join for the time being if they get unlucky, but it would really be a big problem if the connection to the main server is affected by the offline status, cause it affects the productivity altogether. I don't want to enter the e-mail or the login verification subject (if it is on another server, in another country, and if it's 2 steps verification and e-mail server is down.. you can't login into the app for work) cause it has many scenarios.

@1stn00b , I have to ask you to stop at this line, cause you already crossed the moral line by insulting me (very sharply in fact) with adding me as a "clone account" , when I am in fact active, main PC with Linux Ubuntu 20.04 since 2020 (and before this I was between 2015-2018 until I had to reinstall windows to do in Microsoft Office my University Diploma that year , and then get back on Linux after I bought a new PC). At this time I own 3 laptops (old as they are) with Win 7, 8.1 and 10 (but I share them with my mom cause she needs at least the 7 and 10 for work). Until now the newer one with Win10 with every "free" update, the performance decreases every year, so if drastic measures call, I will add a Debian or something on it later on. The thing is.. you are incorrect, I am not against Linux or Windows or Mac (I could also say in my point of view that you go towards the extreme area of Linux users and that's not healthy) and still consider myself as a intermediate user myself, and use Win or Ubuntu depending on the job I need to do . And I agree that both OS have advantages and disadvantages, just like the new Android 11 on Nokia phones that don't have a stop slide button for updates, and it's practically a Win 10+ forced updates system. I myself still have a flip battery Samsung J5 2015 with Android 5 on it and am still happy to use it for my basic needs. As the saying is... "saying without showing is half a lie" , for this matter I have added a image. While posting, and being on the topic of packages you mentioned, I want to add my own search on this matter (some ideas in nutshell, at least how I see these) : Snap, Flatpak are just some packages that are on a Linux distribution of choice, and adds the distribution's library dependencies out-of-box (something like that) I for one.. rather make them in other formats that are neutral to all, and let communities do in those above packages for their distributions if it is. Or there is .appimage (application) that is friendly to all distributions, it can save and plugins, profiles, makes updates on versions, and all dependency libraries are there, it's like a equivalent windows install app folder with everything in it (at least with Brackets Editor while I used it (they are still active)) And while we're here.. I joined the CodeWeavers team to translate from English to Romanian for their CrossOver application, since I use it too for Guild Wars 2 and other apps. Unfortunately, GW2 has URL ingame pasting bug and freezes in DX11, so I must use sometimes Playonlinux with dx9 so I could paste url links (or texts from a app) to a teammate with Back-End Java knowledge and to another teammate with knowledge on Back-End PHP for better quality translation (I am Web Designer & Front-End Web Dev (sometimes use graphics apps (mostly on Figma online for WD work),photography and collaborate also with other Web Designer colleague in Bucharest). I am also working with excel databases and doing including business intelligence/analytics (as you know.. many write in excel (and have databases as excel sheets) , and to trim down the size, they save them in pdf, and try to think doing this for all, then you receive them and have to remake them in excel format (and then add edited images and other information over the original information)(that's why I said PDF Databases and either I wasn't clear or most didn't understand what I was writing about)... and yeah.. for there are companies that do this for reasons, if you wonder) I also sent a mail to a member of CodeWeavers (who offered me this opportunity) to send it to other more appropriate departments to analyze the 2 scripts on this forum and the url links to "the best part" of this forum. Can't guarantee anything, I just wanted to help out like @Snapseed said, at least with what I can, even if I can't add much value to this. I am for a affinity suite variant on linux, but as I analyzed the situation, currently it's safer to do with Wine compatibility. And with your recent finding on a deprecating function that affects their highest income gain (from Windows), it's safer and better to focus on updating those on calm waters (and have a good compatibility function existing in Wine for it cause we're affected by it also) than update the function in a stormy water and starts to appear other problems in Wine transition with that. Hope this clears out the wrong ideas and don't shoot someone before you see if it's a man or deer (many mortal accidents while doing hunting sport with guns) reference. Cheers

It is kind of a bad habit mix of words to be used in a phrase per se. And I think now it's more crucial to find "soon be deprecated" core stuff that can affect future client versions on Windows and Mac (that can affect us too in Wine/Bottles) , then comes new features, and then (and only then) other stuff like Android, SailfishOS, etc. Better be doing this while waters are calm now than when it's a stormy one and will lead to rash decisions

Agree here. Not one of us is the same (except some look alike the same, but are not that same/copy of previous soul that inhabited it) Then I am sure like others who didn't reply that you saw noob's finding about this function that you guys use and might affect on further Win 10/11 major updates (those "creative" updates that are each year but in reality it's a half-dusty format of refreshing the internal windows code, and previous versions won't be the same with new ones under the hood) and it already affects on this side too (wine/bottles), besides flickering (I think Wine devs should have some time to check this).

This is same thing in reality... people don't move inside small cities or villages cause there are no companies there, just small family market , a bar, and 1-2 agricultural companies, but nowadays even young IT people move there cause these small cities and villages have Internet and enough signal to have a connection. And at the same time, if companies move away or close, all values there deprecates and people try to sell their houses and try to move to closer villages that have railway for trains , or closer to bigger cities in the region, in which they can buy a house with what they have (can't afford in bigger cities if renting and others have not a good ROI) , in this example.. is Windows XP and 7, only AVG for example makes updates, and Mozilla Firefox same, other software companies have stopped supporting them (although outdated apps still work there, especially printer ones), and you can see in Steam OS Share monthly (for visual reference) how step by step 7 and 8 lose users and 10 and 11 grows. But let's get this over with and hope we will get a simple template install for "simple on-click adding information in inputs" users for the Wine. Cheers

Indeed, Serif Affinity suite has it's own licenses Microsoft Office has it's own license Microsoft's Windows OS has it's own license The difference is.. you don't need Windows OS license to use Microsoft Office, but you need Microsoft Office license to use them legally if you have a company and clients use them most. The fact that Libre Office and other similar ones (even payable ones) try to help out with compatibility regarding MS file formats and filling a existing gap is welcoming. "I ask you not to continue with a river of text explaining that because "PDF Databases" don't work for you is the reason Serif doesn't offer a Linux version of their software." I don't mind if Serif doesn't have their native client on Linux truth be told. I, as some others here, would like at least in Wine to work out and that's why I joined in to give my vote for the limited software options existing in a OS of choice. To be honest, I think Serif Team are right on not planning a release for Linux (at least in this current situation) because they chose to have unique libraries to stick to a OS, instead of creating personal libraries multi-platform in the 1st place years ago, and because the majority of them voted for this, they have bugs to solve with 2 different but similar technology so to say.. . As being in this situation, we adapt and Wine is a safe bet today. But as others mentioned, we just offer our gratitude here and our votes, but always the developers have last word and decision when they are ready to move into new green fields ; and until then.. we use Affinity in Windows (or Mac), or equivalent/similar and still try out sometimes on Wine if either sides did more progress. Most of us can have hope now that it's already in a alpha functional state and can progress. By Wine's ratings, I could rate this as Bronze because it can be installed, start-up works, and playing around with some functions. Silver is when there are no more glitches and less crashes , Gold is when 99% works, and Platinum is when 99% works at minimum and can get to near native Windows app equivalent speed. Regarding the licenses from Microsoft Software Center and independent downloadable client from main developer website , this has been same situation to other software or games. One of them which I use is the game called Guild Wars 2. They have a downloadable client, and they have plans to launch a Microsoft software center one (or Steam), and licenses from each of these are independent. Plus there is same thing that happens to this game client similar to Affinity's case : the one from software center/Steam can't be installed on Linux, but the one from developer's website can be installed through Crossover or Playonlinux. This is because it's mainly built for Windows environment (and had a Mac version too, but they dropped it a few years ago because they couldn't keep it up with Apple's changing plans). But they are known to the community that 1 or 2 developers remained after 2006 (or something in this year area after release of GW1 ) to help out with bugs (or hints) that Wine team couldn't solve to make it most playable (and no guarantees whatsoever, those of us who try to use it on Wine are doing on our own risk which we accepted from the very beginning)

@1stn00b , sry to disappoint you, but I can speak at the level of my team that we researched in this topic. If you use in virtual machine Windows as OS , then it's needed a Windows xp/7/8/10/11 license. If it's a Linux distribution, FreeBSD , then no. In Wine isn't needed any license of the OS that it's trying to imitate for the applications to run. I personally had my cup of tea with Windows since old 95's days onward and after the forced updates in the 10 was the limit, and on 11 forcing to change hardware even if previous OS versions didn't have any problem with it (it only was slower ofc). Currently am using Windows and Linux depending on what is needed. (I preferably work mostly on Linux Ubuntu which has some stability and as I researched.. it offers more updates than other distributions, so for companies this is good thing) At my current client, he asked me to check on software that could convert PDF databases into Excel/Calc and have Windows support and Linux as backup if we need to change the OS if 10 will start "becoming slower" and 11 is out of the idea for hardware before 2018 (and for some reason nowadays if you install Win 10 or 11, you need the SSD drives.. the classic ones aren't "optimized" anymore). For the results, we found that Wondershare has good software for Windows, but not for Linux, and Able2Extract has same (or better results) and has a Windows and Linux variant. The Linux variant for .deb has known bugs at 20.04 and 22.04 but the developers cooperate and I asked them to keep me updated cause they have a better chance to win and be a "go to out of the box variant" of PDF converter for Linux. They have and a .rpm variant but didn't check how it works there, since the company wants Debian or Ubuntu later. (and yes..this is a proprietary software, but as long as it works or has a windows variant functional until at linux is repaired (or we will use 16.04 or 18.04) we're good and can sleep better tonight for the day of tomorrow) Mostly at this client, they only work with excels and need to manipulate images. The Libre Calc and MS Excel (from how much we use similar functions) are compatible and all is fine while under the .xlsx format. But as I understood from 1 or 2 articles a few months ago, MS wants with Office 2021 variant, it's primary format to be changed to the odt one (or something similar). The Calc has better productivity in adding information and go faster at desired sheet , while Excel still is better at adding simultaneously more than 1 images and manipulate them at same time before hitting "Enter" and has better productivity there. Calc unfortunately has only 1 image upload at a time but has more options on how to manipulate it.