This means that although there is already a new daily build out, it does not yet include functioning theme support (not in the GUI at least), but don’t fret, it is coming.

Another new thing with regards to packaging is that Vineyard is now distributed as a single package instead of two.
This does not mean that python-wine cannot be build separately, but since Vineyard is the only program using it so far, I don’t see any real reason to keep it as a separate package yet.

So, to round things up, there’s a new (daily) release out which contains various nice new features like:

• A fancy new tools button-menu (like the Elementary project made popular)
• Better Unity Launcher integration (quicklists)
• Support for limiting a process to a number of CPUs (not in GUI yet, but works from command line)
• Much faster startup of vineyard-preferences
• Better monitoring of child processes (so Vineyard won’t think your game exited when its launcher started it)

Along with fixes for:

• Not being able to remove a prefix
• Better compatibility with winetricks for prefix handling
• Improved Windows registry compatibility
• Better support for legacy Vineyard prefixes

The Poll
How did everyone feel about the poll? Not many people voted, so I’m interested in hearing why and if you think it’s a good idea to do another one.

CodeWeavers
Last but definitely not least, it’s my pleasure to announce that The Vineyard Project and CodeWeavers are now business partners in the sense that if you buy a CodeWeavers product (like the excellent CrossOver products) through clicking the banner on the right, your money will benefit CodeWeavers, Vineyard and the Wine project – that’s three times the good conscience for the price of one (product)!

Signing off,

– Christian

Here’s a few of the things I’ve been working on, but feel free to suggest your own ideas.

• Programs page speed-up/improvements
• Colour-”theme” editing
• Windows theme support
• Making it possible to disable the Windows tray
• Making it easier to show installed programs in the menu

The poll will close on the 6th of April.

UPDATE: The poll is closed and the winner with a whopping 3 votes is Windows theme support! I already have it in a working state, just needs some polish, so expect to see it in the next release!

Pre13

• Prefix Add/Remove buttons work again
• Remove button is disabled on default prefix (let me know if this is annoying)
• Layout of vineyard-preferences is more symmetrical

Pre12

• Cosmetic improvements as well as better About dialog for vineyard-preferences
• vineyard-launcher now automatically sets the prefix to the one the executable is in (if any)
• vineyard-preferences now launches programs in a terminal if they are set as such
• Programs that run in a terminal can now also disable PulseAudio
• Nautilus property page shows a bit more info for shell links – should also be impossible to crash now
• Speed increases in reading the registry/settings
• Fixed: The Apply button should function correctly now (only be active on changes) when editing programs in vineyard-preferences
• Fixed: The prefix name entry in vineyard-preferences works again

Pre11

• Completely rewritten prefix/configuration/bottle support – lot’s of bugs gone because of that (especially that big one everyone was reporting) (spec here)
• Speed optimisations in getting drive informations
• Duplicate prefix names are displayed with more info in vineyard-preferences and vineyard-launcher
• Installing programs now gives better feedback and works much better in general
• DirectInput Mouse warping can now be configured in vineyard-preferences
• Launcing a program from its .lnk file works better now
• Nautilus integration has been updated and improved, now can also show info for .lnk files (shell links)
• Fixed: Better support for non-standard executables – is also faster
• Fixed: The device entry in Places updates correctly now
• Fixed: Menu entries (desktop files) work again
• Fixed: Worked around a bug in PyGTK in Ubuntu Natty
• Fixed: Using commands like “env VAR=” now correctly sets an empty variable

Enjoy.

UPDATE: Here’s a screenshot of the cosmetic improvements in vineyard-preferences. It’s not much, but it helps.
UPDATE 2: Screenshot updated to Pre13.

Vineyard Preferences with the new cosmetic changes

UPDATE 3: Here’s that new Shell Link Nautilus properties view again:

The Nautilus property page showing the info in the link for Mozilla Firefox in safe mode

The Nautilus property page showing the info in the link for Mozilla Firefox Safe Mode

If you’re interested in the technical stuff, python-wine can now read all the contained info in a Windows shell link using its own “binary” module (which is completely self contained and usable in other projects without including the entire python-wine). The reading is done using the standard Python module “struct” with no external dependencies.

Fixed in pre10:
python-wine:

• python-wine will now exit with a fitting message if Wine is not installed
• If the default prefix doesn’t exist on access it will be created
• Fixed: Setting registry values was broken in many cases due to a recent change
• Fixed: Setting virtual desktop values didn’t really work on the default prefix
• Fixed: Setting integer registry values (also fixes setting font aliasing)
• Fixed: Reading the name of unified format prefixes failed
• Fixed: Reading icons is less prone to fail
• Fixed: Reading program info from registry would sometimes use faulty uninstall info

vineyard-preferences:

• The virtual desktop widget didn’t work, it does now.

The PPA is updating right now and as usual the updates are available here as well:
python-wine pre10 and vineyard pre10

As always, remember to install both packages if you’re installing them manually (using the PPA should update both automatically).

Changes are:

vineyard-launcher:

• Supports symlinking a directory to a configuration
• Relative file-paths work

vineyard-indicator:

• New icons for all themes based on Connor Carney’s new design

vineyard-preferences:

• Program adding is implemented
• Lot’s of fixes for program editing
• All programs that can be run are displayed as such
• Programs can have their menu category edited
• Changes that should activate the “Apply” button now always properly do so
• Programs can disable PulseAudio whilst running (including waiting for children to exit before starting PulseAudio again)

python-wine:

• Configurations are now created according to the unified prefix format created in cooperation with Dan Kegel
• Configuration directory names are now named like the configuration
• Program icons are properly searched in configurations
• Windows executables that don’t have a resource header can be read
• Names can be read from non-executables (like .msi files)
• Programs that should be run in terminal are properly read as such
• Creating a new configuration waits properly for regedit instead of dying
• Editing a program now creates a .desktop file, automatically linked to the menu and with the “TryExec” key given to ensure no dead menu items
• Getting icons work for more programs now
• Running a process can now wait for children to finish as well

As well as the usual fixes here and there.

Pretty pictures:

Shown here is how easy it is to add a saved installation of a game or program to an existing or new Vineyard configuration.

Editing the program info for "Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines", with the launcher being shown in the main menu (in the correct category) and PulseAudio set as being disabled while the program is running.

• Program editing works now
• Running programs (especially from vineyard-cli) is more stable and easier with regards to syntax and also works much better with older programs and patchers
• Loading and saving settings is somewhat faster now
• Nautilus now shows an InfoBar when in a Vineyard configuration directory, giving the name of the configuration and direct access to it’s settings in vineyard-preferences
• Support for XRandR for screen resolution changes can be toggled on/off
• vineyard-launcher now has a button to search AppDB
• The beginnings of support for the new install script format done in cooperation with Dan Kegel. Not visible in GUI yet, but code is there
• Lots of small fixes

Get it while it’s hot at:

python-wine_0.3~pre8_all.deb
vineyard_0.1.5~pre8_all.deb

or from the Testing PPA.

You can find it here or add it to your sources by running the following commands in a terminal:
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:cybolic/vineyard-testing
sudo apt-get update
and then install Vineyard by running the following command:
sudo apt-get install python-wine vineyard