Wine 8.8 introduces initial support for loading ARM64EC modules

Wine, the popular software compatibility layer that allows users to run Windows applications on Linux and other Unix-like operating systems, has released version 8.8 just two weeks after its previous version, 8.7. The latest release introduces initial support for loading ARM64EC modules, which is a new ABI (Application Binary Interface) that is compatible with Windows 11 on ARM.

ARM64EC is designed to enable the development of new native applications that can transition from x86_64 to ARM. With this new feature, users can now run Windows applications on Linux and other Unix-like operating systems that are built for ARM64EC. This is a significant development for Wine, as it expands the range of applications that can be run on Linux and other Unix-like operating systems.

In addition to the ARM64EC support, Wine 8.8 also includes more work to fully support PE in the PostScript driver and IME restructuring. These changes are expected to improve the overall performance of Wine and make it more stable.

The latest release also includes the usual various bug fixes, bringing the total number of changes to 253. With the frequent updates and continuous improvements, Wine continues to be a popular choice for users who want to run Windows applications on Linux and other Unix-like operating systems.