running command line apps without X-Windows

integerpoet · Post by **integerpoet** » Thu Oct 09, 2008 4:07 pm

I'm interested in running some command-line binaries, specifically the Microsoft compilers and linkers, on Mac OS X. WINE (more specifically Darwine) would seem to be a step in the right direction. It seems to me that since these kinds of programs have limited interaction with the operating system, they stand a good chance of running well within WINE. However, WINE seems to be oriented more toward GUI stuff, and wants to launch some kind of X-Windows session. Can I make this dependency go away somehow? It might be acceptable if X-Windows is installed but evidently unused. The goal is to be able to launch the Microsoft compiler from within Xcode.

vitamin · Post by **vitamin** » Thu Oct 09, 2008 4:31 pm

integerpoet wrote:I'm interested in running some command-line binaries, specifically the Microsoft compilers and linkers, on Mac OS X. WINE (more specifically Darwine) would seem to be a step in the right direction. It seems to me that since these kinds of programs have limited interaction with the operating system, they stand a good chance of running well within WINE. However, WINE seems to be oriented more toward GUI stuff, and wants to launch some kind of X-Windows session. Can I make this dependency go away somehow?

If these programs (and the API they call) don't need to create window to function, then you can run them on x-less setup (xorg library is still required). But if these programs (or API they call) create a single window then you have to run them within valid X session.

This is API limitation and Wine can't do anything about it.

James Mckenzie · Post by **James Mckenzie** » Thu Oct 09, 2008 4:40 pm

You will need to find and use a DOSBOX type program. [Dar]wine requires the use of X11 and may in the future support the native Aqua interface.

I am assuming that you are not trying to run Microsoft Visual C++/C# (MSVC) compilers as well. These do require that the Windows environment be present and running, although they can be run from a Command Prompt window in some cases.

James McKenzie

From: integerpoet <[email protected]>
Sent: Oct 9, 2008 2:07 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: [Wine] running command line apps without X-Windows

I'm interested in running some command-line binaries, specifically the Microsoft compilers and linkers, on Mac OS X. WINE (more specifically Darwine) would seem to be a step in the right direction. It seems to me that since these kinds of programs have limited interaction with the operating system, they stand a good chance of running well within WINE. However, WINE seems to be oriented more toward GUI stuff, and wants to launch some kind of X-Windows session. Can I make this dependency go away somehow?

integerpoet · Post by **integerpoet** » Thu Oct 09, 2008 5:02 pm

vitamin wrote:If these programs (and the API they call) don't need to create window to function, then you can run them on x-less setup (xorg library is still required). But if these programs (or API they call) create a single window then you have to run them within valid X session.

Given what I know of Windows programming, my bet would be that even a compiler would might well need a hidden "window" in order to have it listen for some message or other. Even this might be acceptable as long as I can invoke the compiler as if it were a native command-line app. (I don't think I would need piping or redirection.) Any chance of that?