cross-posted from: https://rss.ponder.cat/post/227964
There used to be a time when Linux gaming was a tricky affair, filled with trial and error, obscure fixes, and things randomly breaking. Many gamers used to avoid gaming on the platform due to those issues.
Now? Things have changed dramatically. Tools like Wine, Proton, DXVK, etc. have taken Linux gaming to another level. Bottles is one of those handy tools helping make the experience that much easier for gamers.
Sadly, the project has hit a funding roadblock.
Hard Work Deserves Appreciation
The lead developer behind Bottles, Mirko Brombin, recently shared an update on the project’s current state. He points out that, while Bottles has sponsorships from companies like Linode, JetBrains, and Hyperbit, they are still facing funding shortages that make sustained development difficult.
Despite having over 3 million downloads on Flathub, the project receives only about €100 per month in donations, an amount easily overshadowed by the server costs alone.
That sounds concerning. 🫤
Mirko also brought attention to Bottles Next, a complete rewrite of the app designed to modernize the codebase and improve performance. He said that they are still working on it, and while it’s due sometime in the future, continued support from Bottles users will help the team focus on development and deliver a better product faster.
He further added:
I am actively working to find sponsorships, I am in contact with a possible funding that could allow us to accelerate development, to pay a small bonus to those working on Next, to give some breathing room to those who are contributing. But here too, it takes time. And that’s precisely why today I feel the need to speak openly.
We don’t want to make Wikipedia-style appeals, with the usual “just one euro each.” But it’s right that those who love Bottles know how things really are. If you want to see Next grow, if you want to see Bottles finally become what it’s meant to be, we invite you to consider supporting us. Even just a symbolic donation, even just a monthly subscription, if done by many, can become what we need to take the next step.
If you use Bottles and want to see it grow, even a small donation helps more than you might think. Supporting the project now means faster updates and a better experience down the line.
Suggested Read 📖
It's FOSS NewsAnkush Das
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I don't know how much of the 3 million installs I represent but I installed it, found the whole process to create a bottle an unnecessary hurdle and didn't see any functional benefits over the five or so alternatives that also aim to make Windows software compatible with Linux. The Gnome headerbar UI also is alien on both game and desktop modes of SteamOS.
So I uninstalled it.
I am similar.
I have found the process to be rather overly complicated; though I do recognize some benefit in more granular control in certain areas. Between running different versions of wine and proton, I have been able to do everything I've needed to and wanted to do with far less steps and time invested into the setup. I haven't really thought about bottles again until now.
However, I do think that it is important to support projects like these anyway -- as gaming on Linux is one of the few consistent barriers for people switching over from windows or mac; just because it isn't my cup of tea or that I personally don't see the benefit of it doesn't mean that there isn't a whole community of people who prefer to use bottles and enjoy the fine control over runners and such. In a larger sense, I think supporting them would be supporting gaming on Linux as a whole.
Bottles and similar projects don't develop the underlying technology, though. That's Wine. Bottles is a front-end with a bunch of support scripts.
Very true! But I think how said technology is presented and making it easier to use or more understandable to certain people goes a long way.
Sort of like public intellectuals and hardcore academics. Hardcore academics are the ones driving forward new innovations for a particular field of study or another. Public intellectuals make said field of study more accessible to the public by providing descriptions and explanations in various laymen terms.
In a similar way, bottles may make using wine or different wine versions easier for some; or maybe the process of creating and setting up a bottle clicks better and makes the most sense for them.
Same installed found useless and now just sits there.