Bottles — Run Windows Software and Games on Linux with Managed Wine Prefixes

Introduction

Bottles is an open-source application for Linux that manages Wine prefixes (called bottles) through a modern graphical interface. It provides pre-configured environments for gaming and productivity, handling Wine runners, DXVK, VKD3D, and other components automatically. The project focuses on making Windows software accessible on Linux without manual Wine configuration.

What Bottles Does

• Creates isolated Wine prefixes with pre-configured environments for gaming or application use
• Manages multiple Wine and Proton runners with one-click switching and updating
• Installs and configures DXVK, VKD3D-Proton, and other translation layers automatically
• Provides dependency installers for common Windows components (Visual C++, .NET, DirectX)
• Backs up and restores entire bottle configurations including installed software

Architecture Overview

Bottles is a Python/GTK4/Libadwaita application that wraps Wine with a management layer. Each bottle is an isolated Wine prefix directory with its own registry, drive mappings, and installed software. The backend downloads and manages runner versions (Wine, Proton, Caffe, Soda) and component packages from the Bottles repository. A versioning system tracks configuration changes, allowing users to roll back to previous states.

Self-Hosting & Configuration

• Install via Flatpak from Flathub (the officially supported distribution method)
• Create a new bottle by choosing a template: Gaming (optimized for games) or Application (for productivity software)
• Select a runner version (Wine, Soda, Caffe, or Proton) per bottle
• Install Windows dependencies from the built-in dependency manager
• Configure per-bottle DXVK, VKD3D, Gamescope, MangoHud, and environment variable settings

Key Features

• Template-based bottle creation with Gaming and Application presets
• Integrated dependency installer for Windows runtime components
• Automatic DXVK and VKD3D-Proton management with version selection
• Bottle versioning and backup system for safe experimentation
• Built-in task manager and Wine process management tools

Comparison with Similar Tools

• Lutris — game-focused launcher with install scripts; Bottles focuses on prefix management with a broader application scope
• PlayOnLinux — older Wine GUI that is less actively maintained; Bottles offers a modern GTK4 interface
• Proton (Steam) — built into Steam for Steam games only; Bottles handles any Windows software
• Winetricks — CLI tool for installing Windows components; Bottles integrates this functionality into its GUI

FAQ

Q: Why should I use Bottles instead of plain Wine? A: Bottles automates prefix creation, runner management, DXVK setup, and dependency installation that would otherwise require manual command-line configuration.

Q: Can I run games from Epic or GOG through Bottles? A: Yes. You can install Epic Games Launcher, GOG Galaxy, or other Windows launchers inside a bottle and run games through them.

Q: Does Bottles work on Steam Deck? A: Yes. Install Bottles via Flatpak in Desktop Mode. It is useful for running non-Steam Windows software.

Q: Is the Flatpak version sandboxed? A: The Flatpak has filesystem access to your home directory for game installations. You can adjust sandbox permissions with Flatseal if needed.

Sources

• https://github.com/bottlesdevs/Bottles
• https://usebottles.com/