* FH v7.0.7 and Crossover

[Valkrider]

This post is for information:

I have just updated FH to v7.0.7 running on Crossover v20.0.4 on a Mac. The update installs fine, during the installation it asks if you want to install WebView2 for the new web browser integration. If you select yes to the installation of WebView2 at the end of the installation of FH it reports that Webview2 failed to install and install it manually following the instructions on the FH website. Manual installation works when you install it into the bottle, however, FH still fails to see the installation of WV2. I have raised a support call with Codeweavers about this and will update this thread when / if a solution is available.

I don't see this as an issue as IE never worked as the internal web browser in previous versions of FH and Crossover.

I will update the KB entry in due course.

[Valkrider]

I have heard back from Codeweavers and they have confirmed that this is a Crossover issue. The good news is that this has been fixed in Wine and will be fixed in the next release of Crossover.

[mjashby]

Colin,

I can confirm that the WebView2 Runtime does install normally in native Wine (on Linux), but produces no benefit whatsoever in FH as the underpinning dependency does not exist (Windows version of Microsoft Edge needs to be present/accessible). It might improve things if Edge was installed in the same Crossover 'bottle'/Wine app, but that would, at best, produce a substantial increase in the app size - probably 250MB+ and I'm not sure if a standalone Microsoft Edge Windows installer is still available, now that it i's built in to all supportedWindows versions. More info on Web2View here: https://blogs.windows.com/msedgedev/202 ... pplication

Edit: Windows Microsoft Edge Installers are still available here: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/edge (for now)

Mervyn

[Valkrider]

Mervyn

Edge is also available as a supported application in the Crossover installer and can be added to a bottle.

[mjashby]

Colin,

Thanks for the extra info. I will watch for the next Crossover update and test then. Meanwhile, I will try to explore how the Windows version of Edge works under Linux/Wine and if it correctly supports FH7's internal browser features; but that could take a bit of app 'export/import manipulation' to avoid 'messing up' my current FH7 registration if there are any problems.

Mervyn

[mjashby]

Colin,

1. Tried a straightforward Edge installation in a new CrossOver Bottle, using the 'Crossover Tie'. It failed to install. No error message.

2. Attempted the same installation using 'native' Wine in a Linux System (Debian), It also failed but did produce an error message on completing the download of the 'full' Windows Edge Installer simply stating it could not find the required location for the download cache.

Complete failure (for me)! Which is in line with existing reports on the WineHQ and Crossover sites.

One of the main challenges seems to be that Microsoft only provides a 'stub' installer for the Windows version of Edge, which downloads and the actual installation files only when it is run and correctly identifies the Windows system and the required download cache location. That location would appear to be missing from the Wine Prefix/CrossOver Bottle design (App Template). My best guess would be that the Wine Developers have not yet implemented a strategy for handling the deprecation of Internet Explorer, which seems to be scheduled for complete removal with the installation of Windows 11; and also probably the Windows 10 '21H2' upgrade, both due to be released in 'the fall' of 2021.

Personally I've never made serious use of the 'internal' browser functionality in any version of Family Historian, even on full Windows installations, so don't see it as a significant problem, but I do appreciate that many users would prefer it to be able to work as it does on Windows.

Mervyn

[Valkrider]

Mervyn

Thanks for that. Like you I cannot get Edge to install into Crossover.

I always use the external browser option as well so the only issue is that we won't get the CP notifications that they are now sending in the new internal browser.

[ColeValleyGirl]

we won't get the CP notifications that they are now sending in the new internal browser.

Except by navigating to the relevant url: https://www.family-historian.co.uk/notice-board

I've changed the home page in the internal browser, so I shall have to go looking for them regularly as well.