Autoconnect requests for WineBar (kvm + joystick)

store-requests privileged-interfaces
1

  • name: winebar

  • description: Wine Bar helps you install various Wine and Proton builds, create Wine prefixes, install Windows software into them and run that software.

  • snapcraft: snapcraft.base.yaml + snapcraft.arm64.yaml (can’t post more than 2 links) - they are merged for arm64 builds.

  • upstream: GitHub - Tulon/WineBar: A Wine prefix manager. · GitHub

  • upstream-relation: I am the author of WineBar

  • interfaces:

    • kvm:
      • request-type: auto-connection
      • reasoning: On ARM64 (primarily on Asahi Linux on Apple hardware), WineBar runs Wine in FEX-EMU which runs inside muvm, which is a lightweight virtual machine that needs access to /dev/kvm. See the Generic-ARM64-support.md document in the repo (can’t post more than 2 links) for background information on how WineBar works on ARM64.
    • joystick:
      • request-type: auto-connection
      • reasoning: For Windows games to have access to gamepads.
2

This request has been added to the queue for review by the @reviewers team.

3

@review-team It’s been 2 weeks since the submission and still no reaction. Can someone please take a look at this request?

4

Hello @Tulon, and sorry for the late response.

The kvm interface grants the snap unrestricted access to hardware virtualization, which carries security implications. Given that the snap’s main functionality is not purely dedicated to virtualization and that the project is still in its early stages according to the upstream repository, I would propose manual-connection instead of auto-connection.

Regarding the joystick interface, this makes sense for the use case, hence this is a +1 from my side, for auto-connecting it to the snap (#voteFor).

5

Let me point out that on ARM64, the app can’t function without access to /dev/kvm. The reasons are described here. That’s not a showstopper - the app asks the user to connect the interface in question manually. However, that’s a source of annoyance for the users. Consider this - the Snap version will only work after the user runs a certain command with sudo while the AppImage version works as is (thanks to /dev/kvm normally being available to regular users - at least that’s the case on my Fedora install).

6

Hey folks!

Given that WineBar seems to be in its early stages, I think @yomonokio is right and manual connection is more appropriated for the kvm interface as of now.

Please note that you can use snapctl is-connected to check if the interface is connected in platforms that actually needs it (such as ARM64) and instruct the user to connect it manually.

+1 from me for granting auto-connection to the joystick interface. This is now live.

7

Please note that you can use snapctl is-connected to check if the interface is connected in platforms that actually needs it (such as ARM64) and instruct the user to connect it manually.

OK, thanks. I am already using snapctl is-connected to tell users to run sudo snap connect winebar:kvm :kvm. It’s not perfect but it will do.