FEX 26.11 is out for running Linux and Wine x86/x86_64 apps and games on AArch64 Linux, Phoronix reports. It brings JIT improvements, and the project is waiting on the Linux kernel to use the TPIDRRO_EL0 register the way Windows on ARM and macOS already do.
On Windows and macOS that register holds the current CPU core index. On Linux it’s been hardcoded to zero for about 15 years, so FEX has to use a getcpu syscall instead. Aligning it would help both FEX and Wine on ARM.
My take
If you game on an ARM Linux box or Asahi, FEX is the one to watch. Kernel patch pending.
Review before you install: read the release notes yourself, back up your config, and try new versions somewhere you can afford to break first.
God Bless, and May the Source Be with You!
