Installation on Linux & macOS: overview

Last modified: May 7, 2025

dbForge SQL Tools is a bundle of classic Windows applications. However, several tools can still function in the Linux and macOS environments. For this, you need not only .NET Framework 4.7.2 or higher (as for the Windows environment) but also a specialized application called CrossOver, which provides a compatibility layer that allows Windows applications to run on Linux and macOS. You do not need to install Windows on your Linux or macOS machine - just CrossOver.

Prerequisites for running dbForge SQL Tools on Linux & macOS

• CrossOver 21 for macOS or Linux installed.
• .NET Framework 4.7.2 or higher installed into the bottle with the dbForge SQL Tools.

How CrossOver works

CrossOver is a software developed by CodeWeavers and based on Wine, an open-source Windows compatibility layer. CrossOvers delivers advanced cross-platform compatibility that does not require dual-boot or another OS license.

CrossOver creates separate Windows environments in special containers called bottles. Bottles can contain different software and, in fact, operate as different virtual Windows environments. CrossOver offers a number of bottle templates that can be modified by the user to create a specific environment with the required settings. You can maintain multiple bottles in a single CrossOver installation.

The user can either install one Windows application per bottle or install multiple Windows applications into one bottle, should they require the same environment and settings.

In the former case, the user gets better performance and stability since every application runs in an independent bottle.

In the latter case, the user gets improved utilization of system resources and faster application startup. The shared environment is also beneficial - for instance, if you need .NET Framework for multiple applications stored in the same bottle, you have to install it there only once.

How to install an application on Linux and/or macOS with CrossOver

During the installation, the user has to create a bottle and then install not only dbForge SQL Tools but also all the prerequisite software - the .NET Framework 4.7.2 package, which is required for the correct work of dbForge products. It contains the following components:

• .NET Framework 2.0
• .NET Framework 2.0 Service Pack 2
• .NET Framework 4.0
• .NET Framework 4.7.2

All these are to be done manually with the CrossOver Software Installer.

For a detailed step-by-step guide on how to manually install SQL Tools on Linux or Mac via CrossOver, see Manual installation of SQL Tools via CrossOver.