XWord is extensible with Lua. The README points solvers at Tools, Package Manager for optional packages. Treat that surface as power-user territory for crossword desks that already solved one local file.
Order of operations
- Install from Releases.
- Open a local
.puz. - Save once.
- Then open Package Manager if you want downloaders.
Release lua attachments
packages_windows.lua and packages_mac.lua on the release are list files, not installers. Do not run them as setup programs. Prefer the exe or zip when you only need the window.
Risk notes
Third-party packages can change network behaviour. Prefer packages you understand. Keep puzzle copyright in mind when downloaders pull content onto a shared machine.
When to skip
Classrooms that only need a local pack of .puz files can skip Package Manager entirely. Clubs that want automatic fetches can enable it after demos stabilize and the update door is documented.
Shared desk pin
Shared desks should pin the Releases URL beside the OS version. After every reimage, prove one local crossword open before workshops begin. Travel laptops should download once on a trusted network, then solve offline with puzzles already on disk.
Club download discipline
Club volunteers invent Softonic mirrors when a first launch is blocked. Prefer returning to GitHub Releases for mrichards42/xword instead. Write the exact filename on the machine ticket so the next bump stays honest for the whole room.
Classroom images
Classroom images drift when someone keeps a private copy of an old exe. Prefer the current tag that still ships XWord-Windows.exe and XWord-macOS.zip together. Linux builders should document their wxWidgets version beside the commit they built.
Family PCs
Family PCs benefit from a boring puzzle folder path. Keep Across Lite or a browser board as a fallback until the new window feels normal. Subscription newspaper apps remain optional for archives and are a different job than a local .puz client.
Publisher note
Across Bind publishes install maps for people who searched for crossword software. Upstream XWord remains GPL-3.0. When Releases change asset names, re-check the live list before you refresh a lab image.
Lab and travel
Lab and travel notes also matter for crossword habits. Pin the puzzle folder path beside the installer name. After every blocked SmartScreen or Gatekeeper prompt, return to the same GitHub Releases URL instead of inventing a second download mid-session. That boring rhythm keeps shared desks honest.
Desk logistics
- Ticket line: OS, asset name, puzzle folder
- Demo door: one official path for volunteers
- Travel rule: trusted network first
Write the OS version, asset name, and puzzle folder on one ticket line. Clubs should assign a single demo door so volunteers stop mixing Across Lite, browser tabs, and XWord without notes. Travel kits should carry puzzles on disk only when policy allows encrypted storage.
After the first week
Only then add Package Manager downloaders, heavy layout floating, or diagramless drills. Prefer one documented update habit. Re-check Releases whenever upstream publishes a new tag that still lists your OS asset.
Related
More desk notes
Prefer one Releases bookmark in the browser profile used for installs. Refuse email attachments that claim to be a crossword updater. After every lab reimage, open one cached .puz before you call the image ready for students. Keep Across Lite only as a labeled fallback, never as a silent second installer path without a ticket note.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need Package Manager to solve?
No. Local .puz files work without Package Manager at all. That menu is optional for downloaders and extensions after the baseline crossword path is proven on the machine ticket for shared desks and travel laptops.
What are packages_windows.lua files?
Release attachments named packages_windows.lua and packages_mac.lua feed package lists. They are not the XWord installer. Prefer XWord-Windows.exe or XWord-macOS.zip to install the client itself.
Are downloaders offline?
Downloaders need network when they fetch new puzzles from the internet. Solving those files afterward can still be offline on the train. Keep the distinction clear on shared desks that travel without reliable Wi-Fi connections.