Crossword

Switch crossword habits from Across Lite

By Across Bind editorial team Current release, published November 29, 2022

XWord rebus entry dialog for typing multi-letter crossword solutions in one square.
Rebus entry lets a crossword solver put more than one letter in a single square. XWord docs/images from mrichards42/xword (GPL-3.0).

Moving crossword habits from Across Lite to XWord starts with the .puz files you already keep. Install XWord from GitHub Releases, open those puzzles, then keep Across Lite as a fallback until the new window feels normal.

Across Lite remains a solid classic Windows solver. XWord adds GPL-3.0 source, macOS builds, rebus and diagramless support, and a Package Manager. Comparison: vs Across Lite.

What transfers

Across Lite .puz files open in XWord via File, Open. Saved progress inside a .puz usually travels with the file. Exact Across Lite preference menus were not re-run on this review date, so treat UI prefs as something you rebuild once.

What does not transfer

  • Across Lite color schemes and key bindings
  • Some proprietary extensions
  • Muscle memory for that exact toolbar

Steps

  1. Install XWord with XWord-Windows.exe or XWord-macOS.zip.
  2. Locate your Across Lite puzzle folder.
  3. Open one familiar .puz in XWord.
  4. Confirm across and down lists, timer, and save.
  5. Keep Across Lite until a week of solves feels steady.

Windows note

No winget id was found for XWord. Prefer Releases. Windows guide: install on Windows.

macOS note

Across Lite habits are often Windows-first. On Mac, XWord-macOS.zip is the door this guide maps. Guide: install on macOS.

After the switch

Write the new update door on the ticket. First hour checklist: installed. Formats: formats. Update: update uninstall.

Club desks can run both clients for a transition month. Prefer one official demo path so volunteers do not invent a third download. Safe path: download safe.

Across Bind maps the switch for people who searched for crossword software and already live in Across Lite. Upstream XWord remains GPL-3.0. Subscription newspaper apps stay optional for archives and are not required for local .puz solving.

If a puzzle fails to open, note the format and check XWord docs for supported types before blaming the install. Diagramless and rebus puzzles may need different habits than a Monday American-style grid.

Asset names to keep boring

Prefer XWord-Windows.exe on Windows and XWord-macOS.zip on macOS from GitHub Releases for mrichards42/xword. Linux remains a source build on the current tag. Write those names beside the OS version on the machine ticket so the next bump stays honest.

  • Windows door: XWord-Windows.exe
  • macOS door: XWord-macOS.zip
  • Linux door: README build notes only
  • Ignore packages_*.lua when you only need the installer

Habits that keep installs clean

Type the GitHub Releases URL yourself. Refuse Softonic-style rename jobs. Prove one local .puz open before Package Manager. Keep Across Lite or a browser board as a labeled fallback during the first week on shared desks.

Travel laptops should download once on trusted network, then solve offline. Classroom images should re-prove File, Open after every reimage. Club volunteers should stop inventing a third download when SmartScreen or Gatekeeper blocks the first honest run.

  • One Releases bookmark per profile
  • One puzzle folder path on the ticket
  • One update door forever

Related paths on this guide

Home install panel: crossword home. Safe download: download safe. Releases map: releases. GitHub overview: GitHub. First hour: installed. Windows detail: install on Windows. macOS detail: install on macOS. Linux source: install on Linux.

Across Bind publishes this map for people who searched for crossword software and need an offline XWord client under GPL-3.0. Upstream remains at mrichards42/xword. Subscription newspaper apps stay optional for archives and are never required for a local .puz habit.

When Releases change which OS assets appear, re-check the live list before you refresh a lab image. Prefer the same tag family across Windows and macOS desks whenever both assets still ship together. That habit reduces confused uninstalls after a reimage weekend.

Verify before you image

Open the live Releases list and confirm the Windows exe and macOS zip still appear on the tag you plan to teach. Prefer that pairing when Windows and macOS desks should stay aligned. Record UNVERIFIED for any command you have not run on a real machine yet.

  • Confirm asset names on GitHub Releases
  • Pin filenames on the machine ticket
  • Prove one local .puz open after imaging
  • Keep Softonic mirrors off the bookmark bar