What is Box86?
box86 is an open source compatibility layer program developed by PT Software that allows 32-bit x86 Linux binaries to execute on 64-bit x86_64 Linux systems. It works by dynamically translating or emulating x86 instructions to x86_64 at run time, enabling legacy 32-bit applications and games that only have a 32-bit x86 build to run properly on modern 64-bit Linux distributions.
The advantage of box86 over solutions like wine is that it does not require the original application source code in order to work. As long as there is a 32-bit Linux binary available, box86 can translate the x86 instructions on-the-fly so that the program thinks it is running on a 32-bit system when it is actually running on a 64-bit system. This makes it useful for running older proprietary 32-bit games and apps on 64-bit operating systems.
Since box86 translate the instructions dynamically at runtime, it can have performance impacts for certain applications, especially games or multimedia programs that are performance sensitive. But it provides one of the most compatible and hassle-free ways of running legacy 32-bit x86 software on modern Linux distributions.