Run windows based software on linux

How to run Windows software in Linux: Everything you need to know

Linux is more capable than ever. With over 1,000 Linux games available on Steam and a general shift towards more web-based desktop software, there’s less need for Windows than ever. After all, you can now watch Netflix on Linux without any hacks, and you can even use Microsoft Office on Linux—a web-based version of it, at least.

But, as most dedicated Linux desktop users will eventually discover, there comes a time when you just need to run a particular piece of Windows software on your Linux PC. There are quite a few ways to do so. Here’s what you need to know.

Wine is a way to run Windows software on Linux, but with no Windows required.

Wine is an open-source “Windows compatibility layer” that can run Windows programs directly on your Linux desktop. Essentially, this open-source project is attempting to re-implement enough of Windows from scratch that it can run all those Windows applications without actually needing Windows.

This is the only method here that won’t actually require a copy of Windows, but the downside is that it won’t run every application properly. You may encounter bugs or performance issues, especially if you’re using Wine to play video games. But if you’re running a popular game released a few years ago, you may find that it performs very well. Many people use Wine to play World of Warcraft on Linux, for example. You can get an idea of how an application will run and any tweaks it might require by visiting the Wine Application Database website and searching for that application.

PlayOnLinux’s version of Wine, running on Ubuntu.

First, download Wine from your Linux distribution’s software repositories. Once it’s installed, you can then download .exe files for Windows applications and double-click them to run them with Wine. You can also try PlayOnLinux, a fancy interface over Wine that will help you install popular Windows programs and games.

Codeweavers also offers a commercial version of Wine, known as CrossOver Linux. You have to pay to use it, but Codeweavers tries to go out of their way to officially support popular applications (like Microsoft Office, Adobe Photoshop, and some big PC games) and ensure they work properly. Codeweavers also contributes its changes back to the main Wine project.

Virtual machines

Virtual machines are a very convenient way to run Windows software on your Linux PC. As PCs have gotten faster, virtual machines have become comparatively more lightweight.

This process involves installing a copy of Windows in a “virtual machine” program like VirtualBox, VMware, or Linux’s built-in KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine) solution. That copy of Windows thinks it’s running on real hardware, but it’s really running in window on your desktop. Modern virtual-machine solutions can even break Windows programs running in the virtual machine out of that window, allowing them to act like normal windows on your Linux desktop.

VirtualBox in Ubuntu Linux.

This solution is more foolproof than Wine. As you’re running those Windows applications on an actual copy of Windows, you won’t encounter bugs.

Using a virtual machine does require a full copy of Windows, however, and there is more hardware overhead because that copy of Windows has to be running alongside your primary operating system. In particular, demanding PC games that need access to your computer’s graphics card won’t perform well at all—you’re better off with Wine for those. But for productivity applications like Microsoft Office or Adobe Photoshop, this is an excellent solution.

Dual-booting

Dual-booting isn’t technically a way to run Windows software on Linux itself, but it is how many Linux users run Windows software. Rather than using it directly under Linux, you just reboot your computer, choose Windows, and boot into Microsoft’s operating system. The Windows software can then run in its native environment. Thanks to modern solid-state drives, that reboot process should be faster than ever.

Installing Linux in a dual-boot configuration.

This is particularly ideal if you’re a PC gamer who just can’t give Windows up yet. Rather than forgoing all those Windows games, you can just reboot your computer when you want to play Windows-only games. As you’re using plain-old Windows running directly on the hardware, you won’t have to deal with any compatibility or performance headaches.

The best way to set up a dual-boot system is to install Windows first—if your computer came with Windows installed, that’s good enough. Next, install the Linux distribution of your choice and tell it to install alongside Windows. You’ll then be able to choose your preferred operating system each time you boot your computer. This Ubuntu guide to installing Linux beside Windows can help walk you through the process.

Want to stay up to date on Linux, BSD, Chrome OS, and the rest of the World Beyond Windows? Bookmark the World Beyond Windows column page or follow our RSS feed.

The best option really depends on what you’re trying to do. If you need to run a single application or game that works well in Wine, Wine may be ideal. If you need to run a variety of desktop applications—like the most modern versions of Office and Photoshop, which Wine might struggle with—a virtual machine will be best. If you’re a PC gamer who still wants to play the latest Windows games, dual-booting will give you the performance you want without the headaches of Wine.

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5 Tools to Help You Run Windows Programs in Linux

Get the best of both worlds with these Windows emulators

Even though open-source software includes free tools, including email clients, office applications, and media players, you might need a software app that works only on Windows. In this case, use one of the tools listed here to run Windows apps on your Linux PC.

These tools are based on or use WINE. Aside from virtual machines, WINE is the only way to run Windows applications on Linux. There are wrappers, utilities, and versions of WINE that make the process easier, though, and choosing the right one can make a difference.

Plain Classic WINE

Doesn’t require a Windows license to use Windows applications.

The simple core utility behind these tools.

This is the stable and officially supported version.

It doesn’t always run the latest versions of Windows products.

Some games and applications run sluggishly.

Lacks helper scripts.

Doesn’t have the latest patches and improvements.

WINE stands for Wine Is Not An Emulator. WINE provides a Windows compatibility layer for Linux that makes installing, running, and configuring many popular Windows applications possible.

Install WINE

To install WINE, run whichever of the following fits your Linux distribution.

On Ubuntu, Debian, or Mint:

Import the WINE developer key:

Add the repository. Replace eoan with your Ubuntu release.

On Debian, use the following example, replacing buster with the Debian release.

Update your repositories, and install WINE Staging:

Install on Fedora

Add the repository from the WINE developers. Replace 30 in the address with your Fedora release.

Then, install the latest WINE Staging release using DNF.

Install on openSUSE

openSUSE has WINE Staging in its repositories. To install it:

Install on Arch Linux and Manjaro

WINE Staging is in the official Arch repository. Install it normally.

Lutris

Easy to play games.

Manage configurations without hassle.

Get the latest versions of WINE.

Manage games in one place.

Takes a little setup on some distributions.

Focused almost exclusively on games.

When it comes to playing Windows games on Linux, there’s no better option than Lutris. Lutris is relatively new compared to the other entries on this list, but it’s more than earned its spot by making it just as easy to install Windows games on Linux as it is on Windows.

With Lutris, you can play games, like Overwatch, on Linux in only a couple of clicks. There’s no need to know the technical details. Someone already did the hard work for you.

Lutris also integrates with other Linux gaming platforms, like Steam, to keep your game library organized. With Lutris, you can access all your games in one place. Lutris keeps separate configurations for each game, so it can manage multiple versions of WINE at once, using the ideal one for each game.

Installing Lutris is fairly simple too.

Install on Ubuntu and Linux Mint

Install the Lutris PPA:

Update Apt, and install Lutris:

Install on Debian

Add the Lutris repository configuration:

Then, import the Lutris signing key:

Finally, update Apt, and install Lutris:

Install on Fedora

Lutris is available in the default Fedora repositories. Install it with DNF.

Install on openSUSE

openSUSE has Lutris in its repositories too. Install it normally.

Install on Arch Linux and Manjaro

Arch also has Lutris in the main repository:

Play On Linux

Good gaming support.

Install multiple versions of WINE simultaneously.

Excellent community support.

Starting games in full-screen mode can sometimes cause crashing.

Error reporting is lacking.

Similarly to Lutris, Play On Linux provides a graphical interface for WINE. Play On Linux came before Lutris, and it offers many of the same features. Play On Linux is bare-bones and doesn’t include support for Linux games. It takes a general approach, so you may find better office application support here, even though it’s probably not as good as something like Crossover.

Install Play On Linux

On Ubuntu, Debian, and Mint:

sudo apt install playonlinux

On Fedora and CentOS:

sudo dnf install playonlinux

sudo zypper install playonlinux

On Arch and Manjaro:

sudo pacman -S playonlinux

Available Windows Programs

When you first run Play On Linux, a toolbar appears at the top with options to run, close, install, remove, or configure applications. You’ll also see an installation option in the left panel.

You can choose from a number of applications, including development tools such as Dreamweaver, an assortment of retro classics such as Sensible World of Soccer, modern games such as Grand Theft Auto versions 3 and 4, the Half Life series, and more.

The graphics section includes Adobe Photoshop and Fireworks, and you’ll find browsers in the internet section. The office section is a bit hit and miss. Those apps may not work.

Play On Linux requires you to have the setup files for the programs you are installing, although you can download some of the games from GOG.com.

Software installed via Play On Linux is generally more likely to work than software installed with plain WINE.

You also can install non-listed programs. However, the programs listed have been specifically configured to be installed and run using Play On Linux.

Crossover

Streamlined setup makes it easy for Linux newcomers to use Windows programs.

Reliable 24/7 customer support with the premium plan.

Applications take up more space on the hard disk due to how it handles containers.

Free trial is limited to 14 days.

Crossover is the only item on this list that isn’t free. It’s a commercial product based on WINE. Installers are available for Debian, Ubuntu, Mint, Fedora, and Red Hat.

When you first run Crossover, you are presented with a blank screen with an Install Windows Software button at the bottom. When you click the button, a new window appears with the following options:

• Select application
• Select installer
• Select bottle

A bottle in Crossover is like a container that installs and configures each Windows application.

When you choose Select application, you’ll see a search bar from which you can search for the program you wish to install by typing a description.

You also can browse the list of applications. A list of categories appears, and as with Play On Linux, you can choose from an array of packages.

When you choose to install an application, a new bottle suitable for that application is created, and you are asked to provide the installer or setup.exe.

Why use Crossover when Play On Linux is free? Some programs work only with Crossover and not Play On Linux. If you need that program, then this is one option.

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How to run Windows software on Linux

In this article you will learn how to run windows applications on Linux/Ubuntu 18.04 using Wine and other alternatives. Wine ( Wine Is Not an Emulator ), is an open source application which is provided as a compatibility layer in Linux . It is used to bridge the gap between Linux and windows worlds so that applications that are meant for Windows could run on Linux.
An emulator or a virtual machine would simulate internal Windows logic whereas Wine would transform Windows logic into native UNIX/POSIX compliant logic.
This is said, not all Windows based applications can run on Linux and even if they do run, their behavior will differ from that in their natural Windows environment. Wine has a database (AppDB) which lists all applications that have been properly tested and confirmed to work on Linux.

Wine installation

Usually, the latest stable version of Wine can be found in the package repository and is offered by most Linux distros. The version that is available in the repositories however may not be the latest version of Wine.

We will first update the packages list via the command :

sudo apt update

Now run the following command in order to install wine :

sudo apt install wine

Run windows programs on linux using wine

As you can see, there are two versions of Wine : a stable version and a development version.

The development version

In order to install the development version, run he command below :

sudo apt install wine-development

Now to verify the Wine version ,type in the command below :

The stable version

The WineHQ repository contains standard Wine packages that you can be downloaded and installed on your system. Follow the steps below to install the stable version of Wine:

a – To add i386 architecture, run the command below before installing a 64-bit version of Wine:

sudo dpkg –add-architecture i386

This is in case you are using a 64 bit installation of Ubuntu. In order to know whether you are using a 32 or 64 bit , you may want to read our article here.

b – To add the WineHQ signing key, issue the command below :

wget -qO- https://dl.winehq.org/wine-builds/Release.key | sudo apt-key add –

c – To add the corresponding repository from the WineHQ, execute the command below :

sudo apt-add-repository ‘deb http://dl.winehq.org/wine-builds/ubuntu/ artful main’

d – The stable version can now be installed by executing the command below :

sudo apt-get install –install-recommends winehq-stable

Run windows on linux using wine-hq

This will require 411 MB of additional disk space. Go ahead and hit Y when prompted.

As before, issue the command below to discover the version :

Supported applications by Wine

Installing the latest version of Wine is important since the developers are adding more Windows applications every now and then. As mentioned earlier, Wine provides an updated list of all supported applications which can be found here.

You have the possibility to check the health of each application when it runs on Wine. This is represented by a rating which consists of the following values:

• Platinum: Applications will run flawlessly
• Gold: Applications work flawlessly but some special configuration is needed.
• Silver: Applications with minor issues.
• Bronze: Applications have major issues that might hamper its functionality.
• Garbage: These Applications will not run on Wine.

This can be found by clicking on Browse Apps item on the left hand side when you visit the WineHQ website. You also have at your disposal other filtering options as shown below :

Here we are looking for applications which contain the word adobe.
If you click on a link, you will see more details, for instance when you click on Adobe Audition, you would get the details below :

This might help you decide which version of the application you would want to install.

Wine configuration

On windows, software applications need a C: drive. To support Windows based applications, Wine uses a virtual C: drive which has a directory called wineprefix that needs to be created beforehand using the the winecfg command. This will set up the Wine environment:

Once this is completed, wineprefix will be created and the configuration window for Wine will open up. You should be able to configure several Wine settings but the default settings should suffice in most cases.

You should be able to locate the virtual C: drive at :

This drive will contain the following items which are familiar for Windows users:

How to install applications with wine ?

Any supported application can be installed using Wine very easily much like in Windows. We provide a short guide below on how to install a simple application on Wine.

You would first need to download the application. Here we will download Notepad++ from the Notepad++ website.

Once the download is available on your machine, select the downloaded file and right click on it. A pop-menu will appear with some proposed applications. Select “Open With Wine Windows Program Loader”.

Once the installation wizard starts, select your preferred language and proceed to the installation of Notepad++.

Windows applications will be installed in the /.wine/drive_c/ directory.

In order to launch the Notepad++ , open up the directory

/.wine/drive_c/Program Files (x86)/Notepad++ and double click on the file notepad++.exe.

PlayOnLinux

PlayOnLinux is a powerful GUI based utility that allows Windows applications to be easily installed on Linux. Once installed, PlayOnLinux offers a long list of applications that you can select and install.

We will show below how to install PlayOnLinux on Ubuntu 18.04.

PlayOnLinux installation

PlayOnLinux can be installed via the Ubuntu Software Center. Go ahead and open up Ubuntu Software Center :

Now click the search button on the top right hand corner and type in PlayOnLinux :

Once you click on the area above, you will see the screen below which contains the installation button :

Go ahead and hit that button. You will be prompted to enter your password. Once this is done, the installation process will start. This might take up to two minutes.

Using PlayOnLinux

Once PlayOnLinux has been installed, click on the launch button :

Or go to the Dash and type in PlayOnLinux :

Now that the program window has showed up :

Click on ‘Install a Program’ menu item. The screen below will appear containing several categories and software titles that can be installed.

Feel free to click on the top icons so that you could see the corresponding applications. Once you find the software you are looking for, select it and click on the install button which is located on the bottom right hand corner. Unlike Wine, many applications will need an installation CD or an installation file which need to be downloaded.

As it is the case with Wine, some applications will not work flawlessly. You might want to visit the support page to find out if the app is well supported.

Winepak

Many software developers and third party app vendors rely on a well known packaging format for Linux called Flatpak. Flatpak offers a cross platform framework which enables users to package their Linux applications once in order to distribute them for all Linux distros. You can find out more about Flatpak in our article on how to install and uninstall applications on Ubuntu.

Winepak is a free open source utility that aims to package Wine applications using Flatpak’s packaging feature. This will allow you to use Winepak’s repository to search for and install your desired application. For instance, games like Fortnite, Overwatch and World of Warcraft can be downloaded and installed.You can contribute to Winepak project on GitHub.
Using Winepak, you could install a Windows application on Linux using a single command.

Winepak installation

In order to install Winepak, follow the steps below :

1 – If flatpak is not already installed in your computer , you may want to follow the instructions in our article on how to install and uninstall applications on Ubuntu.

2 – The Flathub repository would need to be added by issuing the following command :

In Flatpak, Adding a repository is different when compared to adding an Ubuntu repository. In Flatpak, these are called “remotes,” and they can be added to Flatpak using a simple command. Flathub is the biggest remote for Flatpak.

3 – Now add the winepak repository ia the command:

Searching applications using winepak

In order see all the packages that can be installed from winepak, use the command:

flatpak remote-ls winepak

The most common method to find an application or a game with winepak is to carry out a search. Since winepak is still new, there are not so many games available to install. To search for instance for overwatch, issue the command below :

flatpak search AndroidStudio

This might take some time however since flatpak will be querying its remotes.

Installing applications using winepak

To install an application app_name, run the command below :

flatpak install winepak tld.domain.your_application

To install for instance the AndroidStudio app, issue the command below :

flatpak install com.google.AndroidStudio

CrossOver

CrossOver by CodeWeaver, is a proprietary software, that allows users to run several Windows programs or popular applications on Linux. Some of the supported applications include Intuit Quicken, Microsoft Office (starting from Office 97 to Office 2010) , Photoshop CS and Adobe Photoshop (not all versions are supported). CrossOver can also help gamers run their preferred games such as Guild Wars and World of Warcraft.

CrossOver, which is based on Wine, maintains a full list of the supported applications it can run as well as the programs that it does not support.
Although wine is enough to install windows based applications, CrossOver makes it easier however, for users to install and configure Windows programs on Linux.
CrossOver comes with a 15-day free trial allowing users to check whether their desired software can properly run on Linux .

Virtual machines

Virtual machines can also be used to run Windows applications on your Linux computer. In the distant past, virtual machines would slow down the system since the hardware was not as advanced as it is today. Nowadays however, many computers can run more than one virtual machine with ease.

In order to run a Windows based application, one needs a Windows machine obviously. On Linux, it is possible to install Windows in a “virtual machine” using some applications like VMware,VirtualBox or a built-in KVM, Linux Kernel-based Virtual Machine.

You can see above the creation of a virtual machine to run Windows 10 on Ubuntu using Oracle VM VirtualBox manager.

Using this alternative will allow you to install Windows applications on the virtual machine flawlessly or almost ! You will not have to look up which application can run without problems as it is the case with Wine above.

This has some disadvantages however in that it can slow down your computer if it does not have enough RAM. Some PC games which require powerful graphics cards will not perform well. Better run these using Wine. For light applications , this might seem a perfect solution though.

Conclusion

To run Windows applications on Linux, Wine has several advantages when compared to other virtual machines or emulators since it can support a large number of useful Windows programs along with an updated status on their execution behavior. Installing an application using Wine on Linux is a double-click away and does not require Wine to be up and running beforehand. It is a must for Linux users who miss their Windows based software. Q4Wine is a GUI for wine which helps manage wine prefixes and also installed applications.
CrossOver, which is based on wine, makes it easy for users to install Windows applications.
Another alternative would be to install windows on a virtual machine which runs on Linux. although this seems to be the ideal solution it has however some drawbacks in that it can eat up your hardware resources.
PyWinery is an easy and simple graphical wine-prefix manager. It allows users to launch apps, manage and explore configuration of separate prefixes, in a graphical way.
Winepak is recent, but as you may have read, it it is quite powerful when it comes to searching for applications and installing them.
Another straightforward solution would be to use a dual boot, i.e. install Windows alongside Linux. Many Linux users choose the dual boot option especially when they have an SSD since the boot time is fast.Many other programs enable users to install games on Linux such as Lutris, Proton .

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