How To Run Windows On Ubuntu

This is a classic commodity written past Jack Wallenfrom the Linux.com athenaeum. For more corking SysAdmin tips and techniques cheque out our Essentials of Linux System Administration course!

Back in the mid 90s and early 00s, Linux, beingness a fledgling operating system, suffered from a severe lack of useful applications. This issue was especially critical in the globe of concern ─ where Windows desktop applications could brand or break productivity. To overcome this weakness, a compatibility layer called Wine was created. The name originally stood for Vino Is Not an Emulator (because everyone mistook the tool for a Windows emulator). The name is now simply Wine.

Finer, what Wine did was to permit Windows applications to run on the Linux platform. It wasn't perfect, and the supported apps were limited. If you wanted Notepad, Calculator, or Solitaire…you were skilful to become.

But so something interesting happened. Over time more and more than applications were supported until Vino became a must-accept tool for many users and businesses (and especially Linux gamers). To date there are thousands of fully supported applications that now run on Wine (cheque out the awarding database for a full list) and that listing is ever growing. Granted nigh of the Wine work is focused on games, but yous'll even so find a healthy listing of productivity apps available.

You might think, considering of the complication of bringing such a tool to life, that Wine would be complicated to install and apply. That assumption would be incorrect. In fact, the developers of Wine have gone out of their way to make the compatibility layer equally user-friendly every bit possible. What exactly does that mean? To make this easier, let's walk through the process of installing Vino and so installing and running a Windows application with the tool.

I will demonstrate the process on Unproblematic Bone Freya and install the latest version of Vino.

Installation

If y'all are running an Ubuntu derivative, you'll find Wine located in the Software Heart. Chances are, all the same, that version is outdated. Considering of that, we want to avert installing the "out of the box" version offered. To do this, nosotros must add together the official Vino repository. This can exist washed one of two ways, via control line or GUI. Since our goal is running Windows applications, allow's use the GUI method.

Hither's how:

Click on the Applications card
Type software
Click Software & Updates
Click on the Other Software tab
Click Add together
Enter ppa:ubuntu-wine/ppa in the APT line section (Effigy 2)
Click Add Source
Enter your sudo password
Click Authenticate
Click Close
When prompted, click Reload
Open the Software Center
Search for Vino
Click the Wine entry and and then click Install
Allow the installation to complete.

That's it. Wine is now fix to assist you install and run Windows applications. Call back, however, that not every application will work. Most will, merely if you're looking to get your in-business firm, proprietary solution up and running, you might striking a few snags.

Installing and running an app

Let'south install a very popular programmers notepad—Notepad++. You'll want to download the file from a location that doesn't include third-political party app install options (which tin cause the application installation to fail). To be safe, download the Notepad++ installer from Filehippo. You will find .exe file for Notepad in your Downloads directory. Right-click that file and select Open in Vino Windows Program Loader (Figure 3).

Upon first run, the Wine configuration for ~/.wine will exist updated. This can, depending upon the speed of your machine, take a bit of time. Allow this to finish and then the all-likewise-familiar Windows installation wizard will offset upwards and walk y'all through the installation of Notepad++.

Click Next and walk through the installation process. When the 2nd screen pops up (Figure four), you lot will notice a rather un-Linux Folder path.

Linux doesn't contain a C bulldoze as does Windows. Is this incorrect? No. If you await in the ~/.wine binder, you will detect a folder chosen drive_c. Inside that binder lies three familiar sub-folders:

Program Files
users
windows.

As you might wait, this is your C drive. All of that is to say, leave the Binder path as-is during installation.

You will eventually come to the Cull Components section of the installation (Figure 5). Here you lot can select options for the installation. If your particular desktop surround allows desktop icons (and that is your preference for launching apps), you might want to select Create Shortcut on Desktop (to brand the launching of the newly installed app easier—more on this in a moment).

The installation volition consummate and present you with the Finish screen. Leave the Run Notepad box checked and click Cease. Notepad++ will run (Figure 1).

What happens, if you didn't add the app icon to your desktop, when you desire to run the software again? This is one consequence that can hands trip users upwardly. Remember that Plan Files sub-directory? If you venture into that folder, y'all'll meet a folder for Notepad++ which contains the notepad++.exe file. Approximate what? Right-click that file, select Open up in Wine Windows Plan Loader, and Notepad++ will run.

Notepad++ is a simple example of how Wine works. When yous dive into more complicated applications, your results may vary. The best matter to do is to become back to the Wine application database, locate the app you want to install, click on information technology, and check the current app status. You will find every app lists the version of Wine tested, if it installs, if information technology runs, and gives it a rating. At that place are:

Platinum: Applications which run flawlessly out of the box.
Gold: Applications which run with some modifications necessary.
Silverish: Applications which run with minor problems that practice not affect usage.

Y'all volition also detect some apps listed as Garbage, which means they won't install and/or run.

If you lot have a Windows app that just doesn't have a Linux equivalent, never fear ─ Wine is here to assistance you. Fifty-fifty though not every Windows app will run under Wine, the collection of apps that do is seriously impressive. And considering nigh everything we practise nowadays is handled within a spider web browser, with a little assistance from Wine, you should be covered from every bending.

Ready to keep your Linux journey? Bank check out our Essentials of Linux System Assistants grade!

Source: https://linuxfoundation.org/blog/classic-sysadmin-how-to-install-and-use-wine-to-run-windows-applications-on-linux/

Posted by: bradfordoluter.blogspot.com