Using the software wine or similar to launch windows in linux

Kushal Singhal
2 min readJul 22, 2023

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Windows apps can be run on Linux and macOS thanks to the compatibility layer called Wine. It converts Windows API calls into native system calls so that Windows software can operate on operating systems that are not Windows. While Wine can be fairly helpful for running some Windows programmes on Linux, not all programmes will function flawlessly or at all.

The procedures below must be followed in order to utilise Wine to run a Windows application on a Linux system:

Install Wine: First, make sure Wine is set up on your Linux computer. Depending on your Linux distribution, the installation procedure could be different. The commands to install Wine on a few well-known distributions are as follows:

For systems based on Ubuntu and Debian:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install wine
  1. For other distributions, please check the official Wine documentation for installation instructions: https://wiki.winehq.org/Download
  2. Download the Windows Application: Obtain the Windows application you want to run on your Linux system. Ensure that it is compatible with the version of Wine you have installed.
  3. Run the Windows Application with Wine: Once Wine is installed, you can use the wine command to run Windows applications. Open a terminal and navigate to the directory containing the Windows application executable (e.g., .exe file), and then run the application with Wine using the following command:
wine your_application.exe

The actual name of the Windows application you want to execute should be substituted for your_application.exe.

Observe the application’s installer, if any:
Wine will mimic the Windows installation process if the Windows application needs it. As you would on a Windows PC, follow the instructions provided by the installer.

Launch the Windows Application: After installing the programme (if necessary), you may launch it by executing the wine command once more along with the location of the program’s executable file.

Please be aware that not all Windows programmes function well with Wine. Some might work less well or run into problems. The complexity of the application and the installed version of Wine can affect Wine’s compatibility with a given application. It’s wise to check before launching a demanding or complex Windows application.

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