WinApps Archives

Winsage

September 30, 2025

I tried running Windows apps on Linux with Wine, but virtualization is still better

In recent explorations of running Windows applications on Linux, various solutions were tested, including WinApps, WinBoat, and Wine. Wine translates Windows API calls into POSIX calls in real time, allowing for lower overhead and improved performance, particularly with older applications. Successful installations included Winaero Tweaker, portable versions of Photofiltre 7 and Textroom, and Adobe Photoshop CS6, which had minor visual glitches but functional core features. DoubleKiller effectively identified duplicate files on Linux. The gaming experience with the Windows version of Re-Volt was positive, while attempts to install Microsoft Office 2016 were unsuccessful without an activation key. Modern applications faced significant challenges; Wine struggled with Adobe Creative Cloud, Affinity Photo 2, and Microsoft 365, while WPS Office had installation issues. The Wine team noted that newer applications are less likely to succeed due to complex UIs. In contrast, WinApps provided better support for more applications, despite performance trade-offs. The author expressed a preference for WinApps for modern applications and highlighted the superiority of native Linux apps for seamless functionality.

Winsage

August 22, 2025

Linux Fu: Windows Virtualization The Hard(ware) Way

The Linux community faces challenges when certain applications are only available on Windows, despite solutions like Wine and virtual machines. A new approach using hardware instead of virtualization has emerged. The author received a Surface Laptop 2 that was non-functional until the keyboard was removed, revealing it was operational. While transitioning Windows installations from VirtualBox to KVM, the author discovered WinApps, a script that allows Windows applications to run on a Linux desktop via a virtual machine. However, this setup caused performance issues due to constant disk activity. The author experimented with connecting WinApps to a physical Windows machine on the network, successfully running Windows software directly on their desktop. The setup required executing an installation script on the Windows machine and making registry changes to enable RDP applications. Minor hurdles included compatibility issues with a dual-monitor setup and user permission bugs. Ultimately, Microsoft Word ran smoothly on the author's KDE desktop, demonstrating the potential for utilizing older computers for occasional tasks.

Winsage

February 23, 2025

WinApps: Virtualized Windows Apps On Linux, Plus Windowing

Linux users can now run the latest version of Photoshop on Linux machines with access to a dedicated mobile GPU, thanks to innovative open-source solutions. This is achieved through the WinApps project, which integrates a virtual machine into the Linux desktop using Remote Desktop Protocol, allowing Windows applications to run alongside native Linux programs. The setup requires significant effort, particularly in recognizing the GPU, but it enables heavy-duty applications to function effectively on machines like the HP Envy 16 with an Intel i7-12700H processor and 32GB of RAM. While WinApps offers substantial benefits for users relying on Adobe Creative Cloud and Microsoft Office 365, it is best suited for casual use due to potential bugs and performance issues. The development of WinApps reflects the contributions of various open-source teams, including those at Red Hat, and suggests future enhancements may improve accessibility for users.