How to install Windows executable softwares on Linux, Mac or Solaris

Do you really miss your windows softwares when you are working on a Linux box or a Mac?

Do you wish you could use your Windows softwares like right from your Linux operating system? In general, Linux, Solaris, Mac and Windows all use different software architecture; so we cannot run Windows softwares on Linux or Linux software packages on Windows systems. But is there any way to use Windows executable softwares from Linux? The answer is definitely positive. You can run Windows softwares on Linux systems too. But to do so, you have to install another software program named Wine on your Linux box. I am operating on a Windows 7 and Ubuntu dual boot PC. Sometimes when I'm using Ubuntu, I want to run some Windows program right from Ubuntu without switching back to Windows. Wine falicitates the purpose very well. I will describe the process of installing and using Wine in simple words in this short tutorial.

What you need to have to run Windows programs on Linux?

You will have to install WineHQ on your Linux system as a prerequisite to run Windows programs. After installing Wine, you will be able to run Windows applications on other Operating Systems like Linux, Solaris or Mac.

What actually is Wine?

Wine is basically a software program which provides facility to run Windows applications right from your Linux system or other operating systems you are using. Are you a web author and miss your image authoring program Adobe Photoshop while using Linux? Well, Wine will perfectly fulfill your requirement and you will be able to run such popular windows applications like Adobe Photoshop, games like Far Cry etc. To know more about wine, you can go to the WineHQ program’s official website http://www.winehq.org.

How do I install Wine on my Linux system?

To install Wine, first download the latest stable release version of WineHQ program, or alternatively you can try installing the developer release version. To download the latest stable version of Wine, click here. To download the developer preview version click here. To select the version of your Wine installation program, visit Wine website clicking here. After downloading the installation package, extract the archive and make build and install it to your system. If you are an Ubuntu Linux user, then open the terminal and type the following:

 sudo apt-get install wine

 Enter your password if asked to, and then the installation will start automatically; and you do not need to download and install the program. You will be asked if you want to proceed, press y to proceed. You have to accept the EULA (End User License Agreement) that appears during the installation process. Press the arrow key and proceed to the finish line of the EULA and press on Accept. Your installation of Wine will be finished in a few minutes. The same process as Ubuntu will be applied to LinuxMint and other Debian based Linux flavors. To install on other versions of Linux box, download the installation package from Wine website and do the following:

a.Extract the installation package using your archive manager, and copy the extracted folder to your home folder.

b.Open the terminal and change your current directory to your home folder using the cd command.

c.Make and Install the package you have just extracted.

I have installed Wine on my Linux system. Now how I install Windows programs on it?

After installing Wine on your system, you will be eager to install and use Windows programs on it. To install any Windows program on your Wine installed machine, first download the Windows software and copy it to your Home directory. Open the terminal and type the following:

Wine

For example, if you want to install Google Chrome on wine, type 'Wine ChromeSetup.exe' without quote.

What softwares does Wine supports?

Wine supports a large number of windows applications to be run on its environment. For the full list of softwares you can run on Wine, visit the wine website or go directly clicking here.

It is showing failure installing applications. What should I do?

Wine may fail to install any windows application because of incompatibility or  incorrect architecture of your operating system; i.e. If you are using a 64 bit version of Linux and trying to install a 32 bit version of Windows application, then this is not going to work. Check the compatibility list of softwares and download the correct version. Enjoy the great experience of using Windows program right from Linux.