Ubuntu : Install Windows Applications with Wine!

Is it possible to install Windows applications in Linux ? this is the question often people ask me when I suggest to use Linux instead of windows. So I decided to write a how-to on installing windows software in Linux.

What is Wine ?

Wine is a FOSS software which aims to allow Unix-Like computer operating systems to install and execute programs written for Microsoft windows.


How to install Wine in my Ubuntu Machine ?

• sudo apt-get install winewill install the wine from internet Repositories, when the installation is successfully completed a menu item will be placed in the applications menu in the top panel.

Using Wine to install Programs

• Go to Applications ->Wine -> Configure Wine

Click on the Configure Wine Options shown in the menu. A new configuration window will prompt you to configure wine.There are two ways to open a windows application using wine.

• The first is to select the Applications Tab on the configure Wine box and click on the Add Application Button, Locate your .exe file and add it.For this example I tried putty.exe (click to obtain your copy!).

• The second way is the simplest,Just double click on the .exe file that you wanted install in your Linux (the problem with this is, sometimes this methode may not work).
  

Now it's time to play with your programs! Wine creates a folder called .wine in your home directory, you can access your virtual c drive there.
Opening Applications From terminal

• open your terminal and type cd ~/ to enter your home directory
• now type cd .wine/drive_c/ and press return to enter your virtual c drive
• list the files using ls command and you will find Program Files Directory there.Just browse through and find your program and wine it (just type wine program_name.exe).

Opening Applications Directly

• Just double click on the application that you want to open, and the wine will open it for you.

Okey now it's time to switch to Linux, Stop using windows ... :)