Wine

Wine is a compatibility layer for running Windows applications on Linux. Applications are run at full speed without the need of cpu emulation. Wine does not require Microsoft Windows, however it can use native system dll files in place of its own if they are available.

installation

For OS specific installations...

mint linux

This procedure is for Mint Linux distribution.

To use a current version of wine we do not want to go though the Software Manager in Mint. A current version of wine is available from the wine repository.

1. open the "Software Sources" control panel and click "Authentication Keys"
2. At the bottom click "Download a key" and enter: https://dl.winehq.org/wine-builds/Release.key (** If this fails, see "add key via console below") JUST USE CONSOLE
3. Click "Additional repositories" choose "+Add a new repository" and enter: deb https://dl.winehq.org/wine-builds/ubuntu/ xenial main SEE NOTE BELOW FOR VERSIONS
4. Click the "Update cache" button
5. From console type: sudo apt install --install-recommends winehq-stable -y
6. Configure: winecfg

note 1 ***: Add key via console, goto terminal and enter (instructions for step 2)

sudo wget https://dl.winehq.org/wine-builds/Release.key
sudo apt-key add Release.key

or try the legacy method

apt-key adv --keyserver keyserver.ubuntu.com --recv 76F1A20FF987672F

WINE REPOSITORY VERSIONS

• Mint 18.3 deb https://dl.winehq.org/wine-builds/ubuntu/ xenial main
• Mint 19.x deb https://dl.winehq.org/wine-builds/ubuntu/ bionic main
• Mint 21.x deb https://dl.winehq.org/wine-builds/ubuntu/ jammy main

configuration

To configure (or reconfigure) wine: This control panel allows you to change settings and add or remove windows components

winecfg

install windows software

With Wine installed on your linux system, you can find a directory called .wine under your user home. Look for the path:

• /home/username/.wine/drive_c

For a stand-alone exe

You will want to copy the .exe file into the following path:

• /home/username/.wine/drive_c/Program Files

This location is not required, however, it is a logical place for the executable. It is best to have the executable stored anywhere within .wine/c_drive

Once the file is place, you can right click and choose "Open With -> Wine Windows Program Loader"

To create a launcher on the desktop of X you can try this method:

• create a file with the name of the program you want to launch and use a non-standard custom file extension, I used .wsh because it will be a shell script to a wine software. Here is a sample script to launch the stand alone program AxCrypt2Go.exe

#!/bin/sh
cd /home/derek/.wine/drive_c/Program\ Files
wine AxCrypt2Go.exe & 

• Replace the executable in the example with one you are using and add the shell script into the .wsh file you created on the X desktop.
• Now right click on the .wsh file and choose "Open with" and "Other application"
• At the bottom in the text entry filed where you can add a custom executable path enter "/bin/sh"
• choose "Set as default" and click "Ok"

Although this is not the most elaborate way to create a desktop link to a stand alone wine executable, it does work. Other methods require 3rd party software.

For a software installer

1. right-click the executable file and select Open With -> Wine Windows Program Loader.
2. proceed with the installation same as in Microsoft Windows
3. run the installed program, then exit
4. Try to run it again. If there are errors we now need to apply any wine recommended workarounds or patches available from WineHQ

If you attempt to install any Windows application on Linux with Wine and run into a glitch you should check to see if it has been posted in the Wine application database. Here users have contributed resolutions to common glitches with workarounds for wine. Check the AppDB.

Here is a list of software that has been verified to be highly stable in wine: Platinum for Wine Version 2.0.3

Desktop and menu icons will be created by wine when the installer completes, based on your wine configuration settings. This includes icons added to the X desktop and X menu.