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How to Emulate and Run Windows Apps on Ubuntu Using Wine

As an IT professional with over 10 years of experience using Linux systems, I often get asked by friends and family if they can run Windows software on their Ubuntu machines. The good news is – yes, you can! With an application called Wine, you can emulate a Windows environment on Linux and run many Windows apps and games.

In this comprehensive guide, I’ll walk you through everything you need to know to get Wine set up on Ubuntu and start using your favorite Windows software.

What is Wine and How Does It Work?

Wine stands for “Wine Is Not an Emulator.” While the name is a little confusing, Wine acts as a compatibility layer between Linux and Windows. Essentially it translates Windows system calls into Linux system calls that Linux can understand. This allows you to avoid having to fully virtualize a Windows environment or dual boot your machine.

The advantage of Wine over virtualization is it doesn’t require as many system resources, so Windows apps often run faster. The downside is that because Wine isn’t a full emulator, it can’t run all Windows apps perfectly. Complex, hardware-intensive games and apps are less likely to work properly.

Benefits of Running Windows Apps on Linux with Wine

Here are some of the biggest reasons you may want to use Wine to run Windows apps on Linux:

  • Avoid having to pay for a Windows license just to run a few apps
  • Prevent wasting disk space and memory on a full Windows install
  • Run Windows apps alongside your normal Linux apps
  • Run Windows games faster than you could in a VM
  • Access Windows-only software for work or school

How to Install Wine on Ubuntu

Installing Wine on Ubuntu is very easy using the apt package manager:

  1. Open the terminal app – You can search for “Terminal” from the Ubuntu app launcher. The default shortcut is Ctrl+Alt+T.
  2. Add the Wine repository – Copy and paste the following command and hit enter: sudo dpkg --add-architecture i386 && sudo apt update This adds support for installing 32-bit Windows apps, which many older apps require.
  3. Install Wine – Copy and paste the following command and hit enter: sudo apt install --install-recommends winehq-stable This installs the latest stable version of Wine along with recommended additional packages.

And that’s it! Wine is now ready to use on your system.

Using Wine to Run Windows Apps and Games

Running Windows software with Wine is pretty straightforward. Here is the basic process:

  1. Install the Windows app – Download the installer file (usually an EXE or MSI file) like you normally would in Windows. Double-click on it in the Ubuntu file browser. This launches Wine to handle opening and installing it. You may get some error messages during the install process, but usually you can ignore them. Click through the installer prompts like you would on Windows.
  2. Look for a Windows entry in your app launcher – After installing a Windows app with Wine, you should see a new entry show up in the Ubuntu app launcher. This entry Wine created allows you to easily launch your Windows app just like any other Linux app.
  3. Configure Wine if needed – Sometimes apps won’t work right away with the default Wine settings. If that happens, you can configure Wine to emulate different versions of Windows or hardware configurations that may help get things working. The easiest way to configure Wine settings is with an app called Wine Configuration. Search for this in the Ubuntu app launcher after installing Wine.
  4. Install additional drivers or DLLs if needed – Certain apps like games might require you to install extra drivers or DLL files. For example, some games need DirectX or certain font packages. WineHQ has an AppDB website where you can look up tips on getting specific apps to work.

Tips for Getting the Most out of Wine

Here are a few tips to help you avoid issues when running Windows apps with Wine:

  • Check the Wine AppDB – As mentioned above, always Google the app’s name + “Wine HQ AppDB” to find tips on getting it to work properly. The AppDB will let you know if an app works flawlessly, kind of works, or doesn’t work at all.
  • Avoid anti-cheat software – Games that use invasive anti-cheat tools like BattlEye or EasyAntiCheat often don’t work properly. This is because they detect Wine as a “hack” even though it’s perfectly legitimate.
  • Install .NET and DirectX – Getting .NET Framework and DirectX to work in Wine can fix many game and app compatibility issues. Search for “Wine .NET Framework” and “Wine DirectX” in the Ubuntu Software app.
  • Try older versions of Wine – Newer versions of Wine don’t always work better. If an app stopped working after a Wine update, roll back to an older version.
  • Disable CSMT – Turning off “CSMT” in Wine Config can help with crashes and freezes in games. CSMT is an experimental feature that isn’t fully compatible.

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