New way to run Window programs on Linux

kc1di

kc1di

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Winboat is a new comer to the realm of running windows programs on Linux, Shows promise. But have tried it my self yet.
Thought it might be of interest to some.
www.winboat.app

WinBoat - Run Windows Apps on Linux with Seamless Integration

WinBoat lets you run any Windows application on Linux with seamless desktop integration. Elegant interface, automated installs, filesystem integration, and native OS-level windows.
www.winboat.app www.winboat.app
Click to expand...
 


Thanks for the heads-up AND the link, Dave.

I daresay it'll be of interest to some. Frankly, I don't want Windows that close to my Linux OSs; even WINE running as a self-contained 'portable' is closer than I really want it.

(It's the only way to run my old favourite PhotoScape though.....)

It's a big world.....and there's plenty of room for new 'takes' on old problems. I wish them luck, but I don't think it's for me.
 
Ya Mike I'm the same way there used to be 1 program I used a lot in Wine but it quit working a couple years ago. And never tried it again.
 
@kc1di :-

I'm almost exactly the same as you in that respect, Dave. There's just one Windows graphics program I've been using almost since it first came out in 2009 or so. 'PhotoScape' by MooiTech is the very item I use to design, lay-out & build all my custom desktops. I could do so using Linux-native apps, but I would need to run at least 3 or 4 separate applications in order to get the same range of filters & effects that MooiTech have packed into the one single app.

This is one of those rare cases where even a confirmed Windows sceptic has to admit it's simpler & less time-consuming to give in and run the Windows app than it is to mess around with several Linux-native apps. It's THAT unique.

Since discovering WINE AppImages, I've basically built a self-contained PhotoScape 'app'. It uses the 'portable' build of PhotoScape from PortableApps.com, together with its own integrated portable-WINE AppImage build.

When I launch it, WINE temporarily links into the system, then runs PhotoScape within an already-configured 'prefix'. As soon as I finish with it & exit PhotoScape, WINE disconnects & 'retires' back into the self-contained directory.

Bearing in mind that development on PhotoScape finished around 6 years ago, I run it with an older WINE AppImage.....in this case, v5.11, and since PhotoScape itself won't ever update again, there's precious little point in updating the WINE environment either. v5.11 is date-sympathetic to the time of the last PhotoScape build.....essentially, the whole setup is 'static' & unchanging.

It does work rather well. Even I'm pleased with it.....and I'm a fussy so-and-so at the best of times.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~​

Around 18 months after I built the thing, I came across a blog article that linked me to this Snapcraft page:-

snapcraft.io

Install PhotoScape on Linux | Snap Store

Get the latest version of PhotoScape for Linux - PhotoScape is a fun and easy photo editing software to fix and enhance photos.
snapcraft.io snapcraft.io

Closer inspection revealed that the Snapcraft guys had built the PhotoScape Snap in exactly the same way that I'd built my own 'portable' app! Slight case of "deja vu", huh? They do say that "great minds think alike..." :D

Still, it lets me run this one, single app without needing to set up a full WINE install in the traditional way.....AND it can be shared between multiple Puppies. Bonus! :P


Mike. ;)
 
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my question is will this package run malware, buggy windoze software and viruses too?
 
APTI said:
my question is will this package run malware, buggy windoze software and viruses too?
Click to expand...
No doubt it can..! :P WinBoat is an unknown quantity as of yet.

I can't speak for the Snapcraft package. We now know that all the claims of built-in sandboxing are a load of hogwash...

My own package was never built to be 'shared' with anyone. I built it for my own personal use; if the worst came to the worst and I end up with an infected Puppy, it's a 5-minute job to restore from the most recent backup.

I know you have a low opinion of Windows in general; I appreciate & can empathise with that. I'm well aware of WINE's inadequacies, and it's a personal risk I'm prepared to take. So far, in the decade-plus I've run Puppy, I've never yet come even close to catching anything 'nasty'.....and in any case, at the end of a session, the 'virtual' Puppy running in RAM disappears into cyberspace, to be replaced with a fresh, squeaky-clean copy for the next session...

(shrug...)


Mike. ;)
 
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Nothing beats a VM.
1757572490570.gif
 
APTI said:
my question is will this package run malware, buggy windoze software and viruses too?
Click to expand...

How Does It Work?​

WinBoat is an Electron app which allows you to run Windows apps on Linux using a containerized approach. Windows runs as a VM inside a Docker container, we communicate with it using the WinBoat Guest Server to retrieve data we need from Windows. For compositing applications as native OS-level windows, we use FreeRDP together with Windows's RemoteApp protocol.
Click to expand...

github.com

GitHub - TibixDev/winboat: Run Windows apps on Linux with ✨ seamless integration

Run Windows apps on Linux with ✨ seamless integration - TibixDev/winboat
github.com github.com

So yes, it can run malware packed into Windows programs, however since it's VM the host should stay safe, but guest is open to attacks.

Honestly, if I want VM I'll just create a VM, although so far there was no need to run windows programs, other than games.
 
I don't do well with changes. I'm happy with my customized 6GB wine that can run almost anything and I intend to use it till the end of time.
Besides, some programs that were written with .net 6+ can be run natively - without wine, so why would I need a clone of wine?
 
rado84 said:
I'm happy with my customized 6GB wine that can run almost anything and I intend to use it till the end of time.
Click to expand...
Until fairly recently - the last 3-4 yrs, mostly - WINE development was fairly slow, but steady.....and hadn't progressed much beyond the 3-series. Around 3 yrs ago, the WINE team had an infusion of "new blood".....and in less than 36 months development has literally gone into warp drive!

In the previous 16 years, WINE went from releases 0.1-3.17. In less than 3 years, it's raced ahead through series 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and now 10.....with series 11 already in 'beta'.

I've only quite recently switched from my own long-standing Wine v3.3 to v5.11 as my regular build. Prior to v3.3, I ran v1.7.51 for several years; it did everything I wanted from it, so where was the point in changing it (especially given that newer builds of WINE often used to introduce regressions that then took several releases to "fix" again)?

Remember; the massive recent advancements in Linux gaming are largely due to this "new blood", bearing in mind that Steam's Proton-GE, Lutris, etc, all rely on WINE for their core 'backend'......and WINE development has been surging ahead in top gear, with - as yet - no end in sight.

Let's hope it continues... :P


Mike. ;)
 
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MikeWalsh said:
Since discovering WINE AppImages, I've basically built a self-contained PhotoScape 'app'. It uses the 'portable' build of PhotoScape from PortableApps.com, together with its own integrated portable-WINE AppImage build.
Click to expand...

i read a post by you. at least a year ago. and found out about the wine appimages. by "taqi" and others on github. thank you very much for this. i'm sorry i took so long. withholding this statement.

however i'm increasingly being faced with a choice. to try to go linux only. if i'm going to use a debian "trixie" based system regularly. i had to reinstall sparky linux mate. it was doing real well. with a 32-bit windows music application i use a lot. but i installed "xdg-desktop-portal-gnome" and the "-gtk" version too. it poisoned the wine. that program refused to recognize some plug-ins.

this was to cause dialog boxes. created by zenity. to show up in a native linux application. for music creation. it's annoying when the user. expects to get an open file requester. and it refuses to show up. then install over 70mib of packages. only to correct it.

it means give up totally on 32-bit. try to continue with 64-bit windows emulation only. or just go linux only. or remain with "bullseye" or "bookworm" base. i plan to use. at least two installations based on "bullseye". even after it falls end-of-life.

WinBoat is an Electron app which allows you to run Windows apps on Linux using a containerized approach. Windows runs as a VM inside a Docker container, we communicate with it using the WinBoat Guest Server to retrieve data we need from Windows. For compositing applications as native OS-level windows, we use FreeRDP together with Windows's RemoteApp protocol.
Click to expand...

this is scary. almost requires a program. which is a lot like a web browser. as alternative to wine. but it's very interesting.

however maybe it would have to come from microsoft themselves. it wouldn't surprise me. if they suddenly offer a dumbed-down version of azure. with a windows application layer. and discontinue windows. <-- this is entirely a naive statement.
 
I would like for my Affinity suite to run correctly in Linux. However that has to happen, is what I will use. This may be the ticket, or maybe bottles/wine will do the trick, but I think the latter has some compatibility issues. I know one thing, windows is being left behind in our household asap! Enough is enough.
 
MikeWalsh said:
Snapcraft guys had built the PhotoScape Snap in exactly the same way that I'd built my own
Click to expand...
one thing about Linux is that it is incestuous, anyone can nick your ideas and re-wrap them with impunity
 
@Brickwizard :-

Brickwizard said:
one thing about Linux is that it is incestuous, anyone can nick your ideas and re-wrap them with impunity
Click to expand...

Yah; true. But it's one that I've never had a problem with. I mean, I've doubtless nicked ideas & concepts that have been used countless times before by other folks. Why would I have an issue with others doing the same with anything of mine?

With me, it's all for fun anyway.....using existing components in new & different ways. It's not like I'm attempting to protect any kind of unique idea.

I usually provide a small 'About' window with any of my own wee 'projects' over the last few years (which includes a button to a provided 'Help' file).....where I clearly state that anything I produce is released under the GNU "All-permissive licence". Which reads:-

"Copying and distribution of this file, with or without modification, are permitted in any medium without royalty, provided the copyright notice and this notice are preserved.

This file is offered as-is, without any warranty."
Click to expand...

dev.to

Unveiling GNU All-Permissive License: A Comprehensive Deep-Dive

Abstract: This post offers an in-depth exploration of the GNU All-Permissive License. It covers the...
dev.to dev.to

This covers my own intentions very nicely.

When I first started cobbling stuff together, it was usually re-packs of other people's software, modified for use under Puppy. It was only when I began to write my own stuff from scratch - invariably small utilities - that the need for licensing reared its head. This coincided with a discussion we had about licensing on the Puppy Forums, so I looked further into it.....and decided the "All-permissive' licence fitted my efforts perfectly.

It's a small point.....but one that all too many overlook.

I wouldn't like to say if anyone at SnapCraft "borrowed" my idea or not - I wasn't even aware of their version, until a link I followed to a blog post, some time later, 'exposed' it - or if we independently arrived at the same conclusions as to how best to implement it. It's a moot point, 'cos it still provides the same functionality in an easy-to-use, click-to-launch package.....whichever build you go with.

Except that mine doesn't come with the need for all the associated 'snap' garbage! :D

They do say that "great minds think alike"...

(shrug...)


Mike. ;)
 
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