Running Windows Software on a VM using WINE

[Sherri is a Cat]

I might have an online job that will require me to use ( X- based software). I know, I need WINE, Wine Is Not an Emulator <---- See? I did my homework!

Because I don't trust the Giant one little bit, I want run Wine in a VM. But I have some questions.

My biggest concern is keeping the Giant from snooping around on my PC and leaving little bits of litter on my system. If I confine X- based software to a VM, will the Giant be able to spy on me?

* I know about the formatting of files etc, etc,etc...
However, I DO NOT TRUST THE GIANT!!!

Somewhere around around here is an article about the Giant using Linux for .... something... I wouldn't put anything past the Giant, ANYTHING!!

 

[bob466]

I have a win 7 VM which isn't connected to the net for the very same reason...not to let any Evil in.

 

[Sherri is a Cat]

I have a win 7 VM which isn't connected to the net for the very same reason...not to let any Evil in. View attachment 20626

View attachment 20627

Did you use a Windows installation to install inside a VM?

Or is win 7 VM an opensource app?

If I get this job, I will HAVE to be connected to the internet.

 

[bob466]

1. Yes...My own paid win 7 OS.
2. No...how can windoze 7 be an app.

Wine is software that you can use to run some but not all windoze software in Linux.

If you're running a windoze OS...m$ can see everything and can do anything but if it's running in Virtualbox as a VM...m$ can only see the VM if you're on line. A VM isn't a Drive...it's a file in Linux...so it's isolated...that's why I said use Virtualbox.

In Virtualbox if you wanted to go online with your windoze OS...you can create a Clone and use that...should anything happen...you just delete the Clone leaving your original Vm untouched.

If I want to install windoze software...I download it in Linux Mint and put it in my VM with either my Shared Folder or a Flash Drive.

 

[Sherri is a Cat]

I don't have my installation discs anymore. I don't think I'm going to need Windows, I'll just need to be able to run Windows based software. Like Outlook, Excel, Word. I'm pretty sure I'll be connected to a network. It's a remote job. I'll be using my tower and I only have to get dressed from the waist up!

 

[Sherri is a Cat]

you can create a Clone and use that...should anything happen...you just delete the Clone leaving your original Vm untouched.

View attachment 20637

Clone... A new concept for me. I'll have to look into this. But I think I should first be clear about exactly what I'll be doing, if I get the job.

 

[wizardfromoz]

...or you didn't put the video link in, Sherri

Or are we talking about a different thread?

 

[Sherri is a Cat]

...or you didn't put the video link in, Sherri

Or are we talking about a different thread?

It's in the thread about the slow boot up.

 

[wizardfromoz]

Oh good, it's not just me going crazy (crazier)

 

[f33dm3bits]

I might have an online job that will require me to use ( X- based software). I know, I need WINE, Wine Is Not an Emulator <---- See? I did my homework!

What specific software are you needing to want to use?

 

[Sherri is a Cat]

What specific software are you needing to want to use?

Probably MS Office and other Windows based software. I won't know for sure until I get hired.

 

[f33dm3bits]

Probably MS Office and other Windows based software. I won't know for sure until I get hired.

If you don't know what software you will be expected to use, it will be safer for you just to dual-boot with Windows, you wouldn't want to risk your job if you don't get something working. Yes you can use a vm but running something in a vm generally gives you less performance than when running it on your host system and what if you will be expect to run some that needs more graphical performance than a vm can provide or that won't run with Wine or Bottles, etc..?

 

[Sherri is a Cat]

If you don't know what software you will be expected to use, it will be safer for you just to dual-boot with Windows,

Windows went bye-bye, permanently. I wiped the drive. That's why I'm interested in WINE

Yes you can use a vm but running something in a vm generally gives you less performance than when running it on your host system and what if you will be expect to run some that needs more graphical performance than a vm can provide or that won't run with Wine or Bottles, etc..?

These are good comments. I've never used a VM and didn't know about the resources thing...

It's a remoter customer service position, entering data, talking to clients on Zoom.

I doubt I'll have to install anything. If it's a problem I'll deal with it when it comes up.

 

[f33dm3bits]

It's a remoter customer service position, entering data, talking to clients on Zoom.

Zoom will work on Linux for video-conferencing. You could find out if it is enough that you would be using the Web version of Office for the tasks that you would be required to do. Some Office versions work with WINE others don't and it can happen that you have limited functionality if doesn't work perfectly. I'm not even sure if Office 365 works with WINE. There are also some companies that provide their employees with a laptop for work related things because they don't trust the personal private devices for the security of the company, find out if they will give you a work laptop?

 

[CaffeineAddict]

I don't think I'm going to need Windows, I'll just need to be able to run Windows based software. Like Outlook, Excel, Word. I'm pretty sure I'll be connected to a network. It's a remote job. I'll be using my tower and I only have to get dressed from the waist up!

I would simply install Windows 10 or 11 into a VM and that's it, it's much simpler than having to troubleshoot wine for programs which won't run in wine.
Also it's worth knowing that wine is insecure, any Windows program can access your Linux system if you're running it in wine.

And MS spying on you, limit as much as you can, that's easier than troubleshooting something not running.

My configuration is to limit windows with nftables, every VM traffic is forwarded trough nftables and I simply drop unneeded packets in Linux so Windows has only basic access to network.

Since Windows is run in VM it has no access to your Linux.

Suggested VM which I use is QEMU and virt-manager with a lot of custom config.

 

[bob466]

Clone... A new concept for me. I'll have to look into this. But I think I should first be clear about exactly what I'll be doing, if I get the job.

You said you want to run windoze software in a VM...I assumed you ment a windoze VM...if that's the case you wouldn't need wine...talk about confusing.

 

[Sherri is a Cat]

View attachment 20641

You said you want to run windoze software in a VM...If that's the case you wouldn't need wineView attachment 20642

I thought WINE would be necessary to run Windows based software. Is that not the case?

It guess it might be more clear if I put it this way...

I want to run a Linux VM with WINE so I could use Windows based software.

Maybe that makes more sense???

 

[Sherri is a Cat]

you wouldn't want to risk your job if you don't get something working.

I was thinking of testing Win based software before starting a job that requires it. I thought I could download one of those 'free trials' to check things out.

 

[CaffeineAddict]

I want to run a Linux VM with WINE so I could use Windows based software.

Only benefit of this is that it's safer compared to running in wine directly on host.
But any issues with wine running windows programs would remain.

I think this approach is good only if you knowingly run spyware or malicious programs, but for ordinary windows programs that is known to be OK is an overkill.

 

[MikeWalsh]

@Sherri is a Cat :-

Methinks there's a bit of confusion here..!

1) WINE can be used to run various items of Windows software - i.e., app/programs - inside a sandboxed environment directly within Linux.

2) A VM (a 'virtual' machine) is like running another complete computer within your operating system.....and on that 'other' computer, you can install any other OS you want to. Like this, you can boot into Linux for your normal, everyday stuff.....and if you need to do Windows 'stuff', at the click of a button you can bring up Windows, do whatever you need to .....then when you're finished, at another click of the button Windoze has gone & you're back in Linux again. Far less hassle than dual-booting.....and you can still run Linux stuff at the same time.

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@f33dm3bits IS right; not ALL Windows software will behave itself inside a VM, OR its functionality is sometimes not what you would expect. However, it's likely to function more predictably than it might under WINE; despite massive amounts of work on WINE over the last 2-3 years, it's still not 100%.

(Don't get me wrong here. WINE is the 'engine' behind a lot of stuff like 'Bottles', Lutris, PlayOnLinux, etc.....but in a way, that's its Achilles heel. It tends to be optimised more for gaming than for anything else.....and even now, there's no guarantee that everyday software will behave as expected. It is, however, almost unrecognizably better than it was when I first started using it a decade ago.)

I have no need to run Windows software at all. However, just for the hell of it - and because I can! - I run the 'Word' component of Office 2000 (yes; THAT old) as a 'standalone' word-processor (with all internet connection disabled). Even at 24 years old, for that specific task it's still pretty good!

I wouldn't install WINE just for this.....but since I run WINE for a fair few Windows-based graphic apps PLUS a number of small utilities.....why NOT?

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If you only want to run the odd item of Windows software - and you're not too worried about it all running perfectly, then WINE will probably do what you need.

IF, however, it's "mission-critical" that you must run a fair bit of Windows stuff AND that it has to work 100% correctly, ALL THE TIME, then it's got to BE Windows. For most people, this gives 2 options; either run Windows inside a VM within Linux.......OR, have Windows installed on a completely separate machine, and run it that way. (As stated, many organizations often provide laptops with Windows installed on them to remote employees. It's not a "guarantee", but it's certainly worth enquiring about this.)

BUT; you do NOT run WINE inside Windows within a VM..! That's like trying to run Windows inside itself.....and WINE wouldn't work inside Windows anyway.

Does that "clarify" things any further?


Mike.