I really enjoy Linux but I find myself having to keep Windows partitions around for software that specifically requires Windows.
Proton makes everything easier by automatically running game files through a translation layer, and it “just works” quite well most of the time.
Also VanillaOS can apparently auto-spin a container when you try to open a .deb or AUR package (this is my rudimentary understanding).
Setting up WINE/Bottles, etc. is above my pay grade.
Is it not possible to create an OS that just does the same thing as Steam but for the entire OS?
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Well, my experience has always been that when I double click an exe that I get either asked which program should be used to open it or Wine gets used automatically. Which is more or less the same thing Windows does with different file types.
So, are you just here to bitch and moan or do you want to try it out?
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You came into this with hostility, insulting the commenter instead of nicely asking how to do what they said you can do, and then you have the audacity to complain that they answered your question? Sorry, but it’s very clear that you’re the problem here. If you’re going to complain that Linux users assume you know something when they answer, and then continue to complain when they provide clarification upon realizing they missed some information you needed to know after you complain to them about assuming you know what they’re talking about, then the problem here is not the Linux users, and I’m not sure why you’re in this community. This goes for every aspect of life, but you can always just politely ask for clarification like a normal person, instead of acting like a child throwing a tantrum. Most people will be conservative with their answers as to not insult you by assuming you don’t know anything and bloating the comments with detailed instructions that could be unnecessary. Just ask for clarification.
If your view of Linux users is so negative, then why are you here? Why are you asking us for help? Why are you using Linux in the first place if you have such disdain for it? It makes no sense to me why you are being so hostile to people who are simply trying to help you.
I admit that part confused me too so I checked OP history and found “When MS makes a spam-free, ad-free, telemtry-free, account-free, lightweight version of Windows, I’ll be first in line to buy a license.” in https://lemmy.ml/comment/8613421
So I assume OP doesn’t care for actual free or open-source software, rather they care first convenience and privacy. Maybe that’s where the clashes come from.
That makes sense to me. Further down in the comments they were talking about how they wanted to run Adobe Premiere and Fusion 360 in WINE, so I already felt like open source wasn’t their reason for choosing Linux, but of course it doesn’t have to be, there are many other benefits. They expressed in a comment to me that the only reason that they’re using Linux is that they dislike Microsoft and Apple more.
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I’ll quote your first reply verbatim:
That is coming into the conversation with hostility. You generalize a population (Linux users), insult them, and then complain about their comment by implying it isn’t helpful. The solution to this is to simply ask something like “Okay, how do I do this?” and not start your reply with what is essentially “You Linux users are never helpful, tell me how to do it instead of just suggesting an option”.
Need I repeat? Here’s the generalizing insult:
Perhaps you fail to grasp how this is an insult, so let me elaborate (because clearly you’ll get mad and whine that I didn’t elaborate if I don’t). You open with a generalizing statement that implies that all Linux users are unhelpful. You imply that the solutions they give are all, in your own words, “ridiculously complicated”, and you impolitely demand that they explain further. Any normal person who has any respect for other people would politely ask them to explain in more detail; it’s as simple as that. If you don’t think that it answers your question, either don’t reply at all, or reply by saying politely that you don’t think this is a solution, and why.
They actually provide a trivially easy solution to exactly what you’re asking. All you do is install the base WINE package from your software repository like any other app, and then right click on the .exe and run in WINE. It will be saved as a default action, so any .exe you click on past that point will automatically open in WINE. You asked if it was possible to create an OS so that all .exe files automatically open in WINE, and that’s the solution; yes it is possible and here’s how, essentially. Most mainstream OSs don’t do this by default, as WINE is not a default package since you’re expected to run applications designed for your distro, not ones packaged for Windows. ZorinOS does this by default, so yes it is possible to create one, or you can convert your existing OS to do exactly this by simply installing WINE (no configuration needed, just install from your app store or package manager), as the user suggested. WINE will automatically manage the installs and add entries to your application manager so you can run applications installed in WINE like any other program in your machine. If you’re using an installer, it will add the entry after installation, but if you’re using portable .exe files, you will just double click on them (or single click if you use one of those distros that uses single click instead of double click to open a file). You just need to make sure that you give permission to the file to be executable (right click and go to properties or permissions depending on your file manager, then tick the box that suggests allowing the file to be executable). For most people, having WINE installed by default is just needless bloat, which is again why you don’t see it installed as a default package in almost any distro.
This is so childish and unnecessary that it doesn’t even warrant a response.
Then answer it. If you’re going to ask for help here, you should show an ounce of respect to the people here who are trying to help you. You clearly aren’t going to be popular in this community if all you do is insult everyone else in it.
Then you better change your attitude. If you’re going to treat the people helping you here like shit, no one will want to help you. Or you could just figure things out on your own somewhere else.
Ah, the classic gaslighting. You know that doesn’t work when we can see your previous comments, right? Or are you delusional? Are you so paranoid that everyone is out to get you that you’re incapable of recognizing that you’re the one creating this problem?
I don’t see the analogy here. Your post asks if it’s possible to create an OS that runs .exe files through WINE like how Steam lets you run games through Proton. The user replied saying that WINE does this by default, and adds entries into your application shortcuts so you can run then like any other program. That’s how Steam does it with games, too. How is that not a solution? They answered your question exactly.
Sorry, but I throw politeness out the window when I’m conversing with people who are disrespectful and insulting to the community I’m a part of. You met us with aggression, you shouldn’t expect anything but the same from our replies. I’m not going to be polite and reserved with someone who clearly won’t reciprocate it. If you want polite discourse, don’t open up by generalizing and insulting the entire community that you’re posting to.
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Your question in the post is the following:
The user specified a way to do that, implying that it is indeed possible to do it. They answered your question by providing the solution to how one would do about creating an OS that does that: include the WINE package, as it does that automatically.
First off, I corrected that segment a couple minutes after posting that reply (feel free to check the edit timestamp) as I was doing my initial read-over. You’re replying to a part of a comment that no longer exists, and didn’t exist at the time of your reply. Feel free to reply to the corrected section that was available to you at the time you posted your comment, not that I expect it to matter.
Perhaps you misunderstand how your original reply reads, but insulting someone by saying they didn’t elaborate inherently implies that you want elaboration. If you didn’t want elaboration, why does your comment specifically insult Linux users by saying they don’t elaborate?
I (and the others in this thread), don’t care how you choose to do something. It’s Linux we’re talking about, after all; there are many different ways to do any task. But dismissing a solution that is in fact very easy and you can do in a matter of minutes depending on how long it takes your package manager to download the WINE package, is ridiculous. If you don’t want to do it that way, don’t. But don’t insult the solution by saying it’s wrong when it in fact is not. I even tested it on my install and it took me 2 minutes with no setup other than installing WINE from the app store and downloading an installer .exe file for a Windows program. Just right make sure the .exe is marked as executable (it shouldn’t be by default, so right click, properties/permissions, and tick the executable box), then right click and open with WINE (may have to use choose application menu depending on distro). From then on, any double click will automatically open a .exe file in WINE given it has executable permissions. It takes a couple minutes, not “dozens of hours”.
If you’re really so dead set on not doing it, simply stop replying. You aren’t being held prisoner here, after all. You have the choice to choose what you reply to, and if you don’t think it’s worth your time (which is contrary to what you’ve shown by your numerous replies), then don’t bother replying. I can’t think of a simpler solution.
You asked if it’s possible to make an OS to open .exe files by default. You were met with the original reply in this thread, which told you exactly how it would be possible. If you want to go through all the trouble of installing a completely new distro instead of spending 2 minutes following the instructions to apply this to your own, knock yourself out. But that’s irrelevant to the fact that your question was answered (albeit indirectly) by giving you exactly how it would be done. If you’re going to use Linux, I highly recommend you understand that installing a different distro will not solve all your problems. It’s much easier to install a single package.
I’m not expecting you to be polite in response to me, and I never said that I would expect that. I met the hostility that you already had shown in your first 2 replies with hostility because I don’t have the patience to try to be polite to you. My problem with your hostility is from before I started this conversation, when you insulted the entire Linux community. I don’t see how that isn’t clear given how specific I’ve been.
You didn’t get bitched out. But you should have based on your attitude. You’re asking strangers for help dude. Nobody owes you anything.
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Honestly I had trouble understanding the inner workings of wine and how I may need to use to install windows software so I just watched a few videos on YouTube, downloaded a sample exe (I think I used notepad++) and try it out. 10 minutes later I was running software through wine no problem. Wrote myself a quick documentation guide for my future self and gtg.
As others pointed out already, most distros will ask you which program you want to use on a file the first time you double click on them, and you can tell it to always use the same program for all other similar files (just like windows btw)…the only difference with windows (regarding exe files) is that you need to have wine installed first (lots of distros have it preinstalled though). You can still do it later by right clicking (again, just the same as windows). I fail to see what’s so complex about that.
You cant have the same expectation with Wine regarding any windows software vs Proton for games, games and softwares can be awfully different, that’s why Wine can be a pain to use, and why it sometimes needs more fiddling for some soft than Proton does with games. Also some soft wont work on Wine period. Some softs will work just as simply as games on proton, some absolutely wont.
I am sure you are aware that windows softs are made for windows, so it is a bit odd to expect a different OS to handle exe files perfectly and make it an out of the box experience, it was never made for that. I have yet to see anyone complain about not being able to run any Apple exclusive app on windows, sure Linux has Wine and Proton, and that’s cool… but some people don’t use it. So yeah it won’t be smooth and yeah it can get complicated, yet it’s still better than nothing don’t you think ?
I think all this should answer your post and your comment. Sorry if it sounds like I am scolding you, but to be plain your post is asking why an apple can’t be an orange.
If you need any help with something and don’t want unconstructive or vague answers it’s better to be specific about your issues and to consider that one problem with an exe file (or anything really) won’t be solved the same way as another. And if you don’t get something just say it instead of accusing anyone offering advice of being cryptic or unhelpful snobs, you won’t get far if you annoy everyone…just saying ;)
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Regarding Wine not working, if you feel overwhelmed with that and really need help, just make another post or edit this one and specify :
Otherwise you will get chaotic and vague answers that might not even apply to you. But frankly, some softwares you might still need windows for them, or you could find an alternative (if you can, if it exists alternativeto.net is your friend in that regard). It really depends on what you are using.
Also I get it can be bothersome to deal with and frustrating, but mostly this kind of stuff you configure it once and then it’s done. So it might still be worth it.
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If that’s your attitude, then I don’t think this is going to work out.
Wine is not a company. People building and fixing Wine to support a specific piece of software are largely volunteers. Noone works at Wine. Noone does product support. It’s a free service created by volunteers.
That’s how most Linux software gets built. And none of these people owe you anything. No support, no easy to use config.
Frankly, you sound incredibly entitled and unwilling to listen and learn to everyone here who’s tried to help you.
To answer your original question: there’s no one global way to make Wine run all software out of the box. That’s why Valve spends so much time tuning different setups of Wine for all the games they support. CodeWeavers to some extent does that for non game software.
Doing this for the wide variety of Windows software out there is an impossibly large task and frankly out of scope for what most Linux distributions have as a goal or intended use case. If you want to run Windows software on Linux, there are many different projects that try to package or help you install the most popular things. But other than that, you’re free to try on your own.
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This is the only thing you’ve said that matters. Nobody should ever make any effort to help you, because you expect to spoonfed like a baby.
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GP is simply wrong on this one. While it is an open source project with a lot of volunteer involvement, there are companies like CodeWeavers and Valve which directly or indirectly contribute to development. You can get support from CodeWeavers AFAIK, but that means paying them.
Well you did ask for something, which is replies to your questions. And your reaction to those replies, whether intended or not, comes off as “uppity” as well. Hence the downvotes and hostility (not to say that I support that from either side of the conversation).
Then why are you wasting peoples time with asking questions?
Running software on an OS it wasn’t made for is anything but a basic task. Try running various Linux software on Windows and you will see. If you want to run software made for Windows easily the way to do that is using the version of Windows it was created for.
What people mean by “basic tasks” is usually browsing and office, and there is Linux-native software for that.
Not really. It has deeper integration of Wine into the system by default, but it is still a Linux OS running a compatibility layer for Windows software. This will not save you if you are unwilling to learn, there will still be various problems. Some software will simply not work, or only partially work, or require additional configuration to work.
In summary, if your definition of “basic tasks” is running arbitrary Windows software then doing it on Windows is the way to go.
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¯_(ツ)_/¯ Well if you say so… Good luck !
I very much agree with that first sentence. I think they forget how much they know at a baseline, and can’t skip that when talking to a copy-paste idiot like me.
Linux in general doesn’t have any defined purpose, so the whole Archlinux mentality only really exists in that one distro. It’s a little unfair to confuse (for example) Mint and Tiny Core.