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WinApps: Run Windows apps as if they were a part of the native Linux OS

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Re: WinApps: Run Windows apps as if they were a part of the native Linux OS

#111

Post by burnt-resistor »

BlaDeKke wrote: post #27

I tried this method for my wife. So she could use ms office in Linux. This isn’t an elegant solution. She’s back to windows 11. We tried…

At least use 11 Enterprise (24H2) to mostly avoid the nonstop cacophony of ads. I don't want to hear about 365 or OneDrive or OneNote or Copilot every 3 μs.

Before AppVolumes got bought and became VMware App Volumes, there was Softricity (which became Microsoft App-V).. the app was actually a thin client to talk to a terminal server running the app in a container on a server. Office "installs" in 1 second because it's already "installed" on the app server. The next iteration was AppVolumes streams already installed apps like "Linux snaps" on-demand for Windows to do away with the separate terminal server.

Re: WinApps: Run Windows apps as if they were a part of the native Linux OS

#112

Post by hedora »

mathfailure wrote: post #105
delta_p_delta_x wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> UI is sluggish You absolutely need to pass through a GPU so that DWM.exe is properly accelerated; otherwise, it falls back to the software-accelerated WARP and the performance tanks to ~15 FPS. It doesn't need to be anything powerful; if you have an idle integrated card that you aren't using on the Linux host because you only interact with it through a Web server or SSH (for instance, Proxmox), then pass that throu…

To pass through a GPU - you'd need an extra GPU then..?

Also, the last time I checked, many GPUs explicitly detect + block this because they want you to pay for more expensive datacenter versions of the hardware.

Did something change?

Re: WinApps: Run Windows apps as if they were a part of the native Linux OS

#113

Post by BrouteMinou »

__jonas wrote: post #106
BrouteMinou wrote: post #99

Lol, at that point I would just run Windows... What is the threshold where you are basically running Windows, and you have Linux installed just for some internet vanity? Play games? Run Windows games with Wine/Proton Coding? VSCode App? This thing... But at least I don't own Windows, sheej!

I don't think it's about internet vanity, more about not constantly having advertisements or weird services / AI features pushed into your desktop environment. I'd love to just run windows if there was a version that didn't have this.

Why not just disable them?

Re: WinApps: Run Windows apps as if they were a part of the native Linux OS

#114

Post by taskforcegemini »

hedora wrote: post #112
mathfailure wrote: post #105

Earlier quoted context omitted.

To pass through a GPU - you'd need an extra GPU then..?

Also, the last time I checked, many GPUs explicitly detect + block this because they want you to pay for more expensive datacenter versions of the hardware. Did something change?

when did you check last time? I've been using gpu passthrough for more than the last ten years with different gpus from amd to nvidia to onboard intels. last few years I went back to native windows, because some games refused to run in a vm.

Re: WinApps: Run Windows apps as if they were a part of the native Linux OS

#115

Post by Amekedl »

torginus wrote: post #55
GaryBluto wrote: post #28

I see it's time for the bimonthly reinvention of VirtualBox and VMWare's seamless modes from a few faceless techies on GitHub and designed for people who can't be bothered to use WINE or VirtualBox.

And unfortunately it has become the norm in open-source to push out shiny-looking projects with pretty logos and UX but shoddy underlying technology and deceptive/overstated claims (looking at you Tauri). Thing thing uses RDP for communication which was designed for remotely administering servers over low speed networks. VirtualBox in contrast integrates at the driver level, and allows you to share the underlying GPU…

Care to elaborate regarding tauri? I figured it has matured into a fine electron alternative.

Re: WinApps: Run Windows apps as if they were a part of the native Linux OS

#116

Post by [deleted] »

BlaDeKke wrote: post #25
RealStickman_ wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Most laptops have included Windows 10 or 11 licenses, which are valid for this use

Last time i checked a Windows 10 and 11 license does not permit running Windows in a virtualized environment. That could have changed by now.

[deleted]

Re: WinApps: Run Windows apps as if they were a part of the native Linux OS

#117

Post by vecdot »

Just some anecdata, I had a poor experience with this project.

My setup used a qemu vm with gpu passthrough. I set the correct group policy settings to force the RDP host to use the vfio gpu.

Compared to looking glass (looking-glass.io), winapps was unusably slow. Beyond that, I experienced app-breaking UI glitches in the Adobe CC tools.

Love the concept, but in my experience this needs some more time to bake.

Re: WinApps: Run Windows apps as if they were a part of the native Linux OS

#118

Post by wolfi1 »

MattPalmer1086 wrote: post #42
prox wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As someone who is looking to go Linux, do most windows apps work now through Wine or VirtualBox ? I know Valve did a lot of work for games. It’s been 4 years since I even took a good look at it.

Just anecdata, but the few things I use via Wine have all worked fine. I use yabridge so I can use windows VSTs in my Linux DAW. Games (if they don't use kernel level anti cheat systems) are all flawless with Proton. But, I honestly don't have a need to use much other windows only software. Almost everything I need to use has Linux versions, or alternatives that fit my needs.

I, for one, use Notepad++ with wine. I'm accustomed to it

Re: WinApps: Run Windows apps as if they were a part of the native Linux OS

#119

Post by cgfjtynzdrfht »

jopsen wrote: post #48
fsh wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Except these seamless modes have been broken for many years. Also using a containerized Windows means one doesn't have to fiddle with the insane Windows 11 setup process and TPM issues.

What is containerized Windows?

It's Windows, in a container.

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/virtualization/windowscont...

Re: WinApps: Run Windows apps as if they were a part of the native Linux OS

#120

Post by cgfjtynzdrfht »

nickjj wrote: post #89
aruggirello wrote: post #82

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm pretty sure you can do the same with Windows apps in Linux, since you can basically do the same with VirtualBox seamless mode too. It only requires installing the "guest additions" drivers - there's no container involved. The only major issues I see there are precisely with alt-tab - you cycle through your host windows, then suddenly ALL guest ones (and you're stuck in the guest until you press right Ctrl) - why…

Yep, VirtualBox had it too with guest additions. Once VMWare Player stopped receiving updates I switched over to it. Since WSL became a thing I stopped using this method since getting a "native" Linux terminal through Windows was enough for me for most things. Although now that Windows 10 is not receiving updates and my hardware can't run Windows 11, and RAM prices alone cost almost as much as my entire computer did…

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