- cross-posted to:
- linux@programming.dev
- cross-posted to:
- linux@programming.dev
You must log in or # to comment.
For some reason I read it as WinBloat at first. Cool none the less, will make it easier to make my friends transition.
I wonder how well this runs AutoCad and adobe
Weird to compare it to Wine instead of Cassowary
https://github.com/casualsnek/cassowary
Since both are just running Windows in a VM
Wine is a translator tho.
I’m guessing that’s why it’s weird
ehh, tried using it . . . and a
failed to create network winboat_default: Error response from daemon: all predefined address pools have been fully subnettedhappens. I’ll create a github issue, but at this point, I could have installed a full windows vm in less time than I spent troubleshooting this issue . . . so there’s that
wonder if theyll add flathub
While I respect that you want more apps you use into the same package manager. I may be wrong, but its my understanding that they dont accept docker containers on flathub. I don’t even know it is possible to run docker inside a flatpak or if its possible if it would conflict with docker on the host. Docker or podman requires kernel features like cgroup which I belive flatpak sandboxes away.
At the very least you need docker or podman and kvm and pass these from the host into the flatpak
I really like having all or most apps in one or max two package managers on my computer. But I think this is a case where you might have to concede installing this piece of software without a flatpak
There is a Windows only video confrencing app that I need to use for work. Would this work ok?
I wonder if it can connect to my laptops webcam and microhpone. I also wonder if there would be a delay in the video and audio streams.
Webcam is just USB device, you can passthru that to the VM and it will work. Microphone is part of your onboard audio device, but it can probably be configured somehow to also expose microphone on an emulated audio device inside vm, but idk
The good thing is, it’s all free software (*), so you can just try.
(*) Windows is free, because you almost certainly have a license with your pc which you can use in the vm too if your pc runs linux.
Could we get something similar to windows?
WSL?
18/f/cali?
Please god, no.
hey, that was good.
Would this work with MAGIX VEGAS??
Docker based windows seems like an odd choice when qemu exists. Will check it out to see how it bloats on resources. I have a couple work apps that won’t work in WINE but are fine in qemu.
deleted by creator
The developer explains it should run basically everything unless “it requires strong GPU acceleration or kernel-level anticheat”.
That is a lot of use cases people have for Windows only applications.
I will try to use it with Adobe Reader. Right now I need a Windows VM to use it because a PDF I use (MorePurpleMoreBetter Character Sheet for D&D) needs all the PDF scripting and it only works in Adobe Reader and getting Adobe Reader to work in Wine is a pain.
I imagine this is more for productivity apps, where gamers are going to use proton or wine.
Isn’t wine meant for non-gaming apps too?
It is, but most modern software doesn’t work at all in Wine. I have 2 apps (Paint.net, and SketchUp Make 2017) which don’t have any real alternatives (or they suck) for Linux and they don’t work in Wine.
Sort of? In my experience, the people working on WINE have always been more interested in game compatibility. Sometimes other software will work, but it’s a crapshoot.
Adobe shit doesn’t work properly in wine
Sure, but many of those use GPUs as well. Consider things like CAD, photo or video editing. And “office suite” things tend to have Linux-friendly alternatives or are usable through web browsers. I’m sure there will be some niche applications this would be usable for but honestly I can’t think of… any.
I can think of one: Excel Macros. If this had come out before May 2022, it would have saved me from needing to dual boot for a single assignment where I needed to do data analysis using Excel just two months after switching to Linux. It was literally around 2 hours of work, or less, and the entire dual boot setup took a similar time.
A lot of music production software doesn’t rely on GPU acceleration. There’s also proprietary bullshit like software that controls specific hardware, like GPU control software, MIDI devices and other random devices like things for RGB control or printers. Oh yeah, and tax software, to do taxes and whatnot, most of them are windows or mac exclusive, so that would come in handy too. I used to run a full-fat windows VM for things like these, but winboat might actually be a more tidy solution.
There’s plenty of examples of software that either will never be created on linux or proprietary bullshit that devs simply can’t be bothered to reverse engineer for linux.
Right, pretty much the bulk of my work use for my PC :( I guess I still need to wait a bit more before I can finally switch over…
PKhex, I hope. As long as it’ll run it, PKhex needs not your GPU acceleration, it just gives me pokemon when I have nobody to trade with (or $999999999, change OT names, etc).
Although worst case scenario, it runs ok under wine, and for the trading I can actually use the Flipper 0, but not the OT names.
The only reason I boot into Windows is to use Substance Painter. It unfortunately requires 3D acceleration.
Can that not run through Proton? You could probably launch it through Steam, even if you bought your copy somewhere else. I have loads on external apps added just for easy setup with Proton
Nope. Haven’t gotten the installer to run. Tried copying over the already installed software too, no dice.
Didn’t we already have this same thing with a different name? https://github.com/winapps-org/winapps
I’ve tried both. WinBoat is on a whole different level of easy. You just download it, click next about 3 times and you have a working Windows VM providing Windows apps that run alongside your native linux apps.
It doesn’t get any easier than this.
Wait it does that using a VM? So even apps otherwise not compatible linux will work?
Fusion is about the only thing keeping me on windowsAutocad Fusion 360 ? Forget about it. Winboat doesn’t support GPU passthrough yet, so it will run sluggish as hell.
You either…
- wait for WinBoat to support it (if it ever does)
- learn how to virtualize and do GPU passthrough on your own
- switch to freecad which is very powerful
Check out this comparison of Free and vs OnShape:
Never tried but I read many people complaining that it’s very hard to remove/revert
From their FAQ
With WinApps you do the bulk of the setup manually, and there’s no cohesive interface to bring it all together. There’s a basic TUI, a taskbar widget, and some CLI commands for you to play with.
WinBoat does all the setup once you have the pre-requisites installed, displays everything worth seeing in a neat interface for you, and acts like a complete experience. No need to mess with configuration files, no need to memorize a dozen CLI commands, it just works.
deleted by creator
For the record, WinApps makes menu shortcuts/etc.
Hey, I made that. Fun 😆
Instead of running compatibility layers, it runs a real copy of Windows using Docker and KVM under the hood.
I take it that it requires a Windows license then, I’ll stick with wine.
It’s Windows. You don’t need a license to run it. I mean you should have it, but it won’t suddenly stop working like in old days.
I’d imagine a pirate’s license will work too.
True, they did call it a boat after all.
I’m assuming it’s using the dockur/windows image* the same as WinApps, which seems to be pre-registered ime.
dockur uses the generic keys, f.e. VK7JG-NPHTM-C97JM-9MPGT-3V66T for Windows 11.
https://gist.github.com/rvrsh3ll/0810c6ed60e44cf7932e4fbae25880dfHOLY SHIT!!! i’ve been needing this for years and had no idea. thank you!
I’ll just get a license from the gettin’ place like I always have.
I was just there yesterday, shoulda had me pick one up for you.
You can always just not activate windows. Nothing is stopping you from using it that way.
Unless you somehow use it commercially. Then the missing license could cause legal issues.
Sure, but if your company is at that point then the $200 is a drop in the bucket. You’ve gotta be a pretty big company before MS notices.
A company that lets you use Linux as a main OS might not like if you also want to run Windows in a VM.
My point was rather to be careful when you use it, to not get into legal trouble (especially because it just works with the default settings).
On my Linux Mint laptop Winboat installed quickly and allowed me to install and run the one program I use that requires Windows. This biggest issues were with that same app’s windows when they were rendered on the Linux desktop. They sometimes couldn’t be moved, resized or closed, however the same app ran just fine on the Winboat Windows Desktop itself.
The latest version is identified as an alpha release on the UI, so these problems aren’t surprising. What is surprising is how well so much of this works for an alpha release, particularly how polished the installation process is.
Looking forward to using Winboat when it progresses to the beta.
How it is different from WinApps?
From their FAQ
With WinApps you do the bulk of the setup manually, and there’s no cohesive interface to bring it all together. There’s a basic TUI, a taskbar widget, and some CLI commands for you to play with.
WinBoat does all the setup once you have the pre-requisites installed, displays everything worth seeing in a neat interface for you, and acts like a complete experience. No need to mess with configuration files, no need to memorize a dozen CLI commands, it just works.
But if it isn’t dependant on the command line is it really Linux?
(This is an awesome project, thanks for sharing)
