Can Linux Run .exe Files? How to Run Windows Software on Linux

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Run Windows programs on Linux with Wine so you don’t have to dual boot
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You don’t have to sacrifice the appeal of Windows software for the stability, security, customizability, and old-school cool of Linux. This wikiHow guide will walk you through running Windows executable (EXE) applications and games on any Linux distribution, including Ubuntu and Linux Mint. We'll also teach you how to make a Linux file executable and run it from the command line.

Quick Steps

  1. Type "sudo dpkg --add-architecture i386" and press Enter .
  2. Download and add the Wine repository key.
  3. Add the Wine repository for your Linux distribution.
  4. Type "sudo apt update" and press Enter .
  5. Type "sudo apt install --install-recommends winehq-stable" and press Enter .
  6. Type "wine program_name.exe " to run an EXE.
Section 1 of 6:

Will EXE files run on Linux?

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  1. Wine is a compatibility layer that acts between the operating system (Linux) and the file (written for Windows). [1] It is the only way to run .exe files without a copy of Windows. [2] Since .exe files are native to Windows operating systems, to run them, you must have a compatibility layer (like Wine) or copy of Windows via a Windows emulator (which means you'll no longer solely be using Linux).
    • While you can run many EXE files on Linux with Wine, some may not work as expected, or not at all.
    • If you want to make a Linux file executable rather than running a Windows EXE file on Linux, jump down to How to Execute a Linux File .
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Section 2 of 6:

How to Download Wine

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  1. To install Wine on any Debian-based Linux system (including Ubuntu, Linux Mint, and POP!_OS), you'll just need to run a few simple commands. Even though the terminal might look intimidating, don’t worry! You’re unlikely to mess anything up, and all you have to do is copy these commands.
  2. If you're using a modern version of Ubuntu, or virtually any other modern Linux distribution, you'll need to enable 32-bit support to ensure Wine can run 32-bit Windows EXE programs. You can determine whether your system is 64-bit by running the command lscpu . Then, to enable 32-bit support, type sudo dpkg --add-architecture i386 and press Enter . [3]
  3. The developers of Wine say the version available in your default repository are buggy and out of date. To make sure you're installing the latest version of Wine, you'll need to get it from Wine's own repositories. First, download and add the repository key:
    • Type sudo mkdir -pm755 /etc/apt/keyrings and press Enter .
    • Type sudo wget -O /etc/apt/keyrings/winehq-archive.key https://dl.winehq.org/wine-builds/winehq.key and press Enter .
  4. Run the command for the version of Linux you're running:
    • Ubuntu 24.10 (Oracular): sudo wget -NP /etc/apt/sources.list.d/ https://dl.winehq.org/wine-builds/ubuntu/dists/oracular/winehq-oracular.sources
    • Ubuntu 24.04/Linux Mint 22 (Noble): sudo wget -NP /etc/apt/sources.list.d/ https://dl.winehq.org/wine-builds/ubuntu/dists/noble/winehq-noble.sources
    • Ubuntu 22.04/Linux Mint 21.x (Jammy): sudo wget -NP /etc/apt/sources.list.d/ https://dl.winehq.org/wine-builds/ubuntu/dists/jammy/winehq-jammy.sources
    • Ubuntu 20.04/Linux Mint 20.x (Focal): sudo wget -NP /etc/apt/sources.list.d/ https://dl.winehq.org/wine-builds/ubuntu/dists/focal/winehq-focal.sources
    • Debian 12 (Bookworm): sudo wget -NP /etc/apt/sources.list.d/ https://dl.winehq.org/wine-builds/debian/dists/bookworm/winehq-bookworm.sources
    • See https://gitlab.winehq.org/wine/wine/-/wikis/Debian-Ubuntu for other versions.
  5. Now you're all set to install Wine!
    • Type sudo apt update and press Enter to update the package information.
    • Type sudo apt install --install-recommends winehq-stable and press Enter . [4]
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Section 3 of 6:

How to Run an EXE File on Linux

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  1. In the terminal, navigate to the directory containing the file with the command cd <directory name> . [5] Then, run the file with the command wine <filename>.exe .
    • For instance, if the file example.exe were stored on your desktop, you’d follow this procedure: [6]
      • cd Desktop/ and press ↵ Enter
      • wine example.exe and press ↵ Enter
    • Some Windows EXE files will not run without some configuration tweaks. If you're seeing an error message or otherwise having trouble getting an EXE to run, check the Wine Application DB to find out about compatibility settings and configuration for specific Windows apps. [7]
    • If you see an error message like "cannot execute binary file: Exec format error,"
Section 4 of 6:

Running Windows Software on Linux

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  1. This is the only option for running software designed for Windows without a true version of Windows . Wine is open-source, free software that recreates just enough of Windows to run Windows programs. As a result, you might encounter more bugs and lower performance running software through Wine.
  2. Virtual machines are programs that run a full copy of Windows in their own window. This approach is less buggy than running apps through Wine because you technically run them in their native environment (Windows). The downside is that you’ll be running two operating systems (Linux and Windows) simultaneously, so your PC’s performance might suffer. [8]
    • Popular virtual machines include: VirtualBox , VMware, and Linux’s built-in KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine). [9]
    • Because of the computing power required to run both Linux and Windows, this approach works great for productivity apps like Microsoft Office , but not great for graphics/computing-intensive programs like many video games.
  3. Dual-booting means you’ll reboot your computer into Windows so the application can run in its native environment. This method is best for games or applications that need high performance. Unfortunately, it does mean you’ll have to reboot your machine every time you want to run Windows software. [10]
  4. WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux) is an environment that supports running Linux tools and apps with a native Linux kernel through a hypervisor layer on Windows. If you are already running Windows, you can use WSL to install a Linux distribution within Windows. [11]
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Section 5 of 6:

How to Execute a Linux File

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  1. Once you make the file executable, you can execute it from the command line. Here’s how to make a Linux file executable so you can run it like a program:
    • Type chmod +x file-name in the command line to make the file executable. Replace file-name with the name of the file.
    • Type ./ file-name to execute the file.
    • If an error pops up, type sudo ./ file-name . Typing sudo allows you to run the file with root permissions . Just be careful, since sudo allows you to make changes to your system.
    • Software installation will often require you to type sudo .
Section 6 of 6:

What's the .exe equivalent in Linux?

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  1. For Windows, .exe indicates an executable file, meaning the operating system can run the file. Linux doesn’t use file extensions to indicate which files are executable. [12] Instead, it uses permissions (the basic permissions are read r, write w, and execute x). Permissions determine which files are executable. As a result, Linux files can have different extensions (ex. .sh ) or no file extensions and still be executable.
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      References

      1. ↑ https://www.winehq.org/about
      2. ↑ https://wiki.winehq.org/Wine_User%27s_Guide
      3. ↑ https://gitlab.winehq.org/wine/wine/-/wikis/Debian-Ubuntu
      4. ↑ https://gitlab.winehq.org/wine/wine/-/wikis/Debian-Ubuntu
      5. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTTr2bjI2UM&t=40s
      6. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uasl5KxzETo&t=97s
      7. ↑ https://appdb.winehq.org/
      8. ↑ https://wiki.winehq.org/Wine_User%27s_Guide#Virtual_Machines
      9. ↑ https://www.redhat.com/en/topics/virtualization/what-is-KVM
      1. ↑ https://wiki.winehq.org/Wine_User%27s_Guide#Windows_and_Linux
      2. ↑ https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wsl/install
      3. ↑ https://www.linux.com/training-tutorials/understanding-linux-file-permissions/
      4. ↑ https://wiki.winehq.org/Winecfg

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