Why install wine when you can run Windows in Virtualbox?

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metricmini
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Why install wine when you can run Windows in Virtualbox?

Post by metricmini »

In my 12-13 years in Linux I've never understood why people are so determined to use Wine... Virtualbox is now so effortless to use. It just seems so masochistic. Maybe I'm not understanding something? Is people's hatred of Windows so extreme that it brings them to an anti-Windows anti-MS religious zealotry so powerful that they are willing to suffer sometimes very unsatisfactory operation of Win software in Wine?

Also, isn't using Win in Virtualbox a great lure for new Linux users (formerly Win users) to use Linux... because they can still use their killer apps in Virtualbox while getting to like Linux. No "running back to Windows" is required because they have it in VB.

I defend the right of people to use Wine if they want to, but I'm very far away from understanding why they'd do that. Please enlighten me :D
Last edited by LockBot on Wed Dec 28, 2022 7:16 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Sinnis250
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Re: Why install wine when you can run Windows in Virtualbox?

Post by Sinnis250 »

Wine is for masochists; some people like to get a good beating, just for the fun of it!

In Virtualbox, running a Windows guest in Linux is for hardcore masochists that get their rocks off with powerful car battery's and heavy duty crocodile clips to their genitals.

Neither is fun.
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Pierre
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Re: Why install wine when you can run Windows in Virtualbox?

Post by Pierre »

with the ./wine Environment .. you Don't need the actual Windows System,
and as well, the ./wine Environment .. is often far cheaper to use.

sure .. you can do far more in an VitualBox Scenario.
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MikeNovember
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Re: Why install wine when you can run Windows in Virtualbox?

Post by MikeNovember »

Hi,

Wine is for people whose computer can't afford to dedicate one part of the processor and one part of the available RAM to a virtual machine. They might arrive to run some windows apps, sometimes.

When you have RAM enough and a multicore processor you have the choice between several options to run a virtual machine:

- qemu / kvm is for people who like CLI undocumented installations,

- Virtual Box is for people who like to have bugs and spend time on forums to find a solution,

- VMware Workstation Player is for people who like easy and automatic install of Player and Windows; smooth, performing, fast use of Windows in Player, with working hardware accelerated 3D, working Direct X12, working OpenGL, working shared directories, working copy paste of documents contents and files... So, DO NOT USE VMware Player if you want something that really works! :mrgreen:

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BenTrabetere
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Re: Why install wine when you can run Windows in Virtualbox?

Post by BenTrabetere »

I used both back when I needed/used Windows applications. I primarily used Wine because most of the Windows applications I used ran well (or well-ish) under it. I used a Win7 VM for the ones that did not run under Wine - namely iTunes, Illustrator, and my tax prep software.

I found the VM was a much better solution, but it did drive me to abandoning Windows and Windows applications altogether. I used the VM infrequently, and so I spent more time messing with Windows and Apple updates (and the obligatory reboots) than working on actual the task I needed to perform.
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Infidelus
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Re: Why install wine when you can run Windows in Virtualbox?

Post by Infidelus »

I use both Wine and VirtualBox.

VirtualBox for the rare Windows application that I can't get working in Wine or find a decent Linux alternative, and if I get any help calls from family and need to remember how to do something.

Wine/Lutris for gaming on Linux.

Simple as that.

Not interested in dual booting and my hardware doesn't support IOMMU.
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Re: Why install wine when you can run Windows in Virtualbox?

Post by ajgreeny »

You might also consider that many Mint users do not wish to pay out whatever it costs these days for a Windows license which you need even to run the Windows OS even if running as a VM.
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Re: Why install wine when you can run Windows in Virtualbox?

Post by Flemur »

metricmini wrote: Fri Jan 21, 2022 12:07 am I defend the right of people to use Wine if they want to, but I'm very far away from understanding why they'd do that. Please enlighten me :D
Well, gee thanks.

Wine lets you run windows programs transparently, as if they were normally installed linux programs, from a command line with parameters or in a file-browser ("open with"). Also, I can (re)install the 15 wine programs I use, some quite often and some very rarely, just by copying one directory into the wine prefix.
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Re: Why install wine when you can run Windows in Virtualbox?

Post by Moem »

metricmini wrote: Fri Jan 21, 2022 12:07 am In my 12-13 years in Linux I've never understood why people are so determined to use Wine... Virtualbox is now so effortless to use.
Is it though? It seems complicated to me. I've never felt inclined to even try it.
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Re: Why install wine when you can run Windows in Virtualbox?

Post by GELvdH »

If you don't have windows and you want to run a windows program (AceMoney) you have to use a program like wine. I have never been accused of being a masochist but I do look for the easier way of doing things and wine has worked perfectly from the gitgo (3 years) and it is simple to install.
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Re: Why install wine when you can run Windows in Virtualbox?

Post by AZgl1800 »

I installed QEMU to look at trying to use it, can't even find a way to boot it up??

not in any menu, anywhere, and Terminal does not know it even exists.
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RIH
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Re: Why install wine when you can run Windows in Virtualbox?

Post by RIH »

In answer to the OP's question I think that the answer is (like with many things) advertising/awareness.

Many, many reviews of Linux Distributions written with an eye on the majority of potential customers (i.e. Windows users), that I have read, will mention the ease of using Windows Applications via Wine.
Whether that is true or not I don't know as I have never been a user.
Judging by the queries I have read in the past on this Forum, it can be fraught with difficulties & disappoints, but then what cannot be.. :D

I do use VirtualBox, although more for hassle free playing around with distributions (including Microsoft products) rather than from a need.
VirtualBox itself has a pretty steep learning curve & things are often not as obvious as they should be in a perfect world..
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Re: Why install wine when you can run Windows in Virtualbox?

Post by Pierre »

the VirtualBox solution is only viable,
if you still have access to an Windows System disk, that you can then use in an VB solution.
:)
thus, if you did have to obtain an Windows System disk, then the cost factor does come into it.
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Re: Why install wine when you can run Windows in Virtualbox?

Post by Schultz »

For me, the easiest way to run Windows programs is to just have a second computer with Windows (which I do).
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Re: Why install wine when you can run Windows in Virtualbox?

Post by Moem »

RIH wrote: Fri Jan 21, 2022 9:17 pm VirtualBox itself has a pretty steep learning curve & things are often not as obvious as they should be in a perfect world..
I KNEW IT
Effortless, my foot! I'll just continue to avoid it.
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AZgl1800
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Re: Why install wine when you can run Windows in Virtualbox?

Post by AZgl1800 »

Pierre wrote: Fri Jan 21, 2022 10:58 pm the VirtualBox solution is only viable,
if you still have access to an Windows System disk, that you can then use in an VB solution.
:)
thus, if you did have to obtain an Windows System disk, then the cost factor does come into it.
that is a fact, now that I have upgraded to 20.3 and began to try and reinstall my VBox stuff, it ain't working because, somehow, I forgot to write down the name of each CDKey as to what version of Windows it belongs to??

I have all of the VMs copied to my /Backup partition, how do I move those into the current VBox setup?

the only one I want, is the Win10 VM

VMs.png
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Infidelus
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Re: Why install wine when you can run Windows in Virtualbox?

Post by Infidelus »

VMs sit in ~/VirtualBox VMs folder, and the settings are in ~/.config/VirtualBox.
AZgl1800 wrote: Fri Jan 21, 2022 9:11 pm I installed QEMU to look at trying to use it, can't even find a way to boot it up??

not in any menu, anywhere, and Terminal does not know it even exists.
I do have a QEMU virtual machine on my Unraid server, but there is a web gui to help with the install there. I'm sure an internet search will produce alternatives :)
Last edited by Infidelus on Sat Jan 22, 2022 7:27 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Why install wine when you can run Windows in Virtualbox?

Post by RollyShed »

Where do you get this programme called Windows? Do you have to pay for it or anything like that? Is it reliable?

There was someone saying it kept destroying itself and everything else on a disk (October 2018).
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Re: Why install wine when you can run Windows in Virtualbox?

Post by bin »

AZgl1800 wrote: Fri Jan 21, 2022 9:11 pm I installed QEMU to look at trying to use it, can't even find a way to boot it up??

not in any menu, anywhere, and Terminal does not know it even exists.
You need qemu-kvm and Virtual Machine Manager
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Re: Why install wine when you can run Windows in Virtualbox?

Post by AndyMH »

AZgl1800 wrote: Sat Jan 22, 2022 5:22 am I have all of the VMs copied to my /Backup partition, how do I move those into the current VBox setup?
You can put them wherever you want, but the default folder for VMs in virtualbox is ~/VirtualBox VMs. Copy your win10 folder in there. Then double click on the .vbox file in the win10 folder to launch it. It will add itself to your VB menu. I normally avoid running VB to launch my VMs, I have a launcher on the desktop:
Screenshot from 2022-01-22 13-12-08.png
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In VB right click on the VM, there is an option to create shortcut on desktop.
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