Running Windows Applications on Linux Using Wine: A Hands-on Experience

The computers I regularly use include my home desktop, my lab desktop, and an ASUS netbook that once took the market by storm. These machines run Microsoft Windows 7, Windows XP, and Ubuntu, respectively.

Installing Ubuntu on the ASUS netbook in particular squeezes out much higher performance. Furthermore, from the perspective of content writing and document creation, it offers superior stability and security, eliminating the risk of data loss caused by unexpected system crashes.

Although I personally have a soft spot for Linux systems, my daily workflow must still revolve around Microsoft Windows. This stems from the inherent practical divide between Microsoft and Linux environments. Commercial software has distinct advantages and polished workflows that provide a familiar learning curve, not to mention how maintaining consistent operational habits boosts overall productivity.

Fortunately, for heavy Windows users migrating to or working within Ubuntu / Linux, there is a compatibility software layer named “Wine”. It can be easily installed via the Ubuntu Software Center, creating a new “Wine” entry in the applications menu.

Afterwards, just as in Windows, selecting and launching an installer simulates the Windows setup wizard within Ubuntu / Linux, presenting the standard installation screens for the user to proceed.

However, after installing Wine and attempting to launch an application, the following error message appeared on my screen, preventing Wine from running the executable as expected:

Blocked: Wine Start / Unix
The file '/home/UserName/Desktop/ApplicationFileName.exe' is not marked as executable. If this was downloaded or copied form an untrusted source, it may be dangerous to run. For more details, read about the executable bit.

Solution to the Wine Execution Error

Right-click on the installer file you wish to run and select “Properties”.

In the dialog window that appears, navigate to the “Permissions” tab. Open this tab and check the option: “Allow executing file as program”.

Once this permission is granted, executing the file allows Wine to seamlessly simulate the Windows runtime environment and launch the software.

Results and Discussion

I tested two programs: Microsoft Security Essentials and the desktop instant messenger from Ruten Auction (a leading e-commerce platform in Taiwan Province, Republic of China). The former immediately prompted an alert stating that this computer might be a victim of counterfeit software—which reminded me that authenticating a legitimate Windows license inside Ubuntu is naturally impossible. The latter installed without issue, but reported a connection failure due to network or firewall barriers. It appears that having applications connect directly to external servers through Wine requires additional network configuration, which I decided not to pursue in this round of testing.

On the other hand, when an application needs to invoke a web link, it successfully launches Ubuntu’s native default browser (the test machine had both Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome installed), demonstrating great desktop environment integration and responsiveness.

As a side note, I just checked the retail prices for Windows 7 licenses, which range between NT$5,000 and NT$10,000. It really is a blessing to be a student, where educational institutions generously provide genuine software licenses!