How to install Wine in Ubuntu

With some effort, you can Run Windows applications on Linux using wine. Wine is a tool to try when you should only use a Windows application on Linux.

Please note You cannot run any Windows games or programs with Wine. Please go through Supported application database. Platinum or Gold rated software has a higher chance of working smoothly with Wine.

If you find a Windows-only program, this will be it vintage Well supported and now looking forward to using it, this tutorial will help you install Wine on Ubuntu.

Installing Wine on Ubuntu

There are different ways to install Wine on your system. Almost all Linux distributions come with Wine in their package repository.

Most of the time, the latest stable version of Wine is available via the package repository.

1. Install WINE from the Ubuntu repository (easy but may not be the latest version)
2. Install WINE from Wine repository (a bit more complicated but gives the latest version)

Please be patient and follow the steps one by one to install and use Wine. There are several steps involved here.

Method 1: Install WINE from Ubuntu (Easy)

Wine is available in the official Ubuntu repositories, where you can install it easily. However, the version available in this way may not be the latest.

Even if you’re using a 64-bit installation of Ubuntu, you’ll need to add 32-bit architecture support on your distro, which will be useful for installing specific software.

Type the commands below:

sudo dpkg --add-architecture i386

Then install Wine using:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install wine

Method 2: Install the latest version of the Wine repository

Wine is one such program that receives heavy developments in a short period. Therefore, it is always recommended to install the latest stable version of Wine to get more software support.

First, remove any existing installation of Wine.

Step 1: Make sure to add 32-bit architecture support:

sudo dpkg --add-architecture i386

Step 2: Download and add key repository:

sudo mkdir -pm755 /etc/apt/keyrings
sudo wget -O /etc/apt/keyrings/winehq-archive.key https://dl.winehq.org/wine-builds/winehq.key

Step 3: Now download the WineHQ sources file.

to Ubuntu 23.04 Lunar Lobsteruse the command below:

sudo wget -NP /etc/apt/sources.list.d/ https://dl.winehq.org/wine-builds/ubuntu/dists/lunar/winehq-lunar.sources

If you have Ubuntu 22.04 or Linux Mint 21.X seriesuse the command below:

sudo wget -NP /etc/apt/sources.list.d/ https://dl.winehq.org/wine-builds/ubuntu/dists/jammy/winehq-jammy.sources

If you work Ubuntu 20.04 or Linux Mint 20.X seriesUses:

sudo wget -NP /etc/apt/sources.list.d/ https://dl.winehq.org/wine-builds/ubuntu/dists/focal/winehq-focal.sources

Ubuntu 18.04 or Linux Mint 19.X series Users can use below command to add sources file:

sudo wget -NP /etc/apt/sources.list.d/ https://dl.winehq.org/wine-builds/ubuntu/dists/bionic/winehq-bionic.sources

Once done, update the package information and install the stable package of wine.

sudo apt install --install-recommends winehq-stable

If you want the development or staging version, use winehq-devel or winehq-staging respectively.

The initial configuration of Wine

Once Wine is installed, run the following:

winecfg

This will create a file Virtual C: drive To install Windows applications.

While following these steps, sometimes, you may not find “Open with Windows Wine program loaderoption in Nautilus’ right-click menu.

In this case, fix it by Create a soft link to the appropriate directory:

sudo ln -s /usr/share/doc/wine/examples/wine.desktop /usr/share/applications/

And restart the system to get the change.

Using Wine to run Windows applications

Once Wine is installed and configured by running winecfgNow, it’s time to install Windows apps.

Here, the 7Zip.exe file is used for demonstration purposes. I know I should have used a better example, as 7Zip is available on Linux. However, the process remains the same for other apps.

First, download the 7Zip .exe file from Official downloads page.

Now, right-click on the file and select the “Open with Wine Windows Program Loader” option:

This will ask us to install the file. click install And let it complete. Once done, you can open 7zip like any other native application.

you can use wine uninstaller Command to uninstall any installed application.

Here’s a dedicated tutorial about Using Wine to run Windows programs On Linux:

Run Windows applications on Linux [Beginners Guide]

Here is a step by step guide with screenshots to show how you can run Windows software on Linux using Wine.

Remove Wine from Ubuntu

If you don’t find Wine interesting or if Wine doesn’t launch the app you want correctly, you may need to uninstall Wine. To do this, follow the steps below.

Remove Wine installed through the Ubuntu repository

To remove wine installed through repositories, first run:

sudo apt remove --purge wine

Update your package information:

sudo apt update

Now, use a file autoclean The command to clear the local repository of recovered package files that are almost useless.

sudo apt-get autoclean
sudo apt-get clean

Remove those packages that are installed but are no longer required using:

sudo apt autoremove

Now restart the system.

Remove Wine installed through the Wine repository

Remove a file wine-stable eviction.

sudo apt remove --purge wine-stable

Update your package information:

sudo apt update

Now, use a file autoclean And clean The command to clear the local repository of recovered package files that are almost useless.

sudo apt-get autoclean
sudo apt-get clean

Now remove the previously added sources file. Use your distribution folder. Here, Ubuntu 22.04 is used.

sudo rm /etc/apt/sources.list.d/winehq-jammy.sources

Once this is removed, update your system package information:

sudo apt update

Optionally, remove the key file you added earlier if you want.

sudo rm /etc/apt/keyrings/winehq-archive.key

Now manually remove any remaining files.

Still have questions about using Wine?

You can also check out our tutorial on using Wine. That should answer more questions you may have.

Run Windows applications on Linux [Beginners Guide]

Here is a step by step guide with screenshots to show how you can run Windows software on Linux using Wine.

There is no better place than the Wine Project. They have a page dedicated to Frequently Asked Questions (Frequently Asked Questions):

If you still have questions, you can browse their wiki for details documentation Or ask your doubts their forum.

Alternatively, if you don’t mind spending some money, you can opt for CrossOver. It’s mainly wine but with an excellent backing. You can also contact their team with your questions.

Buy CrossOver through the CodeWeavers store today!

Buy CrossOver Mac and CrossOver Linux through the CodeWeavers Store. Choose from 12-month and lifetime license plans. Renewals are also available for purchase.

In my opinion, you should only turn to Wine when you can’t find an alternative to the software you should use. Even then, it cannot be guaranteed to work with Wine.

However, Wine offers some hope for Windows migrators to Linux.