Winapps

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Run Windows applications (including Microsoft 365 and Adobe Creative Cloud) on GNU/Linux with KDE Plasma, GNOME or XFCE, integrated seamlessly as if they were native to the OS.

<p align="center"><img src="./docs/readme/demo.png" width=1000 alt="WinApps Demonstration."></p>

Underlying Mechanism

WinApps works by:

1. Running Windows in a Docker, Podman or libvirt virtual machine.
2. Querying Windows for all installed applications.
3. Creating shortcuts to selected Windows applications on the host GNU/Linux OS.
4. Using FreeRDP as a backend to seamlessly render Windows applications alongside GNU/Linux applications.

Additional Features

• The GNU/Linux /home directory is accessible within Windows via the \\tsclient\home mount.
• Integration with Nautilus, allowing you to right-click files to open them with specific Windows applications based on the file MIME type.
• The official taskbar widget enables seamless administration of the Windows subsystem and offers an easy way to launch Windows applications.
• Microsoft Office links (e.g. ms-word://) from the host system are automatically opened in the Windows subsystem. (Note: You may need to use a User Agent Switcher browser extension and set the User-Agent to Windows, as the Office webapps typically hide the "Open in Desktop App" option for Linux users.)

Supported Applications

WinApps supports <u>ALL</u> Windows applications. Support does not, however, extend to kernel-level anti-cheat systems (e.g. Riot Vanguard).

Universal application support is achieved by:

1. Scanning Windows for any community tested applications (list below).
2. Scanning Windows for any other .exe files listed within the Windows Registry.

Community tested applications benefit from high-resolution icons and pre-populated MIME types. This enables file managers to determine which Windows applications should open files based on file extensions. Icons for other detected applications are pulled from .exe files.

Contributing to the list of supported applications is encouraged through submission of pull requests! Please help us grow the WinApps community.

Please note that the provided list of community tested applications is community-driven. As such, some applications may not be tested and verified by the WinApps team.

Community Tested Applications

<table cellpadding="10" cellspacing="0" border="0"> <tr> <!-- Adobe Acrobat Pro --> <td> <img src="apps/acrobat-x-pro/icon.svg" width="100"> </td> <td> <b>Adobe Acrobat Pro</b><br> (X)<br> <i><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Adobe_Acrobat_DC_logo_2020.svg">Icon</a> in the Public Domain.</i> </td> <!-- Adobe After Effects --> <td> <img src="apps/aftereffects-cc/icon.svg" width="100"> </td> <td> <b>Adobe After Effects</b><br> (CC)<br> <i><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Adobe_After_Effects_CC_icon.svg">Icon</a> in the Public Domain.</i> </td> </tr> <tr> <!-- Adobe Audition --> <td> <img src="apps/audition-cc/icon.svg" width="100"> </td> <td> <b>Adobe Audition</b><br> (CC)<br> <i><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Adobe_Audition_CC_icon_%282020%29.svg">Icon</a> in the Public Domain.</i> </td> <!-- Adobe Bridge --> <td> <img src="apps/bridge-cs6/icon.svg" width="100"> </td> <td> <b>Adobe Bridge</b><br> (CS6, CC)<br> <i><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Adobe_Bridge_CC_icon.svg">Icon</a> in the Public Domain.</i> </td> </tr> <tr> <!-- Adobe Creative Cloud --> <td> <img src="apps/adobe-cc/icon.svg" width="100"> </td> <td> <b>Adobe Creative Cloud</b><br> (CC)<br> <i><a href="https://iconduck.com/icons/240218/adobe-creative-cloud">Icon</a> under <a href="https://iconduck.com/licenses/mit">MIT license</a>.</i> </td> <!-- Adobe Illustrator --> <td> <img src="apps/illustrator-cc/icon.svg" width="100"> </td> <td> <b>Adobe Illustrator</b><br> (CC)<br> <i><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Adobe_Illustrator_CC_icon.svg">Icon</a> in the Public Domain.</i> </td> </tr> <tr> <!-- Adobe InDesign --> <td> <img src="apps/indesign-cc/icon.svg" width="100"> </td> <td> <b>Adobe InDesign</b><br> (CC)<br> <i><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Adobe_InDesign_CC_icon.svg">Icon</a> in the Public Domain.</i> </td> <!-- Adobe Lightroom --> <td> <img src="apps/lightroom-cc/icon.svg" width="100"> </td> <td> <b>Adobe Lightroom</b><br> (CC)<br> <i><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Adobe_Photoshop_Lightroom_CC_logo.svg">Icon</a> in the Public Domain.</i> </td> </tr> <tr> <!-- Adobe Photoshop --> <td> <img src="apps/photoshop-cc/icon.svg" width="100"> </td> <td> <b>Adobe Photoshop</b><br> (CS6, CC, 2022)<br> <i><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Adobe_Photoshop_CC_icon.svg">Icon</a> in the Public Domain.</i> </td> <!-- Affinity Designer 2 --> <td> <img src="apps/afdesign/icon.svg" width="100"> </td> <td> <b>Affinity Designer 2</b><br> <i><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Affinity_Designer_V2_icon.svg">Icon</a> under CC-BY-SA 4.0 via Serif Ltd.</i> </td> </tr> <tr> <!-- Affinity Photo 2 --> <td> <img src="apps/afphoto/icon.svg" width="100"> </td> <td> <b>Affinity Photo 2</b><br> <i><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Affinity_Photo_V2_icon.svg">Icon</a> under CC-BY-SA 4.0 via Serif Ltd.</i> </td> <!-- Affinity Publisher 2 --> <td> <img src="apps/afpub/icon.svg" width="100"> </td> <td> <b>Affinity Publisher 2</b><br> <i><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Affinity_Publisher_V2_icon.svg">Icon</a> under CC-BY-SA 4.0 via Serif Ltd.</i> </td> <tr> <!-- Affinity by Canva (v3)--> <td> <img src="apps/affinity/icon.svg" width="100"> </td> <td> <b>Affinity by Canva (v3)</b><br> <i><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Affinity_(App)_Logo.svg">Icon</a> in the Public Domain.</i> </td> <!-- Command Prompt --> <td> <img src="apps/cmd/icon.svg" width="100"> </td> <td> <b>Command Prompt</b><br> (cmd.exe)<br> <i><a href="https://github.com/microsoft/terminal/blob/main/res/terminal/Terminal.svg">Icon</a> under <a href="https://github.com/microsoft/terminal/blob/main/LICENSE">MIT license</a>.</i> </td> </tr> <tr> <!-- File Explorer --> <td> <img src="apps/explorer/icon.svg" width="100"> </td> <td> <b>File Explorer</b><br> (Windows Explorer)<br> <i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Microsoft_PowerToys-Logo_File_Explorer_Preview_02.svg">Icon</a> in the Public Domain.</i> </td> <!-- Internet Explorer --> <td> <img src="apps/iexplorer/icon.svg" width="100"> </td> <td> <b>Internet Explorer</b><br> (11)<br> <i><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Internet_Explorer_10%2B11_logo.svg">Icon</a> in the Public Domain.</i> </td> </tr> <tr> <!-- Microsoft Access --> <td> <img src="apps/access/icon.svg" width="100"> </td> <td> <b>Microsoft Access</b><br> (2016, 2019, o365)<br> <i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Microsoft_Office_Access_(2025-present).svg">Icon</a> in the Public Domain.</i> </td> <!-- Microsoft Excel --> <td> <img src="apps/excel/icon.svg" width="100"> </td> <td> <b>Microsoft Excel</b><br> (2016, 2019, o365)<br> <i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Microsoft_Office_Excel_(2025–present).svg">Icon</a> in the Public Domain.</i> </td> </tr> <tr> <!-- Microsoft Word --> <td> <img src="apps/word/icon.svg" width="100"> </td> <td> <b>Microsoft Word</b><br> (2016, 2019, o365)<br> <i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Microsoft_Office_Word_(2025–present).svg">Icon</a> in the Public Domain.</i> </td> <!-- Microsoft OneNote --> <td> <img src="apps/onenote/icon.svg" width="100"> </td> <td> <b>Microsoft OneNote</b><br> (2016, 2019, o365)<br> <i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Microsoft_OneNote_Icon_(2025_-_present).svg">Icon</a> in the Public Domain.</i> </td>