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Afam’s experience in tech publishing dates back to 2018, when he worked for Make Tech Easier. Over the years, he has built a reputation for publishing high-quality guides, reviews, tips, and explainer articles, covering Windows, Linux, and open source tools. His work has been featured on top websites, including Technical Ustad, Windows Report, Guiding Tech, Alphr, and Next of Windows.

He holds a first degree in Computer Science and is a strong advocate for data privacy and security, with several tips, videos, and tutorials on the subject published on the Fuzo Tech YouTube channel.

When he is not working, he loves to spend time with his family, cycling, or tending to his garden.

I felt liberated when I switched to Linux. The system was fast, updates were predictable, and I had complete control over my computer. What’s not to love about that? Sadly, I didn’t have to wait long to discover I still depended on Windows. Some Windows applications didn’t exist on Linux or had poor web-based versions.

Eventually, I found myself juggling Wine setups, virtual machines, and an actual Windows PC to get some tasks accomplished. Each option could get the job done, but none was entirely practical. It would be great if software felt like a natural part of the operating system—something I didn’t have to mentally prepare for before using it. WinBoat gave me a reprieve in this regard. This was a revelation, as I had heard several experts warn about compatibility issues with WinBoat.

"Just run it in Wine" doesn’t work at scale

The cumulative fatigue Linux users don’t talk about

If you’ve spent any time with Linux, chances are someone has told you to "just run it in Wine." Wine is impressive technology, so this is excellent advice. At least Windows apps can work well enough—if you’re patient. The drawback of Wine is that the more you use it, the more patience you will need.

Wine configurations will rarely fail all at once. They degrade with time, and sometimes, a single tweak that solves one problem creates another. Over time, you start to forget why specific overrides exist, even though removing them would break the software’s functionality. This makes any rebuilding process pure guesswork.

However, what drains you the most is the emotional toll of distrusting your own system. I hesitate to update packages, and I avoid experimenting because my setup is fragile. In the end, Wine starts feeling like a maintenance burden.

Moving from emulation to containment

Why a real Windows environment changes the equation

WinBoat doesn’t try to stretch compatibility layers beyond their limits, and that’s why it works. Rather than emulating Windows behavior, WinBoat actually runs a real, minimal Windows environment, treats it as a contained service, and doesn’t make it the primary OS.

WinBoat’s Windows environment lets apps behave as expected, preventing unpredictable failures. This kind of containment gave me a lot of clarity: I wasn’t stacking tweaks on top of tweaks. I had a Windows environment that was isolated, controlled, and easily replaceable. This was a setup that I could trust.

WinBoat

OS Linux

Price model Free

WinBoat is an open-source tool that lets you run Windows apps on Linux by providing an isolated, controlled, and disposable Windows environment.

Setting up and using WinBoat in a real workflow

From first launch to daily use without friction

Once you get past the initial setup, the benefits of WinBoat become apparent. I use Linux Mint, but these same steps can be adapted to other Linux distros. However, hardware virtualization (VT‑x/AMD‑V) must be enabled in your BIOS/UEFI, since WinBoat requires it to run the Windows kernel at a usable speed. Then you can take these steps:

1. Install Docker and the RDP viewer with the command:

sudo apt update && sudo apt install -y docker.io docker-compose-v2 freerdp3-x11

1. Run the command below if you need WinBoat to manage the containers without continuously asking for your password, and then restart your computer:

sudo usermod -aG docker $USER

1. Download the latest .deb file from the WinBoat releases page and double-click the file to install it.

After installation, you can run WinBoat from your Applications folder and follow the wizard, choosing the options that work best for you. Once done, you can start installing Windows apps by following these steps:

1. Launch WinBoat, then navigate to the **Apps **tab.
2. Click **Install New App, **then use the Windows File Explorer to run any .exe or .msi installer.
3. After installation, click the app on your WinBoat dashboard, and it should open like any normal Linux app.

After the setup, I barely have to open WinBoat itself, and I run Windows apps as if there were no middleman.

When Windows apps stop feeling virtual

The UI integration that makes everything click

WinBoat clicked when I realized that I was no longer thinking about where apps are running. When I launch a Windows program, it simply appears like any other window on my Linux desktop: it sits in the taskbar and participates in Alt + Tab switching.

With virtual machines, I get a second desktop, and some other solutions may require nested window managers. However, these complicated setups are absent on WinBoat. I don’t experience any separation that may break my flow.

With friction eliminated, I no longer treat Windows apps as a special case. Even though this may sound like a tiny difference, the fact that I can open them when I need to, close them once done, and move on makes WinBoat a tool I can adopt for the long term. WinBoat is thus an essential tool to use if you are switching from Windows to Linux.

Related

The kind of compromise that’s actually worth it

Since I started using WinBoat, I picture compatibility on Linux differently. Compatibility has to mean reliability, because that’s how you become more productive. When a tool doesn’t need constant attention, you can get more out of it.

I know there are several open-source alternatives to mainstream tools, but it’s comforting to leave Windows without giving up the software I rely on.