Comments on: Wine @ Work: Running MS Office and IE on Linux http://www.linux-mag.com/id/6539/ Open Source, Open Standards Sun, 05 Jul 2009 00:22:47 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.11 by: graemeharrison http://www.linux-mag.com/id/6539/#comment-1893 Tue, 23 Dec 2008 05:19:43 +0000 http://www.linux-mag.com/id/6539/#comment-1893 After 26 years on M$ platforms, I am a convert to Ubuntu as a great desktop environment. However, one of the big let-downs is finding that when you install WINE, all you get is the tool, and there is still too much dicking around to get it operational. I understand the idea that a particular DLL has to be copied from your Windows licensed software... but even after that, getting basic things to run is WAY TOO HARD for the average user. The team that support WINE ought do a deal with Irfan of Irfanview (www.irfanview.com) as he is not currently prepared to port his best-ever graphics display program from Windows to Linux, but he notes that it is free and runs under WINE. So WINE ought arrange that they can ship it as a pre-installed graphics editor in the binaries of WINE. That way, more than just Notepad would come up operational... and besides, most distros like Ubuntu do not ship a graphics display app which can display multi-page TIFFs (eg faxes) properly... so Irfanview would be a good addition. Then do some fixing of the interface, so when you try to install a Windows app under WINE, the settings are actually stored and the thing runs.... Currently it is very obtuse and confusing. Better still, make it such that you can 'just click' on a Windows EXE and WINE automatically fires up and runs the app!... or if needed the first time for that app, it may wish to ask you a few pertinent questions. After 26 years on M$ platforms, I am a convert to Ubuntu as a great desktop environment. However, one of the big let-downs is finding that when you install WINE, all you get is the tool, and there is still too much dicking around to get it operational. I understand the idea that a particular DLL has to be copied from your Windows licensed software… but even after that, getting basic things to run is WAY TOO HARD for the average user.

The team that support WINE ought do a deal with Irfan of Irfanview (www.irfanview.com) as he is not currently prepared to port his best-ever graphics display program from Windows to Linux, but he notes that it is free and runs under WINE. So WINE ought arrange that they can ship it as a pre-installed graphics editor in the binaries of WINE. That way, more than just Notepad would come up operational… and besides, most distros like Ubuntu do not ship a graphics display app which can display multi-page TIFFs (eg faxes) properly… so Irfanview would be a good addition.

Then do some fixing of the interface, so when you try to install a Windows app under WINE, the settings are actually stored and the thing runs…. Currently it is very obtuse and confusing. Better still, make it such that you can ‘just click’ on a Windows EXE and WINE automatically fires up and runs the app!… or if needed the first time for that app, it may wish to ask you a few pertinent questions.

]]> by: nikbot http://www.linux-mag.com/id/6539/#comment-1859 Fri, 12 Dec 2008 03:19:53 +0000 http://www.linux-mag.com/id/6539/#comment-1859 Vmware and Virtual Box\Dual Boot are the far more superior option for flexibility to an admin. Vmware and Virtual Box\Dual Boot are the far more superior option for flexibility to an admin.

]]> by: apshankar22 http://www.linux-mag.com/id/6539/#comment-1845 Tue, 09 Dec 2008 13:31:50 +0000 http://www.linux-mag.com/id/6539/#comment-1845 Wine like tools are indeed sometimes very helpful in very tight corners...when u do not have a windows license but you may need to run some windows applications desperately... Still many software vendors don't provide softwares on linux platform....Wine will atleast enables them to be use some good features in windows applications... Wine like tools are indeed sometimes very helpful in very tight corners…when u do not have a windows license but you may need to run some windows applications desperately… Still many software vendors don’t provide softwares on linux platform….Wine will atleast enables them to be use some good features in windows applications…

]]> by: Marcin Owsiany http://www.linux-mag.com/id/6539/#comment-1533 Sun, 28 Sep 2008 12:30:17 +0000 http://www.linux-mag.com/id/6539/#comment-1533 Did you try gqview? I find it the best viewer I've ever used, both in Linux and Windows, after you set "Leave zoom at previous setting" in preferences. Did you try gqview? I find it the best viewer I’ve ever used, both in Linux and Windows, after you set “Leave zoom at previous setting” in preferences.

]]> by: ben2talk http://www.linux-mag.com/id/6539/#comment-1507 Sun, 21 Sep 2008 10:14:16 +0000 http://www.linux-mag.com/id/6539/#comment-1507 I installed Sun's new Virtualbox 2.0 - and now can seamlessly run MS office 2007, or any other program i want to run in any operating system 'seamlessly' - though it generallly works nicely running full screen in it's own workspace. With WINE it's more a matter of 'what can I use with this?' I prefer 'I want to use ACDSee Pro2 because it's better than anything in linux - where's the tool to do that?' My printer works very nicely with Windows, not with lnux - so Virtualbox handles my backend. There's no point hiding, linux can't match the combination of windows and all the software developers working together. I installed Sun’s new Virtualbox 2.0 - and now can seamlessly run MS office 2007, or any other program i want to run in any operating system ’seamlessly’ - though it generallly works nicely running full screen in it’s own workspace.

With WINE it’s more a matter of ‘what can I use with this?’

I prefer ‘I want to use ACDSee Pro2 because it’s better than anything in linux - where’s the tool to do that?’

My printer works very nicely with Windows, not with lnux - so Virtualbox handles my backend. There’s no point hiding, linux can’t match the combination of windows and all the software developers working together.

]]> by: patrickmoroney http://www.linux-mag.com/id/6539/#comment-1470 Thu, 11 Sep 2008 19:36:24 +0000 http://www.linux-mag.com/id/6539/#comment-1470 I use Debian 2.6.25-2-686 Lenny with WindowMaker, and while Wine to installed, no Wine application was available in my WindowMaker menus. I tried adding ./usr/bin/wine to a menu, but only winecfg yielded the old style interface... Frustrating.. I use Debian 2.6.25-2-686 Lenny with WindowMaker, and while Wine to installed, no Wine application was available in my WindowMaker menus. I tried adding ./usr/bin/wine to a menu, but only winecfg yielded the old style interface… Frustrating..

]]> by: Ken Hess http://www.linux-mag.com/id/6539/#comment-1429 Fri, 29 Aug 2008 18:20:18 +0000 http://www.linux-mag.com/id/6539/#comment-1429 Well, the main point of Wine for me in the article is to install familiar apps for people who are converting to Linux. It's sometimes hard to leave the old stuff behind. Believe me, when I converted people off of WordStar and WordPerfect to MS Word, it was the same thing. People use what they're comfortable with--this is why we need apps that are similar enough to gather support and adoption. OO.o and FireFox are similar enough for conversion. You wouldn't believe, though, how many times I had to hear "But in WordPerfect, we could do X." Yeah? Really? Get over it. You're boss says to use Word. It will have to be the same with OO.o, Linux, or any app. Well, the main point of Wine for me in the article is to install familiar apps for people who are converting to Linux. It’s sometimes hard to leave the old stuff behind. Believe me, when I converted people off of WordStar and WordPerfect to MS Word, it was the same thing. People use what they’re comfortable with–this is why we need apps that are similar enough to gather support and adoption. OO.o and FireFox are similar enough for conversion.

You wouldn’t believe, though, how many times I had to hear “But in WordPerfect, we could do X.” Yeah? Really? Get over it. You’re boss says to use Word. It will have to be the same with OO.o, Linux, or any app.

]]> by: dvainsencher http://www.linux-mag.com/id/6539/#comment-1415 Wed, 27 Aug 2008 13:28:17 +0000 http://www.linux-mag.com/id/6539/#comment-1415 Do you code in Office 2007? Sorry, but my experience shows exactly the opposite. I became more productive in Linux and I could learn much more with the thousands of great tools, languages, etc, and with the collaborative and knowledge oriented culture that follows open source world. Believe me. ;-) Do you code in Office 2007?
Sorry, but my experience shows exactly the opposite. I became more productive in Linux and I could learn much more with the thousands of great tools, languages, etc, and with the collaborative and knowledge oriented culture that follows open source world. Believe me. ;-)

]]> by: slalji http://www.linux-mag.com/id/6539/#comment-1411 Fri, 22 Aug 2008 17:22:08 +0000 http://www.linux-mag.com/id/6539/#comment-1411 I have a windows app called OpenBugs. I would like it to run using jobs, therefore would require wine to work without its graphical user interface. Is there a way to set wine to be command based only? I have a windows app called OpenBugs. I would like it to run using jobs, therefore would require wine to work without its graphical user interface. Is there a way to set wine to be command based only?

]]> by: mikemeek http://www.linux-mag.com/id/6539/#comment-1407 Thu, 21 Aug 2008 22:34:32 +0000 http://www.linux-mag.com/id/6539/#comment-1407 If it's scope is to run every Windows program ever written, then Wine's mission rings of Dan Akroyd's 'Every Record Ever Recorded' sales pitch on Saturday Night Live. Guys, even the OS for which the programs were INTENDED doesn't properly run every application. On the other hand, Wine is a perfect fit for organizations that are willing to switch office and email suites, but have an application or two written for M$ that are must-haves (ours is a document imaging package). Wine is a viable alternative to a second box or VM solution to run such applications. If it’s scope is to run every Windows program ever written, then Wine’s mission rings of Dan Akroyd’s ‘Every Record Ever Recorded’ sales pitch on Saturday Night Live. Guys, even the OS for which the programs were INTENDED doesn’t properly run every application.

On the other hand, Wine is a perfect fit for organizations that are willing to switch office and email suites, but have an application or two written for M$ that are must-haves (ours is a document imaging package). Wine is a viable alternative to a second box or VM solution to run such applications.

]]>