Ever installed Linux and immediately missed one thing you couldn’t replace — like Photoshop, a legacy utility, or a Windows‑only bookkeeping app? Or are you mainly on Windows but want to run a few Linux GUI tools without spinning up a full VM? The good news: modern tooling makes both workflows practical. Which tool you choose depends on whether you want fidelity, simplicity, or something lightweight.
Two opposite problems, two neat solutions
If you’re on Linux and need Windows software that won’t behave under Wine or Proton, containerized Windows VMs with RDP glue — projects like WinApps and WinBoat — give you a near-native experience. Instead of shoehorning Windows behavior into a compatibility layer, they run a minimal, contained Windows environment and expose individual apps on your Linux desktop. The result: Windows programs appear in your launcher, sit on the taskbar, and participate in Alt+Tab like normal apps.
Flip the scenario: on Windows, the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) now runs full graphical Linux apps without a heavyweight virtual machine. You can install a distro from the Store or use wsl --install, add GUI packages (Firefox, GIMP, editors) and they open in their own windows — fast and integrated.
WinApps / WinBoat: a practical way to keep Windows apps on Linux
What they do: both approaches run an actual Windows guest (lightweight, isolated) and use an RDP session plus desktop integration scripts so individual Windows apps feel native on Linux. That avoids the brittleness many people experience with Wine — you get a real Windows runtime, which means more predictable behavior across complex apps.
What you’ll need in practice:- Hardware virtualization enabled in your BIOS/UEFI (VT‑x or AMD‑V).
- A container runtime: Docker or Podman. Many Linux guides recommend Podman if you prefer rootless containers.
- An RDP client (freerdp recommended) and the WinApps/WinBoat helper scripts.
- Enable Windows Subsystem for Linux and Virtual Machine Platform in Windows Features, ensure BIOS virtualization is on.
- Install a distro from the Microsoft Store or run wsl --install
from a terminal. - Update packages (sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade) and install GUI apps (sudo apt install firefox) — launch them from the distro shell or from the Windows Start menu where they appear.
- Choose WSL if: you live in Windows and want native‑looking Linux GUI apps (editors, dev tools, browsers) with minimal friction.
- Choose WinApps/WinBoat (containerized Windows + RDP integration) if: you’re on Linux and need high-fidelity Windows behavior for apps that Wine can’t handle reliably.
- Choose Wine if: the app is known to be compatible, you want the smallest footprint, and you don’t mind occasional debugging.
- Enabling WSL or running containerized Windows needs virtualization in firmware. It’s an easy setting but often forgotten.
- Running a Windows guest means you’ll be exposed to Windows updates and their quirks; this has tripped users before (for example, recent Windows updates have produced BitLocker recovery prompts for some business machines). If sticking parts of your workflow on Windows, keep an eye on update behavior and backups. Read more on dealing with Windows update surprises in our coverage of BitLocker recovery prompts after Windows updates.
- If you use both systems frequently, a little housekeeping goes a long way — tidy installers and pin only the apps you use often. For help decluttering a Windows install that you still use, our guide to decluttering Windows 11 25H2 is handy.
A quick setup sketch (Debian/Ubuntu family):
1. Install components:
sudo apt -y install podman podman-compose curl freerdp3-x11 git iproute2 libnotify-bin netcat-openbsd
2. Create the folders WinApps/WinBoat expects and drop the provided compose.yaml and config files into place.
3. Boot the VM with podman-compose --file ~/winapps/compose.yaml up (adjust for Docker if you use it).
4. Use xfreerdp to test the RDP connection, install your Windows apps inside the Windows guest, then run the setup script the project provides to register selected apps with your Linux desktop.
Expectations: For everyday productivity apps performance is usually very good — latency tends to be negligible. GPU‑heavy editing or large canvases in Photoshop may reveal limits, especially on older laptops. Because the Windows guest is a disposable container, this setup also keeps your Linux host clean and reduces the “tweak fatigue” that Wine can create.
Caveats: You’re running a real Windows instance, so licensing, updates, and fingerprints still matter. And you’ll need to budget RAM/CPU for the VM container.
WSL: Linux GUI apps inside Windows, without a VM overhead
On modern Windows 10/11, WSL (now WSLg in Windows 11) removes the need for a separate VM to run Linux GUI apps. Microsoft bundles a lightweight virtualized Linux kernel and display stack that integrates with the Windows desktop.
How to get started (high level):Why many people like WSL: it’s fast, reliable, and avoids juggling a separate VM window. You can work in Windows and drop into a Linux terminal or GUI app instantly.
Wine vs. VM containers: one is nimble, one is predictable
Wine is brilliant for many apps, but it can become fragile as configurations accumulate. If you rely on complex or critical Windows software, running a minimal Windows environment as a contained service gives you predictability. If your needs are simple (small utilities, older games, or things with known Wine support), Wine may still be the lightest path.
Which solution should you pick?
A practical tip: try the least intrusive method first. If Wine or a native Linux alternative works, great. If not, spin up a contained Windows guest — it’s more work initially, but it’s less maintenance over time.
A couple real‑world notes worth remembering
Running apps across operating systems used to be a grind. Now, with containerized Windows environments and WSL, you can pick the level of fidelity you want — lightweight compatibility or a настоящий Windows runtime — without rebuilding your workflow from scratch. Try one path, tweak resources (RAM/CPU), and you’ll often find the sweet spot where your favorite apps simply stop feeling like “special cases” and start behaving like part of the desktop.