WinBoat: All Windows applications now run on Linux

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WinBoat

Want to easily use Windows applications like Adobe Photoshop and Microsoft Office on Linux? WinBoat now makes this possible, using container virtualization.

Gamers who primarily pursue their hobby under Linux can now easily fall back on the free operating system thanks to Proton and increasingly better optimized gaming distributions. But what is the current situation with Windows applications such as Adobe Photoshop and Microsoft Office? With WinBoat, these should also run smoothly under Linux and feel native at the same time. Windows runs with container virtualization in the background and makes all Windows apps functional, as the first independent tests can now prove.

WinBoat uses a combination of KVM ("Kernel-based Virtual Machine") and Windows in the Docker container and virtualizes the operating system from Redmond in order to be able to use all Windows applications using RDP ("Remote Desktop Protocol") under Linux. WinBoat is currently still in the beta phase.

WinBoat is an Electron app that allows you to run Windows applications on Linux using a containerized approach.

Windows runs as a virtual machine (VM) inside a Docker container, and we communicate with it through the WinBoat Guest Server to get the data we need from Windows.

For displaying applications as native windows at the operating system level, we use FreeRDP together with the RemoteApp protocol from Windows.

- WinBoat -

🎨 Elegant Interface: Sleek and intuitive interface that seamlessly integrates Windows into your Linux desktop environment and makes it feel like a native experience.

📦 Automated installations: Simple installation process via our interface - select your preferences and specifications and leave the rest to us.

🚀 Run any app: If it runs on Windows, it can also run on WinBoat. Enjoy the full range of Windows applications as native OS windows in your Linux environment.

🖥️ Full Windows Desktop: Access the full Windows desktop experience when you need it, or run individual apps seamlessly integrated into your Linux workflow.

📁 File system integration: Your home directory is integrated into Windows, which allows easy file exchange between the two systems without any effort.

✨ And much more: Smart card transit, resource monitoring and more features will be added regularly.

The YouTube channel of c't 3003 has already looked at WinBoat in detail and was able to use the popular image editing software Adobe Photoshop and Microsoft's Office applications under Linux.