Many argue that the Chromebook is not a complete machine and appeals to people with limited use cases. Obviously, this is true to some extent. However, with the support of Android and Linux applications, the gap has narrowed significantly. However, the lack of Windows app support is still the bottleneck for many users looking to switch from a Windows PC to a Chromebook. But that too is changing. Now you can use Windows 10 apps on Chromebook thanks to Linux support. In this post, I will show you how to install most Windows apps on Chrome OS without any problems. So let’s get started.
Run Windows 10 Apps on Chromebook Using Wine 5.0
- Install Wine 5.0 on Your Chromebook
- Install Windows 10 Apps on Chromebook
- Create Shortcut for Windows Program
Before you begin, make sure you have properly setup Linux on your Chromebook. Once we’ve done that, we’ll start by installing the latest version of Wine (5.0) on our Chromebook. If you are wondering what is wine, this is a compatibility layer this allows you to use Windows applications in a Linux environment without going through the emulation path.
To cut things short, you’ll basically be using Windows apps through a compatibility layer called Wine in which Linux container it will run. I know this sounds like a mouthful, but don’t worry, the performance is pretty good and more than usable for lightweight applications. Now having said all that, let’s start with the Wine 5.0 installation first.
Note: Since Wine 5.0 is not merged with Debian 10’s repository, you have to run more commands than usual. Don’t worry, the process may seem long, but it’s pretty easy and straightforward.
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Install Wine 5.0 on your Chromebook
1. First of all, Open the Linux Terminal and run the following command to add support for 32-bit applications.
sudo dpkg --add-architecture i386
2. Next, run the commands below one by one to download and add the repository key.
wget -nc https://dl.winehq.org/wine-builds/winehq.key sudo apt-key add winehq.key
3. After doing that, execute these commands one by one. The first command will install the Nano editor and with the second command you can: edit source list.
sudo apt install nano sudo nano /etc/apt/sources.list
4. Now copy the text below and paste it into the Nano editor. You can right-click the terminal window or Ctrl + Shift + V To paste the content It will look something like this.
deb https://dl.winehq.org/wine-builds/debian/ buster main deb https://download.opensuse.org/repositories/Emulators:/Wine:/Debian/Debian_10 ./
5. Next, press Ctrl + X and then press “Y”. Finally, hit enter to save the file and exit the Nano editor.
6. After doing that, run the following command to add Ubuntu. key server.
sudo apt-key adv --keyserver keyserver.ubuntu.com --recv-keys DFA175A75104960E
7. Finally, last two commands It will install Wine 5.0 on your Chromebook. Press “Y” when prompted to confirm the installation.
sudo apt update sudo apt install --install-recommends winehq-stable
8. Now, run the following command to check if you have successfully installed Wine 5.0 and click “About” tab. Here you got it! Wine 5.0 works fine on your Chromebook.
winecfg
9. If window resolution too small for you then go to the “Graphics” tab and change the screen resolution to 120 dpi or whatever looks best to you.
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Install Windows 10 Apps on Chromebook
1. Now that you have successfully installed Wine 5.0, it’s time to install a Windows application on the Chromebook. For example, here I will show you how to install IrfanView, a popular image viewer, on Chrome OS. all you have to do Download 64-bit EXE Open the file of any Windows program and move it to the Linux files section.. Be sure to rename the file to something that is easier to type.
Note: As a general rule on Linux, rename files and folders with one word that can be easily typed in Terminal. It will help you immensely when dealing with files in the Linux Terminal.
2. Now open Terminal and type the following command. make sure you change irfanview.exe With the filename of the application you selected, in case you install a different application. An installation wizard will open instantly and you will be able to install the application just like any Windows program.
wine irfanview.exe
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Create Shortcuts for Windows Programs in Chrome OS
After installing the program, the next part is to run it. While Wine creates a shortcut in the Application Drawer (under the Linux folder), it doesn’t work because of the shortcut. wrong file path. To fix this you will need to find the right path and change the shortcut accordingly. Here’s how you can do that.
1. Open the Local File Manager and go to the Linux Files section. Here, click on the 3-dot menu and Enable the “Show Hidden Files” option.
6. After that, .wine Go to the folder and drive_c. Here you will get a file index system similar to Windows 10. Now, check where the program is installed. Program Files or Program Files (x86) file. Once you find the correct folder, open it and find the latest .EXE file. This is the program you need to run from the terminal.
7. Now, your file path will look like this. Here you will have to change yourusername The Linux username assigned to your Chromebook. For example, your email id [email protected] then your username will be abc123. Similarly, change Program Files/IrfanView/i_view64.exeTo the file path shown in your File Manager.
/home/yourusername/.wine/drive_c/Program Files/IrfanView/i_view64.exe
8. Finally, your full file path will look like this. Add wine The file path under the backspace and backspace at the beginning and after. You can also run the following command in Terminal. to check if your file path is correct. If true, the Windows application will open.
wine "/home/yourusername/.wine/drive_c/Program Files/IrfanView/i_view64.exe"
9. Finally, now that you have created the file path, let’s find the shortcut. Open File Manager and with Hidden Files open go to the Linux files section. This time, Go to .local folder -> share -> applications -> wine -> Programs. Here you will find the folder of the installed Windows application. Open it and then you will get a file with the extension .desktop. Right click on it and open with Text (To organise).
10. On Text, change the following file path Exec=With the full file path you created in step 8. Be sure to change the username and actual file path of the program you have repeatedly installed. After that, press Ctrl + S to save changes and close Text.
11. Now go ahead and Open Windows app from App Drawer. It will work like a charm. You can also pin Windows apps to the Chrome OS shelf without any issues.
12. Here is another Windows app, IDM, running on Chrome OS. I have mentioned the file path below for you to note. Once you know how to create the file pathrunning a Windows app becomes a breeze on Chrome OS.
wine "/home/yourusername/.wine/drive_c/Program Files (x86)/Internet Download Manager/IDMan.exe"
Enjoy a Legion of Windows Apps on a Chromebook
This was our deep dive on how you can use Windows 10 apps on Chromebook using Wine 5.0. As this tutorial makes clear, Windows apps work really well through the Linux container on Chrome OS. We tried Skype, Notepad++ and VLC, among other apps. I say go ahead and try your favorite Windows apps on your Chromebook.
Anyway, that’s it for us. In the coming days, we will provide more detailed guides on playing games on Chromebook using the popular Let’s Play Linux tool. Stay tuned and check out our list of the best Linux apps to install on your Chromebook until then.
