Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Computing/2020 January 5

= January 5 =

software conversion from windows version to a linux version
Is there any converter for a software from windows version to a linux version, please ? Thank you in advance.2A01:CB0C:38C:9F00:6C80:E8D2:254E:90E4 (talk) 19:50, 5 January 2020 (UTC)
 * Do you want to run a Windows program under Linux? There isn't any easy way to convert a program to run under a different OS, without access to its source-code. However, the WINE project is writing a compatibility layer for Linux, which allows a Windows program to run under Linux. WINE should be part of most distros, and available in your package manager. LongHairedFop (talk) 20:00, 5 January 2020 (UTC)
 * Well, it certainly is theoretically possible to write a converter that converts a Windows program into a Linux program. A real translator is probably practically infeasible (because no-one with the right resources wants it), but I could imagine a simple packer that packs the Windows program into a suitable virtual machine image (including Windows, of course), and adds a startup script that will execute the VM and the program on Linux. That would be a manageable task. It would, of course, a) require a suitable license, and b) combine the disadvantages of Linux and Windows. --Stephan Schulz (talk) 22:16, 5 January 2020 (UTC)
 * Although, Microsoft invested in the technology that they now market as Windows Subsystem for Linux, released circa 2019, to help users run native Linux executables inside instances of the Windows operating system. So, there existed at least one well-resourced organization with the desire to implement such a cross-compatibility layer.  We might make the summary statement that it was easier or more cost-effective to make the technology that enables a quorum of Linux programs to work on Windows, rather than to make an equivalent quorum of Windows programs run on a Linux distribution...  Nimur (talk) 03:31, 6 January 2020 (UTC)
 * Well, Microsoft is exactly the actor I had in mind as "having the resources, but no interest". They want the plethora of Linux/UNIX programs to run on on their proprietary platform, but not vice versa. And the task is a lot easier, because Linux/UNIX is more modular and Open Source - in essence, they only need to provide the kernel ABI and some driver ABIs, and can put the whole existing stack on top. The other way round, WINE needs to simulate every Windows interface a given program wants to use. --Stephan Schulz (talk) 07:12, 6 January 2020 (UTC)
 * Yes. Microsoft has full access to the set of all Linux implementation details; but the reciprocal is not true: Linux developers do not, generally, have unfettered access to the documentation and implementation of Windows internals...
 * The other item of note: even in theory, implementing this kind of operating-system emulation software is taking a step in the direction toward full virtual machine emulation. For a non-theoretical use-case where a Linux user wants to run Windows software, this is actually a viable option:  a free or commercial virtual machine software can host a full instance of Windows, and its application software, inside the Linux environment.  One option is VirtualBox, which can be used at zero cost; the user can download and boot an official distribution of Windows 10 from Microsoft; and as long as they follow the appropriate licensing rules, they can run Windows inside that VM.
 * Nimur (talk) 16:25, 6 January 2020 (UTC)
 * I do agree,, and if you do consider that Linux is an open source program that you can manipulate, that makes sense.  Maccore Henni  Mii! Pictochat Mii! 22:47, 8 January 2020 (UTC)