5 Ways to Run Linux Software on Windows

Linux users often want to run Windows software on Linux, but Windows users may want
to run Linux software, too. Whether youre looking for a better development environment
or powerful command-line tools, you can run Linux software without leaving Windows.
There are many different options for running Linux software on Windows. Its easier than
running Windows software on Linux, as anyone can set up a virtual machine with a free
Linux distribution no need for software licenses.

Virtual Machines
Virtual machines allow you to run any operating system in a window on your desktop.
You can install the free VirtualBox or VMware Player, download an ISO file for a Linux
distribution such as Ubuntu, and install that Linux distribution inside the virtual machine
like you would install it on a standard computer.
When you need to boot up your Linux system, you can do it in a window on your desktop
no need for rebooting and leaving all your Windows programs behind. Everything but
demanding games and advanced 3D effects should work just fine, but you likely wont
want to use those, anyway.
If youre installing Ubuntu in a virtual machine, you may want to try installing an Ubuntu
derivative like Xubuntu instead. Ubuntus default Unity desktop uses 3D effects and the
desktop interface doesnt perform as smoothly in a virtual machine as past desktops did.
Xubuntu uses Xfce, which is much more lightweight.
You could even try using VirtualBoxs seamless mode or VMwares unity mode to run
Linux applications directly on your desktop theyll be running in the virtual machine,

but their windows will be present on your Windows desktop instead of trapped in a single
virtual machine window.

Cygwin
Cygwin is a collection of tools that offer a Linux-like environment on Windows. Its not a
way to run existing Linux software on Windows the software will have to be
recompiled. However, much software has already been recompiled. Cygwin will give you
a Linux-like terminal and command-line environment with many of the command-line
programs you may already be used to.
Weve previously covered installing and using Cygwin. You can even use Cygwin
to install an OpenSSH server and get SSH access to a Windows system.
This solution is ideal for users missing crucial Linux utilities on Windows its not a way
to run a full Linux desktop.

Install Ubuntu via Wubi

This method is technically installing Linux, not running Linux software on Windows. Youll
have to reboot each time you want to use your Linux system just as if you had installed it
in a standard dual-boot configuration.
However, Wubi doesnt install Ubuntu in the normal way. Instead, it creates a special file
on your Windows partition and uses that file as your Ubuntu drive. This means that you
can install Ubuntu and use it without any partitioning and you can uninstall Ubuntu from
the Windows Control Panel when youre done.
If the partitioning aspects are whats holding you back, give Wubi a try. Performance
wont be quite as good as a normally installed Linux system when it comes to disk read
and write times, but it should be faster than a virtual machine.

Ported and Compiled Programs

Many common Linux programs have already been ported to Windows and compiled
versions have been made available online. If you really miss Emacs, youll find versions
of Emacs for Windows. If you want to run a specific program on Windows, perform a
Google search for the name of that program and Windows theres a good chance
youll find a version of the program that s been ported to Windows.

coLinux-based Distributions
coLinux stands for Cooperative Linux. Its a way to natively run Linux alongside the
Windows kernel in a way that offers much faster performance than simply running Linux
in a virtual machine.
This is a great idea, but theres a problem. coLinux doesnt yet support 64-bit versions of
Windows, so youll need to be running a 32-bit version of Windows on your machine to
do this thats increasingly rare. coLinux hasnt released a new version in over two
years, so development seems to be either stalled or moving very slowly.
If you want to try this out, you may want to try out Portable Ubuntu Remix. This coLinuxbased distribution was last updated in 2011, so its a bit old but other options
likeandLinux are even more out of date. andLinux, which weve covered in the past, was
last updated in 2009.
coLinux-based distributions would be a great option, but they seem to be getting left
behind. If you dont mind using years-old Linux software and a 32-bit version of
Windows, this option may work for you anyway.

andLinux
andLinux is a complete Ubuntu Linux system running seamlessly
in Windows 2000 based systems (2000, XP, 2003, Vista, 7; 32-bit
versions only). It is not just for development and runs almost all
Linux applications without modification.

Cygwin
Cygwin is a Linux-like environment for Windows. The Cygwin DLL
works with all non-beta, non "release candidate", ix86 32 bit
versions of Windows since Windows 95, with the exception of
Windows CE. It consists of two parts:

DLL (cygwin1.dll) which acts as a Linux API emulation layer

A collection of tools, which provide Linux look and feel
Run Linux inside the Web Browser
If you are just starting to learn Linux and are looking for an easy
way to practice the various Linux commands, check out the veryimpressive JSLinux project.
This is an emulator that lets you use Linux inside your web
browser. You may write shells scripts using Sed and Awk, master
regular expressions, play around with popular text editors like Vi
and Emacs, look up man pages of various Linux command and
much more all inside your browser