Convert Linux to Windows

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Existing efforts and “this already exists”

  • Multiple commenters note prior or current “Windows‑on‑Linux” distros: Linspire/Lindows, Zorin OS, and others that let you double‑click .exe files (via Wine) already.
  • Linux’s binfmt_misc plus wine-binfmt can make Windows executables run “natively” without kernel changes; some distros are one package away from this behavior.
  • SteamOS/Proton and the Steam Deck are cited as a de‑facto implementation: a Linux system whose “native” apps are mostly Windows games running through Proton.
  • ReactOS is mentioned as a pure Win32 clone, but is widely viewed as too unstable for daily use, with limited funding and demand.

Linux ABI, glibc, and packaging disputes

  • Large subthread argues whether Linux has a “binary compatibility problem.”
  • One camp: kernel syscalls are very stable; real issues are userland libraries (glibc, GTK, Qt, OpenSSL, etc.), and distros that don’t keep old versions forever.
  • Counter‑camp: in practice, many old binaries fail with glibc‑related errors; static linking with glibc is discouraged; you often must build on very old distros.
  • Flatpak/Snap/AppImage/containers are viewed as the pragmatic “tarball of an entire system” workaround—effective but bloated. Others argue that mobile app stores and macOS bundles show this model can work well.
  • GPU stacks (OpenGL/Vulkan, Mesa) and audio stacks (OSS/ALSA/PulseAudio/JACK/PipeWire) are called out as especially fragile across time and distros, though others insist the core GL/Vulkan ABIs are stable.

Windows compatibility and Wine

  • Many agree Win32/DirectX and related APIs are unusually stable, with Microsoft doing heavy, app‑specific workarounds to keep old software running.
  • Some note this is less true for modern tech (anti‑cheat, certain games, .NET versions), and Windows also suffers from VC++ runtime and driver breakage.
  • Wine/Proton is praised as a technical masterpiece that often runs very old software better than modern Windows, but still not “simple” to develop for or fully reliable (Office 365, some games, anti‑cheat).
  • Several propose shipping per‑app Wine “bottles” or containers (and maybe Flatpak runtimes) so users get a single, known‑working artifact instead of tuning Wine manually.

Philosophy, incentives, and skepticism

  • Some Linux users reject the goal entirely: Linux is built around source distribution and curated repos, not random third‑party binaries; Windows’ model is seen as insecure and messy.
  • Others, frustrated with Windows “enshittification,” view a polished Wine‑centric distro as an attractive escape, but doubt there’s enough funding, UX work, or mass demand to make it succeed.