WinApps: Run Windows apps as if they were a part of the native Linux OS

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

What WinApps Is Doing

  • Many initially assumed this was just Wine; thread clarifies it’s full Windows virtualization with tight desktop integration.
  • Concept is “reverse WSL”: run Windows apps as if native on Linux, via RDP single-app windows.

Architecture & How It Actually Works

  • Uses a Linux container that runs a QEMU/KVM Windows VM (often via the dockur/windows project).
  • WinApps then configures Windows’ RDP RemoteApp/RAIL and connects with FreeRDP (xfreerdp), showing each Windows app as a separate Linux window.
  • The “container” is mostly a packaging/automation layer around QEMU + KVM + unattended Windows install.
  • Only X11 is supported today; single-app mode for Wayland FreeRDP is not yet implemented.

Licensing, Activation, and Legality

  • Confusion over whether Microsoft’s test/dev images or OEM Windows licenses allow this usage.
  • Debate about whether typical Windows 10/11 licenses permit virtualization and remote access; some cite rules about needing additional licenses for remote use.
  • Side-thread on piracy tools (KMS activators), DMCA issues, and Microsoft’s practical focus on enterprise enforcement rather than hobbyists.
  • Broader legal/ethical discussion of Windows telemetry, ads, and EULAs vs contract law and consumer protection, especially in the EU.

Performance, GPU, and Practical Experience

  • Some report good responsiveness, crediting Windows’ highly optimized RDP stack, especially for office/CAD-style work.
  • Others find Windows VMs on Linux “sluggish” without GPU passthrough; DWM falls back to software rendering, tanking FPS.
  • GPU passthrough (or SR-IOV on some Intel iGPUs) is recommended; without it, heavy 3D workloads or modern games are unlikely to be usable.
  • One user found WinApps much slower and glitchier than Looking Glass for Adobe apps, calling it not ready yet.

Use Cases, Alternatives, and Limitations

  • Popular targets: MS Office, Adobe CC, CAD (AutoCAD/Revit), Affinity, Minecraft Bedrock, Fortnite, and shell tools like TortoiseGit.
  • Mixed success: office tools generally OK; recent Adobe problematic; anti-cheat games and USB/driver-heavy tools often fail in Wine and VMs.
  • Several argue it’s simpler to:
    • Use native Linux apps where possible (LibreOffice, OnlyOffice, FreeCAD, etc.).
    • Or keep a dedicated Windows box and RDP into it.
  • For non-technical users, the VM/container abstraction, separate filesystem, glitches, and RAM overhead were described as too confusing and fragile.

Historical & Meta Commentary

  • Comparisons to older “seamless” modes (VirtualBox, VMware Unity, Parallels Coherence) and even classic remote X11.
  • Some see this as another shiny wrapper with overstated claims; others call it a clever, pragmatic reuse of mature but complex tooling.