Will my Windows programs work on Zorin OS?

Installing Zorin OS
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Hi everyone,

one of the most common questions from new users coming from Windows is:

“Will my Windows programs still work on Zorin OS?”

This is a very understandable question. Many people depend on certain applications for office work, music, graphics, engineering, scientific work, or daily personal use.

The honest answer is:

Some Windows programs work very well on Linux.
Some need small adjustments.
Some do not work properly yet.
And some are better replaced by native Linux alternatives.

But Linux has made huge progress in this area.

Today, tools such as Wine, Bottles, Proton, and compatibility layers have made it much easier to run many Windows applications on Linux. This is not only about games. It can also apply to office tools, older Windows software, music tools, technical applications, and other desktop programs.

A good first step is to check compatibility before switching completely.

Useful places to check are:

WineHQ AppDB

ProtonDB, especially for games
https://www.protondb.com/

Bottles

Also remember that many programs already have good Linux-native alternatives:

Microsoft Office → LibreOffice, OnlyOffice, Google Docs
Photoshop → GIMP, Krita
Illustrator → Inkscape
Notepad++ → Kate, Geany, Notepadqq
Outlook/Email → Thunderbird
Media Player → VLC
Audio work → Ardour, Audacity, Reaper for Linux
Scientific work → Python, R, LaTeX, GNU Octave, Jupyter, many astronomy and engineering tools

Personally, I use Zorin OS as an astrophysics-minded user and musician, and I do not miss Windows. In fact, one of the strongest feelings with Linux is that the machine feels like it belongs to you. It does not constantly interfere, push unwanted changes, or control the experience in the same way.

That is one of the reasons I like Zorin OS. It gives Windows users a familiar desktop, but with the freedom and control of Linux.

My advice to beginners:

Before deleting Windows completely, make a list of your important programs.

Then check:

  1. Is there a Linux version?
  2. Is there a good Linux alternative?
  3. Does it work with Wine or Bottles?
  4. Is it better to keep Windows in dual boot for one or two special programs?

You do not need to solve everything in one day.

A safe transition is often the best transition. Start with dual boot or a test machine, learn the system step by step, and only move fully when your important work is covered.

Linux is not the same as Windows — but that is also its strength.

Best regards,
Daniel

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You have missed some things and sometimes not the right thing because it's a personal preference thing.

Replacement for MS Office: The most compatible for me has been SoftMaker Office. During lockdown I started with LibreOffice, saved as .docx for work but it did not work. For those who can't afford the paid version there is FreeOffice.

Outlook - there can only be one and that is Evolution. A client I installed LMDE 7 on their Acer notebook was dreally pleased after I installed Evolution as it closely resembled the Outlook they left behind.

Media Player: VLC has been problematical for a few forum members on here. @StarTreker will enlighten. mpv is a very capable media player as is Totem but is subject to where you live due to copyright issues on codecs.

With regards to Audio I would never recommend Audacity now that it is owned by a company that spies on what you do with it. I still have the last known nonhspyware version on Windows. You also missed off Audacious. With Audacious I have been able to use ALSA over PulseAudio and PipeWire.

As a musician you have missed off MuseScore and Midi software ZynAddSubFx (it has been acquired and current versions have to be paid for but the original is still available in the repos, and also Hydrogen (drum machine).

This is not a criticism, your post gives valuable advice. Take this as a post pointing to bits you may have overlooked. :wink:

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thank you very much for adding these points. I take that in exactly the right spirit.

You are right: software replacement is partly a personal preference issue, and my list was meant more as a beginner starting point than a final recommendation list.

SoftMaker Office / FreeOffice is a very good point, especially for users who need stronger Microsoft Office document compatibility. LibreOffice is excellent, but I agree that .docx compatibility can still be a problem in some work environments.

Evolution is also a very good addition for Outlook users. For people coming directly from Outlook, the familiar layout and workflow can make the transition much easier.

Good point about media players as well. VLC is often recommended because many people know it, but mpv and Totem are definitely worth mentioning too, depending on the user’s needs and codec situation.

On the audio side, thank you for adding Audacious, MuseScore, ZynAddSubFX, and Hydrogen. Those are very useful names for musicians and audio users moving to Linux.

So yes, I agree: the better advice for beginners is probably not “use this one replacement”, but rather:

check which Linux-native application best fits your workflow, and test a few options before deciding.

Thanks again for the helpful additions.

Best regards,
Daniel

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As an aside, AVLinux is dedicated to musicians. I know it has changed a lot recently but was impressed with version 6 as what they cleverly did was to include hp printing tools in the live media so if a musician had forgotten to bring their scores to a gig they could print them off (that is assuming they remembered to bring notebook and printer with them!)

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VLC used to be the best, but that was years ago, before the pandemic infact. All the last times I used VLC, it wouldn't play video file formats. I wasn't sure if it were a codec issue or not, so I also made sure that VLC, also had all the extras package of codec's. Despite installing the extra stuff, VLC continued to not be a reliable player anymore. I figured it got ruined by corporate interests or something, as thats how it always is, or lack of care and maintenance from the dev's who made the software.

I use SMPlayer, and unlike VLC, SMPlayer actually works.

SMPLAYER Video-Audio Player
SMPLAYER Video-Audio Player1920×1081 114 KB

Startreker Signature
Startreker Signature700×342 112 KB

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To add a couple to the list: Darktable is a good photo editor. Lightworks a video editor works as well on Linux as it does on Windows or Mac.

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Depende del programa aveces WINE no tiene ficheros de windows necesarios en su servidor para poder descargar y hacer funccionar tu programa y quien sabe habra que esperar un poco ya que ZORIN es un Crio de 10 año apenas crece pero cuando sea adulto sera 10000 veces mejor que windows y mas intuitivo y se resuelve los problemas en dias o en horas si hay IA por medio.

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