There are many Linux distributions, and each one has or claims to offer something of its own. Some of them, like Zorin OS, are developed with the intention of facilitating the transition from Windows to Linux, and there are also others that go a little further and have everything you need installed by default to be able to install Windows applications on your Linux-based system. Now, for a few weeks, there is wubuntu, and gives it a couple more twists in this regard.
Wubuntu is the successor to windowsfx. Now it has evolved, and its latest version, 11.4, has gone on to use KDE software (Plasma) and the user interface is a carbon copy of what we see when using Windows 11. The web browser that is installed by default is Edge, and it also includes some applications such as Teams or OneDrive.
Wubuntu uses WINE to install Windows apps
Wubuntu uses WINE to run EXE files, which can be run directly or installed, and MSI. And we already know how good and how bad WINE is: power, it can handle a lot, but sometimes it needs to be configured to work. On my first test, installing GIMP was successful: EXE downloads, runs, installation starts, installs Mono, launches from the applications menu, and yes, 100% working.
It is also compatible with Android apps, but not after installing from scratch. You have to download an image (PrimeOS) and run it, as shown in the following video. By the way, it's from its official channel.
It will launch a virtual machine, and what is surprising is that it works even inside other virtual machines, something that is not usually the case in any other option that I have tried. It even has Google Play.
Other Wubuntu Features
wubuntu It's free, but not entirely. Right now it is available in KDE and Cinnamon versions, and both are LTS, but in order to take advantage of all that this distro offers, it is necessary to go through the checkout and buy the PowerToys package and technical support.
To make Microsoft users as comfortable as possible, can sign in with a microsoft account from edge, making it easy to sign in and use those Windows apps that are installed by default. Among the Linux programs that it brings after the installation from scratch, we have:
- A selection of KDE Gear applications, such as Kate, Gwenview, Dolphin or Ark.
- K3b as a tool for burning CDs.
- Onlyoffice as an office suite.
- Java 17.
- Steam.
- VLC as a media file player.
- Cheese as a webcam tool.
- AnyDesk and Chrome were in previous editions, but have been removed.
The definition of the project itself
The definition they give themselves says that «Wubuntu also known as “Windows Ubuntu” is an operating system that inherits all the look and feel of Microsoft Windows, but does not require TPM, Secure Boot, or any other hardware requirements to function. Developed using the Ubuntu operating system as a base, you will have a fast, secure and highly efficient system. You will also be able to run Microsoft Windows and Android applications using Wubuntu.” The thing about the TPM and the secureboot is valid for any Linux distribution, but they want to make it clear because Windows 11 can leave half-old computers in the lurch.
It is not a distribution for all users
Wubuntu is not a distribution for all users. It is for those who want to use Linux and also trust and use software from companies like Microsoft and Google. I'm not one of them, but if the different options exist, it's because there are users with all kinds of opinions. If what you need is a Linux distribution that makes it easy to use Windows and Android software, Wubuntu is something to consider.
Windows will always be Windows...
I end the article with a bit of humor. Many of my tests are done in GNOME Boxes, since it seems to me more "clean" than VirtualBox and also I don't have to install anything extra so that the interface can be seen at any resolution and not in a small window. That's the first thing I've done with Wubuntu, knowing that some things wouldn't work if I didn't use it natively. And the first on the forehead: everything very similar to Windows 11, even the error messages. I had rarely seen a Calamares bug before, and there it is. It is not a blue screen, nor a black one, but it is a failure. Even if Windows dresses in silk, or silk is used as underwear for Windows... Windows will always be Windows...