Ubuntu

Ubuntu should suggest Wine when a user open a Windows executable file

Bug #164209 reported by Saivann Carignan on 2007-11-20

This bug affects 4 people

Affects		Status	Importance	Assigned to	Milestone
	Ubuntu	Confirmed	Wishlist	Unassigned

Bug Description

The first reaction of most ex-Windows users new-Ubuntu users will be to... Install programs. And obviously, it will all be Windows programs that can be found on Internet.

But when these people download their Windows executable files and click on it, they get this : "No application suitable for automatic installation is available for handling this kind of file."

I suggest to change this behavior and make ubuntu automatically suggest the user to install Wine in order to get their Windows executable files working into Ubuntu. Alternatively, the message could briefly explains the user that the program has been created for Windows and not Linux. This would make Linux Ubuntu really more easy for brand new users.

The installation of Wine could be as easy as the new automatic codec installation that has been added to totem.

See original description

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Matt Arnold (mattarnold5) wrote on 2007-11-20:

Should be a wishlist item but for some reason i can't edit importance

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Soul-Sing (soulzing) wrote on 2007-12-01:

i would always suggest native linux progs. and wine never as a build-in option.

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Saivann Carignan (oxmosys) wrote on 2007-12-01:

Of course Ubuntu should not tell the user that the program will work perfectly, but at least ubuntu should explain to the user why .exe files can't be opened like executable like in Windows. EVERY Windows user WITHOUT exception will open a .exe file in Linux and will not understand why it doesn't work. The result of this will be that users will think that ubuntu is complicate. The message should be simple and clear, here's an example :

You clicked on a Windows Executable file. This type of file has been designed to work only with Windows.

Ubuntu always recommend to use softwares that are Linux compatible. However, it's sometime possible to use Windows software in Linux Ubuntu if you install the Wine compatibility layer.

( There would be a "Install Wine" button ) or just this text :

You can easily install Wine through the Applications / Add/Remove.. menu.

One of Ubuntu goal is to be a operating system accessible of every user. I believe that lamda users need this functionality in order to enjoy Ubuntu.

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Ben Page (benpage26) wrote on 2008-01-13:

I agree with Saïvann.

Many users will have come over from a windows enviroment, and Ubuntu's goal is to be accessible to everyone, this functionality would help the users to understand the change as to why 'executables' are no longer executable.

description:

updated

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Sebastian Rode (sebastian-ro-deactivatedaccount) wrote on 2008-01-13:

See the https://blueprints.edge.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+spec/better-integrated-wine blueprint.