I just installed Kubuntu 8.10. I am a graphic designer who uses programs like Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, Dreamweaver, Premiere.

So, I'm looking at the advantages and disadvantages of various ways to use windows programs in Linux (I will be looking at Linux "equivalents" of Windows programs as well). I understand that there are programs like WINE and that there are Windows emulators like VMware and Win4Lin, as well as some others.

The WINE website paints a pretty good picture of it, but perhaps there's another side to it.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of the different methods of using Windows programs in Linux? Which are the best for which circumstances?

Wine has the big advantage of being free. It also integrates the most nicely, since the filesystem used in the windows program is your own.

VirtualBox, VMware, Qemu et. all have the advantage of working perfectly. Everything works on these. Unfortunately, you must own windows for it to work. Also, to share files back and forth you have to do shared-folder or networking hacks. If you get one of these, I recommend VirtualBox for its seamless mode. With seamless mode it's less like having a windows machine in a window, and more like running windows simultaneously. Program windows from your Windows environment appear as Linux windows.

My strategy is:
1) If WINE works, prefer it.
2) If not, I use actual windows in VirtualBox.

Its more easier on Vmware sharing files back and forth, its with only drag and drop from the host to the guest and vise versa.

I always use VMs, I used vmware and virtualbox I found that vmware is more faster always and have more options, maybe parallels workstation is more faster than virtualbox but its not free.

Its just an opinion.

Hallo!!!!!!
I use ubuntu 7.01 in virtual pc 2007. I have to find a way to share folders in fysical enviroment(Win XP).
I install thw VMware in Ubuntu (vp 2007)but I can't find the prorerty exe for linux tools install.
Please any suggestion??????????????

The vmware tools isnt exe in this case because the guest is linux but its tar.bz untar them and then open the readme and follow the instructions, if the guest is windows then the vm tools will be exe install them easy.

You might also be interested in CrossOver. It is the commercial (paid) version of WINE and is more user-friendly.

So true, with Crossover you would get better application support as well as tech support. the license cost for crossover is negligible compared to the cost of Photoshop and dreamweaver (Adobe CS2, CS3, etc.. ) If you can afford those programs, the crossover license shouldn't even make you skip a step.

I recently tried to run my CS2 suite in Wine (the lastest release, running on Ubuntu 8.10) and no luck. It seems there are some people who have hacked their way into making Photoshop (up to CS2... a few claim CS3, too) run, but if you use Illustrator, Indesign and Premier... for the time being you seem out of luck.

Even crossover has them labeled as "supported programs" but give them all a "Bronze" rating with Photoshop being the only one that seems to be vaguely stable.

This is unfortunate. I, along with all the other employees at the graphics firm I work at, are itching to switch to Linux... but since we are all bound to Adobe... we must go where adobe can go.