Hello forum, my first post. I have never used wine or any virtual os. Looking for recommendations on a good tutorial and advice.

I would like to kick windows for good. A few programs have held me back such as H & R Block tax software. I have friends and colleagues who have to have quickbooks...and such.

Have played around with linux dual boots since RH 7.2. and used mandrake, CENTos, ubuntu, and now I think linux mint will be home.

Will wine be functional and stable enough for these simple programs (not like I want to run any FEA engines and the like). Any advice would be appreciated.

When asking, or thinking about asking, questions about various Windows applications and WINE the first port of call should always be WINE's own application database. Once you have searched that thoroughly then it is time to ask if anyone has used said applications in WINE and what do they think about them. Not all applications are listed but many of the popular ones are. If neither of these options work you can always install WINE and then the applications in question and test them out for yourself.

Quickbooks in WINE database.

Thanks! I am now registered there. That's the kind of advice I was looking for.

Have a look at "Installing, Configuring and Using VirtualBox"
And Welcome to LQ.

Howdy!

Use web pages for ubuntu wine and such for your mint install also.

First see what you can get from the mint software/package manager or synaptic software center. I'm usually lazy and just install wine* and get everything. Really usually you only need two things but I forget.

Then you have to configure wine or let a script configure it. (forgot it too)

Once you have wine there are a few ways to run it. One is to let wine install your app in a sort of control panel installer way. Another is to run the software's installer under a wine environment. Lastly is to take a complete install from a windows system and move it. I tend to run the windows setup program. Most linux now understands that the .exe file is executable under wine.

Apps that need authentication may be tricky. May have to do a number of things to get them to activate.

Lastly is a deal called wine-tricks. It is usually the last resort to getting things working but tends to be an issue with updates.