Although most readers of this magazine would prefer a palette of all-free Linux applications running on Linux, the fact is, scenarios still exist where a Windows application is unavoidable. For one thing, many organizations have custom apps written in Windows and don't want to take the time to rewrite them. Also, professional users often find that proprietary tools such as AutoCAD and Adobe Photoshop have no suitable open source equivalent.

One solution that has been around for several years is to use WINE, a compatibility layer that can run Windows applications on Linux by translating Windows API calls in real time. WINE, which was originally an acronym for "WINE Is Not an Emulator" has made significant progress through the years and now supports a number of popular Windows games and tools; however, it doesn't work for everything.

Another option that has gained attention in recent years is for the Linux system to launch Windows applications through an interface to a Windows OS running in the background on a virtual machine. This solution has the advantage of being able to run almost any compatible Windows application, because it includes a full version of Windows. The disadvantage, whoever, is that you will need Windows. A trial Windows version is sometimes included, but in the long run, you'll have to ante up for a Windows license. This article examines a pair of tools that embody this approach to running Windows applications on Linux: WinBoat and WinApps.

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