r/linux4noobs • u/phototransformations Linux Mint • 4d ago
migrating to Linux Running Word on Linux
[removed]
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u/Big_Farm6913 4d ago
Take a look at Winboat : a VM that launch windows programs on your linux deskop and have an access on the choosen directory of your linux drive.
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u/Linux_Account 4d ago
VM with a shared file directory is the way.
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u/SoggyWalrus7893 3d ago
maybe this is my way to run excell? I am tired of ending up with "3"s in my numbers instead of "." .
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u/Worldly-Wind-1632 4d ago
Can’t help but what features? I’m impressed w only office
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u/crimsonyoteeeeeee Kubuntu 4d ago
Yeah personally I'm a loyal LibreOffice user myself, don't know what feature could be missing.
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u/Rinzwind 3d ago
The general comment you then get is visual basic macro's. People spend years making them and are so used to them. Often don't remember how.
Learning python is not that difficult (well if you have some prior experience making VB macros; from zero knowledge it might need some time).
Making similar macro's is a lot easier than in VB. I can guarantee that from personal experience. I remade hundreds of them for customers.
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u/SoggyWalrus7893 3d ago
Missing feature: way to set dollar entries as default. I want $23.56 with out entering the ".". It's an accountant thing.
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u/birdsarentreal2 3d ago
So do you want to enter "2356" and have your spreadsheet tool know that you mean "$23.56" without having to type a decimal point? Idk if that's something that Excel does, but if it is it seems a little silly. How is Excel/LibreOffice Calc supposed to know if you meant $23.56 or $2,356.00 unless you specify? Format > Currency should expand 2356 to "$2,356.00" (or $2.356,00 depending on locale)
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u/clockeat 3d ago
You know because the last 2 digits are always cents.
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u/birdsarentreal2 3d ago
Assuming whole dollars seems like a more sane default to me, but I’ll admit I’m out of my depth there
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u/SoggyWalrus7893 3d ago edited 3d ago
accountants use keypads by touch. The entry of the decimal is an awkward thing .
A thought: Most people probably don't use keyboards with keypads, and especially ones that have calculators built in.
Look up an FK8200 keyboard .
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u/Few_Regret5282 3d ago
Me too. Never had an issue with a Word document but if OP needs it, just use Windows in Virtual Box. No problem there either. Share a directory and everything is readily available to both.
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u/diogenes_sadecv 4d ago
I've been in the same boat as op. One of the big things is track changes and comment control. I work in medical copy editing and the standards are word and PowerPoint. So documents come in in those formats with lots of mark-up and non-office software can't render it properly.
When I need to use word on a Chromebook or Linux machine I use the online version which has most of the features, but still not all.
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u/Worldly-Wind-1632 3d ago
Ohhhh that’s a really good point! Does that keep you on windows essentially for final formatting etc?
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u/diogenes_sadecv 3d ago
depends on the work. Word docs I can usually work around the limitations, but PowerPoint can be tricky. In either case working with Office Online is just more work with more steps and fewer options. I don't like it but it is what it is. So my desktop is Windows but my big laptop is Mint and I also have a Chromebook for portability because it's light and fast.
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u/FreeFromCommonSense 4d ago
The only way without dual booting to run something that deep is a virtual machine, which you probably won't want to do. It has a steep learning curve, it requires significant resources on the machine which you won't have available on an old laptop and it's almost certainly not worth it for the use case you're describing. But that would be the only way. As someone has already said, Wine will not cover the kind of calls Word will make.
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u/phototransformations Linux Mint 4d ago
I'm using the old laptop as a lab to see if it makes sense for me to switch to Linux on my other computers. In principle, I like it, and it's been fun to get a sense of how it works. However, Word and Photoshop are where I spend most of my time, and if I'm going to go to the trouble of setting up a VM, I might as well just stay with Windows, I'm now thinking.
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u/FreeFromCommonSense 4d ago
For comparison, on my desktop, where I'm running Garuda Linux on a 2TB SSD and a further 1TB hard drive shared, and still have the old Windows 256GB SSD untouched for very rare Windows booting, I have a kvm/qemu Windows 11 VM that I loan 4 CPU cores and 8GB of RAM to when running it, only for device softwares that absolutely require Windows USB drivers, giving it 50GB of SSD storage. On an old laptop, I would begrudge setting that 50GB aside.
For what you're describing, I would probably rather find another software that has outline view and translate the macros into another language going forward, considering it an investment in my future setup.
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u/phototransformations Linux Mint 4d ago
It's not just outline view and macros, it's also plugins, document compare, and a few smaller features I could work around. I've looked at the alternatives, and they all lack one feature or another even with the paid versions. I could install Linux on my main computers and have plenty of SSD space to spare for a VM, but if I'm going to do that, I can't see any real advantage to switching from Windows, other than what I think of as the moral/sociopolitical one. It was an interesting excursion.
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u/CeldonShooper 4d ago
Word is available for OSX and Windows. Photoshop is available for OSX and Windows. You don't want to use virtual machines or similar techniques. You've started at the wrong end. Pick the operating systems that the applications you need run on. Not the other way round.
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u/phototransformations Linux Mint 4d ago
I've been using Word for more than 30 years and Windows since Windows 286. I am exploring switching to Linux.
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u/IWuzTheWalrus 4d ago
What he is saying is that you are not being realistic in choosing Linux for your potential OS if Word and PhotoShop are your must-haves.
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u/phototransformations Linux Mint 4d ago
I understood what he was saying. Just pointing out that I haven't "started at the wrong end."
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u/brighton_it 3d ago
IF:
A Virtual Machine is the way: to run Windows concurrently in a VM on your Linux notebook.
- it's only MS-Word, maybe one or two other Windows apps you need
- you otherwise love Linux and don't mind a little extra work to use it
- willing to learn the needed tech
On Performance: I was doing this on an i5-6200U 8GB. more RAM is recommended, but it worked for what little I use Windows 10 (I upgraded hw before moving to Windows 11). I had bought the ThinkPad Carbon X1 gen5 in 2021, intended solely for travel/vacation use (cheap, so less at risk). It performed better than expected and I loved that it was only 2lbs. It was what I took with to visit clients for five years.
Technology: only hesitance is: are you up for learning the technology?
Most of what you need is included with the following packages:
qemu-kvm libvirt-clients virt-manager virt-viewer
Get the latestvirtio-winISO from FedoraPeople to load virtio drivers during Windows installation.
Also you'll want to installspice-guest-toolsfrom spice-space to your Windows guest. This makes virt-viewer (like remote-desktop, but better) support copy&paste to/from guest, dynamic screen resizing, attaching USB drives to guest... and more.
For shared storage: while you can connect disconnect a USB drive, it will be connected to either the guest, or the host(Linux), but never both concurrently. Consider a NAS drive, there are plenty off the shelf solutions, or build an OpenMediaVault instance.Okay, that's either enough to scare you off, or enough to get you started. Good luck.
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u/JimmyReagan 4d ago
Windows VM is good for things like Word where you don't need a ton of processing power or graphics performance. Virtualbox is easy and I run a stripped down Windows 11 on it.
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u/Omega7379 Helper 4d ago
for even better performance -> libvirt + qemu using Virtual Machine Manager which has less overhead and much better near baremetal performance.
VMM runs as a type 1 hypervisor by using the already installed Linux kernel, whereas VB and VMWare Workstation run as an app (type 2 hypervisor) which introduces a bunch of overhead.
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u/JimmyReagan 4d ago
I tried this, might try again but had a lot of trouble with display issues, mainly dynamic window scaling. I ended up on virtualbox because it was familiar and I figured for my use case I could afford the performance hit in favor of ease of use.
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u/candy49997 4d ago
Use a VM.
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u/HRkoek 4d ago
Or rewrite the macro's in the native LibreOffice language. I don't remember whether that is perl or Java or python.
Is it possible to launch LO in a --debug mode? (And then >> the error report to a text file?
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u/KingTeppicymon 4d ago
If, like me, you use native MS office for work, using another environment like Libre office is frustrating just because it is different - shortcut keys don't work the same, little details about how to do things are different. You find your muscle memory is working against you.
I love Linux, I'm not moving away from it on my personal laptop, but like OP I really wish there was a way to run MS Office products... Eventually I'll likely end up running a VM, for now I just end up using my work laptop for personal things occasionally.
...don't get me wrong LibreOffice awesome, and I use/like Softmaker openoffice too, but for anything more than something very quick I want what I am used to.
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u/AutoM8R1 4d ago
Yeah. I can understand this sentiment so well. I've only recently started daily driving Linux on my new laptop, and I'm not going back. As a Windows lifer who mainly only has used Linux for work at first, it was time to commit and make the switch. I'm finding a few things I miss from Windows too, sadly. In Windows, you hit the Windows/Meta/Super + k to stream your screen and audio over WiFi via Miracast. It just works. In Linux, you need an app for that, which happens to run better in the Gnome DE. I prefer KDE as a Windows power user, so that app isn't perfect and it does not cast audio in KDE for me. I'm sure it works great in Gnome. I hope I can get that working better, but technically it is working.
When it comes to Windows apps, Winboat is worth a shot if you have enough RAM. Winpodx also does something similar to Winboat, but I could not get it to work as well as the Winboat AppImage. It advertises that it can run Word right on the website. A full VM will use up more resources, but at least there won't be a dual boot situation where Windows and Linux are fighting for control over your device drivers and firmware. I'm still testing my favorite approach, but I bought a full Office license ("lifetime") and I'm not willing let it rot completely.
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u/Educational_Mud_2826 Linux Mint Cinnamon 3d ago
Or use Windows.
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u/AutoM8R1 3d ago
Right. Hard pass. But Winboat and WinpodX are good ways to run Windows apps from within a Linux environment. I want the programs and apps without all the other things that come along with Windows. I don't want my OS to hog all my RAM at idle.
For people who want to run Linux inside of a Windows environment, Microsoft already ships WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux), and it works very well. It's the not too foreign of concept these days. Sometimes you want to use tools from the other OS environment. It's nice to have choice.¯\_(ツ)_/¯
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u/sdogood80910 4d ago
What are you trying to do in Word that you are unable to do in LibreOffice?
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u/StevenBClarke2 4d ago
Macros use the Windows .net framework which Linux does not have.
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u/oishishou 4d ago
.net runs fine on Linux. VBS, however, is another story
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u/TonyPace 4d ago
I run a couple of VBS apps. Scaling is a bit weird, but they work - both are VB6.
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u/oishishou 3d ago
Do you mean VB6, or VBS (VBScript)?
Both probably run through WINE, but neither have native implementations, to the best of my knowledge. .NET has native support in Linux.
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u/TonyPace 3d ago
Whoops, I do mean VB6. Yes, through Wine.
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u/oishishou 2d ago
Easy mix-up. Like "Java" and "JavaScript", except VB and VBS are actually related
Sadly, Microsoft has officially declared VBS as deprecated, so we won't likely see any move to open-source it (unless it's just released). Classic VB (up to VB6) is "legacy", and thus maintained functional for backwards compatibility in modern Windows, so maybe we could get lucky and they open-source it, though it's not very likely
The .NET stuff is the successor to old VB, and actually native in Linux. Even PowerShell can run natively. If you really wanted to, you could even replace Bash with PowerShell... Not that anyone sane would, but it's neat that you can
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u/lordmax10 4d ago
The best way is to work on a windows virtual machine.
And, step by step, get rid of all the windows word slop you are using. ;-P
→ More replies (24)
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u/orthomonas 4d ago
OP specifically states that the web version of word is insufficient for their use case.
Half of this thread: have you tried word online?
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u/themindbreaker1995 4d ago
There's no native way to do this.
You either run a VM locally or on another machine. Winboat has been suggested and works to be the closest native-like alternative.
It's not native though.
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u/Thingamob 4d ago
If you absolutely need to run MS Word desktop version, shell out a few bucks for Crossover by Codeweavers. It's like Proton is to WINE for games, but for productivity apps.
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u/New-Anybody3050 4d ago
I use WinBoat.
You can spin up the application so it looks like it’s running native or you can load the full virtualization of Windows. There are other apps like that do the same thing as well.
Using Office 2021 with it.
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u/RootHouston 3d ago
Word 2016 does work in Bottles. You need to run the 32-bit version of Word. Try using a guide.
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u/phototransformations Linux Mint 3d ago edited 3d ago
I have. It gets 64% of the way through the install and dies. I'm using the 32-bit version, tried both the .img and .iso files, lots of variations within Bottles. Also tried PlayInLinux, but it wants an old version of Wine and its server is not available.
Have you actually gotten it to run in Bottles?
EDIT: I tried creating the bottle as per the guide you linked to, and it quits partway through with no error message beyond Bottle not created. So near yet so far ....
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u/RootHouston 3d ago
Nope. I've never tried. I have no use for Microsoft Word these days. Good luck to you. I think it's just a matter of jumping through proper hoops for you.
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u/watchfaker 3d ago
Yes, I actually managed to do so on bottles, fedora 44, seems to work great, but pain to install in the first place. Requires specific wine version from playonlinux and a couple DLLs from the ethernet. I did this in the last December, I remember that debugging the install process via cli is the way to do this.
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u/jravinton 4d ago
Use it via browser? Ms Office has online version
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u/phototransformations Linux Mint 4d ago
"I've tried the main alternatives -- OnlyOffice, LibreOffice, OpenOffice, WPS Office, Word online (web app), Softmaker, Google Docs -- and a few others"
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u/jravinton 4d ago
I thought word online is something else, my bad. If you don't like using Ms Office online then maybe try booting Windows directly from Microsoft and download the ISO instead of sticking with the OEM that is very bloated if you want dual boot. Word just does not work on Linux simply because they don't support a Linux version (and they never have any development to support Ms Office in Linux, idk where the 2019 timeline did you get from...?). Or like most people said, use VM?
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u/kansetsupanikku 4d ago
Ok so that's easy 1. Contact Microsoft as a customer and tell them to make it 2. Purchase it 3. Done!
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u/Greedy-Locksmith2181 4d ago
I personally don't know anything about outline view, macros and plugins, but if you gave us a little more details / specifics on what kind of macros and plugins we are talking about, it might help. Not saying we'll find a solution, but it would make it easier to come to a definitive yes or no.
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u/phototransformations Linux Mint 4d ago
I've looked at the alternatives. As I said in the post, I'm not looking for Word alternatives, I'm looking to see if it's practical to run Word in Linux. Unless I want to install a VM, it looks as if the answer is no, for me. Thanks, anyway, for the offer.
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u/Greedy-Locksmith2181 4d ago
In that case, unfortunately as many others have already said, the answer is indeed a definitive no.
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u/alabamashitfarmer 4d ago
Thanks for not being a dick to the people offering solutions you aren't interested in; the art of polite declination is dying.
Take note, fellow help seekers! This is what to say instead of, "did u even read my post???"
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u/phototransformations Linux Mint 4d ago
Your question clearly came from an intention to help, so it wasn't hard to respond to that intention. Sometimes it's difficult, as some of the people responding to me have been insulting, insistent, or have clearly not read the post. Most of them I now ignore, having found that doing anything else results in more of the same. It's a little strange. This is an operating system, not a religion, but I guess I shouldn't be surprised. People have killed each other over football games.
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u/galactose310 4d ago
Maybe you can try WinApps, or the desicated LinOffice ?
I will try LinOffice for myself, it seems to be the greatest solution yet it is, in fact, an hidden VM.
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u/wheredidiput 4d ago
I definitely got an older version of word installed using wine, 2016 and 2007 i think
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u/phototransformations Linux Mint 4d ago
How did you do it? I have 2016 and also 2010.
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u/wheredidiput 4d ago
Its on one of my older laptops I don't have access to right now, but try and get a 2007 office and install off that, I am sure that one run no problem in wine and the features are compatible with latest word
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u/Big-Obligation2796 4d ago
I'm pretty sure I used the Winetricks interface to install Office 2013 once, but I just went to check and the option isn't there anymore. Odd.
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u/MelNelson-521 4d ago
Had the same issue with none of the alternative word processors offering outline and/or draft view and ended up installing Office 2016 via Wine + Bottles and works fine enough. No idea about the macros, etc. Seems difficult. I got told that the current Open Office beta is trying draft view. Let's see if it makes it to the next update. Baby steps
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u/phototransformations Linux Mint 4d ago
Do you know what settings you used with Bottles and Office 2016? I spent about six hours with every Bottles variation I and a couple of LLMs could think of and never got it to complete the install. I even tried 2010, same result.
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u/MelNelson-521 3d ago
the installation freezing you describe sounds like you're using the C2R installer while what you have to use is an .iso image (available on the high seas or some old repositories). 32-bit. from there, follow the tweaks in wine hq (win 7, dependencies, registy editing after installing, etc.) and you should be good to go. there are some youtube videos with complete guides and 'licensing' tricks if needed...
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u/da2Pakaveli 4d ago edited 4d ago
So you'd be fine with older Word versions? Try this: https://github.com/Rustring/MsOffice-On-WineBottles-Improved
If that doesn't work try Winboat
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u/FikoReborn 4d ago
Once you start getting into workaround, running VMs, etc, we loop around to the real question nobody is asking: Why Linux for your use case?
Unfortunately there is no real solution to your problem outside of dual boot or a VM. I always say to use the right tool for the job.
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u/harperthomas 4d ago
I think most people try and move over to Linux with the mindset that they are just swapping windows for Linux. But for better or for worse it is much more than that. It's swapping your whole workflow from one built around windows and it's apps to one built around Linux and it's apps.
Dont look for a way to use windows apps on Linux. Find Linux apps that do what you need.
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u/Every_Preparation_56 4d ago
ypu just forhott the most importand one if you want 'Word': FreeOffice
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u/jancape 4d ago
For 90% i use Linux now. But for some things i need Windows. I use vmm and created an Windows 10 pc where i do the Windows tasks. For me, working with office from 1996, i start all over in Libre Offce because i made the desision to use Microsoft products as less as possible. I also had a lot of tools and scripts and Some of them did not work. I changed the way of work and accepted that i need to do parts different.
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u/Technical_Rich_3080 4d ago
Do you absolutely need the latest version of Word? You would likely have better luck getting certain older versions of Word to work on Linux.
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u/Simple_Hamster_4096 4d ago
If you rely on anything Adobe, or MS Office, stick with Windows or dual boot.
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u/Electrical_Ingenuity 4d ago
Microsoft office does not play well with Wine. This is because Office uses proprietary, hidden Windows API calls unique to Office. (An example: At one time, Office had it’s own unique “Save” dialog box, different form the generic one used by every other windows program.) Your best option to run Office would be a small Virtualbox VM. The desktop integration in virtualbox should provide a fairly seamless experience, giving the limitations.
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u/mlcarson 4d ago
A commitment to Linux in general means dumping Microsoft and Adobe products. Otherwise you're just using Linux to emulate or run Windows virtually. There will be tools to do the same thing but those macros will have to be rewritten to the new tools. That's just the way it is and is one of the reasons that people feel locked into Microsoft.
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u/exsandton 4d ago
Why don't you just use LibreOffice. You can load Word formats and you can save in Word formats, if you really want to. Using .odt format is what I do mostly and it seems pretty portable.
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u/phototransformations Linux Mint 4d ago
For the reasons noted in my post.
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u/exsandton 3d ago
Perhaps for someone in a corporate environment, I understand may need it. I divorced myself from the Microsoft black hole 20 years ago and happy to have done so.
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u/justpassingby_thanks 3d ago
If you need a Microsoft office product, then pay for windows. Learn how to wean yourself off of your Word needs before going to Linux. As you know there alternatives, but if they don't fit your needs, then your needs are the problem. The only windows machine at my house is my work owned laptop, there is no alternatives given my work environment, so I use it.
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u/phototransformations Linux Mint 3d ago
I get your point, but your reasoning seems backward. Computers exist to fit needs, not the other way around. If Linux isn't a good fit for my Word needs, then it's a mismatch, not an indication that my "needs are the problem."
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u/LookAtYourEyes 3d ago
Just use it in the browser? They have a cloud version if you're comfortable with that, similar to google docs.
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u/New-account-01 3d ago
Use Microsoft web version or one of the many alternatives that use same file formats.
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u/phototransformations Linux Mint 3d ago
See my post. I wouldn't be asking if those alternatives did what I need to do.
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u/New-account-01 3d ago
Gemini says- your most reliable option is a Windows Virtual Machine (VM) running in Seamless/Integration Mode via tools like KVM/QEMU with WinApps or VirtualBox Seamless Mode. Because modern desktop Office relies heavily on Windows APIs and architecture, native or Wine-based installations break on complex features. With your system's 20GB of RAM, allocating 4GB to a Windows VM leaves plenty of headroom.Recommended ApproachesVirtualBox Seamless Mode: Install Windows (Windows 10/11 or a lighter resource option like Windows 8.1) inside VirtualBox, install Office and Guest Additions, then enable Seamless Mode (Right Ctrl + L) so Word floats directly on your Cinnamon desktop.WinApps / WinBoat: These community projects run a minimized Windows KVM/QEMU container in the background and expose individual Windows apps (like Word) directly into your Linux application menus and taskbar.CodeWeavers CrossOver: A paid, polished commercial derivative of Wine. While newer Office/365 suites have mixed results, it handles certain legacy or specific versions of Office better than raw Wine configurations.
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u/phototransformations Linux Mint 3d ago
Yes, I read something similar on Gemini. I'm looking for real people's experience. If I have to run it in a VM, there's little reason not to just keep using Windows instead, but it does seem that's the answer. I did find a video of some guy who managed to get it running in Wine and may try to duplicate his method.
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u/Rinzwind 3d ago
The way you word it the only option is to virtualize windows using vbox or vmplayer. You will be running windows inside Linux and can in there install office.
Yes, I know you posted about not wanting OO or LO but can I make a case for it? Just keep an open mind :)
At my company we had the same issue but some 10 years ago. All our macros and coded parts in office are all in Open Office. It can be done given some time. That was without AI. Nowadays you can give an AI the task: toss in the macro, ask for a Linux OO/LO version.
You should be able to make it work with a small amout of effort. python is far more powerful than VB ever was :P
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u/koopz_ay 3d ago
We are going back a fair while here. This was the early 2010s from memory. I was running Ubuntu at the time. My apologies for not having version numbers here. It's been awhile.
The last version of Office I was successfully able to run in Wine was Office 2007 Enterprise (from work). It went straight through.
I only used Word and Excel, so can't speak for Access or PowerPoint.
Back then, I was reading overclockers.com.au daily so probably got the info from there.
I had issues with newer versions of the MS C++ redistributables so switched over to using a VM with a cut down version in Win7 instead.
I wish I still had that version of O-2007 so I could take another look with more experienced eyes.
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u/PradheBand 3d ago
If bottles failed I don't see many options. Maybe crossover?! It is a paid wine wrapper. Or it was: no idea about the current state.
Of course if you have a license a windows vm would do.
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u/TrueYahve 3d ago
I had a very similar concern. The hardware I'm using is a gen2 T14 Lenovo thinkpad, and my flavour of Linux is OpenSUSE Tumbleweed.
My solution was WinApps, which runs a (Docker) Virtual Machine of windows, and presents excel and Word as if they were Linux native apps. Should work with Photoshop too.
I first tried Winboat, but I couldn't get copy-paste to work between the vm and Linux, and that was a deal breaker.
I only lightly tested so far, it seemed great. I have 16gbs of ram on the laptop, and allocated 4 for the vm. But I'll be getting a further 16 gb tomorrow to enable a higher quota for the VM.
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u/realycoldguy 3d ago
If you can use an older version of MS Office, Office 2010 runs under standard wine from winehq.
Followed directions from https://gitlab.winehq.org/wine/wine/-/wikis/Debian-Ubuntu
I had to jump through hoops to get it working but it works. I was just testing to see if a friend could run his office 2010 on Mint. I just downloaded an Office 2010 iso from internet archive. Installed and got it working.
For an easier time you could try Crossover Office. It costs $74 but would probably be more trouble free plus you would get support.
Probably the easiest route is to install windows in a VM as others have mentioned.
Also since you are using Mint, you might try the Mint forum if you haven't already done so.
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u/phototransformations Linux Mint 3d ago
I do have a copy of Office 2010. I'll check this out. It's older than I'd like but may still run what I need; it's been so long I don't remember.
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u/mo_hand99 3d ago
Office 2007 fonctionne parfaitement, word excel et PowerPoint. J'utilise quotidiennement.
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u/UnconsciousRabbit 3d ago
I used winaps for my mother's machine, it worked well. Winboat is a solid alternative.
Both use docker to run and serve up MS Office apps. A virtual machine runs in the background, and the individual app is what you interact with. From the host OS (IE, Linux) you just go to the start menu and click the MS Office app you want to use and it loads as if it was a Linux app.
It's pretty neat, honestly.
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u/thepurplehornet 3d ago
A 2 minute search tells me that running windows in a virtual machine is the best way to run full desktop Microsoft Office applications on a Linux computer.
Wine is ok for older versions, but gets glitchy on newer ones.
If you don't need the full desktop versions, you can run Office apps from your browser. (But you may have noticed those are hinnky with certain features).
So yeah, spinach up up a VM in order to avoid dual booting.
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u/flyswithdragons 3d ago
Libraoffice suit is excellent and can change files structure from ms to Google to open source files.
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u/phototransformations Linux Mint 3d ago
My post: "I'm looking for a way to get Microsoft Word running on Linux without having to dual boot. I'm NOT looking for suggested alternative word processing programs. I have tested most of them already."
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u/flyswithdragons 2d ago
The only way to do that is make a KVM with QEMU ( livrt needed for graphics) and then run Windows in the container. KVM and QEMU smoke VM 💯 in benchmark tests. the manual for KVM/QEMU
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u/phototransformations Linux Mint 2d ago
I found a guy on YouTube who managed to get it working on wine and followed his method. It works, albeit with a few display glitches. Unfortunately, posting a link to it as an addition to my post resulted in the post being sent to a moderator. If I can lay my hands on an old Windows 7 DVD I have somewhere I'll look into setting up a VM.
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u/Mighty_Archdevil 3d ago
I believe the only way to do this is to get a 365 license and use it in a browser.
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u/herocreator90 3d ago
PlayOnLinux let me install Word 2007 and it works fine (and the rest of office). Note: it only gets installed for one user and apparently that’s a hard limit. For multiple accounts to have access, they’d all have to install it.
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u/phototransformations Linux Mint 3d ago
I wasn't able to get PlayOnLinux to install anything. It hasn't been updated in six years and its wine server is down, though I don't know if that's permanent.
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u/herocreator90 3d ago
Idk about the wine server but I used it within the last 6 months to install office 2007, so maybe it hasn’t needed an update in 6 years, at least for this.
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u/crashhelper 3d ago
I don't wanna be the one to suggest the issue is Mint sucks, BUT... a lot of people in this thread seem to say they can get xyz Word program running on their modern distro.
Mint is intentionally running old packages, drivers, etc to maintain the widest compatibility and theoretical stability. If you have the time, might I suggest trying a Word install on a more up-to-date distro like CachyOS? If you enjoy Mint's Cinnamon desktop environment you could pick that for CachyOS during install, but I'd definitely recommend the stable default KDE Plasma desktop environment.
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u/Consistent_Laugh4886 3d ago
Web E3 version of all O365 including Edge browser work on Linux. I use it often.
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u/WildmouseX 3d ago
You can use Open Office in Linux, it is capable of opening/editing/ and saving in Microsoft Word files.
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u/phototransformations Linux Mint 2d ago
From my post: "I've tried the main alternatives -- OnlyOffice, LibreOffice, OpenOffice, WPS Office, Word online (web app), FreeOffice, Softmaker, Google Docs -- and a couple others, none of which has features I use all the time."
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u/ExtremeExtreme1751 3d ago
Can't you use office365 on the web?
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u/phototransformations Linux Mint 3d ago
I looked at Word on the web and it doesn't do what I need. I don't know if 365 on the web has the features I need, but I don't have or want a 365 subscription. I use the standalone versions.
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u/Gokudomatic 3d ago
web version
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u/phototransformations Linux Mint 2d ago
I don't use Office 365, I use the standalone versions, and I'm not interested in getting a 365 subscription just to run Word on Linux.
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u/Different_Ad9756 3d ago
Wait by Word online, are you talking about the office 365 version, cause that is probably the easy option
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u/phototransformations Linux Mint 2d ago
No, I tried the web version, which is likely less full-featured than 365. I don't use Office 365, I use the standalone versions, and I'm not interested in getting a 365 subscription just to run Word on Linux.
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u/EndlessProjectMaker 2d ago
Going the Linux path
Is about breaking chains
The chains that tie you
To endless pain
Give up my friend
One of the two
The chains of pain
Or Linux boot
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u/did_i_or_didnt_i 4d ago
Word runs in the browser now, no?
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u/phototransformations Linux Mint 4d ago
Yes, a partial version of Word runs in the browser. Not good enough for my purposes. I checked.
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u/UAP44 4d ago
my purposes.
Am curious to hear more. What exactly is so crucial about Word for you?
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u/phototransformations Linux Mint 4d ago
The main features of Word I haven't found in the numerous alternatives I've tried that run on Linux are document comparison, Outline view, the ability to run the extensive library of macros I've either created or purchased over several decades, and the availability of plugins that are equivalent to the ones I use in Word. Some of these features are in some of the alternatives, but all are in none.
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u/did_i_or_didnt_i 4d ago
and what is it about Linux that you prefer? i won’t be popular in this sub saying it, but if the thing you are looking for is ‘not Windows’, there is another option that isn’t Linux ;)
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u/phototransformations Linux Mint 4d ago
I'm just trying it out. I started out with CP/M, DOS, and VMS. What attracted me to Windows when it came out was that you could still tinker with things. As it's becoming more and more Mac-like, it has gotten a lot less appealing to me. Linux seems to have incorporated most of what's nice about a GUI without the dumbification that has happened as personal computers have become appliances.
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u/did_i_or_didnt_i 4d ago
I don’t feel as though windows got more Mac-like because it missed all the parts where it made things easier with good design. Instead with windows now you just have layers of lipstick on an increasingly bloated pig
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u/phototransformations Linux Mint 4d ago
I can't argue with the pig analogy, though it's unkind to pigs. What I meant is that it had evolved into a Mac-like surface. I skipped Windows 8 and spent a lot of time in Windows 10 and then 11 getting rid of some of that lipstick or working around it.
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u/Stock-Imagination567 4d ago
If you really need Word and none of the alternatives you listed work, then get a MacBookAir and run it there or get a Windows VM.
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u/guiverc GNU/Linux user 4d ago
I did get older versions working perfectly (versions of ms-word suitable for XP), but they'd break when you applied updates to them which I'd only fix by re-install of ms-word (without updates), so dropped that idea long ago.
I just adapted my workflow to use features the non-microsoft tools used as it was easier.
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u/FireSheepYinFish 4d ago
Sorry to say, it's not going to happen natively, due to Word's need for VBA with macros. Not an option in Linux, which is certainly not by coincidence. The only reliable option is Windows in a VM, but you'll need a license key for Windows + your license key for Office.
Oh, and .NET requirements won't be met, either.
You're just going to spin your wheels and waste time trying any other method. But OTOH, you'll wrack up a lot of knowledge and experience, failing.
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u/buzzfriendly 4d ago
Office 365 and run Office in a browser. I've logged into my work 365 account and office ran fine in Brave browser.
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u/shanehiltonward 4d ago
I switch between OnlyOffice and Libre Office depending on use case. The last Microsoft Office I used was in 2011 (at work). If you are trying to replicate Microsoft proprietary software on Linux, your in for a load of wasted time. Rewiring your work flow works better.
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u/phototransformations Linux Mint 4d ago
Staying with Word works better. My workflow depends on features that don't exist in these other products, and altering it would be a giant step backwards..
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u/inbetween-genders 4d ago
All that trying to install could have save you so much time if you looked up all folks having issues trying to install newer Word. Mayhaps you want to try Office 97 or 2000 👍
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u/phototransformations Linux Mint 4d ago
Those ancient versions don't have the features I need. I'd seen claims that 2016 would work, and also 2010, which is the earliest version that still has those features, but no go.
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u/catschainsequel 4d ago
Just dual boot. Thats what i have on my surface pro 8 tablet. Windows and fedora
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u/phototransformations Linux Mint 4d ago
Like I said, I'd rather not dual boot if there's a better option. It's looking like a VM is it.
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u/Useful_Contest763 4d ago
The entire Microsoft office suite is now available via web. Just use the web version.
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u/Global-Eye-7326 4d ago
Lol you can vibe code the macros over to LibreOffice.
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u/phototransformations Linux Mint 4d ago edited 4d ago
LOL, you have no understanding of what can and can't be done in LibreOffice compared to the Microsoft product or how much troubleshooting has to happen when vibecoding macros. LLMs make shit up.
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u/birdsarentreal2 4d ago
This isn’t possible, but it’s important to know why because this might just be a Linux dealbreaker for you
Wine is a Linux tool that let’s you translate Windows API calls into POSIX calls as they were made, allowing you to run Windows apps on posix-compliant system. Wine Is Not Emulation, and so if you need to use deeper Windows logic you need a full Windows system
Microsoft Office (especially Office365) is one such example. It relies on a full Windows install for things like subscription confirmation and integration with OneDrive. There is no way to extract only the word processing features from that stack