Many Linux newcomers repeatedly mention the same reasons for not giving the free operating system a chance: they need programs from the Adobe Creative Suite or don’t want to give up Microsoft Office. Outlook is often also an essential tool in a corporate environment.
Games, which used to be a common obstacle, now mostly run smoothly on Linux thanks to Steam and Proton — often even with better frame rates than on Windows on the same system. Proprietary applications with digital rights management, such as Adobe Photoshop or Microsoft Word and Outlook, however, often remain a stubborn barrier.
With WinBoat, a new open-source solution is now available that makes Windows accessible directly under Linux in a lightweight, high-performance environment. Many Windows applications can thus be used conveniently and safely on TUXEDO OS — without rebooting into another OS and without complex configuration of the existing system.
Windows 11 Pro in a WinBoat-created VM in a Docker container, with all essential installation steps automatically handled by the program.
What is WinBoat?
WinBoat is an open-source project that elegantly automates the installation and use of Windows on Linux. The application combines the container technology of Docker with the Remote Desktop Protocol FreeRDP to run Windows in an isolated environment and seamlessly display its applications on the Linux desktop.
Windows in the WinBoat container virtualizes only applications and their dependencies. The container starts much faster and uses fewer resources than a traditional VM.
WinBoat handles the entire installation process — from automatically downloading the official Windows ISO to removing unnecessary components and setting up a local user account. Through a user-friendly graphical interface, you can then start the virtual Windows environment and open programs with a single click.
This makes WinBoat one of the most convenient and technically clean ways to run a full Windows system directly under Linux.
Virtual Machine vs. Container: A traditional virtual machine like VirtualBox emulates complete hardware including BIOS, so a full guest OS runs. A container like Docker only virtualizes the application and its dependencies, sharing the host OS. Containers are lighter, start faster, and require fewer resources, but offer less isolation.
Requirements
To run WinBoat on TUXEDO OS (or any other Linux distribution), a few essential components must be installed:
Docker and Docker Compose v2
FreeRDP 3
Virtualization enabled in BIOS/UEFI:
AMD: SVM or AMD-V
Intel: VT-X or VMX
Under TUXEDO OS, the required dependencies can be installed via the command line:
sudo apt install docker.io docker-compose-v2 freerdp3-x11
Then add your user to the Docker group:
sudo usermod -aG docker $USER
To apply the group change, log out and log back in once.
Installing WinBoat
The developers provide WinBoat in various versions and package formats. On TUXEDO OS, we recommend the DEB package built for Debian (and other Debian-based distributions). Download it and open it with a double-click in the Discover software manager. Click Install at the top right to install the software. You can then launch WinBoat from the applications list.
Installation Wizard
The graphical installer will open at the first start. After an introduction and displaying the license agreement, the wizard checks for all necessary dependencies and configurations. If you have followed the steps above, every item should show a green checkmark. Then select the installation folder, for example a subfolder in your home directory.
The installation wizard checks if all dependencies are installed and displays green checkmarks for successful verification. If not, WinBoat provides guidance for installation.
Windows Version
Next, choose the Windows version (e.g., Windows 11 Pro) and the language (some languages like German cannot currently be selected directly due to a bug). Finally, set the username and password. Hardware configuration settings (CPU cores and RAM allocation) can usually be accepted as they are.
WinBoat automatically downloads a Windows image from the Internet and adjusts the VM settings for container use automatically.
Here you set the number of CPU cores and RAM allocation for the Windows VM. Make sure to leave sufficient resources for the host system.
Note: Be aware that WinBoat requires a significant amount of disk space. The image size cannot be easily changed later. In this example, WinBoat occupies 48 GB in the home directory as configured.
Folder Sharing
Using Home Folder Sharing , the Windows machine can access the entire home directory. Caution: this comes with pros and cons. Malware could, for example, compromise data stored under Linux. Currently, it is not possible to share only a subdirectory for data exchange.
Windows programs gain access to the Linux host home directory via network sharing, allowing files to be shared between both systems.
The WinBoat installer then displays a summary, automatically downloads a Windows image from Microsoft servers, removes unnecessary components, and sets up the VM. Depending on internet speed and system performance, this process can take up to an hour.
WinBoat automatically downloads the Windows ISO, optimizes it for the container, and sets up the VM ready to use. Everything runs completely in the background for the user.
Starting Windows and Using Applications
After installation, you can start Windows directly in the WinBoat interface under Apps . There are two main functions:
Windows Desktop: Launches the full Windows desktop in a window on Linux.Apps: Opens individual Windows programs directly on the Linux desktop without loading the full Windows desktop.
Windows Desktop opens the complete Windows environment, while apps can run as normal windows on the Linux desktop.
Example: Clicking Command Prompt opens the Windows command line as a normal window on the Linux desktop. Applications like Word or Excel can also be used directly. Programs installed in the Windows VM automatically appear under Apps , so you can open them like regular windows on the Linux desktop.
The Windows desktop functions like a „normal“ Windows installation. The top bar allows minimizing Windows and switching back to the Linux desktop.
Example: Notepad++ can be used directly under Linux thanks to WinBoat, appearing like a normal program window on the desktop.
If Shared Home Folder was enabled during VM installation or later in Configuration , the Linux home directory is mounted under Network » host.lan » Data in the Windows VM. Both systems can access the same files — ideal for mixed workflows.
Warning: Home directory sharing cannot be restricted to individual folders. It’s all or nothing. Malware inside the Windows VM could compromise Linux data. Use file sharing selectively or via a dedicated network share. Only install programs from trusted sources. WinBoat is not a secure sandbox for experiments.
Configuring the Virtual Windows Language
Since Windows cannot currently be installed in some languages like German, the system defaults to English, including the keyboard layout. Typing a Y will produce a Z in Windows applications. You can change this later with a language pack.
Open Settings » Time & language » Language & region » Preferred language and click Add a language . Select e.g. German (Germany) and follow the assistant to install it. Then set Windows display language to (in this case) German (Germany) and sign out and back in to activate.
Language packs allow you to switch the Windows system, initially English-only, completely to German (or any other language).
HiDPI Display Configuration
Under Configuration , Display Scaling is particularly important for high-resolution displays. This allows fonts and buttons on the Linux desktop to scale properly. CPU cores and RAM allocation can also be adjusted here.
Under Configuration, CPU cores and RAM allocation of the WinBoat VM can be adjusted to ensure sufficient resources for the host system.
Display Scaling improves the appearance of fonts and windows in Windows applications on high-resolution screens.
Performance and Practical Use
We tested WinBoat on a TUXEDO InfinityBook Pro 14 - Gen7 with an Intel Core i7–12700H and 32 GB RAM. Single-core performance loss is minimal. Multi-core benchmarks in Geekbench show significant losses — not surprising if not all host CPU cores are allocated to the VM.
Firefox Benchmark (Speedometer 3.1): Firefox in the WinBoat Windows VM runs about 33% slower (native: 19.2; WinBoat: 12.8).Geekbench 6.5.0: Around 7% slower in single-core (native: 2001; WinBoat: 1863), over 40% slower in multi-core (native: 7890; WinBoat: 4681).
In everyday use, Windows responds smoothly. Office programs like Word or Excel run without noticeable delay, while demanding software like Photoshop or Premiere is best used in full desktop mode. GPU passthrough is currently not supported but unnecessary for most use cases.
RDP Instead of VNC: Faster Rendering
While Docker defaults to VNC, WinBoat uses Microsoft’s Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP). This provides much better performance and image quality without visible compression artifacts. Only FreeRDP 3 is required, included in TUXEDO OS repositories.
License and Activation
Windows installed in WinBoat is initially not activated. You can perform regular activation with a valid license key. WinBoat itself and all components are fully open-source and contain no copyrighted files.
Windows on Linux: It Doesn’t Get Easier Than This
WinBoat offers Linux users a stable, user-friendly, high-performance solution to run Windows applications directly under Linux. Whether you need Microsoft Office, Photoshop, or specific Windows tools — WinBoat integrates them seamlessly into everyday Linux use.
Installation is straightforward, performance is convincing, and the graphical interface makes it accessible even for beginners. For many users, WinBoat removes the last major hurdle to a fully Linux-based workflow.
