There’s a native Linux client available for Winflector. Since using the native client yields even better performance than the HTML5/Web client, this is something you will want to do on your penguin-based workstations. It is also much handier having the local executables so that you can launch them on startup or create some kind of shortcuts.

The process is extremely simple. I’m using the command line, since this both makes for easier automation and will work on any Linux supported by the client.

Getting the install script

First of all, you’re gonna need to know if you’re running the 32-bit or 64-bit version of the operating system. In order to check it, type uname -m in the terminal. If it comes up x86_64 or amd64, you need to use the 64-bit script.  Values of i386 or i686 indicate that you want the 32-bit one. Once you know this, go to the Winflector download page and get the appropriate Linux installer.

It is called wfclsetup-VERSION-ARCHITECTURE.sh, for instance wfclsetup-3722-i386.sh for 32-bit Winflector 3.7.2.2.

Running the install script

A script file need to be made executable. You can do it with the following command:
chmod +x wfclsetup-3722-i386.sh

Once it’s done, launch the setup script:
./wfclsetup-3722-i386.sh

The setup will then guide you through the installation process. You’ll need to accept the license agreement and can change the installation directory (~/winflector by default). The actual setup process is instant and you’re ready to use the client.

Using the client

In order to use the client, launch the wfc program, which will be located in the client directory under the install directory you’ve chosen. The usage is exactly the same as for the Windows version, including both using the GUI and the command line.

In order to launch the wfc program, navigate to the client directory, and type in ./wfc.

That’s it! You now can most of the Windows apps you need from your Linux, and that’s without Wine.