How to Install Wine on Ubuntu 24.04

Wine is a software application designed to make Windows programs work on Linux. Wine acts as a compatibility layer, translating Windows system calls into Linux-friendly ones. This means you can install and run many popular Windows applications directly on Ubuntu.

In this write-up, we’ll demonstrate how to install, update, and remove Wine from Ubuntu using simple step-by-step instructions.

How to Install Wine on Ubuntu 24.04

Unlike traditional emulators, Wine does not slow down your system and is built to deliver better performance while bridging the gap between Linux and Windows software. However, Wine is not preinstalled and must be manually installed. You can download Wine and install it using Ubuntu’s default repository or WineHQ.

Let’s start with the default Ubuntu Repository.

Method 1: Using the Default Repository

Installing Wine in Ubuntu is easy when you use the official apt repository. The official repository might not always install the most recent version of Wine. The official Ubuntu repository, however, guarantees the stable version of Wine.

Step 1: Check System Architecture

Wine has different applications for 64-bit and 32-bit architectures

lscpu

Step 2: Update System Repositories

This command will update your local repositories after detecting your CPU architecture:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade

Step 3:  Install Wine on Ubuntu

It’s now time to install Wine in Ubuntu after you have determined your CPU architecture. Install Wine if you have a CPU that is 64-bit:

sudo apt install wine64

If you have a CPU that is 32-bit CPU, then run the following command to install Wine:

sudo apt install wine32

Step 4: Check Wine Version

Run the following command to verify that you have installed Wine correctly:

wine --version

Method 2: Using the WineHQ Repository

WineHQ’s repository is another way to install Wine. WineHQ contains the most recent Wine version, but it might not be stable. Install Wine using the WineHQ repository.

Step 1: Enable 32-bit Architecture

WineHQ can only be installed on a 32-bit system. Ubuntu stopped supporting 32-bit architecture in 2017. We can therefore assume that all Ubuntu systems are 64-bit.

Execute the following command to enable 32-bit architecture:

sudo dpkg --add-architecture i386

Step 2: Update System Repositories

Update the local repositories once the 32-bit architecture has been enabled. To update Ubuntu before installing any packages, use the following command:

sudo apt update

Step 3: Add the Wine Repository Keys

Add security keys to your system before installing Wine. This will allow you to communicate securely with the repository. Run the following command to add security keys to your system:

sudo wget -O /etc/apt/keyrings/winehq-archive.key https://dl.winehq.org/wine-builds/winehq.key

Step 4: Add WineHQ Repository

Add the WineHQ repository to your system. This is where you can install Wine in Ubuntu. Run the following command to add the WineHQ repositories to your system:

sudo wget -NP /etc/apt/sources.list.d/ https://dl.winehq.org/wine-builds/ubuntu/dists/jammy/winehq-jammy.sources

Step 5: Update Packages List

Update the system package list to include the WineHQ repository once the repository has been added.

sudo apt update

Step 6: Install Wine on Ubuntu

Install Wine from the WineHQ repository. Run the following command to install the stable version of Wine from the WineHQ repositories:

sudo apt install --install-recommends winehq-stable

Users can install the latest version of WineHQ through the following command:

sudo apt install --install-recommends winehq-devel

Step 7: Verify Wine Installation

Verify Wine’s installation after installing it by running the following command:

wine --version

How to Update Wine on Ubuntu?

You can upgrade Wine to the latest version if you have already installed it on Ubuntu. Executing the following command on Ubuntu will upgrade Wine to its latest version:

sudo apt-get upgrade winehq-stable

How to Remove Wine from Ubuntu?

You can remove Wine if you have finished using it or if you want to remove it for another purpose. To do this, execute the following command.

sudo apt remove wine

This command will remove Wine but not its dependencies from Ubuntu:

You can also remove Wine’s dependencies using the following command:

sudo apt autoremove wine

Wine will also remove any other dependencies from other programs.

It is now recommended that you remove all folders associated with the Wine application. By executing these commands, you can remove the Wine folders one at a time.

rm -rf $HOME/.wine
rm -f $HOME/.config/menus/applications-merged/wine*
rm -rf $HOME/.local/share/applications/wine
rm -f /.local/share/desktop-directories/wine*
rm -f /.local/share/icons/????_*.xpm

After you have removed all folders, run the command given to remove all temporary files related to the Wine package.

sudo apt-get remove --purge ^wine

Execute the commands given one at a time to fix any errors.

sudo apt autoclean

Good to Know From domains to hosting, HostOnce has everything you need to launch your online project.

Conclusion

Wine can be installed on Ubuntu either from the official repository or the WineHQ repository. For the official repository, check your system architecture first, then install Wine64 for 64-bit systems or Wine32 for 32-bit systems. For WineHQ, enable 32-bit architecture, add its repository and keys, and install it using sudo apt install winehq-stable. In this article, we discussed both these methods with step-by-step instructions.

FAQs