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I just switched from Windows 7 to Ubuntu 12.04 (64-bit) and I would like to run a program called LS-PrePost 3.2 in Ubuntu. According to the documentation on their website there are several versions of 3.2 for Linux (CentOS, openSUSE, SLES) but none for Ubuntu, is there a way to install one of these and make it work?

Then I was thinking about Wine, which I have never used but heard people mention. So I was wondering, can I run the Windows version of LS-PrePost 3.2 in Wine? Can you run all Windows programs in Wine or are there only specific programs you can run?

Maybe there's another solution that works better. In any case I appreciate the response.

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Regarding your question #1, which version you should choose. The packages have been build for three distros, but as far as I can see not in their package manager format (RPM), which means that you will not be able to convert it automagically to Ubuntu using alien.

Why are there different versions of the package for different systems? Well, the systems or different versions thereof can contain different sets and versions of libraries that the binaries have been build against. Without knowing, which libraries are these, there is no telling which version would run on Ubuntu.

Therefore, I would do the following: download several versions of the package, unzip them (tar xzf) and try to run the binaries. Some of them will complain about missing libraries. If you are lucky, you will find a version that is happy with what is installed on your system. If not, you will have to manually install whatever is needed. If necessary, download all of the versions and go through them one by one, using apt-cache to find out what libraries you could provide easily, and which will be a pain in the neck to install.

Come back to this forum with specifiic problems.

Regarding your question #2: Wine does not run all of the Windows software. Some applications need trickery and magic to make them work. Others will not run whatsoever. There are also alternatives to Wine, however. First, there is Playonlinux (build on Wine).

Then, my favorite solution to run MS Office at the odd times when I'm needing it: install virtualbox and a full Windows installation within that. Of course, if you spend more time working within that vbox installation then in Ubuntu, you got to ask yourself -- do I really need Ubuntu?

In your particular case, if attempts to install using OpenSuse or CentOS packages fail, you could install virtualbox with OpenSuse or Centos or SLES, and install your package within.

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  • Thanks alot, I'll sure try it and get back if it doesn't work. Sep 24, 2012 at 12:28

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