WinBoat 0.9.0: Virtualizing Windows Programs for Linux

WinBoat has released version 0.9.0. The open-source project allows users to run their Windows applications on Linux systems. The container-based software can now optionally be operated with Podman or Docker. Additionally, users can now start UWP apps (Universal Windows Platform) for the first time.

WinBoat uses the dockur/windows project in the background to provide a complete Windows environment in a container. Applications are seamlessly integrated into the Linux desktop via FreeRDP. Unlike Wine, which emulates Windows APIs or traditional virtual machines, a full-fledged Windows system runs here, isolated within the container.

Podman Support with Limitations

The most important new feature is the support for Podman as an alternative to Docker. Users can choose between both container engines during installation. However, USB passthrough does not yet work under Podman. Another difference: while Docker reserves port range 47270 to 47370 for WinBoat services, Podman assigns random ports due to a lack of support for port ranges in compose files.

The newly added UWP support significantly expands the range of applications. From version 0.9.0, users can now also launch Windows apps from the Microsoft Store that are based on the Universal Windows Platform. These are automatically recognized in the WinBoat interface and can be launched via the context menu.

Security and Performance Improved

Version 0.9.0 also brings several security improvements. All WinBoat ports are now bound to 127.0.0.1 by default, making the services no longer accessible from the outside. The guest server has been secured based on community feedback. Additionally, the update fixes a bug that caused high CPU usage when RDP monitoring was enabled.

There are also improvements to the user interface: apps can now be filtered, and custom applications can be created from existing entries. Application scaling is configurable via the settings, and FreeRDP arguments can be individually added or replaced.

The underlying dockur/windows version has been updated to 5.14. New installations now automatically synchronize the Windows system clock and use ~/winboat as the default installation path. When using a custom ISO, it will be automatically unmounted after installation to prevent errors on the next startup.

The complete release notes can be found on the project page on GitHub. WinBoat 0.9.0 is available for download for various Linux distributions as an AppImage, DEB, and RPM package. The software is available under an open-source license.

(fo)