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Idea #2339: Prompt Wine install when clicking Exe's

bug This idea is a duplicate of Idea #762: Better Wine integration.
Written by Auzy the 1 Mar 08 at 23:28. Category: System. Related project: Nothing/Others. Status: New
Rationale
Instead of saying it is unable to find a program to open exe's with, Ubuntu should automatically default to a dialog which: (1) Informs they need to install wine
(2) Let them easily install wine
(3) Ensure they know the risks, and that windows viruses may work in wine.
(4) Let them know not all windows programs are compatible.

This just makes things a whole easier for new users, who don't want to need to know that wine exists. They should be offered it if they need it instead
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Solution #1: Auto-generated solution of idea #2339
Written by Auzy the 1 Mar 08 at 23:28.
Ubuntu Brainstorm was updated in January 2009. Since the idea #2339 was submitted before this update, its rationale and solution are not separated. Please vote accordingly, and if you have the necessary rights, please separate the rationale from the solution. Thanks!

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aitvo wrote on the 2 Mar 08 at 00:06
Right click -> Open with Another Application -> Custom -> wine

Then you can double click .exes.

UBfusion wrote on the 2 Mar 08 at 00:48
If wine is already installed, .exe files are associated with it.

If wine is not installed, and a linux user during normal browsing gets prompted that an .exe wants to get downloaded (it won't ask to be executed anyhow), it's most probably a virus/trojan/dialler. Unless he wants to download an installation file for his windows PC.

So I think it's better to leave things as they are, to avoid any mistakes. There are people there that don't know what a virus is...

Auzy wrote on the 2 Mar 08 at 04:27
Dood, not every exe is a virus. In fact, a good example is etax in australia, where you need an exe to do your tax online.


Thats an example of where almost every australian ubuntu user would expect this. Most email servers automatically filter exe's anyway

ethana2 wrote on the 2 Mar 08 at 09:08
WINE can operate like Vista for security too. They did a lot of desperate catching up.

With Ubuntu, chances are if you're using it, you know what you want to do with an .exe

elbuit wrote on the 2 Mar 08 at 09:59
related:
Offer suggestions of applications (from APT) for unsupported files
http://brainstorm.ubuntu.com/idea/2347/

briansvgs wrote on the 18 Apr 08 at 17:20
I don't know, but would it be possible to extend the plugin architecture currently in place in ubuntu to display that message and ask if you would like to install wine?


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