Using proprietary software on a free platform is strange in itself.
Some people want to try using Linux, but they go through the growing pains of software migration. Games are a major factor, but more often it is that the software they used before has no Linux version, or they are not used to Linux equivalents. So they install Wine and run Windows software through translation. But after switching operating systems, instead of becoming familiar with the ecosystem, they want to use Wine?
First, I want to emphasize that I am not belittling the efforts of the Wine development team. Their behavior aligns with the FSF’s call to “study proprietary software and use it to develop free software.” However, if users deliberately refuse to look for or learn how to use equivalent software on the Linux platform, and only rack their brains trying to run Windows software with Wine to handle important tasks, that is the baffling part.
Even if Wine itself is open source, the software being run is still closed source. So running non-free software is not only strange, but also unethical.
1. Using Wine Because You Have to Re-Adapt Your Workflow#
Linux has many equivalents for proprietary software available. Note that I emphasize equivalents, not alternatives. We should say LibreOffice is an equivalent to Microsoft Office, not an alternative. Alternative implies something negative or inferior, and LibreOffice’s features are not worse than Microsoft Office’s.
For another example, image editing makes people think of Photoshop, but in terms of features, GIMP and Krita are not inferior. You simply have to re-adapt to the software’s usage and workflow. So if they would rather run familiar Photoshop with Wine than learn GIMP, that may be due to habit and past experience. The problem therefore goes beyond the scope of software and becomes a matter of re-adapting to an ecosystem.
But what is bad about that? Would it not be better to discard your original prejudices, accept the reality that you are accustomed to something, and relearn new concepts?
On a free platform, you should use free software to begin with. Even if proprietary software and free software are not mortal enemies, I will explain below why freedom should be a concept of active defense.
2. A Problem of Philosophy#
The deeper reason is that some people do not realize the essence that software must be free, and still treat software merely as a tool for achieving an objective.
Let us put this scenario another way. Does making a good-sounding piece of music have anything to do with whether the editing software used behind it is free? Logically, there is no direct relationship. From this, we can see that what is emphasized here is an ideological and philosophical problem. Using free software does not guarantee that you can achieve the goal of solving a problem. Rather, because the philosophy is regarded as an essence that comes before everything else, whether the software is free becomes the first consideration, and only then do we consider whether it can solve the problem.
The reason such a premise, where philosophy comes before problem-solving, appears should be attributed to the fact that Linux itself is free. The freedom of the GPL is something whose philosophy must be actively defended and upheld; it is not the kind of BSD freedom that lets anyone take whatever they want. At this point, the philosophy rises to the moral level. We indeed do not have the freedom to force and control what software others use, but this is something that must be advocated often. Otherwise, it becomes the default reality, until this behavior is seen as bizarre.
Once you only use proprietary software, you have fewer opportunities to encounter free software. In addition, using Wine as a stopgap measure easily makes people accustomed to comfort, resulting in a tolerant attitude toward proprietary software. We have already let too much proprietary firmware into the Linux kernel, just to drive hardware devices from selfish manufacturers. So at least among desktop applications ordinary users can touch, we should not let this kind of situation spread further. If freedom is not actively defended, then upholding the philosophy is only effective for oneself.
Therefore, on Linux, you must learn to use the free software ecosystem and reduce opportunities to use Wine. Especially for applications used in primary production work, free software should be used. As for games, the levels involved are too broad. Some people think their nature is a mixture of art and software. Once you insist that games must also be free and open source, it will greatly destroy the joy of life. So games are the one category of software that can be spared, but if there is a free game framework platform, naturally it should also be strongly supported.
3. Solutions#
When I first started using Ubuntu, I also loved using Wine. But now, unless it is a simple little program, I use a virtual machine instead, so I do not have to worry about strange environment issues. As for commonly used Linux software, you can search Flathub. Most of these programs also have detailed manuals, so you do not need to keep spending money to learn them. You just need to be willing to use your brain a little.
Running Windows software with Wine is a temporary stopgap measure. I want to adapt something Markus Alexej Persson once said: “It is okay to use proprietary software temporarily, but use it with a sense of shame.”
In the end, you still have to learn to use free and open source equivalent software. Otherwise, you might as well go back to Windows, saving yourself the trouble and the guilty conscience.
For oneself, the bottom line must be held. If you cannot hold it and admit defeat, that is also fine, because one day something better will appear. RMS says that free software lacking a certain feature is a disadvantage, not oppression.
On the other hand, we should also not harbor too much hostility toward people who use proprietary operating systems and proprietary software. Encourage others positively and reasonably. As for those who remain stubbornly unenlightened, we can only follow along with their wishes without opposing them, and pray for them.
