How To Install dotnet 2.0 on 64-bit Wine

In this article, we will guide you through the process of installing dotnet 2.0 on a 64-bit Wine environment. This can be a bit tricky, as Wine typically defaults to a 64-bit environment, and dotnet 2.0 requires a 32-bit environment. However, with a few tweaks, we can get it running smoothly.

Prerequisites

Before we start, ensure that you have Wine installed on your system. If you don’t, you can follow the instructions on the WineHQ website to install it.

Step 1: Creating a 32-bit Wineprefix

The first step is to create a separate Wine environment (known as a “wineprefix”) that is configured as 32-bit. This can be done using the WINEARCH and WINEPREFIX environment variables.

Open a terminal and run the following command:

WINEARCH=win32 WINEPREFIX=~/.wine32 winecfg

In this command, WINEARCH=win32 sets the architecture of the Wine environment to 32-bit, and WINEPREFIX=~/.wine32 sets the location of the wineprefix to ~/.wine32. The winecfg command opens the Wine configuration for the new wineprefix.

Step 2: Installing dotnet 2.0

Once you have created the 32-bit wineprefix, you can install dotnet 2.0 in it. To do this, we will use the winetricks script, which simplifies the process of installing various Windows components in Wine.

Run the following command in the terminal:

env WINEPREFIX=~/.wine32 winetricks dotnet20

In this command, env WINEPREFIX=~/.wine32 sets the wineprefix for the current command, and winetricks dotnet20 installs dotnet 2.0 in the wineprefix.

Troubleshooting

If the installation fails and prompts you to send a report to Microsoft, you may need to uninstall any existing dotnet 2.0 installation. If an uninstaller is available, run it. If not, you can manually remove the directory where the program is installed (~/.wine32/drive_c/Program Files/your_program).

Optional: Creating a Bash Alias for 32-bit Wine

To simplify launching Wine in 32-bit mode, you can create a bash alias. Here’s how:

1. Create a file named wine32 in the ~/bin directory with the following content:

env WINEARCH=win32 WINEPREFIX=~/.wine32 wine $*

2. Make the file executable by running the following command:

chmod +x ~/bin/wine32

Now, you can launch Wine in 32-bit mode by executing the following command:

wine32 my_exe_file_that_needs_32bit.exe

Note: It’s important to ensure that the ~/bin directory is in your system’s PATH for the bash alias to work properly.

Conclusion

Installing dotnet 2.0 on a 64-bit Wine environment can be a bit tricky, but with the right steps, it’s entirely possible. By creating a separate 32-bit wineprefix and installing dotnet 2.0 in it, you can run your 32-bit applications smoothly. And with a bash alias, you can simplify the process even further. Happy coding!