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  • MS Windows tax software on FreeBSD?

    From Winston@21:1/5 to All on Sun Mar 13 15:15:02 2022
    Anyone here happen to know whether tax software (such as by H&R Block) developed for Microsoft Windows runs acceptably under WINE (or something similar) on FreeBSD? Their products generally only list versions for
    MacOS, Microsoft Windows, and a web browser. One potential complication
    is that the software downloads newer versions of itself and then uses
    Windows Installer to install them.

    Thanks in advance,
    -WBE

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Felix Palmen@21:1/5 to All on Sat Mar 19 10:43:06 2022
    * Winston <wbe@ubeblock.psr.com.invalid>:
    Anyone here happen to know whether tax software (such as by H&R Block) developed for Microsoft Windows runs acceptably under WINE (or something similar) on FreeBSD?

    Not really a FreeBSD question but more one about wine. In general, the
    only way to really know is to test it. More often than not, windows
    software works quite fine with wine.

    FreeBSD specific, if you're on amd64 and your software contains 32bit
    binaries, also install the 32bit userland required for wine with

    | /usr/local/share/wine/pkg32.sh install wine mesa-dri

    By default, in installs inside your home dir. It can later be upgraded
    with

    | /usr/local/share/wine/pkg32.sh upgrade
    | /usr/local/share/wine/pkg32.sh autoremove
    | /usr/local/share/wine/pkg32.sh clean

    One potential complication
    is that the software downloads newer versions of itself and then uses
    Windows Installer to install them.

    This should never be a problem, windows software is installed in a wine
    prefix (there's a default one created in your home dir, but it's often a
    good idea to create a separate prefix for each application) which is
    writable for your user.

    --
    Dipl.-Inform. Felix Palmen <felix@palmen-it.de> ,.//..........
    {web} http://palmen-it.de {jabber} [see email] ,//palmen-it.de
    {pgp public key} http://palmen-it.de/pub.txt // """""""""""
    {pgp fingerprint} A891 3D55 5F2E 3A74 3965 B997 3EF2 8B0A BC02 DA2A

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Felix Palmen@21:1/5 to All on Sat Mar 19 10:55:50 2022
    * Winston <wbe@ubeblock.psr.com.invalid>:
    Anyone here happen to know whether tax software (such as by H&R Block) developed for Microsoft Windows runs acceptably under WINE (or something similar) on FreeBSD?

    Not really a FreeBSD question but more one about wine. In general, the
    only way to really know is to test it. More often than not, windows
    software works quite fine with wine.

    FreeBSD specific, if you're on amd64 and your software contains 32bit
    binaries, also install the 32bit userland required for wine with

    | /usr/local/share/wine/pkg32.sh install wine mesa-dri

    By default, in installs inside your home dir. It can later be upgraded
    with

    | /usr/local/share/wine/pkg32.sh upgrade
    | /usr/local/share/wine/pkg32.sh autoremove
    | /usr/local/share/wine/pkg32.sh clean

    One potential complication
    is that the software downloads newer versions of itself and then uses
    Windows Installer to install them.

    This should never be a problem, windows software is installed in a wine
    prefix (there's a default one created in your home dir, but it's often a
    good idea to create a separate prefix for each application) which is
    writable for your user.

    --
    Dipl.-Inform. Felix Palmen <felix@palmen-it.de> ,.//..........
    {web} http://palmen-it.de {jabber} [see email] ,//palmen-it.de
    {pgp public key} http://palmen-it.de/pub.txt // """""""""""
    {pgp fingerprint} A891 3D55 5F2E 3A74 3965 B997 3EF2 8B0A BC02 DA2A

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Winston@21:1/5 to felix@palmen-it.de on Fri Apr 8 12:55:27 2022
    Thanks for the reply.

    I previously posted:
    Anyone here happen to know whether tax software (such as by H&R
    Block) developed for Microsoft Windows runs acceptably under WINE (or
    something similar) on FreeBSD?

    felix@palmen-it.de (Felix Palmen) kindly replied:
    ... In general, the only way to really know is to test it.

    Of course, but I was hoping someone here might have tried it.

    More often than not, windows software works quite fine with wine.

    That's encouraging.

    FreeBSD specific, if you're on amd64 and your software contains 32bit binaries, ...

    Looks like it does since their software installs under
    C:\Program Files (x86)\ and they're undoubtedly going for maximum
    portability.

    ... also install the 32bit userland [details followed] ...

    OK, thanks!
    -WBE

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)