Get Microsoft Office running on Linux via Wine
Claude Code did most of the work to make desktop Office 365 run under Wine on Linux without virtualization, packaged as a Nix flake.
Done withClaude Code
- What they did
- The repo is a Nix flake that runs click-to-run Microsoft 365 through umu-launcher and GE-Proton instead of stock Wine. Each blocker was found by reading Wine and Click-to-Run logs and fixed with a small shim DLL or registry change. These cover licensing, missing Windows APIs, sign-in errors and Direct2D rendering. The README doesn't describe the agent's role.
- How it went
- The full suite installs and Word starts, and sign-in with a personal account works. Licensing was never verified because the test account had no subscription. Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook are installed but untested.
- Worth knowing
- The install downloads several GB and the installer window looks frozen for long stretches. A Microsoft 365 licence is required, and sign-in needs a 680 MB WebView2 install.
Try it yourself with Claude Code
I want to run [Windows desktop app, e.g. Microsoft Office] on [Linux distro] using Wine, without a virtual machine. Work in this folder, try Wine configurations until the app installs and launches, and package the setup as [Nix flake / shell script] so I can reproduce it. Finish by writing a short README of the steps and any known issues, and ask me before installing system-wide packages or deleting anything.
Discussion on HN · Sep 17, 2026
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