MSN Messenger 7.5 on Linux with Wine

About MSN Messenger 7.5

MSN Messenger allows you to chat online, in real time, with family, friends and colleagues. It's faster than e-mail, more discreet than a phone call, and best of all it's free! MSN Messenger is more than just text, it's a great way to collaborate with co-workers or touch base with family and friends.

You can even send an instant message to a contact's mobile phone. Customization features help you personalize your chats and make your connections even more meaningful.

Wine configuration

This is with a clean configuration directory, with no other applications or games installed.

Linux Distribution: Ubuntu 8.04
Windows version emulated: 2000
Wine version tested: 1.1.14

WineTricks

Now download winetricks if you don't already have it and install the following Windows redistributables.

corefonts
flash
gecko
msls31
msxml3
riched20
riched30
tahoma

MSN Messenger install in Wine

Download MSN Messenger version 7.5.0324 from filehippo and save it to your home directory.

Now open a terminal and run $ wine Instal_MSN_Messenger.exe

The Messenger install should now start, I didn't select any of the extra addon software that comes bundled with it.

To run Messenger just click on Applications > Wine > Programs > MSN Messenger 7.5

Screen Shots

Here's a few Screen Shots of MSN Messenger 7.5 running on my Ubuntu 8.04 laptop.


Notes

The larger thumbnails for the user and contacts do not show bug 8555, other then this annoyance chat works near perfectly.

Also, I didn't test cam support or online games ect, only chat was tested...

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IE 7 on Linux with Wine

About Internet Explorer 7

Windows Internet Explorer 7 (IE7) is a web browser released by Microsoft in October 2006. Internet Explorer 7 is part of a long line of versions of Internet Explorer and is the first major update to the browser in over 5 years. It ships as the default browser in Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 and is offered as a replacement for Internet Explorer 6 on Windows XP and Windows Server 2003. Estimates of IE7's global market share place it between approximately 26% and 47%.

Large portions of the underlying architecture, including the rendering engine and security framework, have been significantly reworked. New features include tabbed browsing, page zooming, an integrated search box, a feed reader, better internationalization, and improved support for web standards. Security enhancements include a phishing filter, stronger encryption on Windows Vista, and a "Delete browsing history" button to easily clear private data.

Wine configuration

This is with a clean configuration directory, with no other applications or games installed.

Linux Distribution: Ubuntu 8.04
Windows version emulated: XP
Wine version tested: 1.1.14

Wine DLL Overrides

[Software\\Wine\\DllOverrides] 1233608859
"browseui"="native, builtin"
"comctl32"="builtin"
"crypt32"="native, builtin"
"gdiplus"="native"
"hhctrl.ocx"="native, builtin"
"hlink"="native, builtin"
"iernonce"="native, builtin"
"iexplore.exe"="native, builtin"
"itircl"="native, builtin"
"itss"="native, builtin"
"jscript"="native, builtin"
"mlang"="native, builtin"
"mshtml"="native, builtin"
"msimtf"="native,builtin"
"msxml3"="native,builtin"
"riched20"="native,builtin"
"riched32"="native,builtin"
"secur32"="native, builtin"
"shdoclc"="native, builtin"
"shdocvw"="native, builtin"
"shlwapi"="native, builtin"
"url"="native, builtin"
"urlmon"="native, builtin"
"usp10"="native, builtin"
"uxtheme"="native,builtin"
"wininet"="builtin"
"wintrust"="native, builtin"

DLL Overrides can be set in winecfg, just run winecfg from your favorite terminal and then go to Libraries and set the above DLL's as shown above.


You will also need to copy a number of DLL's from a Windows XP machine and place them in /system32 as winetricks doesn't provide these DLL's at this time.

msctf.dll
msimtf.dll
uxtheme.dll
xmllite.dll

WineTricks

Now download winetricks if you don't already have it and install the following Windows redistributables.

comctl32
comctl32.ocx
corefonts
gdiplus
gecko
msls31
msxml3
msxml4
msxml6
riched20
riched30
tahoma

After the install run winecfg set comctl32.dll back to builtin Wine.

IE 7 install in Wine

Download Windows Internet Explorer 7 for Windows XP from Microsoft and save it to your home directory.

Now open a terminal and run $ wine IE7-WindowsXP-x86-enu.exe

The IE 7 install should now start, I didnt select the Windows security updates in my install.

IE 7 on Wine Screen Shots

Here's a few Screen Shots of IE 7 running on my Ubuntu 8.04 laptop.


Conclusion known problems

While IE 7 will run and render web pages just fine there are still a number of problems/bugs that remain to be resolved before you will want to use the browser on Linux on a daily basis.

Bookmarks and RSS feeds don't currently work and their is a number of problems related to comctl32.dll for example the forward and backward buttons background isn't painted and even worse if you select Help the browser will lock up. I also had a number of lock ups when trying to save Internet options.

The good news is you can select a homepage of your liking and choose Google as the default search engine. You can also view web pages as see how they render with IE 7 if your a web developer.

One way to help support further development of Internet Explorer support is to purchase CrossOver Office and then vote for IE 7 as the app that you would most like to see supported in a future release.

Sinusuwerte Ako

IE 7 with Wine 1.1.4 , a howto is coming in a day or two...