GNOME Boxes
The easy way to run Windows or another Linux inside a window. Pick a system and it downloads and installs it.
Our verdict
GNOME Boxes exists for the person who wants a Windows window on their Linux desktop and does not want to learn virtual machine software to get it. You press the plus button, pick from the list of systems it offers or point it at an installer file you already have, and it sets the rest up.
Keep the expectations modest. It is deliberately short on settings, so there are no dials for processor cores, graphics memory or network modes beyond the basics. Graphics inside the window are slow, which rules out gaming and most design work.
For its actual job, running one old Windows program or trying another Linux system before installing it, this is the least painful option. If you want fine control over memory, processors and networking, VirtualBox or VMware Workstation will suit you better.
What's good
- Offers a list of systems to install and fetches the installer for you
- Almost nothing to configure, unlike the usual virtual machine software
- Snapshots let you save a working state and roll back to it
- Free, and already in the app store on GNOME systems
What to know first
- Very few settings, so there is no simple way to tune how a machine behaves
- Weak for graphics, so games and design software inside it will be slow
- Clipboard sharing, drag and drop and USB redirection are there but depend on the system inside the window cooperating
- The original project is in low maintenance while work moves elsewhere, so new features are slow
The details
- Cost
- Free
- Open source
- Yes (LGPL-2.0)
- How you install it
- App store (Flatpak), Built-in app store
Windows apps it can replace
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