Click inside your new bottle and select your .exe file. Step 3: Export as a Native Shortcut
Ensure you have the package building tools installed on your development system:
mkdir -p my-package/opt/my-app mkdir -p my-package/usr/share/applications mkdir -p my-package/DEBIAN Use code with caution. /opt/my-app : Holds your .exe file. /usr/share/applications : Holds the desktop shortcut. /DEBIAN : Holds the package metadata. Step 3: Copy Your EXE File
Package: custom-app Version: 1.0 Section: utils Priority: optional Architecture: amd64 Depends: wine64, wine32 Maintainer: Your Name Description: A wrapped Windows executable running via Wine on Debian/Ubuntu. Use code with caution. Step 6: Build the DEB Package how to convert exe to deb
Converting a Windows executable file ( .exe ) directly into a Debian software package ( .deb ) is a common challenge for Linux users. Because Windows and Linux use entirely different architectures and system libraries, a literal, binary conversion is impossible. However, you can achieve the exact same result—running your Windows software seamlessly on a Debian-based system—using several highly effective wrappers and compatibility tools.
Most modern Windows multiplayer games use kernel-level anti-cheat engines (like Vanguard or Easy Anti-Cheat). These will not work when packaged into Wine/DEB environments.
Method 2: Creating a Custom DEB Package with Wine (The Manual Wrapper Method) Click inside your new bottle and select your
Debian packages require a specific folder hierarchy. Create a workspace directory:
The control file tells the Debian package manager what the application is and what it needs to run. Create the file: nano my-package/DEBIAN/control Use code with caution.
mkdir -p ~/tmp/deb-package/usr/games/myapp cp -r ~/.wine/drive_c/Program_Files/AppName/* ~/tmp/deb-package/usr/games/myapp/ Use code with caution. Step 4: Convert and Package /usr/share/applications : Holds the desktop shortcut
The control file tells the Debian package manager what the application is, who made it, and what dependencies it requires. nano my-app_1.0-1/DEBIAN/control Use code with caution.
How to Convert EXE to DEB: A Complete Step-by-Step Guide Windows and Linux handle software installations through fundamentally different file formats. Windows relies on .exe (executable) files, while Debian-based Linux distributions—such as Ubuntu, Linux Mint, and Pop!_OS—use .deb packages.
FPM automatically assembles the control files and outputs a clean DEB package. Testing and Installing Your New DEB Package
Move your launcher script and EXE into a local folder structure matching target directory outputs, then run:
cp path/to/your/program.exe my-package/opt/my-app/program.exe Use code with caution. Step 4: Create the Control File