How To: Convert Exe To Deb Link

A Debian-based system (Ubuntu, Mint, etc.) with the following installed:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install build-essential dpkg-dev wine

Copy your working EXE and any required DLLs into /opt/myapp inside the package folder.

Before going through these processes, check if the software you want is available in the repositories:

sudo apt-cache search yoursoftware

If it's available, you can simply install it:

sudo apt-get install yoursoftware

Some places online suggest using wine + makeself to "convert" — that's just bundling, not converting.
Others suggest decompiling the .exe → not practical for real apps.

Since you specifically asked about converting an EXE link to a DEB link, here is the strategic workflow:

Step 1: Identify the official website of the software.

Step 2: Look for "Linux", "Ubuntu", "Debian", or "Open Source" download sections.

Step 3: Use a pattern in the URL. If their EXE link is: https://example.com/download/App_v2.0.exe

Try these common variations:

Step 4: Use the wget command with --spider to test links without downloading:

wget --spider https://example.com/download/App_v2.0.deb

Step 5: If that fails, check third-party repositories:

Reality Check: 90% of proprietary Windows applications do not have a .deb version. You will likely need to use Wine or a virtual machine.

If your app needs specific libraries (e.g., .NET, Visual C++), create a post-installation script:

myapp_deb/DEBIAN/postinst:

#!/bin/bash
set -e
if [ "$1" = "configure" ]; then
    if ! wine --version > /dev/null 2>&1; then
        echo "Wine not found. Please run: sudo apt install wine"
        exit 1
    fi
    # Example: install core fonts
    winetricks corefonts
fi

Make it executable:

chmod +x myapp_deb/DEBIAN/postinst

In many cases, the best solution is to not convert at all. Instead, find a native Linux alternative that works with .deb packages directly.

| Windows EXE | Native Linux .deb Alternative | |-------------|-------------------------------| | Photoshop | GIMP, Krita | | Microsoft Office | LibreOffice, OnlyOffice | | Adobe Illustrator | Inkscape | | Notepad++ | Notepadqq, Sublime Text | | WinRAR | File Roller, Ark |

Search for these via:

apt search "alternative name"