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Joined 6 months ago
Cake day: April 13th, 2025
  • atmorous@lemmy.worldtoAsklemmy@lemmy.ml•What is your reason for not flipping to Linux?
    1·
    2 days ago

    That’s fascinating I understand what you mean. Yeah it does and does not

    The Windows windows acts like Linux Windows

    Also here’s what Lumo from Proton says about the 2:

    WinBoat does offer a feature that’s roughly comparable to Parallels Coherence mode.

    When you launch a Windows program through WinBoat, the app appears as a regular‑looking Linux window—complete with its own title bar, task‑bar entry, and the ability to move it around the desktop just like any native Linux application. In other words, WinBoat’s “seamless‑integration” mode gives you the same kind‑of experience that Coherence gives on macOS: Windows apps sit side‑by‑side with your Linux apps without the need to switch to a full‑screen Windows desktop.

    The implementation differs, though:

    • Underlying tech – WinBoat runs a full Windows instance inside a Docker‑based container, then forwards the graphical output to the host via an Electron front‑end.
    • Integration depth – While the windows look native, deeper macOS‑style features such as drag‑and‑drop between host and guest, shared clipboard, or automatic file‑type handling may be more limited compared with Parallels’ tightly‑integrated Coherence mode.

    So, if you’re looking for a way to run individual Windows programs on Linux without juggling two separate desktops, WinBoat’s seamless‑integration mode is the closest analogue to macOS Parallels Coherence.

    Parallels Desktop (macOS) vs WinBoat (Linux)

    Below is a side‑by‑side look at the two products, focusing on the Coherence experience that Parallels calls “Coherence mode” and the seamless‑integration mode that WinBoat provides.

    Core purpose

    Feature Parallels Desktop (macOS) WinBoat (Linux)
    Primary goal Run a full Windows VM on macOS and let Windows apps blend with the macOS desktop. Run a Windows VM (inside a Docker container) on Linux and expose each Windows app as a native‑looking Linux window.
    Underlying tech Hypervisor‑based virtual machine (Hyper‑V‑compatible, uses Parallels Tools for integration). Container‑based approach: a Windows image runs inside a Docker container; the UI is forwarded through an Electron front‑end.

    “Seamless” experience (the part that resembles Coherence)

    Aspect Parallels Coherence WinBoat seamless‑integration
    Window appearance Windows apps lose their separate desktop; each app opens as a normal macOS window with macOS title‑bars, shadows, and Dock integration. Each Windows app appears as a regular Linux window (title‑bar, task‑bar entry, can be moved/resized like any native app).
    Desktop merging The Windows desktop itself is hidden; only the apps you launch are visible alongside macOS apps. The Windows desktop is also hidden; you interact directly with the individual apps, not a full Windows desktop.
    Shared clipboard & drag‑and‑drop Full bidirectional clipboard, drag‑and‑drop of files, images, and text between macOS and Windows apps (via Parallels Tools). Clipboard sharing works, but drag‑and‑drop and deep file‑type handling can be more limited or require manual configuration.
    Folder/file integration Windows “My Documents”, “Desktop”, etc. can be mapped to macOS folders; you can open them from Finder. Shared directories are configurable (e.g., a mounted host folder), but the integration UI is less polished than Parallels’ automatic mapping.
    Start menu / Launching Windows Start button disappears; apps appear in the macOS Dock or Launchpad (via “Windows Applications” folder). WinBoat shows a list of installed Windows apps inside its own Electron UI; you launch from there or via a shortcut you create manually.
    Performance Runs a full VM with hardware acceleration; near‑native speed for most apps, especially on Apple Silicon where Parallels can use the Apple hypervisor. Runs a lightweight container; start‑up is fast and memory footprint is smaller, but heavy graphics or GPU‑intensive apps may be slower because they rely on the container’s virtual GPU.
    Resource control Fine‑grained CPU/RAM allocation, dynamic resizing, snapshots, and suspend/resume. Resource limits are set at container launch (CPU shares, memory caps); snapshots are essentially the container’s persisted state.
    Installation & setup One‑click installer, guided VM creation wizard, automatic Parallels Tools injection. Requires Docker, the WinBoat Electron client, and a Windows base image; initial setup is semi‑automated but still involves pulling the container and configuring shared folders.
    Supported host hardware macOS 10.15+ on Intel and Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3). Any modern Linux distribution with Docker support (x86_64, ARM64).
    Licensing Commercial (paid license, trial available). Open‑source (free) with optional paid support/community contributions.

    Where they diverge

    1. Depth of integration – Parallels’ Coherence is built around Parallels Tools, which injects drivers into the Windows guest to give tight integration (clipboard, mouse pointer, display scaling, audio, printers, etc.). WinBoat’s integration is functional but not as exhaustive; some peripheral passthrough (e.g., USB devices) is still experimental.

    2. User‑interface polish – Parallels presents a macOS‑styled “Windows Applications” folder in the Dock and hides all Windows UI elements automatically. WinBoat shows its own Electron dashboard; you still need to click inside that UI to launch an app, although the resulting windows look native.

    3. GPU / graphics support – Parallels can leverage the host’s GPU (including Metal on Apple Silicon) for smoother 3D and video playback. WinBoat relies on the generic virtual GPU provided by the container, which is adequate for office apps but can struggle with games or heavy graphics workloads.

    4. Snapshot & rollback – Parallels offers full VM snapshots, revert points, and cloning. WinBoat’s container persistence is essentially a snapshot of the whole filesystem, but you cannot create incremental snapshots as easily.

    5. Platform focus – Parallels is a commercial product aimed at professional/mac‑centric users who need a polished Windows experience. WinBoat targets Linux power‑users who want a lightweight, free way to run Windows apps without managing a full VM.

    6. Support & updates – Parallels provides official support, frequent releases, and compatibility updates for new Windows versions. WinBoat’s development is community‑driven; updates depend on contributors and may lag behind major Windows releases.

    Bottom line

    If you are on macOS and want the most seamless, fully integrated Windows experience—complete with automatic driver injection, smooth graphics, and a polished UI—Parallels Coherence is the clear choice.

    If you are on Linux, prefer a free/open‑source solution, and are comfortable with a slightly less‑polished integration layer, WinBoat’s seamless‑integration mode gives you a comparable “apps appear as native windows” experience, albeit with fewer advanced integration features.

    Both aim to eliminate the need to juggle two separate desktops, but they differ in how deeply they merge the guest OS into the host environment, the level of performance tuning they provide, and the overall user‑experience polish.

    Sources

    Maybe you can suggest what they can add to Winboat since you have experience with Parallels advanced features

    Hope that helps