I recently installed Lubuntu on an older laptop, and while it connects to my Brother Mfc-l2710dw printer just fine, I can't access some advanced Windows software that has features like scanning to email. I've heard that tools like Wine or Proton might allow Windows apps to run on Linux. What's the community's take on using these compatibility layers? Do they make my system more vulnerable, and is it worth pursuing?
6 Answers
There are plenty of TWAIN-compliant software options on Linux that could handle scanning without needing Windows. You might find one that suits your needs!
You could also try winapps, which sets up a Windows VM in Docker. It streams applications like RDP, so you can run them alongside your Linux apps. It’s cool for office software and should work fine for most applications!
I've been using Simple Scan, and it allows me to email scanned documents without any hassle. It works well for my needs!
If your printer's connected via WiFi or Ethernet, you could potentially run it through Wine. That said, I found that there are .deb files specifically for that printer used with Linux. Have you checked those out?
Sounds great! I thought it would be really cumbersome to set up, especially for someone who's not tech-savvy.
You can check out Lutris to see if that runs well for you with no major security risks.
In general, native software is usually recommended since it tends to work better. If you try running a Windows application through Wine and it works, go for it! But don't expect the same performance as native apps.
Good to know! The person using the laptop mainly does the same but I was just curious about maximizing that printer's features.