Microsoft Windows/Office Setup and Activation on (Slackware) Linux

Update 2024-01-09: Virtualbox 7.0.12 builds with some patches, see this thread on LinuxQuestions. For the end user using SBo, please wait until Heinz updates the Virtualbox-related SlackBuilds.

So first, a disclaimer: The methods I list in this article are solely for educational purposes, and if you need the software legally, buy a license, or use free (or better, FOSS) counterparts.

I was listening to a local podcast the other day, and the sponsor of that episode is a company that sells extension cables and whatnot. As they were talking about the product, a question arose: when would we want to buy extension cables? If we aren’t in need of it, we wouldn’t even think about it. The only moment people really want to buy them, is when they need the extension cables, but none of them are available. As a result they utilized this for pushing the holiday discount for the cables.

In software, just like extension cables, there are some things I miss only when I need them. One of them is a working Windows virtual machine setup. I’ve avoided Windows- or Mac-only software for most of my university work, but sadly when I deal with classes from the business and administration departments, I’ve had less success. Time after time I encounter pieces of software that only have Windows and/or Mac OS versions. In those cases, having a Windows VM is pretty handy. (I had to edit Access databases for schoolwork, and clearly the easiest way to do that is with Microsoft Access. That prompted this article.)

If you’re using Linux, or more specifically, Slackware, here’s what I chose to install, and how I installed them.

The Actual Tutorial Part

Preparation

Download Parts

In this part, we are downloading Windows 10 LTSC, the Long Term Servicing Channel, to install less bloat in the first place. The Office version I chose is Office 2016, but feel free to download any later or earlier versions, though install procedures may differ.

Installation

Office Installation

Optimization

Here we’ll use a tool by Chris Titus to optimize our setup. This part is optional but if you want a better experience, here’s your chance.

The tool installs winget, a command-line package manager for Windows. If you’ve used package managers on Linux, it should feel familiar. I installed SumatraPDF, VLC, Librewolf and 7-Zip since they are essential to replace Edge functionality.

Activation

The tool we’ll use here is named “Microsoft Activation Scripts”, and it’s the single easiest way to activate Windows and Office I’ve ever seen. Kudos to the dev(s).

Final Touches

– ltlnx 2024-01-05

標籤:slackware


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