Is it possible to run Linux binaries on Haiku?
There existing a WINE-port to Haiku, to run Windows programs on Haiku.
Other operating systems can start Linux binaries.
For example Windows 10 and 11 with WSL1 / WSL2 / WSLg.
BSDs like DragonFly BSD allows to run Linux-binaries on it.
Haiku have an X11 implementation. Which could help, to run Linux GUI programs on Haiku.
So, is it possible, to run Linux binaries on Haiku?
No. At this point there’s no linux emulation layer.
Note that, most of time, it isn’t possible to run linux binaries from a distribution on another. Even when you can do it, it’s not recommended.
Also most of software that you find on a linux distribution is open source so a good part can be ported to Haiku, as long as they are not tied to linux kernel. Maybe some that you’re looking for are already in HaikuDepot.
It may be possible to run some Linux binaries in BoxedWine. It has its own Linux syscalls implementation.
WSL on Windows is essentially a VM - in fact with the newest version you can install a full Linux distribution under Windows. It’s definitely not Windows itself supporting Linux binaries.
WSL 1 was a sys call translation layer, though. Basically like wine, but the other way around.
But yes, WSL 2 is a VM. And it is tightly integrated into the rest of Windows, e.g. for shared file system access.
Realistically, you would probably need to find a way to piggyback off of an existing Linux distro, to avoid having to package all the million different libraries that Linux applications depend on.
I believe FreeBSD does this.
Hi there, I feel like you may be misunderstanding how these other operating systems run Linux binaries.
On Windows 10/11, you use WSL. However, WSL is basically installing a Linux kernel (and a distro like Ubuntu on top of that) in a sort of Virtual Machine (it’s a bit more complex, but that should be enough to understand). So, instead of Windows starting the Linux binary, it’s Windows starting Linux, and Linux starting that Linux binary.
Windows itself is not capable of starting or running Linux binaries.
Running these on Windows is done by running Linux on Windows.
Dragonfly BSD runs Linux binaries by implementing two things: A compatibility layer, which translates the system calls made by the Linux binary to ones compatible with BSD (similar to Wine), and by having Linux system calls directly in the kernel (they just get re-routed to BSD’s, it’s basically a low level compatibility layer).
BSD itself is not capable of starting or running Linux binaries.
Running these on Dragonfly BSD is done by translating system calls with built-in modifications to the BSD kernel and a compatibility layer above that, similar to Wine.
It is important to note that Dragonfly BSD is extremely niche compared to every other OS mentioned here, just like Haiku is, because most of the world has moved on from BSD.
Another important point is that not all Linux binaries run on all Linux systems. Different distributions have different package types, different ways in which apps interface with the system, and different system architecture. This means that the compatibility layer would have to account for every type of Linux binary and package, which is much bigger of a task than supporting Windows’ one .exe portable executable format (theoretically, implementation complexity may vary).
Now, with all this information, I hope that you will understand why Haiku currently cannot run Linux binaries. The only way to make this happen would be a compatibility layer similar to Wine, and with the OS itself being in a perpetual beta state without direct support for things we take for granted everywhere else (like Java or Qt), that being developed any time soon is extremely unlikely.
I’ve read through some forum posts on this as well, and saw a long time (ex) Haiku user and developer complain about the way in which Haiku is being developed. Here’s a quote:
“The developers of the OS are increasingly seeing it as their private hobby, taking the time to replace things that are not broken, and the idea that there are people out there that might actually want to use it is receding further and further. […] Every six months or so there is some “necessary breakage” which means that a major framework like Java or QT stops working. […] And then there is a general shrugging of shoulders and claiming that fixing QT or Java is the QT dev’s problem, not theirs. But the guy who ported QT or Java left the scene years ago …”
Quote Source: https://qr.ae/pCkKOf (Quora)
If you want a Linux binary to run on Haiku, you’ll either have to do the gargantuan task of creating a compatibility layer yourself, or port the binary using the following guides:
Edit: Added 2 missing links now that the Forum has given me the necessary permissions.
This quote seems very negative,but after following Haikus development progress (and actually using the system) for multiple years,I can not confirm that.
Sometimes users are upset if things don’t change into the direction they’d personally like to see,then they leave the project in anger and write stuff like that.
First of all,developing Haiku is the private hobby of the developers,the only guy who gets paid for it is @waddlesplash,anyway the changes I see are to the benefit of the project and the users.
That a major framework like Qt or Java gets broken every 6 months is simply not true.
These things are important to a big part of the userbase,therefore breakages are avoided if at all possible.
If some ABI/API changes are absolutely required,Qt or similar frameworks get fixed very fast after that change,so that most users normally don’t feel an impact.
Sometimes breaking changes are required to improve things,but that doesn’t mean devs are shrugging shoulders and claim it’s not their problem.
Welcome, @Xodabeef
It takes a while to know your way around this forum, but you are replying to a very old, dead thread. The OP hasn’t been seen since that 2022 post and is probably no longer around to read your reply. People leave Haiku for reasons of their own
Before anyone even asks, yup, that was me, seven years ago. As I said, people leave. And people come back. There’s something about Haiku that just keeps people coming back.
Anyway, this is not to discourage you from participating. You seem very knowledgeable, and we’d like to see more! But the conversation has moved on.
Depending on the app you are looking to run, it may have already been ported to Haiku. Check HaikuDepot in Haiku or online at depot.haiku-os.org
Also, many command line apps either work or have been ported.
The sentiment seems okay, for that time. I’d be annoyed as a user aswell if i had to wait 6 years for a release (between the last alpha and first beta)
To be fair I wasn’t around back then. But still 
Hello, @michel !
Sorry, I didn’t see the post creation date and wrongly assumed that it was recent.
I do get that “something draws you back” feeling, there’s something so appealing about a new, seemingly uncomplicated OS in its early stages… I’ve actually been on and off Haiku since I found it, mostly using it to check if a PC can boot at all since it’s great for that, sadly I haven’t found the time to actually get into Haiku development myself.
From now on, I’ll make sure to check the dates on posts before replying!
And as a side note, seeing someone with 16 years of experience and an amazing beard reply to me feels really cool!
With all the other theads about the lack of progress in Haiku going on these days, maybe it’s a good thing to look at where we were a few years ago and how much progress has been made in solving the issues we had back then. Thanks to everyone who put and are still putting the efforts in keeping Java, Qt and everything else running!