One of the applications people miss the most for Linux is Photoshop. Many people like Gimp, but I don’t really get on with him very well. I find Photoshop easier for me because I spent more time using it when I was a Windows user. Photoshop is also one of the most difficult applications to run on Linux, so I began investigating and here is the answer:
First of all, we need to clean our work area: if you are a Debian user, one apt-get remove --purge wine and apt-get install wine should be enough for having a clean install of the newest version of Wine, a Windows emulator for Linux platforms. If you are not a Debian user, you must get Wine from the official website, and install it through the command ./configure && make && sudo make install, in the directory made when uncompressing the downloaded package.
Now we are going to do some steps in Windows. We need to install Photoshop normally. Once installed, we need to save the Windows registry key which identifies Photoshop and has its information so we can implement it on Wine. Execute regedit.exe and place in the key
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\\SOFTWARE\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Uninstall\\{EFB21DE7-8C19-4A88-BB28-A766E16493BC}
In the tree view, right click on it and click on “export”. After doing this, you should get a .reg file which contents must be used in Linux.
Let’s go back to Linux and copy the whole folder C:\Program Files\Adobe\ to the Linux folder: ~/.wine/drive_c/Program Files/. Now we have to add the Windows registry information to Wine. For doing that, edit the .reg file, delete the first line, and change this:
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Uninstall\\{EFB21DE7-8C19-4A88-BB28-A766E16493BC}]
Into this:
[SOFTWARE\\\\Microsoft\\\\Windows\\\\CurrentVersion\\\\Uninstall\\\\{EFB21DE7-8C19-4A88-BB28-A766E16493BC}]
When the change is done, copy all the new content of the .reg file at the end of the Linux file ~/.wine/system.reg.
Finally, we must solve some compatibility problems running winecfg, and adding photoshop.exe with Windows 2000 compatibility mode selected in the bottom combo menu.
Ready! Now you can run Photoshop in Linux executing ~/.wine/drive_c/Program Files/Adobe/Photoshop CS/Photoshop.exe.
July 31st, 2006 at 15:28
One thing to point out… The registry value (”{EFB21DE7-8C19-4A88-BB28-A766E16493BC}”) was different for me. You just have to look through them and find the value that contains the Photoshop CS2 serial. I figured some people might get confused when that reg value wasn’t there. Nice tutorial, though. I’m trying it now.
July 31st, 2006 at 15:31
Yeah, I’m sorry. Is more accuarate to say that the key must be the same in the 8 first digits.
Thanks, I’ll modify that.
July 31st, 2006 at 17:42
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August 1st, 2006 at 2:22
ive done everything just as its written. and everything went fine
but, after photoshop have loaded up i get a error message like this: “Unable to continue because of a hardware or system error. Sorry, but this error is unrecoverable” and then i have to klick on a quit button, and it shuts down
any idea whats wrong?
btw, thanks for this great tutorial!
August 25th, 2006 at 12:30
ah! I’ve been debating with myself installing linux properly (have it running on virtual machine just to research). What sort of speed would this run at on a dual core 2Ghz approximately? I did try gimp and I have to say that I do hate it with a passion.. it is lacking in so much and seems to be developed by assheaded coders with no interest in making a functional toolset… the path tool is horrible, handling channels is so much more of a pain and getting a wacom to work with pressure just takes too long for me to want to bother… Until linux changes this I will not be switching, but… if photoshop / illustrator will run then I’ll do it! (I’m fine with all the other opensource apps, it’s really just Gimp / blender that i hates).
So yeah! an idea of functionality would be nice.. it runs ok?
August 31st, 2006 at 17:46
Lobotom, you are so right.
But I think the only difference is the registry key, isn’t it?
September 8th, 2006 at 5:48
so, you’re supposed to copy everything from the cs .reg file to the system.reg file??? i dont understand…
October 7th, 2006 at 11:58
This assumes that we have access to a windows installation of Photoshop. But I don’t- I don’t even have windows anymore. Can Photoshop just be installed from the disk?
October 7th, 2006 at 19:24
You don’t have to have Windows installed. You just need the Photoshop’s folder. You can borrow a friend’s computer for doing that.
Cheers.
November 29th, 2006 at 23:38
Hi there!
You made my day! It really works!
I’ve tried to make it work for so long and couldn’t make it. FInally, I can enjoy Photoshop CS!
Great thanks!
November 30th, 2006 at 12:06
hi to everybody…you know it was my first time on linux and im using Xubuntu..you it is difficult for a begginer like me to type all those commands i do not know where to type it..as of now im using the “terminal” to do it but im not sureif it is right…and i dont know how and where to start..somebody here want to help me….please?
December 14th, 2006 at 1:17
I’m about to do a reformat of my computer, wiping out my Windows partition.
What files do I need to copy over from my existing XP install to my USB disc drive so that I can run PS CS2 on Linux?
December 16th, 2006 at 18:59
@Brian Boyko: Your Adobe Folder and the registry key mentioned above.
June 27th, 2007 at 14:56
It was working for me since first error, when i tried to use clone tool, then an error occured and i had to shut PS2 down, next time i run it i got a message: “Unable to continue because of a hardware or system error. Sorry, but this error is unrecoverable”. I tried to do the same with cross over, it is working, but if I try to f.eg. clone program stop responding, and whats worse, i cant load any ready project (*.psd) or any format that include layers (*.tif , *,tiff). Plus is that, that i didnt had to export reg key (wine or cross over). Hope that helps, waiting for some breakthroughs ;]
August 22nd, 2007 at 21:50
Once I copy the Adobe folder, and I go into wine, I have no option to paste. Even if I copy the adobe folder onto the Linux drive, I still can’t paste it into the wine directory.
Also, I have been from one end of my drive to the other, and I see no folder entitled “.wine”
October 16th, 2007 at 20:12
in order to remove “Unable to continue because of a hardware or system error. Sorry, but this error is unrecoverable” while opening photoshop press cntl alt shift. Next in dialogue press enter.
January 19th, 2008 at 10:09
Why to run Photoshop CS/CS2 in Linux? Linux have a batter program for this job. Usefull and freeware. GİMP
January 19th, 2008 at 10:10
Why to run Photoshop CS/CS2 in Linux? Linux have Gimp. Usefull and freeware.
April 17th, 2008 at 9:32
@tfn:
Because the much-overrated GIMP absolutely stinks for professional-grade work, and because I shouldn’t be obliged to either convert the dozens of PSD files I’ve created (so they’ll open without missing layers) or start anew entirely.