It's still Windows-only, however it works great in Linux using WINE.? If you install a WINE version that's 9.0 or newer, then nothing extra needs to be done to get VARA to run; just download VARA and install it like normal.?? I'm very happy with it; been using it for quite a while 24/7 on my Linux machine as a packet node port.? The only thing that doesn't work when using it in WINE is VARA's CPU usage meter, but it's not necessary anyway.

It's still Windows-only, however it works great in Linux using WINE.? If you install a WINE version that's 9.0 or newer, then nothing extra needs to be done to get VARA to run; just download VARA and install it like normal.?? I'm very happy with it; been using it for quite a while 24/7 on my Linux machine as a packet node port.? The only thing that doesn't work when using it in WINE is VARA's CPU usage meter, but it's not necessary anyway.

I need to slow down, lol.? You will need to install winetricks also, and then use winetricks to install the VB6RUN from winetricks' "Install a DLL component" section.? And, if you don't see Wine in your Linux start menu and you want it in the menu, you'll need to install wine-desktop to get it in the menu.? That's all what worked for my Linux Mint machines.? There's other ways of installing all that, but it's what worked for me.

?

1. Install Wine 9.0 or newer from whatever online walk-thru you can find on Google.

2. Install Winetricks

3. Install VB6RUN using Winetricks

4. Install wine-desktop if WINE doesn't show in your start menu

5. Install VARA

?

Also, I just saw where VarAC does indeed run in WINE.? Here's their page on it:

I need to slow down, lol.? You will need to install winetricks also, and then use winetricks to install the VB6RUN from winetricks' "Install a DLL component" section.? And, if you don't see Wine in your Linux start menu and you want it in the menu, you'll need to install wine-desktop to get it in the menu.? That's all what worked for my Linux Mint machines.? There's other ways of installing all that, but it's what worked for me.

?

1. Install Wine 9.0 or newer from whatever online walk-thru you can find on Google.

2. Install Winetricks

3. Install VB6RUN using Winetricks

4. Install wine-desktop if WINE doesn't show in your start menu

5. Install VARA

?

Also, I just saw where VarAC does indeed run in WINE.? Here's their page on it:

I'm not familiar with 73 Linux; is that what you are using?

On Tuesday, March 11, 2025 at 12:28:09 AM EDT, Ne110 via groups.io <ne110@...> wrote:

Thanks, that's great to hear. Really appreciate that. Hey, I was looking up 73 Linux. Does that install some of the Wine applications as part of the script?

Thanks again for your time

Sent with secure email.

On Monday, March 10th, 2025 at 10:01 PM, Jeff KP3FT via groups.io <kp3ft@...> wrote:

I need to slow down, lol.? You will need to install winetricks also, and then use winetricks to install the VB6RUN from winetricks' "Install a DLL component" section.? And, if you don't see Wine in your Linux start menu and you want it in the menu, you'll need to install wine-desktop to get it in the menu.? That's all what worked for my Linux Mint machines.? There's other ways of installing all that, but it's what worked for me.

?

1. Install Wine 9.0 or newer from whatever online walk-thru you can find on Google.

2. Install Winetricks

3. Install VB6RUN using Winetricks

4. Install wine-desktop if WINE doesn't show in your start menu

5. Install VARA

?

Also, I just saw where VarAC does indeed run in WINE.? Here's their page on it:

Am 11.03.2025 um 04:01 schrieb Jeff KP3FT via groups.io <kp3ft@...>:

?

I need to slow down, lol.? You will need to install winetricks also, and then use winetricks to install the VB6RUN from winetricks' "Install a DLL component" section.? And, if you don't see Wine in your Linux start menu and you want it in the menu, you'll need to install wine-desktop to get it in the menu.? That's all what worked for my Linux Mint machines.? There's other ways of installing all that, but it's what worked for me.

?

1. Install Wine 9.0 or newer from whatever online walk-thru you can find on Google.

2. Install Winetricks

3. Install VB6RUN using Winetricks

4. Install wine-desktop if WINE doesn't show in your start menu

5. Install VARA

?

Also, I just saw where VarAC does indeed run in WINE.? Here's their page on it:

Hi,

if running 73linux install vara with it vara will then run fine. in this state varac won?t work.

1. install vara with 73linux

2. for mint 21.x use then the commands on

3. for mint 22.x the solution for mint 21.x doesn?t work here use the following commands after runnning point 1 :

uninstall wine with the updateer

sudo dpkg --add-architecture i386
sudo mkdir -pm755 /etc/apt/keyrings
sudo wget -O /etc/apt/keyrings/winehq-archive.key
sudo wget -NP /etc/apt/sources.list.d/
sudo apt update
sudo apt install --install-recommends winehq-stable
wine --version
wine winecfg
sudo apt-get install winetricks

4. after this install varac and it should run

vy 73 de Klaus dc2jr

Am 11.03.25 um 06:29 schrieb Jeff KP3FT via groups.io:

I'm not familiar with 73 Linux; is that what you are using?

On Tuesday, March 11, 2025 at 12:28:09 AM EDT, Ne110 via groups.io <ne110@...> wrote:

Thanks, that's great to hear. Really appreciate that. Hey, I was looking up 73 Linux. Does that install some of the Wine applications as part of the script?

Thanks again for your time

Sent with secure email.

On Monday, March 10th, 2025 at 10:01 PM, Jeff KP3FT via groups.io <kp3ft@...> wrote:

I need to slow down, lol. You will need to install winetricks also, and then use winetricks to install the VB6RUN from winetricks' "Install a DLL component" section. And, if you don't see Wine in your Linux start menu and you want it in the menu, you'll need to install wine-desktop to get it in the menu. That's all what worked for my Linux Mint machines. There's other ways of installing all that, but it's what worked for me.

1. Install Wine 9.0 or newer from whatever online walk-thru you can find on Google.

2. Install Winetricks

3. Install VB6RUN using Winetricks

4. Install wine-desktop if WINE doesn't show in your start menu

5. Install VARA

Also, I just saw where VarAC does indeed run in WINE. Here's their page on it:

Hi, Neil,

?

I struggled with VARA on Linux and in the end it kind of works.?I have Debian 12.9 installed on a Chromebook and the same system on some older notebooks and it works everywhere. It should be more or less the same on Ubuntu, I believe.

?

First thing, after many unsuccessful attempts to run VARA, I uninstalled everything wine. The version distributed with Debian is just way too old. Next, I went to winehq.org and set up additional repo to Debian following their instructions.??

?

Next I installed wine as the winehq package. I believe it is version 10.3.?

?

Then you have to add i386 (32-bit) architecture.?

> dpkg --add-architecture i386

It will add a bunch of libraries. This is necessary because VARA.exe is a 32-bit, not a 64-bit application. It should also add wine32 package automatically. If not, check at winehq how to do that.

?

Next I ran?

> winetricks vb6run

?

This adds VB6 runtime libraries because VARA is, believe it or not, written in **Visual Basic** (OMG!)

?

You are almost there. Then you have to create a wine prefix containing 32-bit Windows system. There are some good hints here:

?

The last thing is to install VARA, for instance copy VARASetup.exe into disk_c in the 32-bit Wine prefix and run something like

WINEARCH=win32 WINEPREFIX=<path-to-your-win32-prefix> VARASetup.exe

?

I have to start VARA with both WINEARCH and WINEPREFIX set, maybe if you follow the instructions from the answer at askubuntu (delete ~.wine and recreate it as 32-bit prefix) you could do away with only the WINEARCH variable.

?

73 Jindra

P.S. two observations
1. starting from this week I cannot connect to any VARA RMS... Not sure what's the reason, it seems VARA is pretty quirky

2. I wanted to install VARA on a chromebook that I bought second-hand, with 16 GB eMMC disk because it can last up to 10-12 hours without charging - ideal for emcomm and other outdoor activities. Due to the necessity of installing wine32 I had to buy another chromebook (which lasts only up to 6 hours) but with 32 GB eMMC, because the minimal installation with wine32 takes about 17-18 GB (the system, hamlib, JS8Call, wine, wine32, vara, pat).?

On 3/14/2025 3:28 PM, Ne110 via groups.io wrote:

Thats... pretty complicated. But thanks so much for the detailed information. What do you think about the prospect of running Vara on an R Pi then? Even more of a long and difficult road?

Yes it is possible. Several people on this list have done it. The issues are pretty much the same as with any other Linux platform -- trying to get an application deeply rooted into the Windows environment to run on Linux.

---

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Skype: WA8LMF
EchoLink: Node # 14400 [Think bottom of the 2-meter band]
Home Page:

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