WinBoat 0.9 adds Podman & UWP app support, and much more for running Windows apps on Linux

WinBoat 0.9 is now available, enhancing its core function for running Windows applications on Linux with a focus on seamless integration. The new release introduces Podman as a supported container engine, which users can select during setup. However, USB passthrough features are not yet operational with Podman. Alongside these improvements, Docker-based installations will now reserve the port range 47270–47370 for all services to prevent conflicts. Podman users will see random port assignments due to limitations in compose file support.

Building on application compatibility, WinBoat 0.9 now supports Universal Windows Platform (UWP) apps. All installed UWP applications are displayed and can be launched directly from within the software. For users looking to personalize workflows, it is now possible to create custom applications by modifying existing entries.

Several usability features were added, including app filtering, launching via the context menu, adjustable application scaling, and the option to disable animations for those sensitive to motion or experiencing issues with Electron-based compositors. The update enables users to add FreeRDP arguments and includes a wm-class prefix for window management customization. New installations will benefit from Windows guest auto-clock synchronization and a default install path set to ~/winboat. This release also contains minor bug fixes for enhanced stability and usability.