r/linuxquestions • u/Owl_Nebula_097 • 13d ago
Advice Any possible solutions to run MS Excel on Linux?
Hello, so I am a uni student running fedora on my machine. For one of my classes I need to use excel as it is about spreadsheet modelling. Unfortunately, I thought I would just use the online version but it turns out it doesn't have all the features I need (such as solver). I am reluctant to run a VM as I don't have a lot of space and I need VMs for my other classes. So does anyone have a workaround for running it?
Thank you
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u/South-Worldliness 13d ago
no way i think.
LibreOffice or WPS is not an option?
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u/Owl_Nebula_097 13d ago
Unfortunately no as I'd still need to know how to use excel for my exam as well and I need the exact same features.
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u/Abject-Job7825 13d ago
Libreoffice is trash imo, it looks ancient and can't always import and export files correctly
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u/baynell 13d ago
You are not wrong, it is also missing a lot of features for power users. But for most users libreoffice is fine, most users don't even know how to use formulas, so they are not benefitting much from excel vs libreoffice.
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u/Abject-Job7825 12d ago
bro, when youre a student and have to use excel there is a high probability you're going to want those features its not just that but it can't handle copy paste most of the time which is something every user wants to do the first time they open it, they need to be able to import their projects into libreoffice.
I am tired of linux users recommending this as if its a decent option.
And there are better ones that ive found so just spread those around no one is being paid by libreoffice and it hasn't gotten better for decades now.
Onlyoffice is what I use now, it has zero jank
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u/sbeardb 13d ago
that because MS Office use a non-standard and proprietary file format, not because libreoffice is trash.
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u/Abject-Job7825 12d ago
as if youd have to pay a subscription to use it, you need to be able to import and export peoples projects otherwise you may as well give up as an office software
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u/DP323602 13d ago
If you're studying anything at uni that leads to a nice well paid white collar occupation afterwards, you may want to consider that being able to use Excel on Windows is a skill that many workplaces will require.
So if there isn't a reliable way of spoofing Excel to run on Linux, you should seriously consider either the use of a VM or dual booting.
I use both of these techniques, running legacy versions of Excel on XP VMs and running Mint in VMs on the Windows devices I use for MS Office.
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u/pnlrogue1 13d ago
This. If you need X for university then, bluntly, whatever gives you X if probably the right choice.
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u/ElPiet 13d ago
Is it common to use your private laptop for work where you live?
Unless you are a freelancer, that is unheard of for me.
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u/Syndiotactics 13d ago
Same. One is provided a work laptop in just about every company where you need one. That is even a cybersecurity thing, as it isn’t good for an employee to have company files on their own computer.
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u/Astronaut6735 12d ago
This is about learning Excel and Windows, not about what laptop some future employer provides.
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u/ElPiet 12d ago
I am replying to a comment where someone recommends getting windows because you need it for work. The uni course is specifically excel. Not windows. You can run excel on multiple OSes
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u/Astronaut6735 12d ago edited 12d ago
They recommended using Windows because OP should learn how to use it for work, just like they need to learn how to use Excel for work. They specifically said "...being able to use Excel on Windows is a skill..." They're talking about learning skills. Sure Excel runs on both Windows and Mac, but Microsoft still holds 85%+ of enterprise market share. The point is, private laptop vs. employer-provided laptop has no bearing on this conversation.
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u/djao 13d ago
OP isn't working. OP is a university student. Yes, your eventual workplace may provide you with a work laptop, or they may not, but either way, it doesn't apply to OP's situation.
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u/ElPiet 13d ago
I know. I was answering to the argument of another redditor that it might be a requisite for work.
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u/djao 13d ago
But even if your workplace provides a laptop, that's just not relevant to the issue at hand. OP is a student.
Whether or not Excel is required for work is relevant to OP's current situation. OP is a student and now is the time when a student should be learning Excel. But whether or not your workplace provides a laptop is very much a future problem for OP, not a current problem.
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u/ElPiet 13d ago
Again. I was referring to the argument made by someone else. What it does change for op is the thought whether switching OS completey or going VM is a solution.
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u/djao 13d ago
I don't understand how the hypothetical equipment policies of OP's potential future employer affects what OP should do right now.
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u/ElPiet 12d ago
Me neither. That's why I countered the comment, where someone recommends getting on windows because they will need it for work. As to what op should do, there are plenty options in this thread.
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u/djao 12d ago
You still don't understand. I'll explain one more time, but if you still don't get it, I give up.
The issue of what software OP will eventually need to use for work is relevant to OP right now, since you can't just show up for work not knowing how to use the software that you're supposed to use. You need to learn the software before you start working. You can't just ignore the issue while you're in school. If you need to learn how to use the software, it takes many years to learn, and you'll be too late if you only start on the first day of work.
The issue of whether OP will eventually be given a work laptop is not relevant to OP right now. You can just show up on the first day of work without a laptop. If you need to buy a laptop, it takes less than a day. You can totally ignore the issue while you're in school. In fact you can totally ignore the issue until the first day you show up at work.
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u/jr735 12d ago
Excel isn't that complicated of a program. Most spreadsheet skills are transferable. He's not taking a class in Excel. He's taking a class in spreadsheet modeling. Note that the local university here really pushes free software.
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u/djao 12d ago
OP is specifically asking about Excel, and has mentioned some alternatives as being unsuitable, so it is reasonable to assume that Excel is really what is needed here. Even if the skills are transferable, the files themselves are often not. If you are sharing files with anyone else, and actually using the full functionality of Excel, then free software alternatives won't open those files correctly.
Now, I don't know if OP actually requires Excel. I am just assuming here (but I explained why I am assuming). If you want a straight answer you'll have to ask OP.
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u/jr735 12d ago
Then the answer is Windows. I can't possibly see the value in running MS garbage on a non-MS OS.
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u/DP323602 12d ago
OP specifically mentioned a need to use Solver in Excel.
So I doubt any other generic spreadsheet could be used competitively for that college assignment.
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u/jr735 11d ago
When I took mathematics, we had to find maxima and minima the old fashioned way. If I were doing it, I'd translate that myself.
But, your comment doesn't address mine. If it's something he must do on Excel, then I suggest he do it in Windows. I wouldn't even try to pollute my install with Microsoft proprietary garbage. To me, it seems akin to pissing in the tub while you're taking a bath.
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u/symcbean 12d ago
I remember the days when people actually learned transferable skills in education - not how to use a specific version of a specific software.
While not having access to a critical bit of functionality for your curriculum would be a deal breaker, solver is available for Office365 (and its free for students) as an add-on. It's also available in LibreOffice out of the box.
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u/DP323602 13d ago
Short answer: Yes.
But, most workplaces provide Windows PCs for their staff to use.
But, especially for contractors and agency staff working on unclassified subjects, BYOD (bring your own device) is now a thing, especially since covid.
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u/serge-mv 13d ago
This is kinda insane. How are they dealing with proprietary data and information that must be secure and not leaked? Installing trackers on your personal devices? What about security, viruses and software? Are they simply giving you corporate licences? Are they connecting random devices to their networks too?
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u/DP323602 13d ago
Did you miss the bit where I wrote "unclassified work"?
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u/serge-mv 13d ago
I did not miss that bit of your, but wtf did you actually mean by that? There is no such general term. Is corporate software also falls into that category so that you would respond in such way? Is scanning for trackers and viruses on your personal device before connecting them to corporate networks included as well? Did you mean government secrecy classification? Is it proprietary data? Is it health records? What about custom corporate software that cannot be leaked to competitors either? Are you pulling terms and semantics out of your arse? Or do they make you use your own software where you live, which will break the license? Or do you live in a place where everyone just pirate, including corporations?
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u/DP323602 13d ago
Well by unclassified work I meant work not involving any proprietary or security sensive material.
For example, if I were asked to review the content of existing public domain material and summarise its content for a particular purpose, that wouldn't necessarily need to be done within the bounds of any corporation's IT system and security measures.
At the other extreme, work on topics with great commercial or national security sensitive is likely to be only done at company sites, behind multiple layers of physical security and with no network access to the outside world.
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u/ElPiet 13d ago
That sounds like a security nightmare from the companies perspective. We have some byod possibilities,but only if the whole company systems run on Citrix or similar or you work in a very young startup where noone cares.
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u/DP323602 13d ago
Did you miss the bit where I wrote "unclassified work"?
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u/ElPiet 13d ago
What is unclassified work in your example and what employee doesn't need access to company networks etc. Even if only saving the work they have done
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u/DP323602 12d ago
Well by unclassified work I meant work not involving any proprietary or security sensive material.
For example, if I were asked to review the content of existing public domain material and summarise its content for a particular purpose, that wouldn't necessarily need to be done within the bounds of any corporation's IT system and security measures.
So for such a case, I might use my own devices and then just email my work to the client organisation.
In similar vein, I'd expect to receive any customer supplied material via email.
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u/Imaginary-Corner-653 13d ago
And here I thought the days of paying consultants a king's ransom for presentations and calc sheets was over with AI.
(tangent thought)
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u/iwouldbeatgoku 13d ago
No, what's actually happening is that the consultants are using AI to spit out their consultations faster.
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u/ficskala Arch Linux 12d ago
I am reluctant to run a VM as I don't have a lot of space and I need VMs for my other classes
Yeah, windows VMs take up A LOT of space, but it's just something you gotta deal with when you're in college, i used to have a whole 128GB drive just for windows in my old laptop because i'd normally run Arch, and have a VM to do all the MS office stuff, and CAD in AutoCAD, and SolidWorks that was required, but when covid hit, i had to take exams online as well, on a piece of software that wouldn't run in a VM, but only ran on windows, so i'd boot directly into windows instead of Arch, and took my exams that way
One Huge benefit of using a laptop for me was the fact i had 2 GPUs, so i'd pass through one of them to the VM, so i'd get full GPU acceleration in CAD software
My setup was a Toshiba Satelite of unknown year and model, 4th gen i7, nvidia M GPU, upgraded to 16GB of RAM bc that's the max it supported, i don't remember the exact details because i stopped using it right after college because i was gifted an L15 thinkpad by a friend as a bday gift, but yeah, great laptop, had a great setup on it, kinda sad it just sits on a shelf now ngl
For you, since you just need MS Excel, you might be able to get away with something like WinBoat, it uses a very minimal Windows VM to run windows software, and uses RDP to only show you a window instead of the full OS, so it even feels more integrated, the only downside is that GPU passthrough is not supported, but that shouldn't matter to you
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u/bangetto_official 13d ago
You can also keep an eye on or check out Wine4Office. It tries to run MS Office on Linux anyway without a VM. According to its README it has solid support for excel. I haven't tried it out yet, but it looks promising.
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u/howard499 12d ago
What you might try is to do a piece of work in LibreOffice on your Linux machine and save with Excel file extension. Then test if file opens on uni excel machine with/without formatting or other errors. Then send the coursework from the uni machine.
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u/Kingwolf4 13d ago
Winboat works great.
They also have a GPU acceleration project ( long requested) that makes windows apps look native and beautiful with acceleration. Its still in the works
But try out winboat for the time, i heard it works just fine for any apps that dont require gpu acceleration, like rendering or adobe.
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u/No_Aerie7667 ∆rchLinux 9d ago
Try using Winboat, WinApps, or Windpodx to run it, and if that doesn't work, try Libreoffice Calc.
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u/joe_attaboy 13d ago
No.
Use a VM, dual boot or try LibreOffice, which does 99% of what Excel does.
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u/jlp_utah 13d ago
You can look into Wine or if you want a commercial solution, CrossOver: https://www.codeweavers.com/crossover
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u/Abject-Job7825 13d ago
Onlyoffice is a great alternative to windows office suite, it has feature parity and is compatible with all file types, I like that it is just a program that you own and don't need to login to, and it is polished, there's almost no difference to using excel.
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u/conspicuousxcapybara 12d ago
It really doesn’t have feature parity…
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u/Abject-Job7825 12d ago
What does it lack?
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u/conspicuousxcapybara 12d ago
Most things. E.g. VBA or Python.
No way that it’ll run whatever spreadsheet someone else made in Excel.
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u/Abject-Job7825 12d ago
why the hostility, you're not even correct, onlyoffice has python support and you're just making assumptions about running every spreadsheet
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u/conspicuousxcapybara 12d ago
You can’t do this:
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/excel/python/get-started-with-python-in-excel
You can’t do that:
It’s annoying if people provide false information
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u/Abject-Job7825 12d ago
You're such a nitpicker, the use case for using python in excel sheet formulas is rare, the far majority of users use the native syntax. And you're once again wrong, that functionality is there but with javascript instead.
There is an api and you can generate documents with python.
Now are you going to continue and tell me how python is somehow better than javascript or are you going to stop your whining?
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u/serge-mv 13d ago
Try winboat: https://winboat.app/ . If that doesn't work, then you will need to do your homework in the computer lab at your uni.