We could really use an Open Source app that partners with and displays all kinds of websites/stores to buy stuff and pay from the app
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- 8 mo. ago
Agreed same for Facebook then call it Readabook
Best alternatives is making Amazon something owned by the people and not any corporation/government but who knows if that would ever happen
Any open source alternatives? Ghost maybe?
Torque Launcher and Trebuchet are pretty good, also Fossify Launcher is getting there overtime
Awesome project!!
Please add your app to https://alternativeto.net/ and Zettelkasten as a feature in future
Also, these is an open source AI coding app called Void too just so you know
There is Vutuv (But it lacks a lot of what LinkedIn has) and was discontinued a couple years ago
However, a person on Reddit is making a LinkedIn alternative
Contact them to keep up with their development
If I can refind the thread I'll share it with ya
Servo and Ladybird are awesome to follow along. Hope they both succeed
Still only going to use Tenacity but cool to know
They should give OnlyOffice a try too
That's fascinating I understand what you mean. Yeah it does and does not
The Windows windows acts like Linux Windows
Also here's what Lumo from Proton says about the 2:
WinBoat does offer a feature that’s roughly comparable to Parallels Coherence mode.
When you launch a Windows program through WinBoat, the app appears as a regular‑looking Linux window—complete with its own title bar, task‑bar entry, and the ability to move it around the desktop just like any native Linux application. In other words, WinBoat’s “seamless‑integration” mode gives you the same kind‑of experience that Coherence gives on macOS: Windows apps sit side‑by‑side with your Linux apps without the need to switch to a full‑screen Windows desktop.
The implementation differs, though:
- Underlying tech – WinBoat runs a full Windows instance inside a Docker‑based container, then forwards the graphical output to the host via an Electron front‑end.
- Integration depth – While the windows look native, deeper macOS‑style features such as drag‑and‑drop between host and guest, shared clipboard, or automatic file‑type handling may be more limited compared with Parallels’ tightly‑integrated Coherence mode.
So, if you’re looking for a way to run individual Windows programs on Linux without juggling two separate desktops, WinBoat’s seamless‑integration mode is the closest analogue to macOS Parallels Coherence.
Parallels Desktop (macOS) vs WinBoat (Linux)
Below is a side‑by‑side look at the two products, focusing on the Coherence experience that Parallels calls “Coherence mode” and the seamless‑integration mode that WinBoat provides.
Core purpose
| Feature | Parallels Desktop (macOS) | WinBoat (Linux) | | --------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Primary goal | Run a full Windows VM on macOS and let Windows apps blend with the macOS desktop. | Run a Windows VM (inside a Docker container) on Linux and expose each Windows app as a native‑looking Linux window. | | Underlying tech | Hypervisor‑based virtual machine (Hyper‑V‑compatible, uses Parallels Tools for integration). | Container‑based approach: a Windows image runs inside a Docker container; the UI is forwarded through an Electron front‑end. |
“Seamless” experience (the part that resembles Coherence)
| Aspect | Parallels Coherence | WinBoat seamless‑integration | | ------------------------------------ | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Window appearance | Windows apps lose their separate desktop; each app opens as a normal macOS window with macOS title‑bars, shadows, and Dock integration. | Each Windows app appears as a regular Linux window (title‑bar, task‑bar entry, can be moved/resized like any native app). | | Desktop merging | The Windows desktop itself is hidden; only the apps you launch are visible alongside macOS apps. | The Windows desktop is also hidden; you interact directly with the individual apps, not a full Windows desktop. | | Shared clipboard & drag‑and‑drop | Full bidirectional clipboard, drag‑and‑drop of files, images, and text between macOS and Windows apps (via Parallels Tools). | Clipboard sharing works, but drag‑and‑drop and deep file‑type handling can be more limited or require manual configuration. | | Folder/file integration | Windows “My Documents”, “Desktop”, etc. can be mapped to macOS folders; you can open them from Finder. | Shared directories are configurable (e.g., a mounted host folder), but the integration UI is less polished than Parallels’ automatic mapping. | | Start menu / Launching | Windows Start button disappears; apps appear in the macOS Dock or Launchpad (via “Windows Applications” folder). | WinBoat shows a list of installed Windows apps inside its own Electron UI; you launch from there or via a shortcut you create manually. | | Performance | Runs a full VM with hardware acceleration; near‑native speed for most apps, especially on Apple Silicon where Parallels can use the Apple hypervisor. | Runs a lightweight container; start‑up is fast and memory footprint is smaller, but heavy graphics or GPU‑intensive apps may be slower because they rely on the container’s virtual GPU. | | Resource control | Fine‑grained CPU/RAM allocation, dynamic resizing, snapshots, and suspend/resume. | Resource limits are set at container launch (CPU shares, memory caps); snapshots are essentially the container’s persisted state. | | Installation & setup | One‑click installer, guided VM creation wizard, automatic Parallels Tools injection. | Requires Docker, the WinBoat Electron client, and a Windows base image; initial setup is semi‑automated but still involves pulling the container and configuring shared folders. | | Supported host hardware | macOS 10.15+ on Intel and Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3). | Any modern Linux distribution with Docker support (x8664, ARM64). | | Licensing | Commercial (paid license, trial available). | Open‑source (free) with optional paid support/community contributions. |
Where they diverge
- Depth of integration – Parallels’ Coherence is built around Parallels Tools, which injects drivers into the Windows guest to give tight integration (clipboard, mouse pointer, display scaling, audio, printers, etc.). WinBoat’s integration is functional but not as exhaustive; some peripheral passthrough (e.g., USB devices) is still experimental.
- User‑interface polish – Parallels presents a macOS‑styled “Windows Applications” folder in the Dock and hides all Windows UI elements automatically. WinBoat shows its own Electron dashboard; you still need to click inside that UI to launch an app, although the resulting windows look native.
- GPU / graphics support – Parallels can leverage the host’s GPU (including Metal on Apple Silicon) for smoother 3D and video playback. WinBoat relies on the generic virtual GPU provided by the container, which is adequate for office apps but can struggle with games or heavy graphics workloads.
- Snapshot & rollback – Parallels offers full VM snapshots, revert points, and cloning. WinBoat’s container persistence is essentially a snapshot of the whole filesystem, but you cannot create incremental snapshots as easily.
- Platform focus – Parallels is a commercial product aimed at professional/mac‑centric users who need a polished Windows experience. WinBoat targets Linux power‑users who want a lightweight, free way to run Windows apps without managing a full VM.
- Support & updates – Parallels provides official support, frequent releases, and compatibility updates for new Windows versions. WinBoat’s development is community‑driven; updates depend on contributors and may lag behind major Windows releases.
Bottom line
If you are on macOS and want the most seamless, fully integrated Windows experience—complete with automatic driver injection, smooth graphics, and a polished UI—Parallels Coherence is the clear choice.
If you are on Linux, prefer a free/open‑source solution, and are comfortable with a slightly less‑polished integration layer, WinBoat’s seamless‑integration mode gives you a comparable “apps appear as native windows” experience, albeit with fewer advanced integration features.
Both aim to eliminate the need to juggle two separate desktops, but they differ in how deeply they merge the guest OS into the host environment, the level of performance tuning they provide, and the overall user‑experience polish.
Sources
Maybe you can suggest what they can add to Winboat since you have experience with Parallels advanced features
Hope that helps
Don't know about Parallels on Mac but it does have filesystem sharing
Not sure what you mean by seamless windows though
Recommend using Winboat to run Windows 10 especially when they add GPU Passthrough. It is not dual booting or VM but a different thing like an app where you can turn on and off the operating system of Windows
Try out Winboat
It doesn't have GPU Passthrough yet but they are adding it in
Really cool how Winboat does it. Read up on it and watch some videos
Its butter smooth even without Passthrough but when it is added it'll be phenomenal
That's a great suggestion!
I'll definitely add doing more unique game concepts as part of what gets made overtime.
You inspired me, I just thought of a Tux Overhead Legend of Zelda type game but with chess-like movement.
Where you can go throughout the game unlocking chess pieces as abilities to switch to a different piece to change how you move and abilities. Maybe even add some unique pieces too for enemies, and player to move in new ways
Check out the KDE Slimbook VI
Let them know about Onlyoffice too!!
There is hope lots of YouTube channels, articles by bloggers such as Its Foss, and guides to Linux all over
Especially for Linux Mint (Similar to Windows), Pop!_OS (Similar to MacOS), and Bazzite (Gaming-Productivity Distro, Similar to SteamOS)
The latter 2 work out of the box for gaming if that's your thing
You got this. Learn little by little each day and engage with community as much as you can. Maybe join some Voyager for Lemmy, Bluesky, Discord, etc communities
Spread it around with every German you know. Or even post on Germany related communities