.NET Framework

What works

Installs, is able to accept a 32-bit .Net Framework 4.6.1 WinForms application installed via msiexec, and that application mostly runs.

What does not

Your mileage will vary - in the case of the application I was testing (StatsDirect) there were some issues with the third-party DevExpress controls that it uses, but none with .Net Framework itself.

Workarounds

The manual installation is quite convoluted, but winetricks installed .Net Framework 4.6.1 fine.  Remember to shut down (wineboot -e) and restart (wineboot -i) your WINE environment after installation.

What was not tested

I cannot test your application for you!

Hardware tested

Graphics:

• GPU: Nvidia
• Driver: proprietary

Additional Comments

Installed as per the Automated Install instructions above with the current version of winetricks.  Note that Ubuntu's packaged winetricks is over a year old; I'd avoid it.

Install winetricks (more details here) to make easier to configure the Wine prefix:

$ sudo wget 'https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Winetricks/winetricks/master/src/winetricks' -O /usr/local/bin/winetricks
$ sudo chmod +x /usr/local/bin/winetricks

Last update: 2020-08-24

Create a new Wine prefix (for most applications, it's better to set its own prefix):

$ env WINEPREFIX=$HOME/winedotnet wineboot --init

If Wine prompts for installing Mono, click Cancel.

Install .NET Framework (and optionally install corefonts):

$ env WINEPREFIX=$HOME/winedotnet winetricks --force dotnet40 corefonts

Use dotnet40 to install .NET Framework 4.0. To install another version of 4.x series, change it to one of the following list:

dotnet45   to install .NET Framework 4.5
dotnet451  to install .NET Framework 4.5.1
dotnet452  to install .NET Framework 4.5.2
dotnet46   to install .NET Framework 4.6
dotnet461  to install .NET Framework 4.6.1
dotnet462  to install .NET Framework 4.6.2
dotnet47   to install .NET Framework 4.7
dotnet471  to install .NET Framework 4.7.1
dotnet472  to install .NET Framework 4.7.2
dotnet48   to install .NET Framework 4.8

... And so on. For example, to install .NET Framework 4.5.2:

$ env WINEPREFIX=$HOME/winedotnet winetricks --force dotnet452 corefonts

If this doesn't work or you need to install a version not supported by winetricks, try a manual installation (explained below).

Start with a new Wine prefix:

$ env WINEPREFIX=$HOME/winedotnet wineboot --init

Try to install .NET 4.0 through winetricks:

$ env WINEPREFIX=$HOME/winedotnet winetricks --force dotnet40 corefonts

If it success and you need to install a higher 4.x version, go to Manual Installation (Step 2). If it doesn't work (very unlikely) keep reading.

Uninstall wine-mono from your Wine prefix:

$ env WINEPREFIX=$HOME/winedotnet wine uninstaller --remove '{E45D8920-A758-4088-B6C6-31DBB276992E}'

Change reported version to Windows XP, then download and install .NET 4.0:

$ env WINEPREFIX=$HOME/winedotnet winetricks winxp
$ wget 'http://download.microsoft.com/download/9/5/A/95A9616B-7A37-4AF6-BC36-D6EA96C8DAAE/dotNetFx40_Full_x86_x64.exe'
$ env WINEPREFIX=$HOME/winedotnet wine ~/dotNetFx40_Full_x86_x64.exe

Open winecfg dialog:

$ env WINEPREFIX=$HOME/winedotnet winecfg

Go to "Libraries" tab, add a new library substitution called "mscoree" and set it to "Native (Windows)". Close the dialog by clicking OK.

Change reported version to Windows 7:

$ env WINEPREFIX=$HOME/winedotnet winetricks win7

Download and run the installer for the desired version of .NET (install only the highest version you need):

• .NET Framework 4.5:

  $ wget 'http://download.microsoft.com/download/b/a/4/ba4a7e71-2906-4b2d-a0e1-80cf16844f5f/dotnetfx45_full_x86_x64.exe'
  $ env WINEPREFIX=$HOME/winedotnet wine ~/dotnetfx45_full_x86_x64.exe /q

• .NET Framework 4.5.1:

  $ wget 'https://download.microsoft.com/download/1/6/7/167F0D79-9317-48AE-AEDB-17120579F8E2/NDP451-KB2858728-x86-x64-AllOS-ENU.exe'
  $ env WINEPREFIX=$HOME/winedotnet wine ~/NDP451-KB2858728-x86-x64-AllOS-ENU.exe /q

• .NET Framework 4.5.2:

  $ wget 'http://download.microsoft.com/download/E/2/1/E21644B5-2DF2-47C2-91BD-63C560427900/NDP452-KB2901907-x86-x64-AllOS-ENU.exe'
  $ env WINEPREFIX=$HOME/winedotnet wine ~/NDP452-KB2901907-x86-x64-AllOS-ENU.exe /q

• .NET Framework 4.6:

  $ wget 'https://download.microsoft.com/download/C/3/A/C3A5200B-D33C-47E9-9D70-2F7C65DAAD94/NDP46-KB3045557-x86-x64-AllOS-ENU.exe'
  $ env WINEPREFIX=$HOME/winedotnet wine ~/NDP46-KB3045557-x86-x64-AllOS-ENU.exe /q

• .NET Framework 4.6.1:

  $ wget 'https://download.microsoft.com/download/E/4/1/E4173890-A24A-4936-9FC9-AF930FE3FA40/NDP461-KB3102436-x86-x64-AllOS-ENU.exe'
  $ env WINEPREFIX=$HOME/winedotnet wine ~/NDP461-KB3102436-x86-x64-AllOS-ENU.exe /q

• .NET Framework 4.6.2:

  $ wget 'https://download.microsoft.com/download/F/9/4/F942F07D-F26F-4F30-B4E3-EBD54FABA377/NDP462-KB3151800-x86-x64-AllOS-ENU.exe'
  $ env WINEPREFIX=$HOME/winedotnet wine ~/NDP462-KB3151800-x86-x64-AllOS-ENU.exe /q

• .NET Framework 4.7:

  $ wget 'https://download.microsoft.com/download/D/D/3/DD35CC25-6E9C-484B-A746-C5BE0C923290/NDP47-KB3186497-x86-x64-AllOS-ENU.exe'
  $ env WINEPREFIX=$HOME/winedotnet wine ~/NDP47-KB3186497-x86-x64-AllOS-ENU.exe /q

• .NET Framework 4.7.1:

  $ wget 'https://download.microsoft.com/download/9/E/6/9E63300C-0941-4B45-A0EC-0008F96DD480/NDP471-KB4033342-x86-x64-AllOS-ENU.exe'
  $ env WINEPREFIX=$HOME/winedotnet wine ~/NDP471-KB4033342-x86-x64-AllOS-ENU.exe /q

• .NET Framework 4.7.2:

  $ wget 'https://download.microsoft.com/download/6/E/4/6E48E8AB-DC00-419E-9704-06DD46E5F81D/NDP472-KB4054530-x86-x64-AllOS-ENU.exe'
  $ env WINEPREFIX=$HOME/winedotnet wine ~/NDP472-KB4054530-x86-x64-AllOS-ENU.exe /q

• .NET Framework 4.8:

  $ wget 'https://download.visualstudio.microsoft.com/download/pr/7afca223-55d2-470a-8edc-6a1739ae3252/abd170b4b0ec15ad0222a809b761a036/ndp48-x86-x64-allos-enu.exe'
  $ env WINEPREFIX=$HOME/winedotnet wine ~/ndp48-x86-x64-allos-enu.exe /q

Last update: 2023-06-16

To verify .NET Framework installation(s) you can use the .NET Framework Setup Verification Tool from Aaron Stebner (Microsoft) which checks for proper installation of .NET assemblies and registry entries:

$ wget 'https://web.archive.org/web/20200729095123/https://msdnshared.blob.core.windows.net/media/2018/05/netfx_setupverifier_new.zip'
$ unzip netfx_setupverifier_new.zip
$ env WINEPREFIX=$HOME/winedotnet wine ~/netfx_setupverifier.exe

Select the .NET Framework version you want to verify and evaluate the log file manually if verification failed.

URL_ParseUrl FIXME messages on console when running/installin�g .NET apps are harmless and can be safely ignored. Example console output: