Converting an .exe file to a .deb package is a process that allows you to install software on Debian-based Linux distributions (like Ubuntu) that was originally packaged for Windows. This process can be a bit tricky and may not always result in a perfectly functional package, but there are several tools and methods that can help you achieve this. Below, I'll outline a few approaches.
Method 2: The "Packaging" Way – Using Bottles or PlayOnLinux
If you have a portable executable or a specific installer (like GOG installers), you can "wrap" it into a .deb package so it appears in your application menu, though it still requires Wine to run.
Before you spend hours trying to convert a link or a file, check if a native Linux version exists. Most modern software provides a .deb file directly on their website.
Directly converting a Windows .exe file into a Linux .deb package is not possible because they use completely different internal structures and system calls. A .deb file is essentially a compressed archive for installing Linux-native software, whereas an .exe is a binary compiled specifically for the Windows operating system.