[Linux] Ubuntu - Install Wine applications for Multiple Users

Source from: http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=917422
Background:
Some proprietary windows programs only allow a limited number of installations, making it desirable to install to a common location in the “windows style”, instead of installing separately for each user in the “wine style”. In addition, it may be more efficient for an administrator to install a program once, even if the license allows for unlimited installations. Codeweavers refers to this type of multi-user installation as Shared Global Mode.

Outline of method:
We are going to create a new user, “windows”, that will host the system-wide wine installation. We will then give some of our users permission to run windows programs as the user windows, with wine, on their own desktop, without having to switch accounts or enter passwords.

Estimated time
15-20 minutes

Preparation:
Install wine if you haven't already done so.

Code:

sudo apt-get install wine

Run winecfg to test your installation

Code:

winecfg

You should see a window pop up with multiple tabs. Applications, Drives, Graphics, Audio, etc.
Close the window

STEP 1. Add a new user without a password.
Pick a user name that doesn't exist on your system

Code:

sudo adduser --disabled-password windows

Just hit enter to accept defaults for name, office, phone etc., then answer Y.

STEP 2. Backup /etc/sudoers and use visudo to edit /etc/sudoers

2.1 Backup /etc/sudoers in case something bad happens.

Code:

sudo cp /etc/sudoers /etc/sudoers.bak

2.2 Edit /etc/sudoers, but only with visudo.

Code:

sudo visudo

Pay careful attention to syntax here. This file isn't very forgiving to editing mistakes.
I used this page to figure out how to edit with vi. I got a log of mileage out of i, o, x, dd and :wq.

If you're a nano user, you can do this:

Code:

sudo EDITOR=nano visudo

If you want something more graphical, you can use xedit:

Code:

sudo EDITOR=xedit visudo

2.3 In the User alias section, define which users will administrate the computer. (Have root privileges)
This will probably be all the people currently in your admin group

Code:

User_Alias ADMIN = ron

2.4 In the User alias section, define which users can run the wine/windows programs.

Code:

User_Alias WINDOWS_USERS = kim,ian,mason,collin,ron

* no spaces between the names

2.5 In the command alias section, define which programs the windows user can run

Code:

Cmnd_Alias WINDOWS = /usr/bin/wine,/usr/bin/winecfg

2.6 In the defaults section, add the following commands so that we will be able to use our current X windows display

Code:

Defaults:WINDOWS_USERS env_reset
Defaults:WINDOWS_USERS env_keep += DISPLAY
Defaults:WINDOWS_USERS env_keep += XAUTHORITY

2.7 Change the line that defines who gets admin privileges
Delete this:

Code:

%admin ALL=(ALL) ALL

This gave admin privileges to anybody in the admin group defined in /etc/group

Replace it with this:

Code:

ADMIN ALL=(ALL) ALL

This gives admin privileges to anybody listed in the ADMIN alias defined in step 2.3. The difference is subtle but important. Without this change the people in the admin group will always have to supply their password before they can run windows programs.

2.8 Add a line at the bottom that gives WINDOWS_USERS permission to run WINDOWS programs, without a password, as user windows

Code:

WINDOWS_USERS ALL = (windows) NOPASSWD: WINDOWS

Here is what my /etc/sudoers file looks like after making these changes:

Code:

# User alias specification

# define which users can run the wine/windows programs
User_Alias WINDOWS_USERS = kim,ian,mason,collin,ron

# define which users can administrate (become root)
User_Alias ADMIN = ron

# Cmnd alias specification

# define which commands the WINDOWS_USERS may run
Cmnd_Alias WINDOWS = /usr/bin/wine,/usr/bin/winecfg

# Defaults
Defaults:WINDOWS_USERS env_reset
Defaults:WINDOWS_USERS env_keep += DISPLAY
Defaults:WINDOWS_USERS env_keep += XAUTHORITY
Defaults !lecture,tty_tickets,!fqdn

# User privilege specification
root ALL=(ALL) ALL

# Members of the admin user_alias, defined above, may gain root privileges
ADMIN ALL=(ALL) ALL

# The WINDOWS_USERS may run WINDOWS programs as user windows without a password
WINDOWS_USERS ALL = (windows) NOPASSWD: WINDOWS

There's really not much too it without the comments

STEP 3: Move your .wine directory over to the windows user's .wine directory

Code:

sudo mv ~ron/.wine ~windows/.wine -iv
sudo chown windows:users ~windows/.wine/ -Rfv

STEP 4: Let the windows user have access to your display
This command has to be issued from the user shell (not root)

Code:

xhost +local:windows

Issuing this command will only work until you log out. To make things permanent, add the command to System>Preferences>Sessions>Startup Programs in the desktop of each of the Windows_Users

STEP 5: Run your windows programs with sudo, no password required.

Code:

sudo -u windows -H wine notepad

You can use variations of this command in your graphical menus for any wine program that you want to run from the system wine. You will have to edit the menus of each indivial windows_user for any system wine programs that you want them to be able to run.
If you want to run or install programs for yourself (not for all the windows_users) just use wine without sudo like this:

Code:

wine notepad

What should I do if things go horribly wrong?

Code:

sudo mv ~windows/.wine ~ron/.wine -iv
sudo chown ron:ron ~ron/.wine/ -Rfv
sudo deluser --remove-home --backup windows
sudo cp /etc/sudoers.bak /etc/sudoers

Remove the xhost +local:windows from your startup programs if you put it there.
Remove the sudo -u windows -H from any menu items that you edited

This moves your wine directory back, puts the file ownership back in your name, completely removes the new user and replaces your sudoers file. Remember that you can even replace the sudoers file from a live disk if things go horribly wrong and you can't log in or get root privileges.

Broader applications
After looking at the above information, it should be a simple exercise to modify my steps to run any program, including a browser like firefox, as a different user on your desktop.

Closing Thoughts
a. Remember to add the windows user to the appropriate groups so that wine can access the necessary system resources: cdroms, sound, floppies etc.
b. Remember that if you want to add a new system administrator that you not only have to add them to the admin group, you will have to edit /etc/sudoers to add them to the ADMIN user alias.

Test Systems
Ubuntu Hardy 8.04 on Dell Inspiron 5100
Ubuntu64 Hardy 8.04 on a homebuilt quadcore
Ubuntu Intrepid 8.10 circa 9/11/08 on a homebuilt quadcore (I got nano as the editor for visudo instead of vi)
Ubuntu Jaunty 9.04

Credits
Link:Running Firefox as another user, using sudo
Link:Running firefox as a different user Thanks Gaten for post #5
Link:suauth and pam.d Thanks HalPomeranz for post #16

Disclaimer
As always, this worked for me, but YMMV. Read, think and remember that I am "just some guy on the internet" before you apply changes to an important system.