Install and run MS Windows Live Messenger in Linux!

16. Aug, 2009 25 Comments

Just how you read it! now with the advanced linux technology we have, you can easily run windows live messenger 2008 and 2009 in linux! all you need is wine and winetricks. It’s really easy to do. Everyone told me I couldn’t install WL msn in linux, BUT I CAN AND ANYONE CAN DO IT! So let’’s start.

First of all, wine. In case you don’t have it installed, you can do it with synaptic, add/remove apps, or: sudo apt-get install wine.

That will let you run many other windows’ apps. But not WL msn. Now let’s install winetricks. All you gotta do is right click here and press: “save destiny as”.  Save it to your home folder.

Once downloaded, you can run the program by:

sh winetricks

Install all you want and can, but what we need for now is:

  1. corefonts
  2. flash
  3. gecko
  4. gdiplus
  5. msls31
  6. msxml3
  7. riched20
  8. riched30
  9. tahoma
  10. vcrun6
  11. vcrun2003
  12. vcrun2005
  13. vcrun2005 sp1
  14. vcrun2008

That’s it.

You will need to get the installer from a Windows XP machine or download it from the Internet, dont try to install the online installer wlsetup-custom.exe this installer won’t currently work with Wine. What you need is the “Install_{508CE775-4BA4-4748-82DF-FE28DA9F03B0}.msi” from: Program files/Common Files/WindowsLiveInstaller/MsiSources and “Install_{508CE775-4BA4-4748-82DF-FE28DA9F03B0}.msi” should be there if you have Messenger 2008 or 2009 installed on the XP machine. You can also do what I did and google for the offline installer and download it from a host. Just be aware that the installer for 2008 and 2009 are named the same,version 8.5 is version 2008 btw.

OK, once you have the installer install it like this:

$ msiexec /i Install_{508CE775-4BA4-4748-82DF-FE28DA9F03B0}.msi

the install will run in your terminal, once the install has completed run winecfg and select “Add application” then go to “.wine/drive_c/Program Files/Windows Live/Messenger” and select “msnmsgr.exe” then set the windows version for “msnmsgr.exe” to win2000 then click OK.

Now run $ wineboot and if you followed all the tutorial Mesenger should start up and then all you need to do is sign in.

This howto is good for versions 2008 and 2009, all the steps are the exact same and both versions work about the same. Enjoy!

Screenshot (Click to enlarge):

SOURCE: http://www.androidtux.co.cc

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25 Responses to “Install and run MS Windows Live Messenger in Linux!”

  1. Marco 18. Aug, 2009 at 5:28 pm

    Great tutorial! Tried it and it works perfectly. Is this tutorial also works for the latest windows live messenger?

  2. AndroidTux 19. Aug, 2009 at 12:25 am

    @Marco
    Thanks, I wrote it some time ago in my blog and now posted it here =).. and yes, works for 2009 (the latest).. you can see the original post here bye!

  3. Marco 19. Aug, 2009 at 7:08 pm

    Dude.. it seemed to be your images links are broken. And why it took quite a long time to load androidtux.co.cc?

  4. AndroidTux 19. Aug, 2009 at 7:49 pm

    not sure why it takes to long. :P , I’ll see what I can do after I fix the css, I’ll install filezilla, cause my online editor, saved it wrong and now the blog is a mess.. :S.. and no image links are broken.. only the one of the post below but I’ll fix it when filezilla finishes downloading and installing

  5. Marco 19. Aug, 2009 at 8:42 pm

    If I would recommend try another free host dude.. Try http://fi.st . I’m using it and I’m happy with it :) . Guess what, you’ll be surprised to know who’s the admin there :P

  6. AndroidTux 19. Aug, 2009 at 11:05 pm

    How can I pass my SQL databases there???? I never tried.. I’ll see in my control panel.. and I could try guessing who is the admin (you) but I prefer if you tell me.. lol.. cheers! add me on twiter.

  7. AndroidTux 20. Aug, 2009 at 6:52 am

    The blog loads a bit faster now, thanks to the new template (I’m still editing it.. It’s not finished yet.. gotta re-do some seo, edit headers, sidebar, etc.) http://www.androidtux.co.cc

  8. admin 20. Aug, 2009 at 6:46 pm

    Its me, I’m the admin of FI.ST .. How in the heck he managed to know that.. :)

  9. Floost 25. Aug, 2009 at 5:18 am

    Interesting and informative. But will you write about this one more?

  10. Lalique 27. Aug, 2009 at 2:46 am

    :) ;) İm very happy with that post you had.
    do you know PARDUS LİNUX ?? so must know :)
    thanks for these good posts

    http://www.benimblog.com/lal

  11. AndroidTux 27. Aug, 2009 at 11:27 am

    @Lalique
    Thank you! and no, I don’t know it.. can you talk about it? I’m sure it’d be interesting..

    @Floost
    What do you mean by write about this one more? If I’ll post more things about the same tutorial? why? do you have any problems?

  12. Bas 27. Aug, 2009 at 9:23 pm

    Can you maybe post a download link for the 2009 installer? If I search for Install_{508CE775-4BA4-4748-82DF-FE28DA9F03B0}.msi on Google I only get the 2008 one.
    The only Windows machine I have access to is Vista, is this the same installer or do I need the XP one?

  13. AndroidTux 29. Aug, 2009 at 7:22 am

    @Bas
    Hey, It’s the same thing in vista. But there’s a problem.. I still gotta make an update of this post. Why? Because a reader of my blog (androidtux.co.cc), told me there’s a problem with 2009. What’s the problem? That msn 2009 needs windows XP to run.. I don’t have much time right now.. in 2 months (yeah, you’ll have to wait.. sorry) I may know the solution.. by now, I just have time to answer some comments here and in my blog

  14. mikkis 18. Sep, 2009 at 3:01 am

    Hei,

    Here’s one link for that file:
    http://cid-261d8fb2a992b4e1.skydrive.live.com/self.aspx/Geek|4s%20Anatomy/Windows%20Live%20Installers/Install_%7B508CE775-4BA4-4748-82DF-FE28DA9F03B0%7D.msi

    For me all went well until I tried to add the winetricks options. I just don’t find the “vcrun2005 sp1″ from the list. I tried to install without, but I just got a long list of errors…

    What should I do?

  15. Sam 12. Oct, 2009 at 3:08 pm

    What version of Linux are you using in the screen shot?
    and what dock application is that?

  16. admin 13. Oct, 2009 at 7:36 am

    ubuntu 9.04, dock application that was used is avant

  17. AndroidTux 15. Oct, 2009 at 10:11 am

    Yes, sorry because I was offline of this blog for A LONG WHILE. It’s just that I screwed up my blog, now it doesn’t work and I’m trying to fix the database. But I use Ubuntu Linux 9.04, avant window navigator for the dock, and for the icons I use Mashup 5 (look it up in gnome-look.org).. :)

  18. Sp4nk_OS 26. Oct, 2009 at 11:27 pm

    Seems to be working with Ubuntu based bistros only. =/

  19. Nukeman8000 08. Nov, 2009 at 2:55 am

    I tried to do it, and i followed all instructions, but when i open it, i gat a LAN error message in the terminal. and the window never appears, just a white rectangle

  20. bob 21. Nov, 2009 at 7:11 pm

    I downloaded winetricks, but when I try to open it, it says it can’t open winetricks :(
    help plz

  21. H.S. 24. Nov, 2009 at 1:52 am

    I’m having a problem.
    When I try to install the file, I get this:

    err:msi:copy_package_to_temp failed to copy package L”Install_{508CE775-4BA4-4748-82DF-FE28DA9F03B0}.msi”
    fixme:msi:MSI_OpenDatabaseW open failed r = 80030002 for L”Install_{508CE775-4BA4-4748-82DF-FE28DA9F03B0}.msi”

  22. Biodagar 30. Dec, 2009 at 7:17 pm

    This is great but a big fail for me. Any ideas?

    When I try to run winetricks I get this error:
    X Error of failed request: BadPixmap (invalid Pixmap parameter)
    Major opcode of failed request: 54 (X_FreePixmap)
    Resource id in failed request: 0×50000db
    Serial number of failed request: 923
    Current serial number in output stream: 941

  23. Денис Милюков 01. Jan, 2010 at 1:51 pm

    Да уж, это на самом деле нелегко. :)

  24. psy 17. Jan, 2010 at 6:14 am

    all went well until:
    $ msiexec /i Install_{508CE775-4BA4-4748-82DF-FE28DA9F03B0}.msi
    fixme:msi:MSI_OpenDatabaseW open failed r = 80030050 for L”C:\\windows\\temp\\msi3b21.tmp”

    this error occured when trying to run the msi file. i have no idea of how to solve this

  25. Nick 02. Feb, 2010 at 10:20 pm

    Hey, I managed to install the 2008, but then I needed to upgrade to 2009 since no one is allowed to use 2008 anymore. It didn’t work. So installed the 2009 but it didn’t work either. I get:

    Microsoft Visual C++ Runtime Library

    Runtime Error!

    Program: C:\Program Files\Windows Live\Messenger\msnmgr.exe

    R6034
    An application has made an attempt to load the C runtime library incorrectly.
    Please contact the application’s support team for more information.