How to run Roon on Wine Stable with any supported version of Ubuntu (and derivatives)

mjw · January 18, 2025, 5:16pm

Installing Wine Stable On Ubuntu

CODENAME=`lsb_release --codename | cut -f2`
sudo dpkg --add-architecture i386
sudo mkdir -pm755 /etc/apt/keyrings
wget -O - https://dl.winehq.org/wine-builds/winehq.key | sudo gpg --dearmor -o /etc/apt/keyrings/winehq-archive.key -
sudo wget -NP /etc/apt/sources.list.d/ "https://dl.winehq.org/wine-builds/ubuntu/dists/$CODENAME/winehq-$CODENAME.sources"
sudo apt update
sudo apt install --install-recommends winehq-stable --yes
sudo apt install wine32:i386 --yes

Installing Roon on Wine

sudo apt install winetricks wget --yes
cd ~/Downloads
wget https://github.com/RoPieee/roon-on-wine/archive/refs/heads/master.zip
unzip master.zip
cd ./roon-on-wine-master/

Display settings

If you have a 1080p or smaller display resolution, you may skip this section.

For UHD screens, you’ll need to amend the installation script and change the scale factor.

# This parameter influences the scale at which
# the Roon UI is rendered.
#
# 1.0 is default, but on an UHD screen this should be 1.5 or 2.0

SCALEFACTOR=1.0

To accomplish this, simply enter the following.

# Add 1.5 or 2.0 on the following line
SCALEFACTOR=1.5
sed -i -r "s/^(SCALEFACTOR=).*/\1${SCALEFACTOR}/" ./install.sh

Finish up and run Roon

./install.sh
./start_my_roon_instance.sh

Optional post installation steps

If the desktop icons do not work, add a new menu shortcut.
Configure Wine to open Roon links with the default browser (set in Ubuntu → Settings.)

Version history

Works with all versions of Ubuntu and derivatives, e.g., Linux Mint, Zorin OS etc.
Simplifies steps to change display scaling.
Links to optional items added.

mjw · January 18, 2025, 10:31pm

Add the icon

cp ~/Downloads/roon-on-wine-master/icons/256x256/roon-on-wine.png ~/.local/share/icons
nano ~/.local/share/applications/roon-on-wine.desktop

[Desktop Entry]
Name=Roon
# Substitute <username> with your Ubuntu user ID, i.e. echo $USER
Exec=/home/<username>/start_my_roon_instance.sh
Terminal=false
Type=Application
StartupNotify=true
Icon=roon-on-wine.png
StartupWMClass=roon.exe
Categories=Music
Keywords=roon;music;player

Icon better suited to GNOME.

roon-on-wine

Duke_Kim · July 16, 2025, 1:04am

On 24.04.2 LTS, I am getting this error with ./install.sh:
wine: WINEARCH set to win64 but ‘/home/duke/my_roon_instance’ is a 32-bit installation.
cp: cannot create regular file ‘/home/duke/.local/share/icons/hicolor/32x32/apps/0369_Roon.0.png’: No such file or directory
cp: cannot create regular file ‘/home/duke/.local/share/icons/hicolor/48x48/apps/0369_Roon.0.png’: No such file or directory
cp: cannot create regular file ‘/home/duke/.local/share/icons/hicolor/256x256/apps/0369_Roon.0.png’: No such file or directory

DONE!

Then when I try to execute the ./start_my_roon_instance.sh I get this error:

004c:err:ole:StdMarshalImpl_MarshalInterface Failed to create ifstub, hr 0x80004002
004c:err:ole:CoMarshalInterface Failed to marshal the interface {6d5140c1-7436-11ce-8034-00aa006009fa}, hr 0x80004002
004c:err:ole:apartment_get_local_server_stream Failed: 0x80004002
004c:err:ole:start_rpcss Failed to open RpcSs service
0054:err:ole:StdMarshalImpl_MarshalInterface Failed to create ifstub, hr 0x80004002
0054:err:ole:CoMarshalInterface Failed to marshal the interface {6d5140c1-7436-11ce-8034-00aa006009fa}, hr 0x80004002
0054:err:ole:apartment_get_local_server_stream Failed: 0x80004002
wine: configuration in L"/home/perky/my_roon_instance" has been updated.
wine: failed to open “/Roon/Application/Roon.exe”: c0000135

Edit: fixed this by upgrading to 24.10. Thanks.

mjw · July 16, 2025, 9:12am

sudo dpkg --add-architecture i386
sudo mkdir -pm755 /etc/apt/keyrings
wget -O - https://dl.winehq.org/wine-builds/winehq.key | sudo gpg --dearmor -o /etc/apt/keyrings/winehq-archive.key -
sudo wget -NP /etc/apt/sources.list.d/ https://dl.winehq.org/wine-builds/ubuntu/dists/oracular/winehq-oracular.sources

If you followed my instructions for Ubuntu 24.10 on 24.04 (Noble Numbat), you would need to edit the Ubuntu codename above from oracular to noble.

mjw · August 18, 2025, 1:34pm

I’m adding another step, so Roon links open in your default browser.

wine regedit

Open HKEY_CURRENT_USER, and create the following key under Software → Wine.

# Type: String
xdg-open,mozilla

Next, open HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT, and browse to http → shell → open → command, and append "%1" to the string.

# Type: String
C:\windows\system32\winebrowser.exe -nohome "%1"

Finally, repeat the last step for https → shell → open → command.

mjw · September 21, 2025, 4:54pm

I’ve added an optional step to change the scale factor before installing Roon on Wine. The steps should work with Linux Mint and Zorin OS, too.

ogs · November 8, 2025, 12:52pm

Hi @mjw
I have finally managed to get Roon Remote running on Wine. I use Dietpi (x86_64) with LXDE and partly followed your Ubuntu-guide. Everything works apart from the web links in Roon, the “View account info” under ‘General’ and “Login” or “Start a trial” after a ‘Disconnect’ from Roon. The buttons are there and active, but nothing happens when I press them.
I guess the links should open in Firefox which is installed and working. Your regedit fix does not help. Any suggestions on what to do or try?

mjw · November 8, 2025, 3:45pm

The web links from within Roon should open in the default browser, but signing in etc. won’t work because the browser can’t hand-off to the app. I have to use my Android mobile for account actvities.

ogs · November 8, 2025, 6:17pm

Thanks! All else works. It is good to know it’s not my installation!
I borrowed my wife’s Android tablet to log in so used the same workaround

Phydeaux · November 9, 2025, 1:26pm

All seemed to install fine until the very end:

[win64|/home/robert/my_roon_instance] Installing Roon ...
wine: WINEARCH set to win64 but '/home/robert/my_roon_instance' is a 32-bit installation.

~/Downloads/roon-on-wine-master$ ./start_my_roon_instance.sh
wine: cannot find '/Roon/Application/Roon.exe'

Cheers,
Robert

mjw · November 9, 2025, 3:07pm

What OS are you using, and how did you install Wine?

Phydeaux · November 9, 2025, 4:34pm

AME="Linux Mint"
VERSION="20.3 (Una)"
ID=linuxmint
ID_LIKE=ubuntu
PRETTY_NAME="Linux Mint 20.3"
VERSION_ID="20.3"
HOME_URL="https://www.linuxmint.com/"
SUPPORT_URL="https://forums.linuxmint.com/"
BUG_REPORT_URL="http://linuxmint-troubleshooting-guide.readthedocs.io/en/latest/"
PRIVACY_POLICY_URL="https://www.linuxmint.com/"
VERSION_CODENAME=una
UBUNTU_CODENAME=focal

I used the exact commands in your first post, substituting focal for $CODENAME.

Cheers,
Robert

mjw · November 9, 2025, 5:25pm

It looks like you are trying to install Roon in a 32 bit prefix.

However, there may be an error in my instructions, but I won’t be able to confirm until next weekend.

Try using this line instead. You will need to delete the prefix, my_roon_instance first.

# sudo apt install --install-recommends wine-stable --yes
sudo apt install --install-recommends winehq-stable --yes

Also note that your version of Mint is EOL.

Phydeaux · November 10, 2025, 1:16am

Thank you. Progress…

Installed and Roon started. Changed to Dark mode and it restarted fine. Seems to function, but when I closed it (why does Roon not have an Exit?) and now have no way of knowing how to restart it.

Noted two “icons” on desktop: Roon.lnk and RoonServer.lnk. Neither do anything I understand, prefer they don’t exist.

Installed Icon and set default browser as above instructions show. Icon appears in Menu but when selected I get Fatal Error: Input string was not in a correct format.

Cheers,
Robert

mjw · November 10, 2025, 9:48am

Please share the steps you took, so others may know, and I can update the instructions. Thanks.

The launch icons don’t work with 20.04 (do with 25.10), so use these instructions.

Phydeaux · November 10, 2025, 2:13pm

After completing all the steps in your original post all I did was was what you suggested in your previous reply to it not working:
(I have no idea what a “prefix” is so I just deleted the new “my_roon_instance” folder under Home), then:

sudo apt install --install-recommends winehq-stable --yes

Then I re-tried the Roon install as listed in your OP:

./install.sh ./start_my_roon_instance.sh

And it worked.
Then I followed the instructions in you two posts about adding the icon and doing the regedit to make the browser work.
The icon is there but doesn’t launch Roon. And I don’t know how to launch Roon again.

Thanks for your help, but I’m done. This is far more trouble than its worth.

Cheers,
Robert

Phydeaux · November 11, 2025, 8:28pm

FWIW, I upgraded Linux Mint to latest 21 “jammy”. Re-did everything in the original post. Exactly the same result regarding the 32-bit issue. So added the additional step suggested, which worked before:

sudo apt install --install-recommends winehq-stable --yes

And indeed it worked properly and installed Roon. Roon loaded fine and after changing my preference to dark mode it automatically restarted fine. Note this happens in a nicely sized window. Then I closed it an tried to start it from the Mint Menu. This time it works, starts up fine - except it is full screen and says it must be run either maximized or full screen. In other words, unusable.

Honestly why would it start and run perfectly only once and subsequently will not run due to sudden resolution problems?

Cheers,
Robert

mjw · November 14, 2025, 9:53am

A post was merged into an existing topic: For people struggling with Roon 2.0.25 on Linux with Bottles/Wine

How to run Roon on Wine Stable with any supported version of Ubuntu (and derivatives)

Installing Wine Stable On Ubuntu

Installing Roon on Wine

Display settings

Finish up and run Roon

Optional post installation steps

Version history

Add the icon