Adobe on Linux
The PhialsBasement patch fixed the Creative Cloud installer. This page covers what changed, two installation methods, what actually runs, and native alternatives if Wine is not for you.
The PhialsBasement Patch
The PhialsBasement patch fixes the Creative Cloud installer, which was the universal wall blocking any CC app from being installable on Linux without copying files from a Windows machine first. Creative Cloud must run for other Adobe software to run at all, so fixing the installer opens up compatibility exploration for everything else. The installer being fixed does not mean everything runs perfectly. It means you can now find out what runs.
Why It Did Not Work Before
Adobe CC installers depend heavily on MSHTML and MSXML3, Windows subsystems for rendering the installer UI and parsing XML config files. Wine did not reproduce this accurately enough, causing the installer to crash or freeze before anything could be installed. The patches fix this by wrapping certain data in CDATA blocks to prevent XML errors, refining Wine's ID handling, and forcing an IE9-like environment that matches what the installer expects.
Method A: Standalone Patched Wine
Works on any distro. No Steam required. Full control over the Wine prefix.
Install prerequisites
Fedorasudo dnf install winetricks wine cabextract p7zip wget curlsudo apt install winetricks wine cabextract p7zip-full wget curl# Enable multilib in /etc/pacman.conf first, then:
sudo pacman -Syu winetricks wine cabextract p7zip wget curlDownload the patched Wine binary
Go to the PhialsBasement/wine-adobe-installers Releases page on Codeberg and download the latest wine-adobe-x.x-x86_64.tar.xz package.
mkdir -p ~/opt/wine-adobe
tar -xf wine-adobe-*.tar.xz -C ~/opt/wine-adobe --strip-components=1Create an isolated Wine prefix
export WINEPREFIX=~/.wine-adobe
export PATH=~/opt/wine-adobe/bin:$PATH
~/opt/wine-adobe/bin/wineboot --initInstall required Windows components via winetricks
WINEPREFIX=~/.wine-adobe winetricks corefonts vcrun2017 msxml3 msxml6 atmlib gdiplusClick through any Windows ToS popups that appear. These are Microslop redistributables required for the installer to function.
Download and run the Creative Cloud installer
Get Creative_Cloud_Set-Up.exe from adobe.com, then:
WINEPREFIX=~/.wine-adobe ~/opt/wine-adobe/bin/wine ~/Downloads/Creative_Cloud_Set-Up.exeIf the installer appears stuck at 81% or 97%, it is not stuck. Wait it out.
Install apps through Creative Cloud
Once Creative Cloud is running inside Wine, sign in with your Adobe account and install Photoshop, Illustrator, or any other app through the CC UI normally.
Launch Photoshop
WINEPREFIX=~/.wine-adobe ~/opt/wine-adobe/bin/wine \
~/.wine-adobe/drive_c/Program\ Files/Adobe/Adobe\ Photoshop\ 2025/Photoshop.exeWrap this in a shell script or .desktop file for convenience.
Method B: Steam / Proton
Easiest option if you already use Steam. Uses Valve's managed Proton environment instead of a standalone Wine prefix.
Download the Proton-Adobe build
Go to the PhialsBasement/wine-adobe-installers Releases page and download the proton-adobe-*.tar.gz file, not the standalone Wine one.
Install it as a custom Proton build
mkdir -p ~/.steam/root/compatibilitytools.d/
tar -xf proton-adobe-*.tar.gz -C ~/.steam/root/compatibilitytools.d/If your Steam install is in a different location (common with Flatpak Steam), the path is:
~/.var/app/com.valvesoftware.Steam/.steam/root/compatibilitytools.d/Restart Steam completely
Steam only picks up new compatibility tools on a full restart. Close it from the system tray, not just the window.
Add the Creative Cloud installer as a Non-Steam game
In Steam, go to Library, then at the bottom left click "Add a Game", then "Add a Non-Steam Game". Browse to wherever you downloaded Creative_Cloud_Set-Up.exe and add it.
Force Proton-Adobe on that entry
Right-click the newly added entry, go to Properties, then the Compatibility tab. Check "Force the use of a specific Steam Play compatibility tool" and select Proton-Adobe from the dropdown. It will only appear here if Step 3 worked correctly.
Launch it
Click Play. Steam automatically creates a Wine prefix for it, sets up the environment, and launches the installer. Sign into your Adobe account and install whatever CC apps you need through the UI.
Subsequent app launches work the same way. Add the installed app executable (for example Photoshop.exe) as another Non-Steam game entry and force Proton-Adobe on it too. The prefix Steam created is shared between entries if you point them at the same compatibility data folder.
Flatpak Steam users may hit additional permission issues with the prefix path. If the installer launches but cannot write files, check that Steam has filesystem access to your home directory in Flatseal.
Known Issues and Fixes
Wayland cursor flickering or window glitches
Force the application into X11 mode or switch to an X11 session temporarily. On KDE:
WINEPREFIX=~/.wine-adobe WAYLAND_DISPLAY="" ~/opt/wine-adobe/bin/wine ...GPU acceleration crashes
Go to Photoshop Preferences, then Performance, and uncheck "Use Graphics Processor". Consider enabling "Multithreaded Compositing" to compensate. Enabling Wine's GPU support currently prevents Photoshop 2022 and newer from properly opening documents.
Installer language or location dropdowns not applying
A known bug where selecting a value in dropdowns like install location or language would not apply correctly. Fixed in recent releases. Make sure you are on the latest version from the repo.
Per-App Compatibility Rundown
The patch removed the universal wall. What you are dealing with now is per-app Wine compatibility, which ranges from fine to fine with workarounds to do not rely on this for production depending on the app.
Best supported of the bunch. Photoshop 2021 is described by the developer as running "butter smooth", with drag-and-drop being the only noted issue. 2025 is workable with the GPU workaround described in the Known Issues section.
Generally considered the most Wine-friendly CC app. Older versions from 2017 through 2023 have been reported working well. The current 2025 version is not widely tested yet but installs fine.
Works reasonably well via Wine and has for years. Not GPU-dependent in the same way as Photoshop, which helps.
Could be troublesome due to strict font rendering requirements, but most issues were reportedly resolved years ago. The modern version installs fine now that the CC installer works.
Installs now, but software rendering for video is not ideal and GPU acceleration via Wine for video pipelines is still shaky. Usable for light editing. For serious video work on Linux, DaVinci Resolve has a native Linux build and is genuinely excellent.
After Effects 2014 worked via Wine historically, but modern versions have not been widely tested with the new patches yet. GPU-dependent effects will underperform.
Historically worked via Wine for older versions and should install now. Complex font rendering and print workflows are historically finicky. Test before relying on it for production work.
Low GPU dependency across the board. These tend to just work once the CC installer hurdle is cleared.
The Honest Summary
The patch knocked down the universal wall. What you are dealing with now is per-app Wine compatibility, ranging from fine to do not rely on this for production.
| App | Status |
|---|---|
| Photoshop 2021 | Runs well |
| Photoshop 2025 | Workable with GPU workaround |
| Illustrator | Generally fine, older versions best |
| Lightroom | Works well |
| Acrobat | Works |
| Premiere Pro | Installs, not ideal for heavy work |
| After Effects | Installs, GPU effects underperform |
| InDesign | Installs, print workflows finicky |
| Audition / Animate / Bridge | Generally just work |
Native Alternatives
If your Adobe workflow is flexible, these run natively on Linux with no Wine required.
