Adobe Photoshop Installer for Linux

Note

Production Ready - Complete Toolset

This project has evolved from a simple installer into a comprehensive, production-ready toolset for running Photoshop on Linux. With modular architecture, extensive features, and professional polish, it's ready for widespread use.

Every hint, fix, or idea is welcome! Please report issues, share solutions, or contribute improvements via GitHub Issues.

See CHANGELOG.md for latest changes!

Important

Tested and Working Versions

✅ Adobe Photoshop CC 2021 (v22.x) has been successfully tested with Wine Standard installation method.

Note about version numbers: The specific version I tested is v22.0.0.35, but any Photoshop v22.x version should work. The exact build number may vary depending on where you obtained your installation files.

💡 Important: Only CC 2021 (v22.x) has been tested. Other versions have not been tested.

✅ Tested on: CachyOS Linux (Arch-based) with KDE desktop environment

Run Adobe Photoshop natively on Linux using Wine

A simple, automated installer that helps you set up Photoshop on Linux. Works on CachyOS, Arch, Ubuntu, Fedora, and all major Linux distributions.

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🌍 Languages / Sprachen

• 🇬🇧 English Documentation - See below
• 🇩🇪 Deutsche Dokumentation - Vollständige Anleitung

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English Documentation

📋 Table of Contents

• Features
• System Requirements
• Important Notice
• Quick Start
• Installation Guide
• Known Issues & Solutions
• Troubleshooting
• Performance Tips
• Uninstallation
• Contributing
• License

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✨ Features

Core Installation

• ✅ Local Installation - Uses local installation files (no downloads from Adobe)
• ✅ Automatic Setup - Installs Wine components and dependencies automatically
• ✅ Multi-Distribution Support - Works on CachyOS, Arch, Ubuntu, Fedora, and more
• ✅ Pre-Installation Check - Validates system before installation with distro-specific hints
• ✅ Desktop Integration - Creates menu entry and terminal command
• ✅ Multi-Language - Full i18n support (DE/EN) with external language files

Advanced Features

• 🔧 Automatic Troubleshooting - Built-in diagnostic tools with automatic fixes
• 📦 Camera Raw Installer - Automated installation with MD5 verification
• 🔄 Update Check System - GitHub API integration with caching and timeout protection
• 💾 Checkpoint/Rollback - Safe installation with recovery points
• 🔒 Security Module - Path validation, safe operations, shell injection prevention
• 📊 System Information - Cross-distro system detection and reporting
• 🎨 Responsive UI - Banner, boxes, and headers adapt to terminal width
• 🔇 Quiet/Verbose Modes - --quiet / -q and --verbose / -v flags for CI/testing
• 📝 Log Rotation - Automatic compression (gzip) and cleanup of old logs
• 🚀 File Opening Support - Launcher accepts files as parameters ("Open with Photoshop")
• ⚙️ Wine Configuration - Interactive winecfg launcher with tips
• 🛑 Kill-Photoshop Utility - Force termination of stuck processes
• 🎯 GPU Workarounds - Fixes for common graphics issues

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🖥️ System Requirements

Required

• OS: 64-bit Linux distribution
• RAM: Minimum 4 GB (8 GB recommended)
• Storage: 5 GB free space in /home
• Graphics: Any GPU (Intel, Nvidia, AMD) with up-to-date drivers

Required Packages

CachyOS / Arch Linux

sudo pacman -S wine winetricks

Ubuntu / Debian / Linux Mint

sudo apt install wine winetricks

Fedora / RHEL

sudo dnf install wine winetricks

openSUSE

sudo zypper install wine winetricks

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⚠️ Important Notice

You Must Provide Photoshop Installation Files

This repository does NOT include Photoshop installation files.

You must:

1. Own a valid Adobe Photoshop CC 2021 license
2. Obtain the installer yourself (see How to Get Photoshop)
3. Place files in photoshop/ directory (see photoshop/README.md)

⚡ Version Compatibility

This installer has been tested with Photoshop CC 2021 (v22.x) only.

• ✅ CC 2021 (v22.x) - Tested and working (GPU disabled) - Only tested version

Note: The specific version tested is v22.0.0.35, but any Photoshop v22.x version should work. Other versions have not been tested and may or may not work.

How to Get Photoshop Files

Option 1: Official Adobe (Recommended)

• Download from Adobe Creative Cloud
• Get offline installer for Photoshop CC 2021 (v22.x)

Option 2: Existing Installation

• If you have Photoshop on Windows, extract installation files
• Windows location: C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Photoshop CC 2021\

⚖️ Legal: You must have a valid license. This script only automates Wine installation.

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🚀 Quick Start

1. Clone Repository

git clone https://github.com/benjarogit/photoshopCClinux.git
cd photoshopCClinux

2. Place Photoshop Files

Copy your Photoshop CC 2021 installation files to photoshop/ directory:

photoshop/
├── Set-up.exe
├── packages/
└── products/

See photoshop/README.md for detailed structure.

3. Run Pre-Check

chmod +x pre-check.sh
./pre-check.sh

Should show: ✅ "All critical checks passed!"

4. Disable Internet (Recommended)

# WiFi
nmcli radio wifi off

# Or Ethernet
sudo ip link set <interface> down

This prevents Adobe login prompts during installation.

5. Run Installation

chmod +x setup.sh
./setup.sh

6. In the Menu, Select Option 1

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  1- Installieren / Update                   │
│  2- Camera Raw v12 installieren            │
│  3- System-Vorprüfung (empfohlen)           │
│  4- Fehlerbehebung                          │
│  5- Wine konfigurieren                      │
│  6- Internet: ON (Toggle)                  │
│  7- Sprache: Deutsch (L)                   │
│  8- Deinstallieren / Killen                │
│  9- Schließen                               │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Select Option 1 (Installieren / Update)

7. In Adobe Setup Window

• Click "Install"
• Keep default path (C:\Program Files\Adobe\...)
• Select your language (e.g., en_US or de_DE)
• Wait 10-20 minutes

8. Re-enable Internet

nmcli radio wifi on

9. Launch Photoshop

photoshop

Or search for "Adobe Photoshop CC" in your application menu.

10. Disable GPU (Important!)

For stability:

1. In Photoshop: Edit > Preferences > Performance (Ctrl+K)
2. Uncheck "Use Graphics Processor"
3. Restart Photoshop

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⚙️ Command Line Options

The installer supports several command-line flags for automation and debugging:

• --wine-standard: Use Wine Standard (skip interactive Wine selection menu)
• --quiet / -q: Quiet mode - suppress all output except errors (useful for CI/testing)
• --verbose / -v: Verbose mode - show debug logs on console (useful for debugging)

Examples

# Standard installation with Wine Standard (non-interactive)
./setup.sh --wine-standard

# Quiet installation (for CI/testing - only errors shown)
./setup.sh --quiet --wine-standard

# Verbose installation (for debugging - shows all debug logs)
./setup.sh --verbose --wine-standard

# Combine flags
./setup.sh --quiet --wine-standard

Note: All output is still logged to files even in quiet mode. Check ~/.photoshop/logs/ for detailed logs.

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📖 Installation Guide

Detailed Steps

Pre-Installation

1. Install Required Packages

   # CachyOS/Arch
   sudo pacman -S wine winetricks
   
   # Ubuntu/Debian
   sudo apt install wine winetricks

2. Check System

   ./pre-check.sh

   This validates:

   • 64-bit architecture
   • Wine/winetricks installation
   • Available disk space
   • RAM
   • Installation files presence

During Installation

1. Wine Configuration

   • Mono installer will appear → Click "Install"
   • Gecko installer will appear → Click "Install"
   • Wine config window → Set to Windows 10, click OK

2. Component Installation (automatic, ~10 minutes)

   • Visual C++ 2015-2022 Redistributable
   • fonts and font-smoothing
   • msxml3, msxml6, gdiplus

3. Adobe Photoshop Setup (10-20 minutes)

   • Adobe installer window appears
   • Click "Install"
   • Choose language
   • Wait for completion
   • Ignore "ARKServiceAdmin" errors if they appear

Post-Installation

1. Run Troubleshoot

   ./troubleshoot.sh

2. Launch Photoshop

   photoshop

   First launch takes 1-2 minutes (normal!)

3. Disable GPU

   • Edit > Preferences > Performance
   • Uncheck "Use Graphics Processor"

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🐛 Known Issues & Solutions

Issue 1: Photoshop Crashes on Startup

Cause: GPU acceleration incompatibility with Wine

Solution:

1. Launch Photoshop
2. Edit > Preferences > Performance (Ctrl+K)
3. Uncheck "Use Graphics Processor"
4. Uncheck "Use OpenCL"
5. Restart Photoshop

Issue 2: "VCRUNTIME140.dll is missing"

Cause: Visual C++ Runtime not installed properly

Solution: Run the installer again or manually install:

WINEPREFIX=~/.photoshop/prefix winetricks vcrun2015

Issue 3: Liquify Tool Doesn't Work

Cause: GPU/OpenCL issues

Solution:

• Disable GPU acceleration (see Issue 1)
• Or disable OpenCL: Preferences > Performance > Uncheck "Use OpenCL"

Issue 4: Blurry/Ugly Fonts

Solution:

WINEPREFIX=~/.photoshop/prefix winetricks fontsmooth=rgb

Issue 5: Installation Hangs at 100%

Solution:

• Wait 2-3 minutes
• If nothing happens, close installer (Alt+F4)
• Installation is likely complete
• Verify: ls ~/.photoshop/prefix/drive_c/Program\ Files/Adobe/

Issue 6: "ARKServiceAdmin" Error During Installation

Solution:

• This error can be ignored
• Click "Ignore" or "Continue"
• Installation will complete successfully

Issue 7: Slow First Startup (1-2 Minutes)

Not an Issue:

• First startup is always slow
• Subsequent starts take 10-30 seconds
• This is normal Wine behavior

Issue 8: Cannot Save as PNG

Cause: File format plugin issue in Wine

Solution:

1. File > Save As
2. Choose "PNG" from format dropdown
3. If it fails, try: File > Export > Export As > PNG
4. Alternative: Save as PSD, then use GIMP to export as PNG

Issue 9: Screen Doesn't Update Immediately (Undo/Redo)

Cause: Wine rendering lag

Solution:

• This is a known Wine limitation
• Workaround: Force refresh with Ctrl+0 (fit to screen)
• Or: Enable virtual desktop in winecfg

Issue 10: Zooming is Laggy

Cause: GPU acceleration disabled + Wine overhead

Solution:

1. Use keyboard shortcuts (Ctrl + / Ctrl -)
2. Zoom with mouse wheel is slower than native
3. This is expected behavior with Wine
4. Performance is better on wine-staging

Issue 11: Adobe Installer "Next" Button Doesn't Respond

Cause: Adobe installer uses Internet Explorer engine (mshtml.dll) which doesn't work perfectly in Wine

Solution:

1. Install IE8 when prompted (takes 5-10 minutes, but significantly helps)
2. Wait 15-30 seconds - installer sometimes loads slowly
3. Use keyboard navigation:
   - Tab key multiple times to focus the button
   - Press Enter to click
   - Or: Alt+N (Next) / Alt+W (Weiter in German)
4. Click directly on the button (not beside it)
5. Bring installer window to foreground (Alt+Tab)
6. If nothing works: Try reinstalling Wine components with winetricks

Note: This is a known limitation of Wine with IE-based installers. The installer has already configured DLL-overrides and registry tweaks to improve compatibility.

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🔧 Troubleshooting

Automatic Troubleshooting

./troubleshoot.sh

This tool:

• ✅ Checks system requirements
• ✅ Validates installation
• ✅ Analyzes Wine configuration
• ✅ Scans logs for errors
• ✅ Applies automatic fixes when possible
• ✅ Provides detailed reports

Manual Troubleshooting

Check Logs

# All logs are stored in:
ls ~/.photoshop/logs/

# View latest log
tail -n 50 ~/.photoshop/logs/*.log | tail -50

Wine Configuration

./setup.sh  # Select Option 5 (Wine konfigurieren)

Recommended settings:

• Windows Version: Windows 10
• DPI: 96 (default)
• Virtual Desktop: Optional (enable if fullscreen issues)

Reinstall Components

WINEPREFIX=~/.photoshop/prefix winetricks --force vcrun2015 msxml6

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🚀 Performance Tips

Essential (For Stability)

1. Disable GPU in Photoshop (Ctrl+K → Performance)
2. Disable OpenCL (Ctrl+K → Performance)

Optional (For Speed)

3. Use Wine-Staging

   # CachyOS/Arch
   sudo pacman -S wine-staging
   
   # Ubuntu
   sudo add-apt-repository ppa:cybermax-dexter/sdl2-backport
   sudo apt install wine-staging

4. Enable CSMT

   WINEPREFIX=~/.photoshop/prefix winetricks csmt

5. Use Virtual Desktop (if performance issues)

   ./setup.sh  # Option 5 (Wine konfigurieren) → Graphics → Enable virtual desktop

Expected Performance

Feature	Native Windows	Wine Linux	Notes
Basic Tools	100%	90-95%	Excellent
Filters	100%	80-90%	Good
Liquify	100%	70-80%	Usable (GPU off)
3D Features	100%	30-50%	Limited
Camera Raw	100%	60-80%	Usable
Startup Time	5-10s	10-30s	After first launch

Overall: 85-90% of native performance for standard photo editing.

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🗑️ Uninstallation

Complete Removal

./setup.sh  # Select Option 8

When you select Option 8, you'll see a submenu:

• Option 1: Uninstall Photoshop (complete removal)
• Option 2: Force kill Photoshop processes (if Photoshop is stuck/hanging)
• Option 3: Back to main menu

Option 1 removes:

• Wine prefix (~/.photoshop/)
• Desktop entry
• Terminal command (/usr/local/bin/photoshop)

Option 2 forcefully terminates all Photoshop and Wine processes related to Photoshop. Use this if Photoshop is stuck or not responding.

Manual Removal

# Remove installation
rm -rf ~/.photoshop/

# Remove desktop entry
rm ~/.local/share/applications/photoshop.desktop

# Remove command
sudo rm /usr/local/bin/photoshop

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🤝 Contributing

We need your help! This project is made better by contributions from the community.

How You Can Help

🐛 Report Bugs

Found something that doesn't work? Let us know!

• Open a GitHub Issue
• Include: Linux distro, Wine version, error logs, steps to reproduce
• Even if you're not sure it's a bug - report it anyway!

💡 Suggest Features

Have an idea to make this better?

• Open a Feature Request
• Describe what you'd like to see
• Explain why it would be helpful

🔧 Share Fixes & Workarounds

Found a solution to a problem?

• Share it in the GitHub Issues
• Help others who have the same problem
• Your experience helps everyone!

📝 Improve Documentation

Found something unclear in the README?

• Open an Issue or submit a pull request
• Help make this easier for beginners
• Translate to other languages

💻 Code Contributions

Want to contribute code?

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch
3. Test your changes thoroughly
4. Submit a pull request with a clear description

Every contribution, big or small, makes this project better! 🙏

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📚 Additional Resources

Official Resources

• German Documentation: README.de.md
• Changelog: CHANGELOG.md - See latest changes and previous versions
• Quick Start Guide: Quick start section above

Alternative Solutions

If this installer doesn't work for you, consider these alternatives:

• PhotoGIMP - GIMP configured to look/feel like Photoshop
• Krita - Professional painting and illustration (native Linux)
• Photopea - Online Photoshop alternative (browser-based)

Original Project

• Original Gictorbit Project - Based on this project

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📄 License

This project is licensed under the GPL-2.0 License - see the LICENSE file for details.

Legal Notice

• ⚠️ Adobe Photoshop is proprietary software owned by Adobe Inc.
• ⚠️ You must have a valid license to use Photoshop
• ⚠️ This script only automates Wine installation
• ⚠️ No piracy is supported or encouraged
• ✅ Use at your own risk

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🙏 Acknowledgments

• Gictorbit - Original installer script
• Wine Team - Windows compatibility layer
• Community Contributors - Bug reports and fixes

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📊 Project Status

Status: ✅ Production Ready (Complete Toolset)

Tested on:

• CachyOS Linux (Arch-based) with KDE desktop environment

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❓ FAQ

Q: Do I need an Adobe account?

You need a valid Photoshop license, but you can use the offline installer without logging in during installation. Disable internet connection during setup.

Q: Which Photoshop version works?

Only Photoshop CC 2021 (v22.x) has been tested and confirmed working. Other versions have not been tested.

Q: Can I use plugins?

Most plugins work. Install them to: ~/.photoshop/prefix/drive_c/Program Files/Adobe/Adobe Photoshop CC 2021/Plug-ins/

Q: Does Camera Raw work?

Yes! After Photoshop installation, run ./setup.sh and select Option 2 to install Camera Raw.

Q: Why is GPU disabled?

Wine has limited GPU acceleration support. Disabling it prevents crashes and improves stability.

Q: Can I use other Photoshop versions?

Only CC 2021 (v22.x) has been tested. Other versions may or may not work - they have not been tested.

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💬 Support

• 🐛 Bug Reports: GitHub Issues
• 💡 Feature Requests: GitHub Issues
• 📖 Documentation: See files in this repository
• 🔧 Automatic Help: Run ./troubleshoot.sh

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📄 License & Copyright

Copyright © 2024-2026 Sunny C.

This project is licensed under the GPL-2.0 License.

Based on photoshopCClinux by Gictorbit.

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Made with ❤️ for the Linux community

Star ⭐ this repo if it helped you!