Wine Gecko doesn't work to activate Microsoft 365

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sergio687
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Wine Gecko doesn't work to activate Microsoft 365

Post by sergio687 »

Hello, I've just installed Microsoft Office 365 on a 32-bit Wineprefix. Wine Gecko is installed on that prefix and it works as it should for basic Internet browsing. I understand that Wine Gecko isn't made for anything else than substituting for Internet Explorer on some Wine programmes that need it. The problem is, Office 365 needs me to log-in after the install to sync files (I don't know yet if not logging in will un-licence my installation in the next days because on actual Windows I log-in immediately). When I try to log-in from Office, a pop-up window appears and it works. But after I put my email address and click on Next, the next page asks for the browser to be updated, prompting me to download Microsoft Edge (which I can't, and even suspect that even if I did manage to, wouldn't work for this situation). So, I'd like to know if there's a way to either:
  • Override Wine Gecko and make any other browser handle the request. I have Firefox installed in the same prefix, but it doesn't stay as default browser.
  • Have a less basic browser installed in the place Wine Gecko currently is (and IE for that matter), so that it takes the request.
  • Somehow make Wine Gecko able to get past it.
I tried using Wine Gecko as a standalone browser and checking Outlook.com and Office.com, and indeed it seems Microsoft does think it's an old browser. Firefox lets me log-in without any issues, but I can't use it for logging in inside the Office suite. For now the lack of syncing is just a little annoyance, but I wanted to know if there's any way around it (I have the Office subscription and wanted to take advantage of it).

Just in case, I'm using:
  • Elementary OS 5.1
  • Wine 6.0
  • Office 365 version 2002 (compilation 12527.21594)
  • The prefix is configured to imitate Windows 7
  • mscoree as native override, msxml6 as native and internal override and riched20 as native and internal override
  • Wine Gecko is recognised by the prefix as Internet Explorer 11.0.9600.18376. I don't know how to check the actual Wine Gecko version.
Thanks in advance for the help.
SpaceRim
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Re: Wine Gecko doesn't work to activate Microsoft 365

Post by SpaceRim »

Currently I don't think there is a way to do this. Would really be nice to see this implemented.
andrew.smart
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Re: Wine Gecko doesn't work to activate Microsoft 365

Post by andrew.smart »

Maybe crossover supports the feature you're interested in, give their trial a shot and look at their forum: https://www.codeweavers.com/compatibili ... office-365

I'm also interested in more unimplemented ieframe features being implemented, specifically a new window opening in a game, but the crossover trial didn't work for that.

At a glance without looking at any logs of what is going on, what your asking about using Firefox within the prefix instead, isn't possible. Not possible under the premise that Office 365 is using a WebBrowser control:
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet ... ew=net-5.0
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/previo ... 1(v=vs.85)
andrew.smart
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Re: Wine Gecko doesn't work to activate Microsoft 365

Post by andrew.smart »

andrew.smart wrote: Fri Apr 23, 2021 12:38 am Maybe crossover supports
CrossOver is the correct spelling.
andrew.smart wrote: Fri Apr 23, 2021 12:38 am At a glance without looking at any logs of what is going on, what your asking
You're, not your.

I wish this site allowed more time to edit posts. Oh well.

I looked at the CrossOver forum page for Microsoft 365 and they're aware of and working on the problem. If you have need for said feature you can support it if you wish. The forum for that product is on the page I linked to earlier.

It also isn't too terribly difficult to figure out how to build WINE and implement missing features, just time consuming, lots and lots of time reading and experimenting:
https://www.codeweavers.com/blog/aeikum ... -ecosystem

It's no wonder Google did what they did with Java when faced with such a huge amount of drudgery. Though I disagree with the recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling on that matter, I also strongly disagree with the amount of damages being asked.

I've made a patch implementing the 'NewWindow2 Event' myself, but it sadly wasn't the problem in the game I'm trying to get to work, and the patch wouldn't meet quality standards needed for inclusion into WINE anyway:
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/previo ... 6(v=vs.85)
andrew.smart
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Re: Wine Gecko doesn't work to activate Microsoft 365

Post by andrew.smart »

I'm sorry I used the word drudgery. IIRC, it is the exact word Google used in an explanation for why-they-done-it, in an article I read on the issue. It is an insane amount of work though. I know I wouldn't have the diligence in such an effort.
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