WordPerfect on Linux in 2026

Revision 7.6

June 2026

Purposes

As its main purpose, this site provides information, scripts and support packages designed to assist an owner of a legitimate copy of WordPerfect 8.1 for Linux, who desires to use it on a current Linux distro, in doing so.

The scripts and the main support packages provided were devised by the author of this site, Peter Stone, with assistance from Leon Goldstein.

It is hoped that, when installed in the manner recommended, WordPerfect 8.1 for Linux will work in almost all respects in the way that it was designed to, and will provide an effective tool for writing, editing and printing.

The site also provides similar facilities in respect of WordPerfect 8.0 for Linux.

In addition, it provides information about using other versions of WordPerfect (such as WordPerfect for Windows) on a current Linux distro.

In these pages, words such as "current" should be understood as referring to April 2026 and subsequently.

Content

This site consists of twelve pages, arranged as follows.

(1) This home or index page.

(2) Four pages on installing and running WordPerfect 8.1 for Linux on current distros.

The first of these pages (named "wp81gen.htm") deals with obtaining the original WordPerfect 8.1 packages from Corel Linux OS CDs, and on obtaining the necessary installation scripts from the present site. It also explains the need for, the course of development of, and the current status of the scripts.

It contains links for downloading the relevant scripts from the present site.

The second of these pages (named "wp81script.htm") deals in detail with the installation of WordPerfect 8.1 on a current distro by means of one of the scripts provided on this site. It also deals with the running of WordPerfect 8.1 after installation.

There are separate scripts for debian-based distros; for Fedora and Mageia; for OpenSUSE Leap 15; for Slackware; for Manjaro and CachyOS; and for PCLinuxOS.

The scripts (currently in most cases at version 2.4) work by way of extraction of the WordPerfect code from the WordPerfect deb packages by means of the "ar" utility contained in the "binutils" package.

The scripts utilise a single support package named "wp-utils" (currently at version 5.1), created by the author of this site, to satisfy all necessary dependencies, including those involving libc5. (A separate package for arch-based distros is no longer necessary).

The scripts enable WordPerfect 8.0 and 8.1 to co-exist in the same system.

The scripts have been updated in the light of the trend towards the use of "/lib" as a symbolic link to the "/usr/lib" directory; and of the desirability of avoiding the use of the "alien" utility, which has become less reliably available.

They also ensure that the command, “/usr/bin/xwp”, respects the usual location of the WordPerfect settings file.

All the scripts (except scripts for Slackware) now also install a "cups-pdf" package, to enable printing from WordPerfect to a PDF file; and a "pandoc" package, to enable conversion of documents in DOCX or ODT format into RTF format for importation into WordPerfect.

The scripts have been tested most recently (in April-June 2026) on Mint 22.3, Ubuntu 26.04, MX 25.1, Fedora 44, OpenSUSE Leap 15.6, Slackware 15, Manjaro 26.0.4, CachyOS 260426, and PCLinux 2026.06.30

There are separate scripts respectively for debian-based distros; for Fedora and Mageia; for OpenSUSE Leap 15; for Manjaro and CachyOS; and for PCLinuxOS.

But the scripts are not designed to work on OpenSUSE Leap 16.

The third page (named "wp80.htm") deals with manual installation.

This provides information about installing WordPerfect 8.1 by a manual method on distros for which the above-mentioned scripts are not available.

The fourth page (named "tutorial") provides a tutorial on the WordPerfect Print Manager.

(3) A page on WordPerfect 8.0 for Linux.

Scripts are provided to enable the installation of the basic version of WordPerfect 8.0 from the rpm packages once issued in Caldera or TurboLinux distros.

There are separate scripts for debian-based distros; for Fedora and Mageia; for OpenSUSE Leap 15; and for Slackware.

The scripts also enable WordPerfect 8.0 and 8.1 to co-exist in the same system, and enable WordPerfect 8.0 to use additional fonts.

(4) A page on WordPerfect Office 2000 for Linux, which includes WordPerfect 9.

(5) A page on other versions of WordPerfect for Linux.

This deals with versions 6, 7, and 8.2 of WordPerfect for Linux.

(6) A page on emulations.

This deals with the use on Linux of versions of WordPerfect designed for other operating systems, such as the use of WordPerfect for Windows on Linux via Crossover.

(7) Two older pages, dealing with manual installation on rpm distros and on Libranet, which serve to illustrate the historical development.

Last updated in June 2026