Introduction
Linux is a Unix-like computer operating system assembled under the model of free and open source software development and distribution. Linux systems are widely used in smartphones and server hardware. Many home PC users prefer it to MS Windows series.
In this article, you will find out how to work in MetaTrader 4 via one of the Linux versions - Ubuntu.
Installing Wine on Ubuntu
One of the Linux features is the absence of a unified distribution kit. Different groups of developers work on several Linux versions including Debian, Mint, Ubuntu, OpenSUSE, Gentoo, etc. In this article we will consider one of the most popular distribution kits - Ubuntu.
Wine is a free software that allows users of the Unix-based systems to run an application developed for the Microsoft Windows systems. Among all the Wine versions there is one for Ubuntu.
- Note that Wine is not a fully stable application. Thus, some functions in the applications you start under it may work improperly or not work at all.
- It is strongly recommended to use the latest version of Ubuntu and Wine. Timely update provides the greatest stability of the trading platform.
All applications under Ubuntu are installed from the packages contained in repositories. In the latest versions of Ubuntu, the required Wine installation repository is already available in the system without additional settings. Therefore, to install Wine, you only need to execute one command on the command line (called "Terminal" in Ubuntu):
sudo apt-get install wine-stable
This command installs the latest stable version of Wine.

You can also install the Wine version for developers. This version may contain various improvements, but be less stable. To install it, run the following command:
sudo apt-get install wine-development
If your Ubuntu version does not provide a repository and you get an error during Wine installation, run the following commands one by one:
wget -nc https://dl.winehq.org/wine-builds/Release.key
sudo apt-key add Release.key
sudo apt-add-repository https://dl.winehq.org/wine-builds/ubuntu/
Next, update the package information by executing the following command:
After the command execution, install Wine using the following command:
sudo apt-get install --install-recommends winehq-stable
For details on installation under Ubuntu, please visit the official Wine site.
Starting MetaTrader 4
To install the terminal, download the installer "mt4setup.exe". After the download is complete, launch the setup file. The system will automatically determine that you are trying to run a file designed for Microsoft Windows and will offer to open it with Wine. Select this option and click "OK".

The system will automatically determine that you are trying to run a file designed for Microsoft Windows and will offer to open it with Wine. Select this option and click "OK". MetaTrader 4 installer will be launched. Complete all installation steps:

After installation is complete, you can start using MetaTrader 4 by running its terminal.exe file.
Another way to start using MetaTrader 4 in Ubuntu is copying the entire folder of the client terminal previously installed in Microsoft Windows:

After copying is complete, simply run terminal.exe file of MetaTrader 4 terminal. Wine will be used automatically to open the file. The screenshot below shows MetaTrader 4 terminal in Ubuntu system:

Known Issues
As was already mentioned above, Wine is not a completely stable
software. Thus, some functions of the MetaTrader 5 terminal may work
improperly. Currently the following issues are discovered:
Except for the above problem, you can enjoy all the features of MetaTrader 5 on Ubuntu.
MetaTrader 4 Data Directory
Wine creates a virtual logical drive with necessary
environment for installed programs. The default path of the
installed terminal's data folder is as follows:
Home\.wine\drive_c\Program Files\MetaTrader 4
Conclusion
If we type "Linux" in MQL4.community search box, we will receive about 30 pages of results. This suggests that many users are interested in running MetaTrader 4 on this operating system, and it is necessary to have a unified source of information on the subject. There is only one article on the topic written by one of the community members and it is long out of date, as it was published in 2006.
In the present article, we described an easy way to run MetaTrader 4 under Ubuntu operating system. All basic terminal functions are available to traders. We hope that this article, or, to be more precise - the comments to it, will become a good place for accumulating useful information about running Meta Trader 4 on Linux OS series.