Installing WordPerfect 8.1 for Linux manually on a distro current in 2026
Revision 7.5
May 2026
Contents
The purpose and scope of this webpage.
Summary of the manual installation procedure.
Obtaining WordPerfect 8.1.
Satisfying dependencies.
Installing the WordPerfect packages.
Completing the installation of the fonts.
Installing an icon.
Running WordPerfect.
Adding printers.
Some tweaks.
The purpose and scope of this webpage
The present webpage is intended for owners of original CDs containing the Standard or Deluxe edition of Corel Linux OS, which respectively include the Light or Personal Edition of WordPerfect 8.1 for Linux, with a view to enabling them to continue using their paid-for software on current distros.
References to "current distros" should be read as referring to April 2026 and beyond.
It is assumed that the reader is moderately familiar with Linux, and moderately experienced in using the current distro on which he wishes to install WordPerfect 8.1.
This is the third of three pages dealing with installing WordPerfect 8.1 on a current distro.
Accordingly, this webpage deals with possible attempts to install WordPerfect 8.1 manually on distros for which a suitable script, written by the author of this website, designed to enable the installation of WordPerfect 8.1 on many current distros, is not available. It may also be useful if your attempt to install by a script for some reason fails. But the manual method of proceeding may be regarded as deprecated in cases where a script could be successfully used.
Another page on this website deals with obtaining the WordPerfect 8.1 packages needed for installation, and also with obtaining the above-mentioned scripts. It is assumed on the present page that the reader has familiarised himself with the page on obtaining the packages.
A further page on this website deals with installing WordPerfect 8.1 by means of the afore-mentioned scripts.
Summary of the manual installation procedure
The procedure involves six steps, each of which is elaborated in a section below. These steps are:
(1) Obtaining a copy of Corel Linux OS, and copying the WordPerfect core package and the fonts packages from it.
(2) Obtaining and installing the necessary support libraries.
(3) Extracting and installing the fonts from the fonts packages.
(4) Extracting the WordPerfect code from the core WordPerfect package, and installing it.
(5) Setting up the installed fonts, so as to be recognised by WordPerfect.
And finally
(6) Installing a wrapper enabling use of the WordPerfect Print Manager to manage printers.
The procedure described below constantly requires you to give commands in a root terminal window. This means a terminal (such as "konsole") in which one is acting throughout as a superuser. In distros which use "sudo" (rather than "su") to give a command as superuser, you may find it tiresome to constantly precede a command by "sudo". A useful workaround is to open a normal user terminal (such as "konsole" in a KDE distro), and then give the command: sudo su.
The first step is to obtain a copy of Corel Linux OS 1.0 or 1.2 containing the main WordPerfect code and the related font packages. This may be the Deluxe Edition, the Light Edition, or the Starter Edition of CLOS.
This is dealt with in the wp81gen page on this site.
(1) Architecture
If you are installing on a 64-bit debian-based distro, you should first ensure that i386 is an available architecture; on this, see the Debian Multiarch wiki. You should also install a 32-bit version of the libc6 package if it is available from your normal repository.
In the case of a debian-based distro, you may also need to install the "libxaw7:i386" package from the repository.
It should be noted that OpenSUSE Leap 16 does not provide 32-bit support by default.
(2) Normal dependencies
Other dependencies which may need to be satisfied by installation of packages from your distro's normal repository include the binutils, groff, perl, xbase-clients, and mkfontscale packages.
(3) Problematic dependencies
The wp-full and fonts-[x] packages which comprise WordPerfect 8.1 declare dependency on "libc5", "xlib6g", and "type1inst" packages. These may be referred to as the problematic dependencies.
The problematic dependencies can be satisfied by installing support packages which are available from the present website by means of links available on the present page. These packages are either original individual packages, once included in distros, or a combined package named wp-utils created by the present writer.
Using the combined "wp-utils" package
It is advisable, as the first attempt to satisfy the problematic dependencies, to install the present writer's wp-utils package, which is currently at version 5.1. It is available from this page as a debian package or as a tgz tarball.
Version 5.1 of the "wp-utils" package is suitable for arch-based distros as well as other distros. But earlier versions of the package should NOT be used on arch-based distros, as there is a strong probability that they would destabilise the distro.
Installation of the "wp-utils" package should satisfy all the problematic dependencies. In the case of a debian-based distro, you should also install the original ldso package from the present page.
After such installation you should give the command: sudo ldconfig -c old, to activate the libc5 library.
The "wp-utils" package supplies the elements of libc5 code needed by WordPerfect 8.1, and locates them in the "/lib" folder.
The "wp-utils" package is also designed to satisfy the dependencies on "xlib6g" and "type1inst", as declared by WordPerfect 8.1. Thus it provides the needed "locale" files, and includes code from the old "type1inst" package, which creates a list of scalable fonts, needed to set up the WordPerfect fonts.
The "wp-utils" package also includes:
(a) A useful installation utility, "installpkg15" (renamed from “installpkg” contained in the Slackware 15 distro), which is helpful for installing the WordPerfect 8.1 core and font packages.
(b) A menu-link with an icon for WordPerfect 8.1.
(c) A "wrapper" which restores to life the WP Print Manager.
The "wp-utils" package also includes some files from "shlibs5" which are needed by WordPerfect 8.0 (but not by WordPerfect 8.1), which are not contained in the "libc5" package from Debian Sarge. These are located in "/lib/libc5", so as to render them inert unless they are activated; for example by copying to a suitable location. They should NOT be activated by copying to "/lib" on an arch-based distro, as this would probably destabilise the distro.
The "wp-utils" package (whether in deb format, or in tarball format) is designed to place the libc5 files needed by WordPerfect 8.1 in the "/lib" directory. This may cause problems with a distro in which "/lib" has become a symbolic link to "/usr/lib". In such a case, if one uses the "tar" utility to install the tarball package to the "/" directory, one must add to the "tar" command the option --keep-directory-symlink. Thus the appropriate command should be (for example):
sudo tar -xvzf wp-utils-5.1.tgz --keep-directory-symlink.
Omitting the "keep" option could cause "tar" to overwrite the symbolic link, and thereby prejudice the operation of the distro as a whole.
Using original support packages
But if you still have issues with the problematic dependencies, then as regards the "ldso" and "libc5" dependencies you can try using packages which were once contained in distros, and are available from this page. The relevant packages are as follows:
(1) For debian-based distros, ldso and libc5. These are available here in deb format, as released in the Debian Sarge distro.
(2) For distros other than debian-based distros, "shlibs5". This is available here in rpm format, as available in OpenSUSE in 2001; and in tgz format, as converted by the present author.
The "ldso","libc5" and "shlibs5" packages are designed to satisfy the dependency on "libc5" as declared by WordPerfect 8.1.
In the case of a debian-based distro, you may also need to install the "libxaw7:i386" package from the normal repository.
After installing the "shlibs5" package, it is necessary to run in a root terminal the command ldconfig -c old to get libc5 support loaded.
Unless you use the "wp-utils" package, you will also need to create a link for the "locale" directory. You can do this with the command:
sudo ln -s /usr/share/X11/locale /usr/X11R6/lib/X11/locale.
Installing the WordPerfect packages
Having satisfied the dependencies, the next step is to install the available WordPerfect packages. These comprise some font packages, named fonts-16_1.0-5.deb, fonts-69_1.0-4.deb, and fonts-115_1.0-4.deb, and the main WordPerfect package, named wp-full_8.1-12_i386.deb (in the Standard or Personal Editions of CLOS), or wpx-free_8.0-78_i386.deb (in the Starter Edition of CLOS).
As regards fonts, only the fonts-16 package is available on the Corel Linux Standard Edition CD containing the Light Edition of WordPerfect 8.1, and none are available on the Starter Edition CD with WordPerfect SE.
(1) A method using the alien command
One manual method of installing the packages is as follows.
First, install the alien package from your distro's normal repository, if it is available there. Otherwise you will need to use another method of installation, such as the method using the "ar" command, explained below.
Then copy the relevant deb files to your working directory, such as "wp-inst".
Then, in a root terminal window, go to the said directory, and give the following command for each available package in turn: "alien -t [font-package-name]". For example, alien -t fonts-16_1.0-5.deb or alien -t wp-full_8.1-12_i386.deb. This will convert the package from deb format to Slackware tgz format.
Then, in a root terminal, for each of the tgz packages, give the command: "installpkg15 [converted-font-name]". For example, installpkg15 fonts-16.tgz or installpkg15 wp-full.8.1.tgz. This utilizes a script taken from Slackware 15 and renamed from "installpkg" which is designed to install the contents of a tgz package. If you have already installed the "wp-utils" package from this site, it will have installed installpkg15 in your /usr/bin directory. Otherwise you can download it separately from the present page.
(2) A method using the ar command
Another method of installing the relevant packages is to extract their contents by using the ar utility from the binutils package, which is usually available from your distro's normal repository.
The procedure to be used is as follows.
(a) In a root terminal window, in order to carry out the extraction for each deb package in turn, you should give the command: "ar -vx [package-name.deb]" For example, ar -vx fonts-16_1.0-5.deb or ar -vx wp-full_8.1-12_i386.deb.
After giving the "ar" command for one of the packages, you must, before giving it again for another of the packages, rename the resulting extracted file named "data.tar.gz" to a suitable distinct name, such as fonts-16.tgz or wp-full.tgz.
If the command using "ar" produces the response that "ar" is not found, the solution may be to install the binutils package, and then try again.
(b) Next, again in a root terminal window, in order to install the extracted tarballs, you should copy all of them to "/" (the very top of the file system, NOT to "/root"), and then untar them by giving (for each of them in turn) a command such as: tar -xvzf fonts-16.tgz or tar -xvzf wp-full.tgz.
Further understanding of the tar method may be gained from the explanation by George Notaras in the G-Loaded Journal, and from an earlier version of a page on this site relating to rpm distros, such as OpenSUSE, kindly contributed by Leon Goldstein, who devised this method of installing WordPerfect. Leon's instructions on installing WordPerfect on Libranet in 2005, which also illustrate the continuing efforts to keep WordPerfect useable on Linux, are available here.
As an alternative to using the tar command for such installations, you could instead use installpkg15, as explained above.
[to here]
Completing the installation of the fonts
At this stage, WordPerfect will have been installed, but it will still need to be configured so as to find its fonts. To achieve this, the following procedure should be followed on all distros (whether debian-based or rpm-based; and whether 32-bit or 64-bit). The commands should all be given in a root terminal.
The recommended procedure is as follows. In a root terminal window:
(1) First give the command: "cd /usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/Type1".
(2) Then give the command: "type1inst".
(3) Next give the command: "mkfontdir".
(4) Finally give the command: "/usr/lib/wp8/shbin10/wpfi".
If you wish to make the WordPerfect fonts also available to LibreOffice (with a view, for example, to printing .wpd files using LibreOffice, copy them from "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/Type1" into either "/usr/share/fonts/type1" or "/usr/share/fonts/Type1" (as used by your distro).
The "wp-utils" deb or tgz package which you have already installed earlier will endeavour to provide a menu entry for WordPerfect in the Office sub-menu, along with a desktop icon, placed in "/usr/share/pixmaps". Thus you may be able to run WordPerfect from your Linux menu.
You can also run WordPerfect by giving the command "xwp", in a terminal window. To run WordPerfect as administrator, give the command "sudo xwp -adm" in a terminal window.
After completing all the above installation steps, one should first run WordPerfect once as administrator, by giving in a terminal window the command: sudo xwp -admin. Then, in the Preferences menu in the small second WordPerfect window at the top right corner of the display, one should click on "File Locking", and then ensure that the option to "Disable Unix File Locking" is switched on. This should prevent the receipt of subsequent error messages about too many processes and/or not enough permission to run.
Thereafter one should simply run WordPerfect as a normal user, by giving in a normal terminal window the command: "xwp".
At this stage WordPerfect has been installed. But no printer has been made available. Moreover the WP Print Manager, which is designed to add, modify and delete WordPerfect printer drivers, will not run in the normal way in a current distro. To enable it to run, it must be called by way of a wrapper. A wrapper suitable for current distros has been devised by the present writer, and is included in the wp-utils package. I am grateful to DisneyDumbazz at Youtube for suggesting this method.
To enable the WP Print Manager on a current distro, the following procedure should be followed.
First ensure that a Linux printer is installed on the distro; usually a CUPS printer. For testing at least, it may be useful to install the cups-pdf printer (by installing the "printer-driver-cups-pdf" or "cups-pdf" package from your normal repository), especially if no actual physical printer is available.
Then check whether a file named "/etc/printcap" exists. If not, create it as a link by giving the command, in a root terminal: ln -s /var/run/cups/printcap /etc/printcap, or ln -s /run/cups/printcap /etc/printcap.
Next, in a root terminal window, change directory to the "/usr/lib/wp8/shbin10" folder, and copy "./xwppmgr" to "./xwppmgr.bin".
Then, if you have installed the "wp-utils" package and it has satisfied the dependencies, you should be able to use the wrapper, and thereby load the WP Print Manager, by giving in a terminal the command: sudo xwppmgr.
If you have not succeeded in satisfying the dependencies by means of the "wp-utils" package, you will need to download from the present page and then install a separate wrapper utility, named wppmwrap. The version for a debian-based distro is downloadable here. The version for other distros is downloadable here. Then you should be able to use the wrapper, and thereby load the WP Print Manager, by giving in a terminal the command: sudo xwppmgr.
The wrapper command works because the "wp-utils" utility, or the separate wrapper utility, has installed ld-2.27.so (from libc6:i386 version 2.27) in your "/lib" directory, and a script named "xwppmgr" in your "/usr/bin" directory. The script is designed to use "ld-2.27.so" to access the libc5 utilities necessary to load the WP Manager.
The command, sudo xwppmgr, should achieve the desired result of successfully loading the WP Print Manager, and thus enabling you to install a WP printer driver and point it at a system printer. After such an installation, a user should be able to select and utilise the WP printer driver by using the print command within WordPerfect.
A tutorial on using the WP Print Manager, once it has been loaded using the wrapper, has kindly been contributed by Leon Goldstein, and is provided on the Tutorial page.
If you have a monochrome printer, or do not wish to print in colour with WordPerfect, the Passthru Postscript driver, supplied as part of WordPerfect, when pointed at the system CUPS driver for your printer, should work well.
If you have a colour printer, you may find it useful to use the HP Color LaserJet 4600 (Postscript) driver, released on the WPdos website. If you have installed the "wp-utils" package, the relevant "prs" file for this driver will have been placed in your "/usr/lib/wp8/shlib10" directory. Otherwise you may obtain the driver from the WPdos website on its page entitled "New Printer Drivers for WordPerfect 6.x", by downloading a file named "WP60HPCO.EXE".
If you cannot get the wrapper to work, you may still be able to use WordPerfect to create and edit documents. You may then wish to print your WordPerfect documents using LibreOffice. For this purpose, it may be useful to copy the WordPerfect fonts from "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/Type1" into "/usr/share/fonts/type1" or "/usr/share/fonts/Type1" (depending on your distro's usage). This and other ways of printing ".wpd" documents are discussed on the Tweaks page.
Having installed WordPerfect, you may wish to carry out some tweaks to improve its usability. Further information (on printing; importing MS Word document files; colour-schemes; the euro-currency symbol; menus, abbreviations and dialog boxes; and keypad keys) is provided on the Tweaks page.
Last updated in May 2026.
(c) Peter Stone, 2026.