Steam Deck has already proven that Linux can be a solid platform for gaming, but creative software has long been a problem. While game compatibility has improved a lot thanks to Proton, many popular creative apps still don’t work properly on Linux. One of the biggest gaps has been the Adobe suite, which includes tools like Photoshop, Premiere Pro, and Illustrator. However, that could change sooner than expected.

A developer known as PhialsBasement has been working on a fix that allows the Adobe Creative Cloud installer to run correctly using WINE, a compatibility layer to run Windows apps on Linux. This is important because Creative Cloud is required to install and manage Adobe apps. In the past, even if some Adobe programs partially worked on Linux, the installer itself would fail, making it impossible to use them properly.

Photoshop 2021 and 2025 tested on Linux via WINE

With this new fix, the Creative Cloud installer reportedly completes the installation process without breaking. The developer has already tested it with Photoshop 2021 and Photoshop 2025, which suggests that the solution isn’t just experimental, but actually usable in real-world scenarios.

Fixes Adobe Creative Cloud installer failing due to several Wine incompatibilities:

mshtml: Don’t delegate dynamic DISPIDs to jscript (breaks JSObject bridge)
mshtml: Route event attributes through Wine’s event system in IE9+ mode
mshtml: Compile event handler strings instead of storing them
mshtml: Fix NodeList exposing incorrect interfaces
msxml3: Wrap embedded XML declarations in CDATA (Windows tolerates these, libxml2 doesn’t)

Enables Adobe CC installer to complete successfully, tested with Photoshop 2021 and 2025 installation

Source: GitHub

Right now, this fix isn’t included in official WINE or Proton releases. However, the work is being submitted on GitHub so it can be reviewed by other developers. If it gets accepted, future updates to WINE or Proton could include these changes automatically. That would make it much easier for regular users to benefit from this progress without needing custom tweaks.

For Steam Deck owners, this could be a big step forward. While the device is mainly known as a gaming handheld, many people already use it as a small desktop PC by docking it and connecting a keyboard and mouse. If Adobe software becomes easier to install and run, the Steam Deck could also be used for photo editing, design work, or light video editing. In any case, for now, we’ll have to wait for other developers to test it out before it rolls out for all users.

About the Author

Abdul Haddi

Abdul is a tech writer and Editor for PC Guide, specializing in all things tech, gaming, and hardware.