DWG viewer for Linux
This DWG viewer for Linux runs in Firefox or Chrome on Ubuntu, Fedora, Debian, Mint, or any other distribution: drop a .dwg or .dxf on the page and it opens with layers, measuring, and PDF export. Nothing to install, no Wine, and the file is never uploaded.
Why DWG is awkward on Linux
Linux users who receive DWG files run into the same wall: the vendor's own viewer, DWG TrueView, is Windows-only, and the major commercial CAD programs mostly skip Linux. Running a Windows viewer under Wine works for some releases and breaks after updates. Open-source CAD programs read DXF natively, but DWG support in them is partial or depends on an extra converter.
A browser viewer avoids all of that. Firefox and Chrome on Linux run WebAssembly and WebGL just as they do on Windows, so the same DWG reader works on every distribution, on X11 or Wayland, with no packages to install.
How to open a DWG file on Ubuntu or any Linux
- Open this page in Firefox or Chrome (Chromium works too).
- Drag the .dwg file from the Files manager onto the drop area, or click it and pick the file.
- The first DWG in a session downloads a 9 MB WebAssembly module once; then the drawing opens, usually within a few seconds.
- Use the layers panel, the measure tool, and fit to view. Export PDF, PNG, or SVG, or print through the browser dialog.
The viewer reads DWG from R14 through 2018 and newer, plus DXF in any version. If hardware acceleration is off in your browser, large drawings pan slowly; enabling it in the browser settings usually helps on older graphics drivers.
Desktop options on Linux
| Program | DWG | DXF | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| LibreCAD | Reads some versions | Yes, edits | Open source, in Ubuntu and Fedora repositories |
| QCAD | In the paid edition | Yes, edits | Community edition is DXF only |
| FreeCAD | Through ODA File Converter | Yes | Mostly for 3D parts; 2D in the Draft workbench |
| ODA File Converter | Converts DWG to DXF and between versions | Yes | Linux build available; not a viewer by itself |
| BricsCAD | Yes, full | Yes | Commercial CAD with a native Linux version |
A practical Linux setup combines the two worlds: this page for looking at DWGs that arrive by email, and LibreCAD or QCAD when you need to change a DXF.
Exporting a DWG to PDF, PNG, or SVG on Linux
Most people who open a DWG on Linux need to pass it on: a PDF for a client, an image for a report, or vector lines for Inkscape. All three exports start the same way. You drag a rectangle over the part you want, or take the whole drawing, and the viewer renders it on a white page with the layer colors from the file. Layers you switched off stay out of the result.
The PDF is vector and sized to the area you selected, so it prints cleanly but not to a stated scale. The SVG maps one drawing unit to one SVG unit, which makes it easy to scale in Inkscape, Scribus, or a laser program. The PNG is 3000 pixels on the long side with an opaque white background, good for LibreOffice documents and wiki pages. Only model space is exported; paper-space layouts stay in the original DWG.
Privacy on a shared or managed machine
On university workstations, office thin clients, and other managed Linux machines you often cannot install software at all. The page runs in the browser you already have. The drawing is read in the tab, converted on the device, and gone when you close it; nothing is written to a server, so client drawings stay where they were.
The same viewer is described for other systems on DWG viewer for Windows and DWG viewer for Mac.
If the DWG does not open
Check the file size (over 60 MB is skipped), then the version: R12 and older drawings open only partially. A file that came out of an archive or an email gateway may be something else renamed to .dwg; the file command in a terminal tells you what it really is. The full checklist is on DWG file not opening, and general steps on how to open a DWG file.
Frequently asked questions
How do I open a DWG file on Linux?
Open this page in Firefox or Chrome and drop the file on it. It works on any distribution without installing anything.
Is there a DWG viewer for Ubuntu?
Yes. This browser viewer works on Ubuntu, and LibreCAD in the Ubuntu repositories reads some DWG versions and edits DXF.
Does DWG TrueView run on Linux?
No, it is a Windows program. Some people run it under Wine, but updates often break it. A browser viewer is simpler.
Which Linux CAD software opens DWG files?
BricsCAD fully, QCAD in its paid edition, LibreCAD partially, and FreeCAD through the ODA File Converter.
Is the DWG uploaded when I open it here?
No. It is read and drawn inside the browser tab on your machine.
Can I convert DWG to PDF on Linux?
Yes. Open the DWG here and choose Export PDF. The export is vector and runs in the browser.