I think I'll unironically consider switching when they implement VST's and I take a liking on Bitwig.

 

I have Ubuntu installed. Its the best for getting running without needing a bunch of other packages. Music software like Bitwig and Uhe run on it. They also have an app store with lots of free music apps

 

What do you mean by "implement VSTs"? Bitwig supports VSTs out of the box, maybe even some other formats like LV2, and Reaper supports every audio plugin ever invented. DX, VST2, VST3, LV2, JS in Windows and VST2, VST3, and LV2 in Linux, either 32bit [bridged in 64bit OS] or 64bit.

You probably mean when the developers decide to release native Linux versions of the plugins you use, just like I do.

Generally, all the plugins that have a MacOS version and use Juce GUI library [as Xupito pointed out], shouldn't be too hard to port to Linux, too.

@iswingwood Yes, some derivation of Ubuntu [I'd use Ubuntu MATE or Xubuntu which is even lighter on resources] is excellent for Linux newbies. The first thing to do in any Ubuntu as well as Debian is to change the Linux Kernel to a RT Kernel, then change power settings to "performance" [make "powersave" and "performance" scripts so you don't waste electricity when you're browsing], install JACK [check "Real-time" in Setttings], and you'll be good to go.

Usually the hardest thing is to make your audio interface work through ALSA, but sometimes it just works. USB audio interfaces are easier to manage. I had to install "ALSA tools" and insert ["modprobe"] my RME HDSP 9652 driver to load during booting for it to work. ALSA Tools also installed the HDSP Mixer. RME cards work really great in Linux.

 

Last edited: Jan 14, 2022

If you are concerned with security, just get yourself a raspberry pi or some other tiny computer like that and run linux on it. Connect it to the internet and do all your internet stuff using it. The raspberry pi 4 has enough ram and power to do that easily and if you use a ssd with it, it will be fast as well. Any old dual core Laptop should be good for that as well. For everything else you can use your mac, just keep it disconnected from the internet and thats it. if you need to update it, just connect it, do your updates and disconnect it again. The most secure connection is no connection at all.

 

Native Linux versions? Why not just make the OS developers implement steinbergs VST?
That's not exclusive to windows as we have seen with mac, and macOS is somewhat related to linux with all the BSD Kernel yada

 

It's not possible to make a kernel module that supports Windows VSTs. You have to use WINE or some kind of Windows code emulator to be able to run Windows VSTs. The situation is somewhat similar to Rosetta on MacOS which emulates Intel processor, so that Intel compiled programs can run on ARM, with some CPU overhead, but they've done admirable job with Rosetta and it's pretty efficient. Therefore we must use some kind of a Windows emulator to run Windows VSTs and WINE is pretty old an quite polished by now. That's why all of these bridges use WINE for running VSTs.

It is true that those VST developers who already have working MacOS versions would have an easier job making Linux versions of their VST plugins. Really, it would be best if they just released native Linux versions that use Linux's libraries to run without any need for a Windows code emulator. Like u-he, TAL, and others I mentioned did.

 

Last edited: Jan 15, 2022

With all the shit Windows keeps pulling up, Linux music production is inevitable for us broke people who don't have the luxury of Mac. Wine has seriously upped its game since the Win XP code leak and v7 is in RC now. Its also supporting Wow64 capability now (the ability of 64bit Wine running 32bit as well as 64bit Windows apps).

I think plugin devs aren't yet interested in Linux as most major DAWs themselves have no native Linux version, although it would be easy af for them to have one (looking at you, Ableton, use those $749 you take for each major update).

https://wiki.winehq.org/FAQ#Wineprefixes

 

[duplicated]

 

1. No, Linux and BSD are different beasts. And Mac OS is different and isn't signifacally related to BSD. Only partly. Excluding Mach kernel (it's NOT BSD, this OS was developed as a SUBSTITUTE of BSD) and real BSD components, there are many things in Mac OS that are very different. GUI, packages, filesystem etc. Even programming languages (Objective C, Swift).

2. Why developers don't make Linux VST? First, if they make money they aren't interested in it because of a very small market. Linux world doesn't have a habit to buy software. Second, there are an almost infinite number of distros and all of them live their specific lifes. It make sense only for open sourced programs when maintainers or enthusiasts compile them for different distros. The most foolproof way to get working software in Linux is download it from a native repository. In commercial development it makes no sense, I think.

 

VST3 works on Linux officially, using Steinberg SDK during several years. Anyone can write and compile VST3 plugins for Linux. VST2 plugins was sucсessfully ported to Linux too. Developers using JUCE can compile their plugins for Linux without significant troubles. Kernel is hardly significant for VST plugins, they interact mainly with DAW. Problems may originate from graphic frameworks or shared libraries. And VST development for Linux isn't attractive from commercial point of view. Very expensive support for infinite distros with a very small market...

 

A very small market... well, nevertheless, in the last couple of years I've seen a big uptake in the number of people trying Linux, some only for safer browsing, but also for audio and video [DaVinci Resolve changed the game]. Linux threads at Reaper forum and KVR forum got far more livelier, and even here at AS. I think it's generally because Windows just got crappier and crappier, especially for multimedia content producers. MS just keeps adding unnecessary features to Windows, but necessary for them to make more money. W2K and XP were great for audio and video... afterwards Windows started nosediving.

Same goes for Apple, but to a bit lesser extent. I'd say OSXs up to Sierra [no Cortana] were much better and less crappy than newer ones. I use Mojave on one of my computers just because Cubase 11 and some plugins require it. Same with Windows. Corporate, money-making shite.

edit: I will probably install a very light version of W8.1 for audio at some point this year, when I finish the current project. I've been testing the Ghostspectre light W8.1 version lately. It's crap, but some plugins I use require it. W10 is out of the question for me. I just hate it. OK, maybe some "superlite" version of it...

 

Last edited: Jan 15, 2022

@lbnv I'm going to give it a try.

 

Go with Ubuntu LTS. Great for Linux newbies and based on Debian, which means great support.

edit: if you find the Ubuntu official desktop environment cumbersome, you can try Ubuntu MATE, which is as close to Windows looks and functionality you can get. Well, more like a really good blend between Windows and MacOS.

 

Last edited: Jan 15, 2022

If Linux supported FL Studio and Windows VSTs I would seriously consider it.

 

It's more like "If FL Studio supported Linux...".

As far as Windows VSTs, with Yabridge it's now more likely than not that a plugin will work on Linux. However, that _all_ of them work on Linux, that will probably never happen.

 

Enjoy.

 

Last edited: Jan 15, 2022

There is no absolutely good and cool OS. What we can do is to find what is better for us.

Linux is complete mess. "Oh, I'll try Ubuntu! Or, may be, Ubuntu Studio? No, Kubuntu! And Linux Lite, it is so simple and isn't hungry for resources... And then Debian. Or Manjaro? And Solus is so cool..." And in every distro all is done by a special way. Even terminal functions differently. No. For me, no. Windows is the single variant, differences between versions are insignificant, it's a very big advantage.

 

Ubuntu studio 21 is really cool and it can resurrect an old laptop. Just stick with that to make music and you'll be fine.

 

I just tried ubuntu studio on a pen drive . it's very nice. I did some internet, downloaded Reaper , got my audio to work, installed reaper found my keyboard and played a melody . all without installing ubuntu!!!

 

There used to be a Windows utility program for making bootable USB drives of many different linux flavors. You just selected the Distro you wanted and it would download the files and prepare the drive. I forget the name now, sort of like unetbootin anyway ;/