Why not Linux?

[raapie]

I am planning a switch to Linux.

Will Live ever be ported to Linux? If not, why?

[sqook]

It ain't gonna happen, so if you're going to switch, might as well dual boot between linux and XP.


Why not? Simple: money.

Ableton's a small company. They're already short on manpower. So why should they spend a bunch of extra time and money porting to linux (not to mention support!), when they could be improving live on existing platforms? They would probably have considered this ages ago, if there was a market for it.

But there's not. Linux, as great of an OS as it is, sucks for pro audio. ALSA blows, and there's tons of unsupported audio and MIDI devices. A port of Live for linux might gather a few hundred dedicated users, but even so, that's not a compelling enough reason for a port.

Consider final scratch, which was even developed on linux, and later discontinued, due to support issues. It simply wasn't worth it.

[raapie]

Linux is the most used platform for past processing. Render farms at Pixat are using it. If you have a look how much Linux is being used in productions... lot's.

And all websites are using Linux as well. The whole Ableton website for example.

Internet means: open network. I believe the world is becomming more open, closed source is not the answer in the end I am afraid. But even if Ableton would like to sell it as closed source for Linux, why not?

[hoffman2k]

I wouldn't mind them getting it to work properly on a mac first.

[robin]

Linux is the most used platform for past processing. Render farms at Pixat are using it. If you have a look how much Linux is being used in productions... lot's.

And all websites are using Linux as well. The whole Ableton website for example.

Internet means: open network. I believe the world is becomming more open, closed source is not the answer in the end I am afraid. But even if Ableton would like to sell it as closed source for Linux, why not?

I've used Linux for many years (over 10), on servers, desktops and laptops.

I use OSX as my main OS for my laptop and for music simply because Linux just isn't there for the purpose (I use Linux still on my work desktop). It takes a lot of dedication and knowledge to get it running in a non-server environment.

So, for that reason I don't see Live coming to linux any time soon.

[sqook]

Linux is the most used platform for past processing. Render farms at Pixat are using it. If you have a look how much Linux is being used in productions... lot's.

Pixar render farms running custom-built software and consumer pro audio apps are two different ballgames.

And all websites are using Linux as well. The whole Ableton website for example.

"All" is a bit of an overstatement. Try about 50%. IIS alone has a 35% marketshare, and of the 50% of webservers running apache, a good percentage are running windows, too. But again, that's not really the point here, because running a webserver and pro audio apps are two totally different things.

Internet means: open network. I believe the world is becomming more open, closed source is not the answer in the end I am afraid. But even if Ableton would like to sell it as closed source for Linux, why not?

Yeah, linux fans have been saying this for years, and they still never manage to break 1% of the desktop share. OSS is good and all, but as a wise man once said to me, "to get something done properly, you've got to pay them". That's why, incidentally, all of the most successful OSS apps have at least one dude who's getting paid to work on it, or have contributions made by large companies.

I, like robin, have also used linux for many years (started with kernel 2.0.36 ). I've switched to mac, because it does what I need it to do, and I don't need to waste tons of time rebuilding my kernel or downloading a dozen library dependencies to compile a given app.

Please, let linux do what it's good at, but don't kid yourself in thinking it's the solution to every computing problem out there.

[sqook]

Oh yeah -- another big reason pro audio will never fly on linux: plug-ins.

VST support on linux is horrible, LADSPA is a joke. I guess you could produce with just outboard MIDI gear and the built-in live plugins, but it'd be kinda boring, I think...

[Martyn]

It takes a lot of dedication and knowledge to get it running in a non-server environment.

So, for that reason I don't see Live coming to linux any time soon.

That old chestnut again, it bollox mate. I'm no expert at all and have been running quite a few very successful desktop distros for the last couple of years with far FAR less hassle than it took me to get my head around my Windows installs. The latest Ubuntu (Gutsy) is the easiest install of any operating system I've ever experienced, it definately looks the best and is capable running my audio hardware at lower latescies that I do in windows. The only trouble is there just aren't any mature commecial applications supporting it, probably because of the bullshit that people still insist on spreading around the net.

Mine's running bloody wonderfully, if you still have problems with your desktop installs with all of your experience I'd suggest you're simply running the wrong distribution. Ubuntu and Suse are making huge headway, all we need is for some of the serious software companies to see the light and we might be able to kick the TWO unscrupulous OS monopolies into touch and have some innovation back on the playing field. There badly needs to be a third option these days.

[noisetonepause]

It takes a lot of dedication and knowledge to get it running in a non-server environment.

So, for that reason I don't see Live coming to linux any time soon.

That old chestnut again, it bollox mate. I'm no expert at all and have been running quite a few very successful desktop distros for the last couple of years with far FAR less hassle than it took me to get my head around my Windows installs. The latest Ubuntu (Gutsy) is the easiest install of any operating system I've ever experienced, it definately looks the best and is capable running my audio hardware at lower latescies that I do in windows. The only trouble is there just aren't any mature commecial applications supporting it, probably because of the bullshit that people still insist on spreading around the net.

Mine's running bloody wonderfully, if you still have problems with your desktop installs with all of your experience I'd suggest you're simply running the wrong distribution. Ubuntu and Suse are making huge headway, all we need is for some of the serious software companies to see the light and we might be able to kick the TWO unscrupulous OS monopolies into touch and have some innovation back on the playing field. There badly needs to be a third option these days.

Yes. Thank you.

[Emissary]

I am planning a switch to Linux.

Will Live ever be ported to Linux? If not, why?

Because linux isnt really that great for audio

i am typing this on Gutsy gibbon ubuntu , and linux is all well and good if you want to browse the internet or do some word processing, but you try and get an echo indigo soundcard to work on the thing and BAM 12 hours of your life out the window fiddling with the terminal and looking at every help section under the sun and still no joy. Linux is cool but it has its problems.

Basically for pro audio: windows (not connected to the internet obviously)
For internet and open source stuff: Linux
if you want both and can afford a mac ( i cant) then : OSX

[robin]

That old chestnut again, it bollox mate. I'm no expert at all

I'd say I was an expert. I have a lot of experience (10+ years) in Linux in a large variety of distributions. I use linux for a living in an HPC environment where it is an ideal OS for that purpose. I actually push for the use of linux in a lot of areas on my campus for scientific use. For audio use, for handling of devices like audio (firewire, usb etc etc), for use with controllers I'd say linux has a long way to go.

We both have our opinions. Let's leave it at that.

[Martyn]

Well, yes some hardware isn't supported for the same reasons that a lot of software isn't supported, and that basically means that you need to buy the correct hardware. Hardware that IS supported is running brilliantly, it's a little unfair to assume that a whole OS is "no good for audio" simply because you have a soundcard with no available driver. It's a problem for sure but it's not Linux's fault.
RME cards appear to be the best bet at the moment, my Terratec runs great too. There's just no audio software I want to bother with yet, and I think that's a real shame.

It's good that Adobe are acknowleging it with Flex though, one can only hope.

[robin]

Well, yes some hardware isn't supported for the same reasons that a lot of software isn't supported, and that basically means that you need to buy the correct hardware. Hardware that IS supported is running brilliantly, it's a little unfair to assume that a whole OS is "no good for audio" simply because you have a soundcard with no available driver. It's a problem for sure but it's not Linux's fault.
RME cards appear to be the best bet at the moment, my Terratec runs great too. There's just no audio software I want to bother with yet, and I think that's a real shame.

Yes.

Please don't misunderstand me. I'd love to see linux more widely adopted. What I'm saying is for musicians (who aren't all computer experts) linux could be very hard work.

For Ableton to support it would take a lot of resources that we would have to pay for with our licensing fees.

When I rock up to a venue to play and drag my trusty OSX laptop out I can just wake it from sleep plug in my devices, start Live and be up and running in literally one minute. Linux can't, at the moment, compete with that (in fact windows can't, in my experience, either).

I'm not stopping people who have time to devote to the cause from trying though. I'd love to see a linux distro that could genuinely compete with OSX. One day that may happen.....until then....

[Nokatus]

OSS is good and all, but as a wise man once said to me, "to get something done properly, you've got to pay them". That's why, incidentally, all of the most successful OSS apps have at least one dude who's getting paid to work on it, or have contributions made by large companies.

Open source is not the same as not getting paid for your development efforts, directly or indirectly. A lot of people work in open source development for a living these days.

Edit: This comment wasn't related to Live being ported to Linux, by the way . I'm quite sure they would go the closed source route.

[radib]

linux is awfull on nearly every not-administration issue. all you can do with it is finding new problems and try to solve them. did it 1998/1999 for a longer period, last months installed ubuntu studio. all crap.

waste of time.