Pro Tools on Linux - Post thoughts please...

[JonnyGinese]

Originally Posted by DigiTechSupt

Let's put it this way - can you imagine 99% of our customers moving to a dedicated Linux system to run Pro Tools?

I doubt it would be even 10%, as they have a preference for Mac or PC to run all their other applications.

Until that statistic changes, Linux is a non-starter - we won't even get into it's other shortcomings.

I want to know if you guys would be willing to switch to Linux if it got rid of the most common issues with PT on Windows and Mac.

I would recommend that Digidesign uses the Open Source Linux system to make a 1 to 2 DVD install that gives the user an option for Single install or Dual Boot setup.. It would install Linux and all drivers needed, Proper tweaks required, and Pro Tools with all plugins. Install should have options to choose Install Drive, Sample/plugin drive and Audio Drives.

This way Digidesign would be able to gear there efforts to supporting 1 Main OS instead of 2 platforms.

Of course they would have to figure out a way to allow past plugins to run on Linux, maybe sell a convertor or something for $50-$100 that lets you install it on OSX or Windows and then convert the plugin files to what is supported on linux, if needed.

Post thoughts please...

Jonny

[MrBlack]

Linux would be Killer - BUT it is falling on deaf ears. I already spoke about it in a previous post and gave an example of Cisco who only let their phone s/w run on approved machines. their software now runs on Linux which is transparent to the user, as their s/w is the only thing that is supposed to be running on the machine.

The above comments from DTS are so contradictory and uneducated I am screaming, you just cant hear me but the neighbors probably did.

I mean what the hell do they think Mac OS is ???? Its a BSD variant FCS!!! i.e. UNIX !!!

With comments like that I would just not bother to ever even mention the word Linux ever again. Period.

[daeron80]

Remember in Peanuts when Charlie Brown kept saying to himself that he was going to go over and talk to the little redheaded girl? At the end he sits down and says, "And then I'll just flap my arms and fly to the moon." Yeah. That.

[JonnyGinese]

Thats why i made this post.. with hopes that the big users would respond positively... give it a little bit...

[TOM@METRO]

Linux will likely never see the light of day with AVID as they are attempting to move in a direction parallel to consumer trends. After all, people are screaming about W7 32bit compatibility so they can have all the cute add-ons that have nothing to do with a DAW. We all know that a true 64bit Pro Tools engine is not even close. And to be even thinking about W7 prior to new drivers is way premature, yet this is the modern mentality (I want the newest and I want it now) even when there is no upside.

Digi is being forced to address this trend as opposed to focusing on a truly better overall system. I still can’t understand why a recording engineer would ever chose to run a non music production related application on a DAW. It just makes no sense, yet you see it here every day.

There are people actually trying to justify the move from XP to unproven/unsupported systems with little or no track record. I would think logic would dictate that the OS that has been running the longest and most reliably should be the one to use unless the move offered some feature that is needed. Yet there are people moving from XP32bit to W7 32bit without any upside at all and potential problems to no end.

Digi is forced to pander to this consumer mentality and stray away from the obviously smarter choices. Linux bring at the top of the list.

[mykhal c]

+1 Tom

to add...bad economy...staff cutbacks...mutliple OSes to support already....aaahhhh let's add/develop another aaahhh...nada!!! let AVIDIGI fix the breaks in the dam not add water behind it!!

[DigiTechSupt]

The 'issues' with PC and Mac aren't the crux of the problem - it's that only a very small percentage of Pro Tools users have an interest in running Linux. They would balk at not being able to switch between apps quickly and easily.

And porting plug-ins is no small task. That would be years of development work.

Let's put it this way - if you can't get people to use to an definitively superior OS for audio (BeOS) because of things like this, it's unlikely they're going to want to adopt it just so they can run Pro Tools.

[DigiTechSupt]

Originally Posted by MrBlack

Linux would be Killer - BUT it is falling on deaf ears. I already spoke about it in a previous post and gave an example of Cisco who only let their phone s/w run on approved machines. their software now runs on Linux which is transparent to the user, as their s/w is the only thing that is supposed to be running on the machine.

The above comments from DTS are so contradictory and uneducated I am screaming, you just cant hear me but the neighbors probably did.

I mean what the hell do they think Mac OS is ???? Its a BSD variant FCS!!! i.e. UNIX !!!

With comments like that I would just not bother to ever even mention the word Linux ever again. Period.

I'd like to ask you what you're basing your statement on re: my contradictory and uneducated comments.

And how is the Mac OS being a variant of Unix relevant to this discussion, exactly?

[itsmekeuh]

Originally Posted by DigiTechSupt

And how is the Mac OS being a variant of Unix relevant to this discussion, exactly?

Meaning that porting from Mac OS , (build on BSD) which is very similar to Linux, isn t all that hard.
Porting from BSD to Linux or vice versa just means different compile flags for most apps, probably depending on the compiler used.

IMHO stating that porting plugins would take years is a bit far fetched,
you once had to port from older MacOS to BSD, and that went ok right?

I can relate to the fact that it wont add a larger customer base for Digidesign, nor any of the 3th party plugin developers, though,
so I can understand that it is economically not relevant.
Its a shame really, cause I would switch right away.

[MrBlack]

Originally Posted by DigiTechSupt

I'd like to ask you what you're basing your statement on re: my contradictory and uneducated comments.

And how is the Mac OS being a variant of Unix relevant to this discussion, exactly?

Linux is a non-starter - we won't even get into it's other shortcomings.
What other shortcomings ?

I doubt it would be even 10%, as they have a preference for Mac or PC
Have you ever asked anyone and explained the possible benefits ?

..run all their other applications
Like IE8 ? Surely running other apps is discouraged, and is this not a problem, again like IE8 ?

And how is the OS being a variant of Unix relevant to this discussion..Linux is a non-starter - we won't even get into it's other shortcomings

both are UNIX variants..again what shortcomings does Linux have that MAC OS wouldn't have?

Look my buttons were just pushed, I just really don't like Linux to be dismissed without valid reasons..don't really want to waste anyones time with useless arguments. It's just a shame tho that it would never be an option.