Planning to make the switch back to Linux

[garrettendi]

My Windows 11 laptop only has a Pentium Silver N5030 CPU, and while I find it is working well, it took Microsoft 6 months to release the 24H2 update for my CPU, so I'm thinking Microsoft will probably pull the plug on supporting it soon.

On top of that, I just after several weeks finally fixed the printer not working with Windows, due to a printer driver that did not work with the 24H2 update.

Most of my studio stuff has Linux versions, while most of the others should work with Wine/yabridge, and my gaming is optional, and will work fine using a cloud PC, which is what Mrs Endi does to run Fortnite on her Macbook.

I used to be a hardcore Linux fan and I still am. I know what I'm getting myself into, but I'm going to hold off on this until Microsoft cease updates, just in case some of my favourite plugins don't work in yabridge.

I think Elementary OS will be nice to try. I've used various flavours of Ubuntu, Mint, Fedora, openSUSE and a couple of others, and Elementary OS seems to take a leaf out of Apple's book and while I was using the iMac in the past I found it a joy to use.

I kind of want to go for it now, but I think I'll play out Windows at least a little longer.

[garrettendi]

You know what... I'm going to do it. In September I'll buy a decent USB stick, donate an appropriate amount to Elementary OS and go all in.

I've found software that will allow me to work from home (I'm mostly in the office anyway) and I have plans to enable minimal disruption to my studio.

As for games, I rarely play them anyway, and I have a Shadow PC in the cloud anyway.

[James Perrett]

I kind of want to go for it now, but I think I'll play out Windows at least a little longer.

Do you have enough storage space to have both a Linux and Windows partition? When my son started using Linux I insisted that he kept a Windows partition just in case Windows was needed for any educational software. The Linux installer allowed him to shrink his Windows partition and create a Linux partition.

[garrettendi]

With the size of my SSD, no. I did think of that but shelved the idea quickly

[BJG145]

Good luck. It's been nice knowing you...

[merlyn]

Gaming is actually doing pretty well on Linux. This is largely down to Valve getting behind Linux. Valve's Steam Deck handheld runs Arch Linux underneath. Interestingly gaming is now more viable on Linux because of Proton, Valve's contribution to WINE. What doesn't work is online multi-player games with kernel-level anti-cheat. The Linux kernel would never allow that.

Even I wouldn't blank my Windows partition in the transitional phase. Maybe get a bigger SSD.

To try out Linux for audio without installing anything it's possible to boot from a live USB. Just to see if it's potentially a goer.

If you put this ISO

https://www.bandshed.net/avlinux/

onto a USB stick and boot it, all the audio tweaks have already been done, and you'll see if your hardware works.

[garrettendi]

Gaming is actually doing pretty well on Linux. This is largely down to Valve getting behind Linux. Valve's Steam Deck handheld runs Arch Linux underneath. Interestingly gaming is now more viable on Linux because of Proton, Valve's contribution to WINE. What doesn't work is online multi-player games with kernel-level anti-cheat. The Linux kernel would never allow that.

Even I wouldn't blank my Windows partition in the transitional phase. Maybe get a bigger SSD.

To try out Linux for audio without installing anything it's possible to boot from a live USB. Just to see if it's potentially a goer.

If you put this ISO

https://www.bandshed.net/avlinux/

onto a USB stick and boot it, all the audio tweaks have already been done, and you'll see if your hardware works.

Don't worry, I used Linux as my main OS from 2008 to 2015, I have plenty of experience. I already a have a live USB planned to confirm everything works as expected and I'm competent to fix a lot of issues I might have.

I have a backup PC to work from home on if it all goes pear shaped.

A new SSD drive is out of the question. I cannot justify the expense. I can get a USB stick for a tenner, and Linux itself is free.

[garrettendi]

Also as an aside everything important I have is backed up to the cloud. Worst case scenario, I reinstall Windows 11 and all I will have lost is time and effort.

[The Elf]

Although I do admire Linux up to a point, trying to solve even simple problems usually means a nightmare of gibberish text input in a terminal window. With at least one of my Linux installations I have to put up with annoying limitations, because I just can't solve them.

It sounds like you know what you're getting into, but I wouldn't follow you!

[merlyn]

Something that happened in the last ten years is Wayland. This is the replacement for X11. I still use X11. For maximum compatibility with plugin GUIs, I would use X11. So that's something to look at with your choice of distro.

The Linux version of Studio One is Wayland only, and I would think that that means only the built-in plugins are guaranteed to work, although plugin developers like ACMT are looking at Wayland.

[garrettendi]

Although I do admire Linux up to a point, trying to solve even simple problems usually means a nightmare of gibberish text input in a terminal window. With at least one of my Linux installations I have to put up with annoying limitations, because I just can't solve them.

It sounds like you know what you're getting into, but I wouldn't follow you!

I actually don't have a problem tinkering around with Linux. I have in the past approached it like a puzzle to solve that usually I enjoy.

When I have issues with Windows its about as fun as a trip to the dentist...

[merlyn]

... Although I do admire Linux up to a point, trying to solve even simple problems usually means a nightmare of gibberish text input in a terminal window. ...

I generally find the command line output human readable. For true incomprehensible garbage, see the Windows registry.

[Folderol]

These days you only need to touch the command line if you want the latest and greatest of everything. Otherwise most distros are fairly up-to-date - debian tends to be the slowest.

[garrettendi]

Something that happened in the last ten years is Wayland. This is the replacement for X11. I still use X11. For maximum compatibility with plugin GUIs, I would use X11. So that's something to look at with your choice of distro.

The Linux version of Studio One is Wayland only, and I would think that that means only the built-in plugins are guaranteed to work, although plugin developers like ACMT are looking at Wayland.

I've looked into this and it likes my planned distro of choice, "elementary OS" has support for both Wayland ("Secure Session") or X11 ("Classic Session"), or at least, that's how I interpret the documentation. They are also using pipewire instead of Pulse, which I've heard good things about in audio production.

As for the comments on terminal use: I'm no slouch when it comes to terminals, back in old Linux days there were several apps and frameworks that I had to build from the source as well. These days as Folderol says: it looks like the terminal is not needed as much, but I don't fear it.

As an aside, you guys know all too well I have Generalised Anxiety Disorder, and even restringing my guitar makes me almost panic... but using Linux? Hardly any anxiety, and a lot of confidence and anticipation. I've been wanting to return to the Linux community for years now and it took several frustrations with Windows 11 to finally make me confront who I really am.... A Linux geek!

[Folderol]

. A Linux geek!

There is no known cure

[garrettendi]

There is no known cure

Speaking as someone who has spent the last 10 years denying his true self with both Windows and macOS.... you are very very right.

[federrr]

Hello

I've been working with Linux for many years, specifically for recording, producing, and mixing my music. However, starting next Friday, I'll be dedicating myself full-time to music production as my main job. All in a Linux environment.

I work with a 10th gen i3 notebook, running Ubuntu Studio LTS for on-location recordings. In my home studio, I have an 11th gen i7 PC and Arch Linux as the operating system, in a hybrid environment for producing and mixing. My DAWs are Mixbus v. 9 (mixing) and Bitwig (production). I've tried Reaper and Ardour without any problems, but I'm not used to the way they work. I generally work with a 1024-sample buffer. When I record, I reduce it to 64 samples. In any case, I always have a very stable system with no OS crashes for many years since now. I mean, everything is Plug & Play these days. I only use the terminal to activate performance mode (sudo cpupower frequency-set -g performance/powersave).

I can offer two suggestions based on my experience. First, I recommend working with ALSA over Pipewire, rather than Jack. The latter always causes some problems. ALSA, on the other hand, has become tremendously stable and very flexible. It's true that if I wanted to watch a YouTube video while working, I wouldn't be able to. But I disconnect from the network while working.

Second, I think Ubuntu Studio LTS is a better operating system in terms of stability. In terms of performance and simplicity, ArchLinux is unbeatable. However, since it's a rolling release, I've had some issues when updating ArchLinux, specifically, Windows's plugin compatibility. Therefore, the first task next Friday will be to install Ubuntu Studio on my main PC!

Finally, I use native Linux plugins and some Windows-only ones using LinVst. All of them are free, except for the Signum Audio suite, which I won in a giveaway from this prestigious magazine a few months ago (so, also is "free"). Among the Windows-exclusive plugins I've tried and work perfectly are those from Signum, Sound Toys, Tokyo Dawn Labs, Stillwell Audio, and Variety of Sound.

Last comment: a common problem is that some Windows-exclusive plugins have an unusable graphical interface. However, Mixbus offers the option of using a minimal interface, with unglamorous buttons and faders, which has forced me to pay more attention to what's playing than what I see on the screen. And the truth is, it's a path that Linux invited me to take, and one I don't regret.

(Sorry for my english)

[Martin Walker]

Hi federrr, and welcome to the SOS Forums!

Thanks for such an informative and useful first post too

Martin

[garrettendi]

Yes, welcome! A great first post. Some of it I was already aware of, but some of it I wasn't!

I'll be sure to avoid Jack. I used it a while back but I remember it being at best a hassle.

[OneWorld]

Although I do admire Linux up to a point, trying to solve even simple problems usually means a nightmare of gibberish text input in a terminal window. With at least one of my Linux installations I have to put up with annoying limitations, because I just can't solve them.

It sounds like you know what you're getting into, but I wouldn't follow you!

That mirrors my experience, it's just too much of a soup, I have read this distro is goo for this and that distro is good for that, and on one distro there's an installer and on another there isn't.

For all my moaning about Win11, and it's ancestors, it's got to the point where I buy some software, I click Install and in 5 or 10 minutes it's done. If installing some hardware, install the driver, plug the hardware in, select ASIO- done, what could be simpler

I just wish there was a clag free version of Windows, I don't want the MS Shop, nor the XBOX baloney or the weather or co-pilot and I really don't feel the need to log into a Microsoft account, I'd even pay extra to get an F1 version of Win11 and not an SUV tugging a caravan

[James Perrett]

I just wish there was a clag free version of Windows

According to a video that Wonks shared recently, there is, but it is only available to certain corporate customers.

[garrettendi]

I've changed my mind again. First I was going to wait until Microsoft drops support for the N5030 CPU. Then I was going to wait until September.

Now every time I see Windows on this machine I'm filled with discomfort.

I'm doing this this weekend damnit!

[garrettendi]

. A Linux geek!

There is no known cure

I've just looked into Yoshimi... It looks DAMN good! I'll be sure to install it!

[James Perrett]

I've just looked into Yoshimi... It looks DAMN good! I'll be sure to install it!

It may be worth mentioning that Yoshimi isn't a plug-in but a stand-alone synth so it may take a little effort to use it with a DAW. You may end up having to use Jack if you want to use Yoshimi with Reaper.

[garrettendi]

Ah. I did not know that.