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Linux everything! Who's Interested?


Jonesy Jones
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So I just emailed HitFilm about the possibility of a Linux version, and they responded 'not interested'. I get it. Few really use Linux. However, I do not think creative pros and prosumers are typical computer users. I sometimes think that we're not using Linux mostly because few companies in our industry have really embraced it. I know Resolve and Fusion will have a Linux version and am fully committed to trying this. But I wonder if more of us would migrate if companies supported Linux. If you have any thoughts about this please respond, both for my benefit and, maybe, possibly someone is listening. 

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Btw, when I say Linux everything what I mean is that, I know I can edit in Linux, but what about a Photoshop replacement? Or Illustrator (vectors). Or a robust audio software? Or a true After Effects replacement? I think without 'everything' it's hard to migrate. You need a complete ecosystem to be confident in making the transition.

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There are definitely great open source production/imaging apps out there, as well as proprietary Linux/BSD programs.

 

Maybe we should compile a list/database.

​Yes. That's pretty much what I'm hoping will happen.

Anyone else aware of Linux apps relevant to our industry please post!

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Price is one thing.  But I think some people are attracted to the idea of not being chained by the corporate monopolies of Apple or Microsoft.  The idea of never ending rent for  adobe products grinds with me as well.  But as you say, It seems as if we don't have all the same options available with linux, which is why most of us stick with Windows or Os X.  Though I am very interested to hear about any potential alternatives.

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Price is one thing.  But I think some people are attracted to the idea of not being chained by the corporate monopolies of Apple or Microsoft.  The idea of never ending rent for  adobe products grinds with me as well.  But as you say, It seems as if we don't have all the same options available with linux, which is why most of us stick with Windows or Os X.  Though I am very interested to hear about any potential alternatives.

​Exactly. And there is increasingly more 'Click Here if You Agree' BS that I would like to separate myself from. 

My plan is to create a nifty Linux system this Fall and install Resolve and Fusion. I'll also be looking for alternatives to the other stuff too. My goal is to wade in the shallow end before going all in. I'll share my experiences.

I wish Pixelmator did Linux. That would be a sweet little package.

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Price is one thing.  But I think some people are attracted to the idea of not being chained by the corporate monopolies of Apple or Microsoft.  The idea of never ending rent for  adobe products grinds with me as well.  But as you say, It seems as if we don't have all the same options available with linux, which is why most of us stick with Windows or Os X.  Though I am very interested to hear about any potential alternatives.

​A lot of the innovation in software happens in open source projects in which there is a lot of input and freedom to experiment.  On the other hand, some popular proprietary apps have enthusiastic users contributing novel plug-ins.

 

I don't think that there is much lacking in open-source imaging/production software, and there are also proprietary options for Linux/BSD.

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Hey Jonesy, I'm a Linux user primarily. Since the death of IRIX, most post production and vfx software that used to run on SG workstations has long since been ported over.

commercial post software includes:

Maya, Houdini, Flame, Lustre, Nuke, Shake, PF* apps, MochaPro, Mari, Mudbox, Arnold, Renderman, Lightworks

useful free software:

Gimp, inkscape, ffmpeg, mplayer, mencoder, dvdauthor (for screeners), VLC, OpenColorIO, and tons of vfx utility apps, see a list here: http://opensource.mikrosimage.eu/index.html

free communication and f-off related:

LibreOffice, Steam, Pidgin, Thunderbird, Chrome, Banshee, Rhythmbox, Spotify, Renoise, Bacula (for project/footage backups)

and of course more programming tools than you could list, I prefer to use GNU/Linux emacs. 

Still need a dual boot option though for certain things like taxes, incoming photoshop files, certain games, commercial audio like Ableton and Max.. listening to my old DRM files (thanks Apple).

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I rank developer tools in the following order: Windows (by far the best), OSX, Linux (by far the worst for desktop apps). Linux is valuable for business, especially back end projects (no GUI), due to no licensing fees. As a desktop replacement, it's still very rough and has an amateur / unpolished look and feel compared to Windows and OSX. Desktop business apps are also far behind Windows and OSX. I first used Linux when it initially came out (mostly Redhat)- it was pretty cool being able to use a Unix-like OS on a PC. After a while interest wore off as it wasn't that useful except for mostly back end tasks or Unix-only apps. Cygwin brought Unix elements to the PC, and OSX is a Unix flavor (Mach/Darwin).

I think the reason the Hitfilm developers are 'not interested' in Linux is that most Linux users don't want to pay for software. Lots of work and no sales isn't good for business.

As a developer, I think it's important for people to pay for software, even on-going 'rental' fees as long as there are frequent updates. We need to pay for rent/mortgage/food/insurance/utilities/gas etc. too. While it's possible to 'get by' with free software, the best software is paid software (Resolve is pretty cool, however it hasn't caught up to FCPX or Premiere in overall usefulness. BM uses it to help sell hardware- they couldn't give it way for free if they were a software-only company).

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I've been using Kubuntu for 10 years now and do photo and video work on a very amateur basis.

Video editing: Kdenlive

Photo library: Digikam

RAW converter: Rawtherapee, darktable

Graphics: GIMP

Vector graphics: Inkscape

Audio: Audacity

I've been employed as a SW developer for the last 2.5 years and work on a Windows machine and have considered going back to Windows at home, but there simply isn't any good free alternative for Kdenlive (other listed SW can be used on Win also) so I won't. Ultimately, complete control over OS is a very valuable thing. Just be careful when upgrading to newer versions, since QA testing resources are limited and some older features can get broken (don't do it before an important project, haha).

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​Exactly. And there is increasingly more 'Click Here if You Agree' BS that I would like to separate myself from. 

My plan is to create a nifty Linux system this Fall and install Resolve and Fusion. I'll also be looking for alternatives to the other stuff too. My goal is to wade in the shallow end before going all in. I'll share my experiences.

I wish Pixelmator did Linux. That would be a sweet little package.

​FYI, there is no free version of Resolve for linux, not even the $995 one. The only Resolve that works with linux is the full blown setup which is well beyond free. Not sure about fusion though. I also use linux and am interested to hear what others find. Personally one missing component for me is a good color grader on linux since Resolve is not an option. Also I recommend going with Centos as your distro. I have used many others but they update so frequently and many are testbeds for the other some slowly evolving distros that I find they tend to develop problems and self destruct over time. Centos is the free equivalent of RedHat and I have found it to be much more stable. As I have not used anything but Centos for a while now, this may have changed.

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​FYI, there is no free version of Resolve for linux, not even the $995 one. The only Resolve that works with linux is the full blown setup which is well beyond free. Not sure about fusion though. I also use linux and am interested to hear what others find. Personally one missing component for me is a good color grader on linux since Resolve is not an option. Also I recommend going with Centos as your distro. I have used many others but they update so frequently and many are testbeds for the other some slowly evolving distros that I find they tend to develop problems and self destruct over time. Centos is the free equivalent of RedHat and I have found it to be much more stable. As I have not used anything but Centos for a while now, this may have changed.

​Oh my! It appears that you are right. That could be a deal breaker for me. Let's hope Resolve 12 is different.

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