What is the best Linux distro for Bitwig and audio production?

[seipster]

What is the best Linux distro for Bitwig and audio production?

I was pretty certain I was gonna go for Ubuntu Studio, but I see there are some other options that also looks like good choices. So what to do...

Ubuntu Studio?
KXStudio?
AV Linux?

Anyone have experience to share?

[Netsu]

Can't comment on those, as I never used them, but usually the best distribution is the one that you are most familiar with or that has the biggest online community.

[brownerthanu]

I started with Ubuntu Studio but had problems with it. I can't remember what now, unfortunately. I'm now using normal Ubuntu, but I don't record in it so I don't suffer from a lack of realtime kernel. What distros have good realtime kernel support built in? I'd like to learn more about realtime kernels and what it means on an OS level. If someone wants to enlighten that would be awesome, or there's google.

[ckam03]

I started with Ubuntu Studio but had problems with it. I can't remember what now, unfortunately. I'm now using normal Ubuntu, but I don't record in it so I don't suffer from a lack of realtime kernel. What distros have good realtime kernel support built in? I'd like to learn more about realtime kernels and what it means on an OS level. If someone wants to enlighten that would be awesome, or there's google.

I would say Manjaro. It lists a bunch of kernels and you can pick whichever you want to install. It shows a couple of real time ones as well.

[ejgallego]

Ubuntu 16.10 + kxstudio repositories working very smoothly here.

[thecrumb]

An Ubuntu based distro (Ubuntu, Mint, etc) + kxstudio repos if you want something up and running quickly with minimal fuss.

If you are interested in learning more of what goes on 'under the hood' than you may want to look at Arch.

[brownerthanu]

Thanks for this info. It's great to have Linux people here!

[lunardigs]

I use Fedora, vanilla, stable (24 presently, though I intend to upgrade to 25 soon). There's a number of reasons I like Fedora. First of all, it's my daily-driver OS. I rely on it for everything. Which means I want ALL the features I desire in one package--none the least of which is out-of-the-box full-disk encryption, SELINUX, KDE desktop, etc. Fedora also has a proper implementation of JACK.

JACK, is the center of Linux pro-audio, currently. It could be described as a 'sound server.' Btw, JACK can also run on Mac and Win, if I'm not mistaken. It has many advanced abilities and it's complicated--you wouldn't want to set it up from scratch, or fix something that's gone wrong with it. Though, when it's implemented and running properly, it offers some incredible routing abilities at very low latency. Think rewire on steroids! Think multiple sound cards merged as a pseudo-device!

It's another topic, but I'll indulge for a second: Once the pro-audio community at large realizes the freedom and power NOT offered to them by the big commercial OSs ... Heh. To say the least, they may wonder why.

Anyway, Bitwig looks for JACK first. If it's not present then it looks for ALSA. ALSA is the audio driver package for Linux (not drivers in the proprietary sense, rather a huge collection of drivers for ubiquitous I/O chips). JACK sits upon ALSA to address your audio hardware. Does all this make sense so far?

Linux audio is complicated and, to be honest, I don't entirely understand all of it's properties and aspects. Nevertheless, the impression should be this: A proper implementation of JACK and ALSA is critical for a solid Linux audio workstation/laptop. Fedora offers this and so does Ubuntu (Ubuntu vanilla, or Ubuntu Studio).

If you want to install Bitwig upon Fedora, then use this script, as Bitwig presently doesn't make an RPM package (Red Hat Package Management--an automatic install package). I hope this should change at some point, because Fedora (RPM based distros) is the flip-side to Ubuntu and other Debian based derivations.

Btw, I'm pretty sure it was me who convinced the devs at Bitwig to enable FFMPEG support.

Code: Select all

# simple script to install bitwig studio package on Fedora (tested with 21 through 25)
# Run command with version argument 

bitwig_package=$1

# Check user is root
if [ $(id -u) != 0 ]; then
  echo "You must run this script as root!"
  exit 1
fi

#check that package is specified
if [ -z "$bitwig_package" ]
  then
    echo "You must specify a version of bitwig"
    exit 1
fi

# Create a working dir
mkdir ~/bitwig-install
cd ~/bitwig-install

#check if package has been downloaded
if [ -f /home/*/Downloads/bitwig-studio-$bitwig_package.deb ]; then
    echo "Package is downloaded"
    p=`ls -A /home/*/Downloads/bitwig-studio-$bitwig_package.deb`
    mv $p ~/bitwig-install
else
    echo "You must download the bitwig $bitwig_package package first"
    exit 1
fi

# UPDATE: install dependencies
yum -y install xcb-util dpkg

# Unpack it
dpkg -x bitwig-studio-$bitwig_package.deb .

# Copy everything to its rightful place
rsync -auv ./opt ./usr /

# Clean up the mess
cd
rm -fr ~/bitwig-install

Please feel free to ask me any questions about this stuff! Linux audio is my mission of late.

Btw, big thanks to groups like Bitwig, U-he, OvertoneDSP, DiscoDSP, MOD Devices, LSP, Ardour, Renoise, Illformed, Loomer and the hundreds of unsung heroes out there working toward Linux audio!

[dkasak]

Gentoo Particularly with the the proaudio overlay, and a current kernel with the realtime patchset. There's really no better way to get a low latency desktop that to optimise it for precisely what processor you have, and build in exactly what library support you want. That doesn't mean using ridiculously aggressive CFLAGS, which will of course get you an unstable OS. For extra points, ditch Gnome / KDE and use a lightweight but rocking window manager like Enlightenment.

[Taika-Kim]

KXStudio was the only one where my Firewire interface (TC Electronic Impact Twin) worked out of the box.

The Linux audio driver architecture is hell, and if something is wrong with JACK, you will never make it work.

This from me, with 30 years computer experience

[dkasak]

KXStudio was the only one where my Firewire interface (TC Electronic Impact Twin) worked out of the box.

The Linux audio driver architecture is hell, and if something is wrong with JACK, you will never make it work.

This from me, with 30 years computer experience

Yikes! Yeah firewire audio device support under Linux is a bit sketchy. There is very good support for USB audio devices, which AFAIK is basically everything these days. I've had almost zero problems with either alsa or jack - the only problems I've had are with kernels I've built myself, when I've forgotten to build something I needed.

[Philotomy]

Personally, I like Arch. Good documentation, you can tailor the system exactly how you want it, and excellent kernel and software options (both in the standard repositories and also through the unofficial AUR repos). And since it's a rolling release distro you basically never need to reinstall to upgrade. That said, I've used Linux for a couple decades, so I'm pretty comfortable with it.

If a distro like Arch seems too intimidating, I think KXStudio would be a good choice.

[Excds]

Ubuntu + KXStudio

[tor.helge.skei]

I prefer a simple setup myself.. Linux Mint (or any other Debian based distro) + KXStudio repositories.. I want to make music, not spend an eternity configuring my system, and tweak every little tweakable detail.. Just install the low-latency kernel, qjackctl, and wine/wineasio from there, and you're almost good to go.. I also suggest using a dedicated (usb?) soundcard/audo-interface for jack, and let desktop/pulseaudio use the internal/onboard soundcard (only).. No conflicts, less problems..

- Tor-Helge

[Netsu]

Anyone here ever tried Bitwig + Linux + Novation Audiohub combo?