A Good Linux Distro For Music Production?

[VOODOO U]

Beatzille

Looks like this requires a subscription to Beat magazine.

[Dencheg]

BTW, I know a great BSD distro for music production. I'd say the best one

[CrystalWizard]

I must be twisted but i can't find a complete list of all the audio and video tools included with AV Linux. i am seriously interested in starting to learn linux and hopefully be proficient sometime next year, there's a diverse bit to learn...

[GaryG]

Now to answer the original question - I'd recommend AV Linux if you're brand new or Mint + Ubuntu Studio Installer (or KX Studio repositories) if you already use Linux. These days however, pretty much any distro is viable for audio / music work.

Is there any reason to ditch AVLinux when you get a bit more knowledgable? It's what I've been using to find my way around (reaper and yabridge being already installed was a factor...) but no sure if I'm getting into bad habits or anything (besides not knowing how to install the above apps.. )

I understand that you don't want to commit yourself fully to Linux when you are still learning how to use it. I understand how you want to keep your Windows partition. But setting things up this way as a newbie increases your difficulty level of getting your system working. ... you need to find a computer that you can commit to Linux on, and install somethin like AV Linux.

Yes, I second this; I initially tried dual booting a Win11 PC but found a number of issues such as enabling/disabling secure boot, accessing bitlocker'd drives was a pain etc etc. So much easier just digging out an old laptop and dedicating it to linux.

If you do want to multi-boot a system then I'd advise looking at the separate drive method (forget about grub, mdr etc, just have a separate drive dedicated to linux and choose that from the PCs bios boot menu).

[Guenon]

Ardour is not compiled by default with this support. There are Windows-native vsts and Linux-native vsts. Ardour supports windows native vsts by default out of the box.

The default executable install package of Ardour 8.1 comes by default with VST and VST3 support also on Linux.

As with more known DAWs, it supports Linux native VSTs and VST3s out of the box when running the Linux version, and Windows native ones when running in Windows. To my knowledge it does not support Windows native plugins out of the box when running the Linux version. I quickly tested that it loads VSTs and VST3s correctly in Linux just now, but that was also the first time I saw Ardour running

(So, yeah, using Win native plugins on Linux also requires the needed Windows infrastructure that Wine provides, and the plugin can then be accessed using a bridged version of itself that points to the actual plugin binary, and this can be achieved with Yabridge. When it's set up, actually using the plugin is transparent, and in use you can pretty much forget it's a Windows plugin. Just mentioning explicitly that, indeed to my knowledge, there is also nothing in Ardour that changes this procedure.)

As has been described in this thread, these days there is such a great selection of well-known plugins that are available natively also in Linux, there might not be any need to run Windows native plugins like this. However, if you do feel the need, many of them work beautifully; ironically the ones that do have problems often have 'em with activation, not the actual functionality of the plugin itself. But yep, I'm routinely running the Fabfilter lineup on Linux, and Limiter 6 GE, DSEQ, ... well, along with stuff that I already wrote about in my long initial post.

[dellboy]

Several things here..... A "LIVE ISO" is not the common way to run a distro. Your paths will likely be different from the standard, and the ISO would probably be immutable. Of course you can run an ISO with a live linux version. You can even run it with persistence if you want.

The idea in using MX Linux LIVE ISO was to set it up and then take a "snapshot" using the snapshot tool it provides to create a new ISO that is setup how I like it. I should point out that I am not a "newbie", more a "forgetbie" Linux user. I was using Puppy linux to make music at least 15 years ago, and in those days it was much harder to do than today.

[dan_flash]

Now to answer the original question - I'd recommend AV Linux if you're brand new or Mint + Ubuntu Studio Installer (or KX Studio repositories) if you already use Linux. These days however, pretty much any distro is viable for audio / music work.

Is there any reason to ditch AVLinux when you get a bit more knowledgable? It's what I've been using to find my way around (reaper and yabridge being already installed was a factor...) but no sure if I'm getting into bad habits or anything (besides not knowing how to install the above apps..

Na man not really, only if you don't like AV Linux for whatever reason (themes, user interface, stuff like that). I'd probably use it myself but I tried Mint first (among mamy other distros) and just got used to that and so I stuck with it.

I might try AV Linux out live one day but I'm kind of a "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" guy

[audiojunkie]

Now to answer the original question - I'd recommend AV Linux if you're brand new or Mint + Ubuntu Studio Installer (or KX Studio repositories) if you already use Linux. These days however, pretty much any distro is viable for audio / music work.

Is there any reason to ditch AVLinux when you get a bit more knowledgable? It's what I've been using to find my way around (reaper and yabridge being already installed was a factor...) but no sure if I'm getting into bad habits or anything (besides not knowing how to install the above apps.. )

I understand that you don't want to commit yourself fully to Linux when you are still learning how to use it. I understand how you want to keep your Windows partition. But setting things up this way as a newbie increases your difficulty level of getting your system working. ... you need to find a computer that you can commit to Linux on, and install somethin like AV Linux.

Yes, I second this; I initially tried dual booting a Win11 PC but found a number of issues such as enabling/disabling secure boot, accessing bitlocker'd drives was a pain etc etc. So much easier just digging out an old laptop and dedicating it to linux.

If you do want to multi-boot a system then I'd advise looking at the separate drive method (forget about grub, mdr etc, just have a separate drive dedicated to linux and choose that from the PCs bios boot menu).

If you like the tools that come with the distro, there is no need to change. However, if you prefer different things, such as a different desktop environment, different repository, etc., moving to a different distro is an option that can allow personalization.

[audiojunkie]

Ardour is not compiled by default with this support. There are Windows-native vsts and Linux-native vsts. Ardour supports windows native vsts by default out of the box.

The default executable install package of Ardour 8.1 comes by default with VST and VST3 support also on Linux.

As with more known DAWs, it supports Linux native VSTs and VST3s out of the box when running the Linux version, and Windows native ones when running in Windows. To my knowledge it does not support Windows native plugins out of the box when running the Linux version. I quickly tested that it loads VSTs and VST3s correctly in Linux just now, but that was also the first time I saw Ardour running

(So, yeah, using Win native plugins on Linux also requires the needed Windows infrastructure that Wine provides, and the plugin can then be accessed using a bridged version of itself that points to the actual plugin binary, and this can be achieved with Yabridge. When it's set up, actually using the plugin is transparent, and in use you can pretty much forget it's a Windows plugin. Just mentioning explicitly that, indeed to my knowledge, there is also nothing in Ardour that changes this procedure.)

As has been described in this thread, these days there is such a great selection of well-known plugins that are available natively also in Linux, there might not be any need to run Windows native plugins like this. However, if you do feel the need, many of them work beautifully; ironically the ones that do have problems often have 'em with activation, not the actual functionality of the plugin itself. But yep, I'm routinely running the Fabfilter lineup on Linux, and Limiter 6 GE, DSEQ, ... well, along with stuff that I already wrote about in my long initial post.

Yeah. I miswrote what I was trying to say.

I meant, there are Windows native plugins and there are linux native plugins. The Windows native Ardour supports Windows native plugins, and the Linux version of Ardour supports Linux native plugins. Only through using WINE and yabridge can the linux native version of Ardour support Windows native plugins.

You are completely correct. Sorry for not proof reading my writing.

[audiojunkie]

Several things here..... A "LIVE ISO" is not the common way to run a distro. Your paths will likely be different from the standard, and the ISO would probably be immutable. Of course you can run an ISO with a live linux version. You can even run it with persistence if you want.

The idea in using MX Linux LIVE ISO was to set it up and then take a "snapshot" using the snapshot tool it provides to create a new ISO that is setup how I like it. I should point out that I am not a "newbie", more a "forgetbie" Linux user. I was using Puppy linux to make music at least 15 years ago, and in those days it was much harder to do than today.

Ah! We are nearly the same then! What you said about making a snapshot makes sense. I used Puppy linux for years on cheap 2nd had machines for my kids to use. It was a very light, and yet complete distro. I liked it a lot! I haven’t used it in several years though.

[Saffran]

Thanks. I think i got it now. The native thing.
I've got four downloaded files. Need a clarification of the filetypes.
.iso = the program itself.
.iso.md5 = checksum
.iso.sha256 = another checksum?
.iso.sig = a third checksum?
Have i understood it correct? If i skip security i could just use the iso with the software and ignore the rest?

[Saffran]

Ok. I remembered correct. No need for a checksum file when you download from a trusted source.
It's up and running on a HP Pavilion Slimline/Intel core2 duo/2.65 GHz/ram 4gb. Clean install.
I got fooled by the install window and fixated on the progress bar. It stopped on settings about computer name and domain name and the default looked good to me so i didn't do anything because there wasn't any indication what to do, and the progress bar slowly moved forward.
So i turned off the monitor and let it do its thing and came back several hours later to see it at only 50%. Went away and came back after several hours more and it was at 80%.
I had to do something so i changed the computer name and domain name and hit enter. Now it unblocked the "next" button and i could go trough a bunch of settings and it finished in approx 15min.
It runs fine and Firefox, ardour and others open fine. Installing packages fine.
.
I can't make Firefox default browser. I know the obvious settings but it will not work. Probably a bug having to do with it being a special version for MX Linux. Import of bookmarks went ok.
Took time to find the usb stick with the bookmarks file. I tested three filemanagers and they seemed inferior to me, compared to Windows and its third party filemanagers.
Several times i didn't know if the button action i started actually did any work in the background. It has a circling wait thing but only when the waiting time was extra long, like a minute. Windows does that better and puts up that circling wait thing much quicker, and are better at indicating actions.
.
I didn't have to use the teminal and commands at all.

[Trensharo]

Really happy to hear things are getting better on Linux for real work and glad things are working out for all of you.

I'll still be very happy over here in my walled garden but it's good to see more and more options on non-Windows OS.

Linux has always been great for real work. Just depends on what kind of work you're doing with it

Used it religiously in college for ComSci curriculum. I was basically paying the price of XP Professional every year for a RHEL-WS subscription, Lol, but I had certified hardware and it worked amazingly well for that stuff. It even shipped with all of the media CODECs licensed and installed out of the box, so it was practically as usable as Windows or macOS - outside of application availability (which, for college education, was not an issue); and practically all of my hardware had 1st party binary drivers (with actually good performance) available from the manufacturer.

Personally, the Windows/macOS software is too high quality and too well-supported these days to jump to it; but with Studio One going to Linux... that does make it a lot more attractive. Stuff like Ardour... I just can't, and I'm not sure I'd want to be limited to DaVinci Resolve on Linux for a great NLE... given the system requirements (forces you to over-invest in GPU, when upgrading a CPU is way cheaper). But I already have Studio One, so maybe I'll "Beta Test it" on some other machine to see how the quality of life is...

I think plug-ins would be the biggest headache, though... So right now it may be a bit of a waste of time for me.

Basically all of Arturia, Native Instruments, UVI, Serato, Plug-in Boutique, Softube, East West, etc. would need to be run under emulation... and, that's not a price worth paying (for me).

Like I have said in other threads, the OS is nothing more than an app launcher to me, and I was never partisan about them since I'd been using multiple OSes since middle-high school...

The only area where I draw a line is gaming, where Windows is kind of de facto for obvious reasons (and even if macOS was great for it, the hardware would be insanely expensive when you have to invest in more GPU cores... so the economics would still be pretty awful there).

[CrystalWizard]

I must be twisted but i can't find a complete list of all the audio and video tools included with AV Linux...

?

[audiojunkie]

I must be twisted but i can't find a complete list of all the audio and video tools included with AV Linux...

?

I’d say, start by looking in the manual:

http://bandshed.net/pdf/AVL-MXE-User-Manual.pdf

If it’s not there, you can find out by emailing Gmaq.