Native Linux Support

[amadeusp]

Dear Sugar Bytes fans

My name is Amadeus Paulussen, and I have been producing music professionally, as well as for my own projects, for over 30 years (see https://amadeuspaulussen.com/info/curri ... #biography).

My journey started with Windows, continued with macOS for 25 years, and was restarted with Linux about 5 years ago.

Which brings me to the reason for this post:
I wish Sugar Bytes would support Linux!

Here are five reasons why:
1. The Linux market share is growing steadily (see https://linuxaudio.dev/#linux-target-audience-size).
2. Linux offers a robust and flexible audio server in the form of PipeWire, which outperforms its macOS and Windows counterparts in many areas.
3. Amazing DAWs such as Ardour, Bitwig Studio, Mixbus, Reaper, Renoise, and Studio One are already available for Linux.
4. Many plugin vendors, including Audio Damage, AudioThing, DDMF, discoDSP, Kazrog, Sinevibes, TAL Software, Toneboosters, and u-he, as well as numerous other open-source and proprietary developers, already offer native Linux builds of their plugins (see https://linuxaudio.dev/#linux-vendors).
5. Most modern plugin frameworks can easily build native Linux plugin binaries out of the box (see https://linuxaudio.dev/#framework-linux-support).

Are there other Linux musicians out there who’d appreciate native Linux binaries of Turnado, Looperator, DrumComputer, Graindad, etc.? 🥹

Please chime in!

PD: I started an initiative called “Linux Audio Plugin Development” with resources for developers and the stated goal to get more native plugins on Linux. See: https://linuxaudio.dev/

[inviridi]

When I was still running Windows, I used WOW2 and Graindad by Sugar Bytes. I had great fun with them and would love to see those tools on Linux as well. Best of luck with your initiative, @amadeusp!

[amadeusp]

Thank you so much for your post!

[PleaseAdvise]

Definitely interested in this!

[NWSM]

I owned the complete collection and don't use it on Linux anymore. what makes me a bit sad. I wish the big players build some native Linux CLAP or VST after Windows playing his dirty Games with Version 11.
Should not that complicated? But it is a good question "how to convert Win VST to Linux VST?"

[amadeusp]

I owned the complete collection and don't use it on Linux anymore. what makes me a bit sad. I wish the big players build some native Linux CLAP or VST after Windows playing his dirty Games with Version 11.
Should not that complicated? But it is a good question "how to convert Win VST to Linux VST?"

I hope that Sugar Bytes (and others!) will port their plugins to Linux soon. /\

If the vendor uses a framework like JUCE, one that allows native Linux builds, it's usually indeed not that big of a deal to build Linux binaries. Of course, there are issues here and there, but most of the time the reasons against Linux support are not technical.

However, if a manufacturer has developed everything themselves, native Linux support could be more complex.

Feel free to take a look at https://linuxaudio.dev/#framework-linux-support and https://linuxaudio.dev/#show-stopper.

[neverbeeninariot]

Another recent Linux adopter here. Windows is heading in another direction as an 'agentic OS' which I want nothing to do with (nor do I want to be forced to have an MS account, uninstallable apps, etc), and while macOS is really mature and has a great software catalog, Apple's hardware prices for anything above the base models is criminal.

I don't know if SB use Juce, many devs do - but Juce can spit out Linux native plugins. Perhaps it's a market size and support decision, or perhaps it's technical. In any case, I'd love to see SugarBytes on Linux, I own several of their plugins and will miss them...

FWIW, I think it's just a matter of time before desktop Linux has a big enough share that will entice more developers to come over. Microsoft repeatedly shooting themselves in the foot and not listening to users is certainly helping.

[amadeusp]

Another recent Linux adopter here. Windows is heading in another direction as an 'agentic OS' which I want nothing to do with (nor do I want to be forced to have an MS account, uninstallable apps, etc), and while macOS is really mature and has a great software catalog, Apple's hardware prices for anything above the base models is criminal.

I don't know if SB use Juce, many devs do - but Juce can spit out Linux native plugins. Perhaps it's a market size and support decision, or perhaps it's technical. In any case, I'd love to see SugarBytes on Linux, I own several of their plugins and will miss them...

FWIW, I think it's just a matter of time before desktop Linux has a big enough share that will entice more developers to come over. Microsoft repeatedly shooting themselves in the foot and not listening to users is certainly helping.

Thank you so much for your reply! <3

I have corresponded with Sugar Bytes several times about this already, and they would actually like to offer Linux builds, but are reluctant to take the step because no one on their team has Linux expertise. I believe it is only a matter of time before this changes, and not just at Sugar Bytes.

[neverbeeninariot]

Another recent Linux adopter here. Windows is heading in another direction as an 'agentic OS' which I want nothing to do with (nor do I want to be forced to have an MS account, uninstallable apps, etc), and while macOS is really mature and has a great software catalog, Apple's hardware prices for anything above the base models is criminal.

I don't know if SB use Juce, many devs do - but Juce can spit out Linux native plugins. Perhaps it's a market size and support decision, or perhaps it's technical. In any case, I'd love to see SugarBytes on Linux, I own several of their plugins and will miss them...

FWIW, I think it's just a matter of time before desktop Linux has a big enough share that will entice more developers to come over. Microsoft repeatedly shooting themselves in the foot and not listening to users is certainly helping.

Thank you so much for your reply! <3

I have corresponded with Sugar Bytes several times about this already, and they would actually like to offer Linux builds, but are reluctant to take the step because no one on their team has Linux expertise. I believe it is only a matter of time before this changes, and not just at Sugar Bytes.

Thanks for asking them the question! It's great to hear that they are thinking about this!

I know that some of the commercial devs who offer linux builds, do so with reduced levels of customer support (at least for now), and I think this is for a couple of reasons: a) because the Linux audio userbase is relatively small at the moment and the vast majority of their income comes from Win/macOS users, so they get priority on the support ladder, b) because of a lack of in-house Linux expertise, and c) because the thought of having to support a large number of permutations of Kernel/Distro/DE is terrifying...

But, if they do take the plunge, they really only need to pick and support one big Linux distro as the basis for minimum library versions, and as the (great)granddaddy of many distros, I would suggest something like Debian stable because it is almost completely static for two years between major releases.

Yes, ok, I'm biased; I use Debian

[audiojunkie]

Logically, Debian would be the ideal choice. It's one of the oldest and most stable distros, and has no corporate control, and a huge userbase. Building against Debian would pretty much guarantee that most other distros will have newer libraries, and since libraries are being designed to be backwards compatible, it should in theory be a workable solution for all, even if the binaries were not specifically compiled for each specific distro.

[Schrödinger's Cat]

Native Linux plugins from Sugar Bytes would be awesome!

Did they disclose whether they use JUCE or a custom tech stack?

[amadeusp]

Native Linux plugins from Sugar Bytes would be awesome!

Did they disclose whether they use JUCE or a custom tech stack?

I think I should know this from one of my conversations with them, and from what I remember, I would also confirm that they use JUCE, but unfortunately I can't find the conversation in my backup to be 100% sure. But I'll ask for an update now anyway.

[Sugar Bytes]

We don't use JUCE. It's still true that we don't have any Linux expertise in-house.

[amadeusp]

We don't use JUCE. It's still true that we don't have any Linux expertise in-house.

Thanks for the feedback! <3 My memory has failed me.

Us Sugar Bytes and Linux Audio fans will continue to dream of your amazing plugins on Linux in the meantime.

All the best to you!

[mevla]

Are there other Linux musicians out there who’d appreciate native Linux binaries of Turnado, Looperator, DrumComputer, Graindad, etc.?

I run Sugar Bytes plugins (that aren't too small to tire the eyes) on Linux (yabridge and wine) without any problems since a few years now. Nest and DrumComputer for instance. So I do not see what Linux binaries would bring more, really.

For me the problem is instead the non-adjustable small size of many Sugar Bytes plugins.

This said, I do run Linux binaries when available eg. all u-he synths.