Hello community,

I am tired of windows slowing down my laptop, and I tought I’d give linux a chance. So I learn, that there are many linuxes, and I wonder if it really matters. which one to choose. Can all linux apps be run on all distributions? Is it just a matter of the ‘app store’ supporting them or not?

I am producing media art for theatre plays. So I have to rely on a stable system as well as the following tools:

  • Blender 3d
  • a DAW
  • Design Software (adobe alternatives)
  • Video Editing & compositing
  • Projection mapping (I fear, there is just mapmap under linux)
  • audio cuing (linux show player)
  • maybe also light show programming (artnet / dmx)

The machine would be a Gigabyte Aero 15x with a dedicated nvidia gfx card, and 8 gigs of ram.

What would you recommend me?

  • nickwitha_k (he/him)
    3•1 year ago

    I’d also recommend Ubuntu LTS or Linux Mint. You may need to add a startup flag or swap to a low-latency kernel but since the mainlining of some features, a special kernel is rarely needed. Basically, keep an eye out for latency-related audio issues and take action, if needed.

    For DAW, if you’re not already using one that has a Linux release, you might check out Ardour.

    For video editing, check if KDenLive covers what you need.

    For design software, it really depends on the type of design work. There’s options for about every niche, from FreeCAD to Inkscape (vector), and Gimp/Krita (raster). Figure out what your need and find the project that best suits.

    Now. With all that said, I will add another thought. I’m not a fan of Apple but, if you find that you’re having too much trouble getting what you need working, I would seriously contemplate a Mac Mini or MacStudio, if you don’t absolutely need a laptop. I switched my spouse to a Mac Mini w/ an M2 from Costco for her studio because of the constant instability and system-breaking “updates”. It’s less tinkerer-friendly but that’s not its purpose. It is there for DAW and related duties, nothing else and it works great for that use case, letting me focus on FOSS stuff elsewhere.

    EDIT: To clarify, it was MS causing the instability.

    • @StrongFoxOP
      3•1 year ago

      Thanks for the great advice. I have been thinking of moving to apple a lot, but actually I am very tempted to the open source ideology that’s so strong in linux.

      • nickwitha_k (he/him)
        2•1 year ago

        Absolutely agreed. I use an Apple laptop for work, myself, because it’s a company machine and the only manufacturer that consistently offers support contracts on a unix-like OS. I do most of my work on a Linux VM via the terminal so, it’s largely a glorified SSH terminal.

        Windows now has WSL built in but the base OS is just too fundamentally understand and update QA too poor for me to want to touch, beyond the fact that I’ve been using Linux as my main OS for over a decade and the ads.

        Please post an update with your experience, if you’re so-inclined. I really want to see more “real” use of Linux in AV, especially, as I feel it’s a very strong OS for such use that is mostly ignored.