Thinking about diving in to Linux

[4140]

I've heard a lot of good things about Linux, some being its great on computer recorces, u don't need an Antivirus and it's free. I've been wanting to check it out for a while but it's kind of overwhelming, for one, it's a whole new environment heck, even a whole new language (what the heck is a distro? Wine, cinnamon, candy corn, ...) I don't even know what that means. And a simple Google search just leads to more confusion. So here's my question,
for those who run their daws in a Linux environment, which daw do you use and why?
Which version of Linux is best for creating and mixing music?
And what site do you recommed to help a newbie get started, how to download, use etc.
Thanks in advance

 

[Steenamaroo]

Recommending Linux is always a funny one.
It is, or can be, a great environment but....It is, or can be, a huge headache.

There are various distros (distributions) which you can think of as 'versions of'. Like Windows home/professional etc.
Each will come bundled with different software suites geared towards different things. User interfaces might differ. Some require more setup and personalisation than others.

Ubuntu Studio is always a great place to start for creative work but without some kind of relevant experience or 'knack' for it, I'd be hesitant to recommend Linux, in general.
So much of the setup is through nice friendly GUIs now but you'll still need at least a basic understanding of command line tools and the system structure.

I've used Linux on and off but, to be honest, any problems I have with MS platforms are addressed my MacOS so I stayed there.

I can't recommend a specific DAW, I'm afraid, but Ubuntu Studio will come bundled with the main ones. Everything you need to get started will be in there.

 

[4140]

Hey, thanks. I suppose I could always download Ubuntu and see if I take to it.

 

[garww]

Ya, I'm on Ubuntu Studio. You are still network vulnerable, do not kid yourself,

I've been buying my DVD install from these people the last couple years;
OSDisc.com - Ubuntu Studio

I do my Mixbus mixing in there.

I'm still Windows, but boot into Linux when needed. When the install DVD has a Live option, that means it boots up not making any mods to your drive system. If you have a empty computer, best to practice installs there.

 

[thewonders]

I've heard a lot of good things about Linux, some being its great on computer recorces, u don't need an Antivirus and it's free.

As garww wrote, don't kid yourself about not needing protection. Linux isn't affected by Windows viruses and malware, but it can be infected by Linux viruses and malware. There isn't much of that around, but it does exist - that's why all Linux distros put out occasional security updates. (Distro is short for distributions - every organization who puts out their own version of Linux [Ubuntu, Debian, Slackware, Red Hat, and a couple of hundred more] puts out their own "distro". So you would decide on which distro to use, like Ubuntu). Also, any computer on the Internet can be hacked into if you are careless. As far as free, it may cost you no money to download a distro, but you will spend lots of your precious time getting it going for audio.

On the other hand, there are a lot of fun things about using Linux. I enjoy it.

I've been wanting to check it out for a while but it's kind of overwhelming, for one, it's a whole new environment heck, even a whole new language (what the heck is a distro? Wine, cinnamon, candy corn, ...) I don't even know what that means. And a simple Google search just leads to more confusion. So here's my question,
for those who run their daws in a Linux environment, which daw do you use and why?
Which version of Linux is best for creating and mixing music?
And what site do you recommed to help a newbie get started, how to download, use etc.

Ubuntu is very popular and there is lots of user support in their forums. It's not the leanest distro but for a beginner it is probably a good choice, and again there is support. It's also pretty easy to set up, but as with all Linux distros you will need to use the command line for some configuration. If your not afraid of tackling this you might find it enjoyable. Aside from Ubuntu, take a look at the Linux Multi Media Studio (LMMS - https://lmms.io). Good information there.

To answer your question, when I set up Linux for audio I used a distro called Debian (it's actually the core of Ubuntu). I set up the distro and picked my software so that I could keep my setup lean and unbloated. For my DAW I used Ardour (Harrison Mixbus is based on Ardour). This was a while ago and I used M-Audio Delta 1010s as my interfaces since there were Linux drivers for these units. And that's another thing - make sure the interface you want has Linux drivers. Many don't.

As far as creating music, any Linux distro could be set up for audio. Pick the distro that works best for you. And aside from audio, check out some popular Linux forums for general Linux info and help. If you're going with Ubuntu, start with their forum. Good luck.

 

[garww]

Ya, you can "make" some optimizations. I guess that is ( freely tossing words) compiling kernel ??

I do the dual boot have found that the modern install can be pretty flaky. The Multi-Media distros are full of audio, video, etc.

hahah, ya, my first Linux was a 14.4k modem download of debian console. I was lost 'til I found Midnight Commander

 

[ecc83]

FYI There is a guy, Folderol who runs Linux on an NI KA6 (I loaned him mine and he bought one) over at soundonsound forum.

Dave.

 

[4140]

As garww wrote, don't kid yourself about not needing protection. Linux isn't affected by Windows viruses and malware, but it can be infected by Linux viruses and malware. There isn't much of that around, but it does exist - that's why all Linux distros put out occasional security updates. (Distro is short for distributions - every organization who puts out their own version of Linux [Ubuntu, Debian, Slackware, Red Hat, and a couple of hundred more] puts out their own "distro". So you would decide on which distro to use, like Ubuntu). Also, any computer on the Internet can be hacked into if you are careless. As far as free, it may cost you no money to download a distro, but you will spend lots of your precious time getting it going for audio.

On the other hand, there are a lot of fun things about using Linux. I enjoy it.


Ubuntu is very popular and there is lots of user support in their forums. It's not the leanest distro but for a beginner it is probably a good choice, and again there is support. It's also pretty easy to set up, but as with all Linux distros you will need to use the command line for some configuration. If your not afraid of tackling this you might find it enjoyable. Aside from Ubuntu, take a look at the Linux Multi Media Studio (LMMS - https://lmms.io). Good information there.

To answer your question, when I set up Linux for audio I used a distro called Debian (it's actually the core of Ubuntu). I set up the distro and picked my software so that I could keep my setup lean and unbloated. For my DAW I used Ardour (Harrison Mixbus is based on Ardour). This was a while ago and I used M-Audio Delta 1010s as my interfaces since there were Linux drivers for these units. And that's another thing - make sure the interface you want has Linux drivers. Many don't.

As far as creating music, any Linux distro could be set up for audio. Pick the distro that works best for you. And aside from audio, check out some popular Linux forums for general Linux info and help. If you're going with Ubuntu, start with their forum. Good luck.

Man, alot of good info. Thanks.

 

[thewonders]

Ya, you can "make" some optimizations. I guess that is ( freely tossing words) compiling kernel ??

Yes, you can compile your own kernel so that it has only the optimizations you need, rather than the default kernel which has the features to cover all of the bases. Makes for a faster kernel if you do it right. And if you want to take the time.

I do the dual boot have found that the modern install can be pretty flaky. The Multi-Media distros are full of audio, video, etc.

Yes, that's why I built my system from the base files, so it didn't have any software on it that I didn't need or want.

hahah, ya, my first Linux was a 14.4k modem download of debian console. I was lost 'til I found Midnight Commander

The first Linux system I tried was Debian Woody. I could never get the GUI to work until I moved to Sarge.

 

[garww]

I think I had been on Mandrake for awhile when I did the compile - exercise . Seems I just did a copy and paste at each prompt.

Well, It used to be packages was up front

 

[thewonders]

I think I had been on Mandrake for awhile when I did the compile - exercise .

I really liked Mandrake - I used it as a home server for years - it was a great distro. I was disappointed when it changed and became Mageia or whatever. At that point I moved to Linux Mint.

 

[garww]

I really liked Mandrake - I used it as a home server for years - it was a great distro. I was disappointed when it changed and became Mageia or whatever. At that point I moved to Linux Mint.

haha. I was lost ! I was doing photo and imaging and didn't really need to be updated. Oh, I preferred cd burning in Linux, etc..

 

[ecc83]

I think I had been on Mandrake for awhile when I did the compile - exercise . Seems I just did a copy and paste at each prompt.

Well, It used to be packages was up front

HAH! For a while I thought you were experimenting with alkaloids G!

Dave.

 

[garww]

HAH! For a while I thought you were experimenting with alkaloids G!

Dave.

no, the may apple is not in my herbs and plants books for experimenting : ) Didn't they use the word "make" in Excalibur ? During the Mandrake scene

 

[Strryder]

Annaal Nathrrack, Uuthar Spethod, Dol-Tee-Ayy Tee-En-Vay

The Charm Of Making...

A dream to some...

A nightmare to others!!...