Linux

[antilog]

Got Debian Linux installed on an extra machine today. Actually a Linux guru helped get it installed.

Looking forward to testing it out, kicking the tires, eventually try some audio apps.

Missing maxthon already....

[Scodiddly]

Linux is a wonderful thing. I'd definitely recommend it for any computer on the Internet, since all the viruses affect Windows computers and not Linux.

Check out "Planet CCRMA" for audio apps, too. You probably have to use Fedora Linux to install those apps, but they make it super-easy. And you get the pro recording apps, like Ardour.

[wing]

also if anyone ever wants to dive into a super friendly world of linux, check out lycoris. really clean and easy and simple. kind of geared towards people who are used to windows.

(not so much for the power user, though)

[antilog]

thanks for the ideas! i was up pretty late poking around Gnome, Evolution and Firefox. Still think Maxthon is superior in features to Firefox, but I'm sure inferior in security.

[anewman]

I'm sorry, I hate to be a naysayer, but I'm not a big fan of the Linux for an audio box. Now, before you jump on me about yadda yadda free software blah blah blah... I'm on your side. OK? I'm a huge fan of OpenBSD, and have used Open Source stuff (including linux) for about 9 years now.

I like that linux has drivers for literally everything. As a friend of mine put it: "You can cram a peice of silverware into your serial port and linux will say 'Installing drivers for a four tine salad fork.'"

I just got to a point where I was tired of tweaking sytems. I don't want to discourge anyone from doing this, but there just comes a time when it's not about getting .004% better CPU utilization. It's about making music and not worrying about computers. Especially since anyone can get a job (or side job) for $7 an hour (more if you actually are a techie-tweakhead), and over the course of the week that it took you to squeeze the performance out of your machine, you could have earned enough money to buy a faster CPU for it (give or take).

A huge problem with linux as an audio system is that (i'm pretty sure) no one is making commecially supported audio apps, and even if they are, there's nothing from the top vendors.

The *ONLY* reason I own ProTools is to interoperate with other studios. If you have even the slightest bit of interest in mixing your stuff at another studio, or tracking somewhere else and bringing things back to your place to mix, think this over before investing in a linux system.

In addition, while tweakheads make out well by performance tuning the heck out of their system, the general population doesn't know how to do this. This is remedied a bit by distributions that are aiming for the audio market, so it's not as strong of a point as it once would have been.

Anyway, aside from the rant, the message of this post distilled is this:

Saving money comes in a variety of ways, and sometimes spending a great deal of time is the same as just spending some additional cash to save yourself the trouble. Time is money.

Do what you must.

-Adam

[antilog]

Thanks for the input. I know Linux can be pretty config intensive.

I won't be using it for multitracking, maybe just as a destination for mixdown. Mostly I just want to get familiar with Linux

[Scodiddly]

I just got to a point where I was tired of tweaking sytems. I don't want to discourge anyone from doing this, but there just comes a time when it's not about getting .004% better CPU utilization. It's about making music and not worrying about computers. Especially since anyone can get a job (or side job) for $7 an hour (more if you actually are a techie-tweakhead), and over the course of the week that it took you to squeeze the performance out of your machine, you could have earned enough money to buy a faster CPU for it (give or take).

Hey, I'm with you on that. I hate tweaking too... so mostly I just install some commercial distro and leave it as vanilla as possible. Hence Planet CCRMA, which has you do some fairly simple setup of an automated installer, and then does the rest.

But I hate dealing with the complexities of Windows, too. Linux config is a PITA, but so is hanging on phone support for Windows or having to clean up a virus mess. And don't tell me you think that the security software for commercial plugins is easy and reliable, either.