this post was submitted on 15 Jan 2026
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Waiting patiently for commercial software to be ported to Linux:
For what it's worth, REAPER works great on Linux. Ik it doesn't fill quite the same niche as Ableton but it is very capable, especially paired with yabridge for using VSTs via WINE.
Not my experience, sorry. I have bought Reaper years ago and the Windows experience was flawless. In order to even get audio, I need to launch Reaper via terminal using "pw-jack reaper" otherwise I have either garbage audio or too much latency.
My VST plugins (iZotope RX 11, iZotope VEA, Arturia Keylab, Bias FX) wouldn't run via yabridge, haven't figured out why yet.
I assume it has something to do with activating licenses or whatever crap like that. The entire "pro audio" industry and their overbearing licensing and "security" schemes can go suck a duck. For real.
When you get deep into niche stuff like this, Linux is such a pain in the ass. I like it for casual use and even some gaming but I'm not going to lie, a lot of hobbyist stuff is just so much easier on Mac or Windows. Which makes sense since Linux isn't in widespread use by normies and also isn't a desktop-first OS.
and if you're into a tracker-like workflow, renoise works really well on linux (assuming you can set up jack/pipewire properly or undo the horrror upon linux audio servers that is p*lseaudio. i feel this applies to most daws on linux)
Affinity Suite for Linux would be a game changer.
And drivers too. Yeah, we've got the big stuff covered, Intel, AMD, NVidia all release Linux drivers. But peripherals manufacturers mostly target Windows, maybe macOS, but leave Linux driver to be developed by the community.
i'm just dreaming of a good after effects clone (or port) for linux (preferably open source). left-angle autograph kicked the bucket, and pikimov is just a bit too limited. at least fusion360 can be streamed in a browser now, but freecad seems to be getting quite good as of lately. i pretty much only use windows at school now for ae/cad work.
I wish I could just go in and use freecad but it just doesn't make sense to me. the software I've tried before I could just go in and make something by winging it but freecad that seems impossible
The alternative to FreeCAD on Linux is OnShape running in the browser.
I've used onshape and it is indeed way more intuitive but it's one of those on the cloud only you don't own your files in any way platforms, but it does the job in a pinch and I've used it to make 3d printed replacement parts for random broken crap at my old job
You can always export stl or dxf files and use them with other software.
I have a Hope/Hate relationship with FreeCAD. Sometimes I can get it to do something useful and I get hopeful. Then I try to do something simple and ruin the entire design and have to start from scratch and I curse the developers lineage for all of time. I want it to be great, and it is closer than it has ever been. But it isn't a replacement for professional design suites.
I just tried it after probably 5 years and it’s much better than what it used to be. The workflow is close to what I’m used to in NX, so far at least.
Might be worth looking at BricsCAD (but honestly as an engineer who has professionally used a number of different CAD packages, FreeCAD honestly isn't that bad and I happily use it at home, it just has a different workflow)
I just tried freeCAD and it’s night and day compared to what it used to be. I can actually design simple parts.
Thanks for having me check my opinion haha.
No worries at all!
Solidworks and NX works on Linux?
Not for me. I wish it did.
I looked more into it, apparently NX used to.
Seems like someone posted a update or extension or something for Freecad that changed the interface and made it more familiar. I don't mind it the way it is, but apparently others like the change.