I want to switch to Linux but there are a few major hurdles.
I want to switch to Linux but there are a few major hurdles.
So I have a situation. I really want to switch to Linux as my main gaming/production OS but need the Adobe suite as I am a graphic designer. Adobe is the golden standard for this industry (and likely to always be) so while Gimp and Inkscape might work, they are not feasible for my career. I also know that there will be situations where games just don't run well or at all on Linux.
Dualbooting works but is not really worth it for me as I would have to stop what I'm doing and restart my PC. I heard that you can set up a single GPU passthrough for games and software but it seems complicated. How difficult would that be to set up for a new user to Linux? I would consider myself a tech savvy person but I know very little about the ins and outs of Linux. I have a massive GPU (XFX RX 6900 XT) with a big support bracket that covers the second PCIE slot so buying another GPU isn't really feasible either.
I do have an Unraid server with decent specs that I use for a hosting Minecraft servers and Jellyfin so setting up a VM on that might be a good option.
What would you guys recommend me to do?
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I second this, I also use arch (btw) on all of my personal computers, gaming rig, media machines; But when it comes to my work machine, it also runs Windows because it needs to.
I love Linux and want it to prosper. Hopefully one day windows specific software like that won't be such a hurdle, but unfortunately it is; If your livelihood depends on it, you cannot afford to risk hard breaks in compatibility. There will be days where as a less experienced user, issues could take hours to fix.
If you get a secondary computer in the future that you only use for personal activities, that is when I would reconsider installing and learning Linux. It's rewarding to learn, you have more control over your system and better privacy, but it takes time and effort.
Well, I sort of do work on two devices for work and gaming. I have a decent windows laptop that I use at work and have my main rig for everything else.
As much as I dislike a lot about Windows, I think you are right. If I am in the graphic design industry, I will need to use Windows. Adobe will probably never port to Linux so I will always have to use it in some shape or form.
If you depend on a piece of software for your career, you shouldn't try to force it to work on another OS or some hardware it doesn't have support for. Just run Windows.
You could try using a Windows VM, or even doing GPU passthrough. But do you really want to troubleshoot that for 2 days when an update breaks everything?
fwiw, running photoshop through a VM would be pretty easy and pretty quick to setup with very little (if any) troubleshooting required, and it’s unlikely that updates would break stuff. I’ve done it many, many times.
The real problem is getting good performance out of it. Now, I don’t know OP’s specific needs or what specific Adobe apps he’s using. if it’s just Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign, he’s gonna be fine. if he’s got enough memory and he’s running the VM by itself, he shouldn’t notice much of any performance degradation until he’s got some gigantic files open in PS and/or he’s juggling a bunch of files between PS and Illustrator.
Now, if he’s trying to run AfterEffects or Premier, he could run into more serious performance issues and would definitely need to dual-boot if he wants to render anything. But he may not be using those apps.
Running those apps through Wine? THAT is the massive PitA that can take days to configure and troubleshoot and where an update can break anything— but it runs at native speed. Using a VM is pretty simple… just slower.
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I think this depends on the GPU and drivers, I know some professional/enterprise ones can be divided among multiple VMs and a host. I haven't had to deal with this because it seems like a headache to try. And everything I use works on Linux anyway.
If you need Adobe, just don't bother with linux on your primary work / study machine. Save linux for another system.
As a primary Linux user, this might be the easiest answer. If there is specific software needed for work, then your work computer should serve that purpose.
Still, if I was freelancing and it's my computer, I certainly would look at dual-booting or just having more than one computer (could even use a KVM switch to use the same keyboard, monitors and mouse). Also if I'm using software professionally, I would also have a professional interest in open source alternatives.
Still, this is all optional and extra. Just running Adobe is the baseline.
Yeah, you are right. I am thinking about maybe buying a MacBook since my school I'm transferring to will require one anyway. Having that be my school and work laptop only will probably help with productivity too.
While this won't work completely, with a Mac you have access to a POSIX-like (zsh) terminal. Doing stuff in terminal will help with learning Linux to the side. As long as you treat the differences as a learning opportunity rather than an irritant, you'll be better able to switch between them.
I really want to switch to Linux as my main gaming/production OS but need the Adobe suite
That's not a hurdle... that's a wall.
If your livelihood depends on running a Windows-only application, run it on a Windows computer.
You are, of course, free to also have a Linux computer for everything else. Use a KVM switch to toggle between them, or something like Synergy or Barrier to pass the mouse/keyboard/clipboard between both PCS. Share the storage between them over your network.
Yep. My work requires some Windows programs, and I run them on a separate Windows machine I got for cheap. The only policy I have is no personal computing on Windows, and I keep it disconnected from the internet permanently. That OS is creepy af.
I went Mac. it’s UNIX, and far better than suck-ass windows… but there’s a real limitation when it comes to gaming… Linux is supporting more and more games and macOS isn’t so much… that might change soon, it might not.
Personally, I’m not so much of a gamer, and I really like the Apple ecosystem. I run linux on my server and love it, too, and macOS plays really nice with linux. But if gaming is big for you AND you need Adobe apps like I do, then you’ll have to dual-boot if you want your main OS to be linux.
As for learning the ins-and-outs: there’s a leaning curve we ALL go through, and you’ll always be learning more as you go. But there’s never been a better time to learn as there’s never been more resources to help nor more community to support you with any and every problem you could ever have. Now is a very exciting time for linux. it’s super.
So, if I were you, I’d consider the switch away from Windows. You can dual-boot (or run a VM) or find a way to run Adobe Apps via Wine (not sure how that works). Personally, I couldn’t live without them and am very happy with macOS, but it’s not for everyone. Maybe you’ll be able to live with dual-booting into windows for wen you need to work and living the rest of the time in linux. it’s a journey you’re just going to have to take.
best of luck to you!
True! I am still going to college and the school I will be transferring to requires a MacBook so I have to get one anyway.
Does Mac OS have the same issues as Windows where settings change each update? That is my major annoyance with Windows.
True! I am still going to college and the school I will be transferring to requires a MacBook so I have to get one anyway.
I’m pretty sure you’ll like it, a hell of a lot more that Winblows anyway. like I said, macOS is UNIX (which linux was made to emulate), so they’re interoperable and have very similar architectures under the hood. macOS is defiantly different in its Apple-y ways, but still plays very nice with linux systems and also supports many linux software ports. There’s also a macOS command-line package manager called Homebrew that’s used to distribute many of these crossover software packages.
Does Mac OS have the same issues as Windows where settings change each update?
NO! macOS updates very rarely (if ever) break things, even with the legendarily persnickety Adobe apps, mostly because Adobe apps don’t have to hack shit in order to run on macOS, because macOS isn’t a dumpster fire of an OS like windows is.
Stick to Windows. Linux is fine for IT pros and as a hobby. For graphic design with Adobe I just don't see your productivity would be the same.
Looks like someone created an install script for photoshop on Linux. Uses wine to run.
Photoshop is just one of the many apps included in the Adobe suite. So while this is a welcomed repo, I’m afraid it is not feasible for people who design professionally
Youre stuck on Windows Im afraid, and Im pretty sure Adobe will never make a linux port
Don't feel bad because you're really good at using a tool that doesn't follow your values. I use Windows during the work week and I use Linux for gaming on the weekend where I literally can't work even if I wanted to.
For me Windows is a tool box with propriatry tools that have no Linux compatibility. That's OK for me. People get emotionally invested but that's neither healthy nor helpful. No point being angry at work, it's like being angry that your work uniform is made by one textiles vendor not the other.
You get to choose what you use at home in your own time. If you feel good using Linux then, do it!
True, yeah. I think if I tried to fully switch over, it might slow down my workflow trying to make it work. What I should do is buy/build a new PC for work. A lot of people are suggesting a MacBook which might be good.
I think that's a good idea, good luck with it!
Dual boot is really your only option aside from straight up staying on Windows. You can game and general use on Linux, then switch to Windows when it's time to work. Not the most ideal and I know you said you don't want to do that, but if you rely on Adobe products (which sadly many people do) you kind of need a Windows install or a Mac.
Another, much more expensive, option is to get a MacBook (or another laptop I suppose, not sure if the goal is to fully cut out Windows) and have that at your desk for your Adobe uses, and have Linux on your desktop. Not really feasible for most people but I don't really know your situation so I thought I'd throw it out there.
Getting a MacBook might be a good option to be honest. I am still in college and transferring soon. The art school requires a MacBook so I would have to get one anyway. My main goal is to try steer away from Windows. I am tired of it installing MS software and resetting some settings every update. I'm not sure if Mac OS does something similar though.
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You don't need to "switch to Linux". It's not a binary decision. Dual booting or dual partitioning is completely fine. Adobe even with wine and GPU pass-through has far worse performance than if you just boot up windows. It is fine to combine any software you want. That's the "free" in "free software."
You should try Krita to replace photoshop on Linux, i am on professionnal designer but lt feels really close to photoshop to me.
Adobe suite is one thing that is still an immense pain to get running on Linux, if you can even get it running at all. There aren't a whole lot of good alternatives depending on your workflow, either. GIMP can be a good Photoshop substitute, but there isn't really a good Illustrator substitute (Inkscape doesn't support CMYK, for example), and it gets worse for the other tools in the suite, so your mileage may vary with that approach.
As others have said, a VM is an option. But, how about a KVM? Maybe it sounds old school, but you could have a Linux box for home / fun / gaming that just shares peripherals with a Windows box that is just for work. Then you get a few advantages:
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Linux PC as normal with no fancy setup needed
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Windows work PC has Adobe as usual, and you just do your non-work stuff on the Linux box. Network them together for easy file sharing.
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You don't need to reboot to go between one or the other; simply switch your KVM over. Let Windows do its update nonsense or other data processing while gaming on the Linux box.
Obviously this does mean you need two physical machines, which might be a dealbreaker for you unless you have parts sitting around.
Edit: something else I just thought of: it is also possible to dual boot but get fancy with hibernation (not sleep, but hibernate = write all RAM contents to disk). You hibernate either installation to switch to the other, so while technically a reboot, all of your apps / windows etc come back up as if you hadn't rebooted.
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need the Adobe suite as I am a graphic designer.
Then simply use Windows when you need to design something and Linux for everything else.
"But I don't want to dual-boot!"
Then buy another PC and install Linux in it. A $10 single-board computer can run Linux just fine -- even play 4k videos.
$10 SBC? Can you name that one? It seems like every time I want an SBC for a project they're all $50+ these days.
I do design work in Inkscape and Photopea. I actually prefer Inkscape to Illustrator the software is very impressive. Sadly GIMP is still limited and I don't use it much.
Photopea however is nice and has good PSD support including smart objects, adjustement layers, etc
Steam installs perfectly well on Debian and most games pick up a small performance boost from running on an OS with less overheads.
Unraid servers can be hosted from Debian with few issues .
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Important note that nvidia drivers don't like to be unloaded, so usually you have to restart and load another driver, which is annoying without a second gpu.
Nouveau usually plays a lot nicer
Mac.
I've killed my GPU twice. It's just go too warm due to poor cooling system to be used for gaming.
I agree with the posters who are telling you to stick with Windows if your career depends on software that isn't Linux compatible. If you want to play with Linux you can install WSL on Windows, run Linux in a VM on Windows or buy a cheap used/refurb business laptop and Linux to your heart's content on that.
For a long time l had 2 PCs, one windows and one Linux, with 2 monitors, I used the software "barrier" to share my keyboard/mouse between them, it worked pretty well.
Buy yourself a second PC or laptop to be able to use both at the same time.
Just found this: https://www.maketecheasier.com/install-adobe-creative-cloud-linux/
Still, it might be fickle and bite.
Not sure how good this advice is since I'm not a professional, but: You could try out running Adobe programs in a VM with VMWare (vmware.com). They have an excellent 3D acceleration support already. Just give your VM a good chunk of your hardware resources (I use half of my CPU cores and 3/4 of my system memory). I use that for running Affinity Designer 2 from Sarif, and it works quite well for me. Windows VM boots up in between 6 – 8 seconds and I have a shared folder, where I can drop stuff to interact between my Windows VM and my Linux main system. But like I said, I'm not a professional.
And for using vmware, you can give it some of your video memory from your graphics card, so if you need decent graphics, you don't have to do gpu passthrough and you don't need multiple gpus.
Edit: Related video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDrbNgM6gXk
I've tried switching to Linux many times over the years. There are many things about it that rock... But, unfortunately plenty that do not. Financially it doesn't make sense for Adobe and others to support Linux (sadly).
Dual boot is an option, as you mentioned. However, Linux will run on a toaster. Fire it up on a thumb drive, or an old laptop, or whatever you've got and putz around. It's fun just to explore.
Just stick with Windows, it works for you (as it is for me); as the saying goes, if it ain't broke, why fix it?
But Windows is broke. I recommend using it only if you truly have to (e.g. software dependencies for your work). If you think or know you don't need it, then don't use it, don't recommend it and also please don't claim it's not harmful or "just a tool like everything else". Tools don't spy on its users. The monopoly situation due to too many users still using is also in itself harmful for competition/alternatives, and on top of that its users suffer from massive amounts of privacy invasions.
If you don't want to continue to use Windows (which is an important realization to make), but feel like you can't use Linux yet for whatever reason, use OS X. It's sort of middle of the road. Also not great for various reasons, and also not recommended, but it will at least ease your transition to Linux later on because OS X is also Unix-like, and it's at least slightly less bad than Windows. Always re-evaluate from time to time, whether you still need Windows or OS X, and if not, switch to Linux.
The issue is that most users aside from nerds, programmers and other professionally very tech involved people don’t care about their operating system, or how much it spies on them. They want it to work without much thought, everything else is a secondary concern.
And this crowd is tough to capture for Linux, because if there is one thing that defines Linux it is the fact that you have to put in some effort to make everything work, especially with not supported applications like most games.
Windows isn't broken for me, and given their market share, many others. What's an issue for you isn't necessarily so for others.
I'm sorry...You can blame Adobe for not porting their tools.
Give a look if Adobe provides their tools through the web.
Has 3 stars on crossover? Grab the trial and check it out.
I have a single passthrough VM that I use for building Windows binaries.
I followed this tutorial:
Is the repo private, or does GitLab seriously require an account now to view repos?
I don’t have a gitlab account and I am able to view it. Not sure what’s wrong
You can use Windows apps by setting up a KVM(Not a VM, but a KVM for virtual machine manager) and use a utility called Winapps along with it. This will allow you to launch and use Windows applications as if they were native(drag and drop support, clip sharing and whatnot).
As I recall, Adobe products are supported by Winapps and/or Cassowary
Edit: keep in mind, you only do the above if you really want/need it. Since the initial setup is not hassle free at all
Keep using windows for adobe buy a used PC on eBay for cheap or goodwill and install Linux on that
I have a 6900xt as well and it works fine. I use linux mint. I have not been back to windows except for VR and i am looking at getting that running as well. Mint tends to run packages made for ubuntu and debian with minimal hassle. I do not use photo shop but blender gets a performance uplift from being on linux. Ai workloads do well on this setup with the caveat that the support for the 6900xt involves tracking down obscure forum posts to get torch to recognize the gpu.
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Yeah, I'll go with name people here and say such with Windows.
If work provide you a machine, then use separate machines for work and home needs. If you're freelance, when you need to upgrade, plan it well and buy a second machine that is better for gaming/productivity. Now you have two machines and can separate your life.
Have you looked at Krita and Blender?
If you like to switch to linux but use windows software you can dual boot or even better setup an Virtual Machine for windows with second GPU and have two in one pc.
Can you get away with old versions of Adoba suite? Latest versions typically don't work but you may be able to get old versions running without dual boot by using Wine.
I would basically setup a windows Server with Remoteapp then use freeRDP on linux to run Adobe software. But note that some software need a GPU or it will be slow. Photoshop will be fine. But aftereffect and premiere may need a GPU. Best option would be a separate work and private computer for security this will separate a little work and private stuff.
Earlier I left a comment that maybe Zorin OS could make it work... nevermind, I found their own page where they provide suggestions for alternates:
https://help.zorin.com/docs/apps-games/alternatives-to-windows-apps/
which may be helpful in it's own way, even if Adobe apps still won't work.
Get a Mac for Adobe related stuff, install Linux on your other machine. /thread
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I agree. For the Linux curious who have more $$$ than time, MacOS is way less frustrating.
It doesn’t happen often but it can happen — components in Linux distros just don’t work 100% otb. Sleep / wake; audio; wireless; exotic features etc not terrible but it adds up.
I know there are people who say “never had a problem.” I get that. I have always had an issue. Will my console text my human readable at 4k or is it going to render in 8px high?
It’s part of the fun and charm. Knowing your precise monitor spec because for whatever reason your particular monitor is unknown so you get some default resolution of awful with minimal hz refresh.
On a rasberry pi … who cares (pi is almost easier because it is closed system). But when a high end GPU is content with stretched 640x480, it can be aggravating.
This is probably the best thing to do for me. I could also get an older laptop to tinker with Linux on.
buy a used m1 Mac book with 16GB ram or a janky garage sale (x64) laptop and install puppy Linux.
Also, a rasberry pie is like $40; an intel nuc is <$200. Inexpensive ways to learn without killing your breadbasket.
Why run one when you can run two?
Do NOT get a M1 MacBook for Linux. While Lina is working on support for the hardware it isn't finished by far. Any normal Intel/AMD should be fine.
Get an M1 for MacOS and enjoy BSD.
I really want to find a decent laptop that I can tinker on. I have a raspberry pi laying around too. I might do that.
Doesn’t need to be decent fwiw.
I guess a better question to ask is: WHY do you want to switch to Linux. Is there a compelling yet specific reason. Abstract things like “better privacy” is not that valid for regular folks. You can tweak enough things in windows with group policy/registry to make it just okay. Surely it’s not out of the box but you only need to do it once, and I imagine this will only take a fraction of the time you would otherwise spend troubleshooting Linux.
If there are specific Linux things you need to run, why not use your server or even WSL?
As much as I love Linux, my main gaming/video production PC will always be windows.
you only need to do it once
More like once after a bigger update. Also you'll always be paranoid that at some point the settings stopped working.
Abstract things like “better privacy” is not that valid for regular folks.
Why not? Normal folks can and should be concerned about privacy as well IMO.
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With group policy you actually really need to do it once.
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I guess you didn’t read the next sentence of the one you quoted?
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My main reason why I want to switch to Linux is because I am tired of Windows installing MS software and resetting some of my settings whenever it updates. It's a constant game of cat and mouse. Privacy is another issue but I have came to the realization that the only way to be private is to go off grid. Everything spies on you and it's something that will only get worse sadly.
That’s my point. Please take a look at group policy editor. You’ll be amazed how many settings are hidden from the settings app. And once it’s set there, it cannot be overridden by anything, INCLUDING UPDATES. You can even completely turn off automatic updates there and only update manually when you feel comfortable.
It’s meant to be a enterprise thing to lock down PCs. But on your own PC you are your own boss.
Well, if you need an Adobe suite, there are some replacements for common apps.
- Premiere = Kdenlive
- Photoshop = Krita/GIMP
- Illustrator = Inkscape
Just learn them. Or make a Windows VM with GPU pass-through and install Adobe CC into it.
Or just learn Adobe alternatives.
Best option: Use Linux and alternatives to Adobe stuff, if possible. These programs continue to evolve, at some point you might not need the Adobe stuff anymore.
Second best option: Use Linux and run the Adobe stuff inside a Windows VM. GPU passthrough is not that difficult to configure if you need it. You can run your Windows games on Linux in many cases, so it's most likely not needed to run a Windows VM with GPU passthrough just for gaming.
Third best option: Use OS X instead of Windows or Linux, and run the Adobe stuff on OS X (it's also natively supported there)
Worst option: Continue to use Windows
You're ignoring that adobe software also evolves. FOSS alternatives have never caught up.
Wasn't ignoring it. What matters is whether the software supports the features you NEED. That there will always be more features added, doesn't mean that you need all those. What matters is whether the software is "feature-complete" for your specific needs. Look at MS Office. It's the "industry standard" office suite (that term sucks btw, just means most popular), yet it has features that the majority of people do not need at all (probably even don't know those exist). So, LibreOffice or OnlyOffice for example can be viable replacements in such cases. You get what you need out of your office suite AND you have it in FOSS format with 100% user control, without a company stealing sensitive info from your documents in the background.
they are not feasible for my career
LOL I know a number of professional designers who use free software. Just because you (clearly) don't know any, doesn't mean they don't exist.
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That doesn't really matter. ... There really is no comparison.
If there are professional designers using free software then it does matter. You seem to think that the functional differences between proprietary software and free software necessarily preclude making a living using free software. You're wrong.
The problem is, sometimes while you might be open to using certain software, the people you need to work with and collaborate make that hard. For instance, Early 2000's, I was tasked with making some weekly magazines. I used Scribus. The people at the printer, of which I had no control over unless I wanted to foot the bill, made life pretty damn miserable because I wasn't using whatever adobe product they were used to. Things worked, but it was a time that I would much rather leave in the past as I can't describe the frustration caused.
The problem is ...
... the same as any other industry dominated by proprietary software.