We think about this from time to time, but most often we simply don't have the time left to even start it.

I've been keeping an eye on Linux for many years and I think the time has finally come for me to drop Windows. Something I've been wanting to do for a long time, but I've been holding back mostly because of the lack of a viable DAW for me on the platform. Now both reaper and bitwig is on there, two really good DAWs and more developers seem to pay more attention to the platform.

I'd love for RME to take the lead here so I can bring my babyface pro with me when I buy a new laptop with Linux in a month or two!

Please consider it!
At least open-source the protocols used between totalmix and the hardware so we can control it ourselves...

No one seems to care (except XMOS which are doing a great job on some DJ-mixer systems that just works!)

I don't get why the hardware controls such as gain, phantom etc isn't exposed via UAC Feature units, then it would work out-of-the-box with ALSA Mixer for instance. Just the way USB Audio device Class was designed to work.

MOTU has the same lockdown and weird proprietary control software... I really hope there is a soundcard maker that realizes this soon and just drop the fuzz and makes a rock solid USB soundcard which is 100% class compliant.

Hi guys,

I am a mastering engineer, located in Berlin, Köthenerstrasse (Emil-Berliner-Studios, Hansa Studios). I mastered about 150 albums in the last 20 years and for several reasons, the time has come for me (and many others in the music production industry) to switch to linux. A lot has been done on the DAW side lately. Reaper, Ardour, Bitwig, thousands of plugins. The pro audio linux community is growing rapidly - as I could see, attending the latest linux audio conference in Berlin. I am very tired of being trapped in update cycles (especially avid) and having to setup new systems every once in a while.

The missing link for now is professional hardware support. I am using a HDSPe MADI FX. As I allways relied on rme products, because of their fantastic drivers and rock solid integration, I would love to see RME provide drivers, totalmix and digicheck for linux systems.

As a fan and supporter of open software, I wish RME would consider making the communication protocols between software and hardware open source! In my eyes it's a win-win: RME sells hardware and even more developers would consider RME for their projects if the software would be open.

Even if you choose not to release your own software for linux, please make the needed protocols open, so the linux community can take care of it - you can only win by this.

Thanks for your time!
Take care.

Which Linux distribution does he run ?

Which Linux Distribution(s) would/could act as a "reference platform" ?
Which kind of Linux Distribution would be an ideal reference platform ? Rolling release ? If yes: which ?

How many package formats should be supported ? All major ones ?
DPKG (Debian), RPM (Redhat), Pacman (ArchLinux), Zypper (OpenSuse), Portage (Gentoo), ...

Who is responsible for the quality, if things do not work ?

Who is respnsible for the support. You can't dictate a customer which distribution to take.
At the end it comes back to you. Esp. if the customer pays quite a lot for RME hardware.
Thats different from the usual situations, that most people that use Linux us free software.

When companies have to deal with things like this some companies drew already the decision to build a
Linux Distribution of their own to have the control and only need to support one Linux.
Best examples for this are:
- RedHat
- Oracle
- Steam (SteamOS)
Steam for example only supports Ubuntu and their SteamOS.

You see what I mean, it's not so easy, although I also would be very glad to have Linux as alternative.
But then I would still require Cubase and other ppl would require other major DAWs and VSTs ...

AFAIK, RME doesn't want to disclose the internals of their gear in proprietary mode. They must provide a kernel driver and making a closed-source kernel driver becomes harder and harder with every new release of the linux kernel.

PS. Nvidia closed source drivers is a special case and God only knows how they manage all the licensing and technical issues.

Being en embedded systems designer, I can fully appreciate their work. And I think they are the best.
But I don't see anything magic in stuffing bits the best way to communicate between an audio interface and a PC CPU.
At most they do something clever to minimize clock jitter between their FPGA and the host CPU.
But there are no secrets in the electronic world: https://desowin.org/usbpcap/

I've been using a Fireface 800, which runs perfectly in Debian.
I wanted to upgrade to an UFX+, but the lack of control of said interface is a show-stopper.
I wrote a simple service that listens to an old midi keyboard to switch instrument input options, phantom power, sets outputs for monitoring and a few other things like that in a few hours. Not being able to do that kind of thing would make the UFX+ a downgrade over the FF800.

The saddest thing about this is that I came to know RME because of their linux support ...

Don't forget to send such messages to Steinberg, Protools and all other major DAW vendors
and not to forget to all the companies who do not support linux as well for VST and VSTi.

Many thanks for your kind support upfront.

I've used linux for Music for over 10 years.  i currently run a Fedora (RedHat) Linux system (fc32) with a Focusrite Saffire Pro40.  There is crossbar router/hardware mixer capability built in with a standard app.  I can easily route sources from/to entertainment systems and "normal" apps such as Google Chrome.  The DAW (ardour) I use is what Harrison MixBus is based on. In addition this great open source tool is available for MAC and Windows.  The same projects can be accessed seamlessly from Windows provided plugins match.  I can create great MIDI stuff using Steinberg VST3 and Native Instruments plugins on windows, render them out, and use those tracks on linux.  Similar hardware performs so much better with the Fedora.  The linux tools and application interaction are far superior to anything on Apple or Windows.  There may not be the costly plugins and VST3 isn't much there yet but there is way more than I need in the way of MIDI and analog recording.  Not to mention the video and live-streaming capability.  Closed proprietary systems just do not compare in any way.

I sync my RME/Windows setup to linux with 8 channels of optical ADAT and only keep it due to Steinberg/Yamaha/cubase investments.

ccrma.stanford.edu  is practically all Linux. They provide MAC support for those who like to spend money.

I would dearly love to have proper Linux support for my Fireface UCX. I currently use Windows but would love to switch to Linux and I am constantly evaluating if I can jump yet. Drivers for my RME interface are a major component in that decision.

RME says the main problem is lack of available developer resources to commit to development for Linux, as a Software Engineer working in a large company I completely understand and sympathize with this problem. I also understand that developing Linux support is not a one time thing, there is also the on-going overhead of maintenance and support so that it continues to work as Linux OSes are updated, and also the fact that every new feature for Win/Mac must also be added to the Linux version.

Going from 2 to 3 supported OSes adds something like 50% to the cost of all software development for RME for the rest of forever, and that's AFTER they've done the initial up-front project of releasing Linux support V1.0. However, nothing is impossible, so let's consider what would have to happen for RME to switch from a "No" to a "Yes".

In business, time and money are often interchangeable, indeed where I work (a Fortune 500 tech company) everyone just uses the term "resources" to refer to the time/money duality in relation to projects. RME's reluctance support Linux is likely because their current business model (which never factored in the cost for Linux support for current products), and probably also the market ROI on future sales, does not provide enough resources to afford a Linux version of the various RME drivers and software.

There are two ways I can see that RME could get more resources for this project. One is crowd funding, and the other is open source development.

The initial project could be partially funded by a crowd fund campaign. I say "partially" because my finger-in-the-air guess at the cost of delivering drivers and TotalMix 1.0 for Linux would be a million dollars at the bare minimum and probably a lot more, and that's assuming that much of it can be "ported" rather than re-written. A crowd fund campaign appealing to "RME users who want to pay for Linux support" wouldn't get anywhere near that kind of money. But hey, any amount of resources is resources, this could at least partially fill the gap.

Another possibility is open source which addresses the other side of the time/money equation. If the Linux version was some form of open or "mixed" source, then RME could reduce it's own spend by leveraging free labor from the open source community. There are a lot of complications here though, not just regarding intellectual property, but also RME's control over their "brand".

Like it or not, most people will still perceive that open-source project as "RME's responsibility" and if the project does not quickly develop a strong community of quality contributors then RME will be left holding the baby on a half-baked project that makes them look bad and, what's worse, they don't have the resources to fix. However, where there is risk, there is also potential for reward, a successful community-resourced project would significantly boost RME's brand in many ways, even beyond just the Linux users who are using the software. Most users of RME products would be highly technical people who are tinkerers at heart, and all tinkerers appreciate open systems.

As I write this out and think about it, it occurs to me that another route that protects RME from potential fallout would be an independant open source project that was not directly associated with RME, but has their blessing and support, particularly in the technical specifics required to get the drivers running, perhaps via an initial contribution of code. If the project doesn't take off, well it's not an RME project and RME never officially announced Linux support, but if it does, then RME gets all the benefits of having Linux support for their products with little risk.

Anywho, that's my 2c on it...

Daniel, honestly thank you very much for participating in the conversation! We know that the CC mode works very well (I'm using my UFX II with great success on Linux for quite some time now) and we are grateful for that!

But I also keep missing TotalMix and DigiCheck a great lot - and therefore still don't give up hoping for some kind of better access (to the routing matrix (at least))...

With other brands having their interfaces controllable via web browser (and therefore completely OS-independent of course), my RME-spoiled heart suffers immensely...

Seeing that user Bollie was able to make a huge step with the Babyface Pro with your kind help within only a few weeks (see this thread: https://forum.rme-audio.de/viewtopic.ph … 63#p153163), shows that it is possible to improve Linux support greatly, if you want to! Of course that does not mean a bulletproof full-fledged Totalmix in all its beauty; but even a very very basic hardware-routing-matrix would be so important to have and make many peoples' lives so much better!!

Please RME, don't think that it has to be a fully equipped TotalMix for Linux right from the start (and therefore not do anything at all because the task seems to be too big or costly)! Even a small routing tool would make a huge difference already!! I think Vidamus' post was very wise: Maybe don't put it out officially as RME-branded, try to get it going "inofficially" first, as with your help for Bollie... If the Babyface Pro was possible relatively easily (it seems), other interfaces probably could be added quite easily now I guess, as they seem to be related (as they share the same driver for Win/Mac)...?

I am just brain storming here with a completely different thought (knowing that it probably is not the solution, but maybe triggers someone else's ideas): We have the TotalMix Remote software for Win/Mac; could we maybe create a small Linux application that basically only forwards the received remote commands to the hardware interface (running in CC mode on the Linux host)? I would be willing to run a Windows computer (or VM) just as remote control for my beloved interface...

+1 on Linux and Pi support.

Just got a Pi 4 4gb (yes they now have 8gb version too)
installed Twister via Berryboot (multi-boot) installed Reaper, which I support and bought, works like a charm, easy setup.

From time to time I come here to see if something is moving.

Mega +1

All recent RME devices offer "class complient mode" which also works in Linux. You get inputs and outputs in perfect quality, but you don't get access to Totalmix, internal routing and other internal features (phantom power...)... So if you do processing and routing in your DAW (what is definitely possible perfectly well e.g. in Ardour) then the device could suite you well.

Some other interfaces (e.g. Fireface UFX II) have a display and you can access most functions directly with the knobs on the interface - but honestly IMHO, that's OK but unfortunately not perfect (in comparison to Totalmix)...

I'd also be very interested in any news!

Hello,

I switched my studio machine on linux very recently. It is working great with my UFX and class compliant mode. But I have to say it would be awesome to have Totalmix and Digicheck too.
What do you think about implementing a web version of TotalMix that would be OS independant?

Hello!
I just registered to this forum to add my voice to this. Linux cannot be ignored as of 2021!
So, as mentioned before, even having a minimalist interface at first would be perfect!

Linux is becoming strongly in the audio industry in small steps. Reaper already offers an official supported version for Linux in addition to many other good brands. Others are starting to wake up. The device-side support will be yes, but who is the one who opens the game strongly. It wins the side of the people right from the start. The good news is coming steadily. Some day...

I have two Pi 3's and one Pi 4 so +1 for this request would be awesome having Totalmix natively on a Pi

Wondering if it is really such a pain to deliver Linux drivers? Is it maybe the problem of too many distributions? Or does this not matter? I am running Linux Mint for a test right now as a LIVE Boot system, just to surf and listen to music (Amazon streaming). Noticed though already too many issues which makes Linux imho a NERD OS. Could not update Firefox from the browser itself for instance. After few attempts I could run latest FireFox 89 Version from an extracted download (not elegant) and Amazon tells me I have to update to the latest version, where the MINT 81 version is just fine. Installed few additional apps but never found them from the start menu, wanted to install GIMP but it says I have to use "APT-GET", whatever this is. So I see Linux after all these years is not ready for end user usage. Perhaps an idea, from a DAW perspective, could be to have a DAW bundled with a Linux version. But then again, lack of decent driver support is a pain and I also do not know if Linux offers a low-latency audio core system. It is pitty though because another PRO OS in the market for Audio use would just be fine

I've had my eye on Linux for years, and I've had my eye on RME for years (mostly because of the modular synth community, by the way). As a music producer who often relies on computers to bring everything together, I would gladly pay money for RME products with support for Linux.

Apple has lost my business (less connectivity for more money, etc... good thing my 2012 MBP is still trekking) and don't get me started on Microsoft.

As such I've taken a peak into Linux world every so often over the years. What's been stopping me is the mental image of me tweaking software configurations while my creativity bleeds out into the ether. Now I'm in school for cyber security and I'm back to getting excited about Linux; I'm even planning a desktop Linux-based machine for the near future.

This means I'm looking into what hardware is compatible with Linux. So far it looks like I'll have to buy something old and sad, which I'll do, but I would be more excited about new and amazing. What I don't want is to drop a lot of money on something old, and it doesn't work for me, or it works in a clunky way while the knowledge of it's full potential natters away at what's left of my brain (after the whole creativity-bleeding-out-into-the-ether thing).

Anyway, I'm an optimist, so I'm still holding out hope that RME will come flying in wearing a Linux cape and save the day for all the hungry audio children of the world.

PS, I'm not trying to say that a lack of Linux support is preventing me from buying RME, but if RME was to become the much needed leader in the new world of Linux audio, I wouldn't be able to resist.

@sjzstudio Thanks for the info! I have questions but they're off-topic for this thread. I'll send you a PM, if you don't mind.

Based on how replies to these threads come in, there are too few users. Or no one is interested. Unfortunate.

Three years have passed since that response: "We think about this from time to time, but most often we simply don't have the time left to even start it." Nothing has happened. It will hardly ever happen.

Writing here is a waste of time.

You need to bring the unit to your friend, he needs to install the drivers, then can flash the unit while connected to his Win/Mac computer. And you got that answer already in head-fi.

Or maybe RME could join there as a manufacturer https://linuxaudio.org/about.html
Probably there is all the necessary knowledge on how to make things better without compromising industrial secrets.