You may wonder now, but I wholeheartedly agree; especially in these uncertain times, when it's unclear where Microsoft is headed, having Linux support would be highly desirable.
The developments of recent years have raised concerns for me. I fear that Windows is increasingly moving in a direction that doesn't align with my preferences. Perhaps even transitioning to a subscription model for Windows. Why else would there be mandatory online accounts in Windows 11, even in the Pro version? This, along with the inconvenience of having to discard good and performant hardware, is troubling. While tools like Rufus can currently address these issues, there's uncertainty about how things might evolve in the future.
Apple could be an alternative, since many DAW products and third-party offerings have historically been available for Apple systems. I've explored Apple's hardware offerings with the intention of acquiring a current test system to become familiar with Apple over the next two years and prepare for a potential migration, all in a leisurely manner. The Apple ecosystem isn't necessarily something I require.
No matter how I look at it, I keep coming back to the (unsatisfactory) conclusion that Apple is simply too expensive and not sustainable enough; in fact, it's quite the opposite. Even with refurbished systems, the entry prices are too high, and you're charged exorbitant fees for capacity upgrades in all the interesting and necessary areas (CPU, GPU, DRAM, storage). It's unreasonable to pay these exorbitant prices upfront ("into the blue") without being able to anticipate one's future needs. And it's even more frustrating with the new Mac Studio, where hardware upgrade options exist but are blocked by Apple in the operating system.
Upon further inspection, I've been using my current PC since 2014 (9 years), and I can keep upgrading it to make it compatible with 10Gbit LAN in the near future. Due to rising DRAM prices, I'm also upgrading to 64 GB of DRAM to be prepared for the next 2–3 years, or possibly even longer. Recently, I was able to switch to an 8-core processor for €150 on eBay, which used to cost €1750 (!) some years ago. A new graphics card allows me to play the latest games and the slim, two-slot-width graphics card (RTX 4070) even leaves an available PCIe 3.0 x8 slot, where I will install a 10Gbit LAN card to upgrade my LAN to 10Gbit. When dealing with high data loads, 1Gbit is simply no longer sufficient. Even USB3 hard disks for backups are significantly faster than Gigabit to a NAS.
At the moment, transitioning to Linux isn't feasible for me because I cannot imagine giving up TotalMix FX. I might be willing to make other sacrifices, but not my RME recording setup. While I'm not a fan of Studio One, it would provide a functional base. Moreover, there are rumors that Steinberg intends to release Cubase for Linux, as they surely wouldn't want to lag behind Presonus.
Perspectives change with the circumstances. Despite my previous understanding for all manufacturers, not just RME, about the potential challenges of distribution diversity, I'm gradually shifting my stance and concurring with others that Linux support is crucial.
In summary, having drivers and TotalMix FX for Linux would be a great asset in these times when one seeks protection from ever more voracious monopolists and a viable, particularly affordable, alternative. RME is indispensable for me. This is what concerns me most if Windows takes a wrong turn. Unfortunately, Apple doesn't present an economically viable solution for me.
I would be delighted if RME could find a way to provide drivers and TotalMix FX for Linux, thus at least laying the groundwork for the possibility of transitioning to Linux if the need arises soon.
BR Ramses - UFX III, 12Mic, XTC, ADI-2 Pro FS R BE, RayDAT, X10SRi-F, E5-1680v4, Win10Pro22H2, Cub14