Axe-Edit Linux version

[jefsummers]

Wondering, as I have a couple of Linux laptops, if there is consideration of porting the Edit to Linux. I saw some threads about using Wine but there were apparently problems (hence the threads). I don't know what language Axe-Edit is written in, but wondering if a Linux version is possible.

 

[VittorioAngelo]

Hello jefsummers;

If you're a little more technically inclined, you could try instantiating a Windows VM in Docker and trying to run AxeEdit in the VM.

I've not tried this at all.

 

[axifist]

Has been asked many years ago and there seems to be no interest in supporting our platform.

 

[Rex Rox]

Wondering, as I have a couple of Linux laptops, if there is consideration of porting the Edit to Linux. I saw some threads about using Wine but there were apparently problems (hence the threads). I don't know what language Axe-Edit is written in, but wondering if a Linux version is possible.

Wine will never work due the Fractal Usb Driver being required to access your hardware. Highly unlikely it will work in a VM either. Standard USB devices (e.g. flash drives, etc.) "sort of" work in Wine and in some VMs (Virtual Box being one). Even standard usb devices often have issues on windows guests running on linux hosts. But since this is a specialized device with a specialized driver ... that is probably never gonna work on any windows emulation/vm.

I bet it would be a good amount of work to develop and support linux for what would likely be a small user base. I am sure that is what makes it improbable.

 

[l4mpi]

Wine will never work due the Fractal Usb Driver being required to access your hardware.

Works just fine over here on archlinux. Just updated to 1.13 today for FW22 beta.

It's been a while since I set up this system so I don't remember the exact steps but I don't think it was more involved than installing wine and maybe a few libraries. It had a bug where the mouse cursor disappears, but I found a solution for that on reddit (a 10 line C lib which turns two X11 functions into no-ops). Also, the auto update does not work, so to get updates you need to download the latest exe and start it manually with wine. Other than that, I didn't have any issues thus far.

 

[Rex Rox]

Works just fine over here on archlinux. Just updated to 1.13 today for FW22 beta.

Well I guess I stand corrected! The last time I tried wine it was on opensuse maybe 2 years ago with a usb midi controller and it was a mess (dropping connections and other weirdness). I posted all over looking for a solution and finally gave up since the consensus was if it needed a custom driver it probably wasn't gonna work. I'm curious, do you use it as a daily driver with Axe-edit or just occasionally?

 

[l4mpi]

I'm curious, do you use it as a daily driver with Axe-edit or just occasionally?

It's basically my daily driver except for backups, and that's just because I have a redundant cloud-synced backup set up on my old windows pc and was too lazy thus far to configure something similar on my linux machine. Most of my preset editing is done from linux these days.

I've got the Axe FX connected directly via USB (and use it as the main sound card of the PC as well), so no idea how / if it would work via MIDI. PC audio worked fine out of the box in desktop applications, but some steam games would treat it as a 7.1 interface instead of using output 1 as stereo (which means sound sources were only audible from certain directions). My current solution for that is a hack as multiple "proper" fixes I tried did not work, so I ended up disabling all pulseaudio (or pipewire?) multi output presets which forces it into stereo.

 

[Rex Rox]

It's basically my daily driver except for backups, and that's just because I have a redundant cloud-synced backup set up on my old windows pc and was too lazy thus far to configure something similar on my linux machine. Most of my preset editing is done from linux these days.

I've got the Axe FX connected directly via USB (and use it as the main sound card of the PC as well), so no idea how / if it would work via MIDI. PC audio worked fine out of the box in desktop applications, but some steam games would treat it as a 7.1 interface instead of using output 1 as stereo (which means sound sources were only audible from certain directions). My current solution for that is a hack as multiple "proper" fixes I tried did not work, so I ended up disabling all pulseaudio (or pipewire?) multi output presets which forces it into stereo.

So the reason I asked is if it is your main machine for Axe-edit then it must be pretty stable. That means there's hope for the OP to use wine too.

 

[AlbertA]

Works fine with wine

 

[FPFL]

Bet it would work with a Windows VM on VMware Workstation for Linux at work.
The USB modes on that are very good for other things IME.

I run a Mac for all things audio at home tho. Nothing to test it on presently

 

[skategeezer]

Wondering, as I have a couple of Linux laptops, if there is consideration of porting the Edit to Linux. I saw some threads about using Wine but there were apparently problems (hence the threads). I don't know what language Axe-Edit is written in, but wondering if a Linux version is possible.

This has been asked many times over the years on these forums.
Your quality of life is going to be better with either MacOS or Windows.

 

[Ingo]

This has been asked many times over the years on these forums.
Your quality of life is going to be better with either MacOS or Windows.

In case you are really trying to be helpful: Please don't spread this non-sense as if it were common sense.

Whether you are talking about Axe-Edit in particular or general computer use --- you may have certain experiences that lead you to such statements, but your generalization just perpetuates baseless FUD.

 

[jefsummers]

It had a bug where the mouse cursor disappears, but I found a solution for that on reddit (a 10 line C lib which turns two X11 functions into no-ops).

I've gotten that far. Have not solved the missing mouse cursor, but it does connect to my Axe-FX and displays, so I feel great progress.
By any chance do you remember where on reddit to get the fix for the missing cursor?

Using Ubuntu, btw.

 

[jamesmarshall]

Try this and see if it helps

https://forum.fractalaudio.com/threads/linux-folk-disappearing-mouse-cursor.138625/

 

[skategeezer]

In case you are really trying to be helpful: Please don't spread this non-sense as if it were common sense.

Whether you are talking about Axe-Edit in particular or general computer use --- you may have certain experiences that lead you to such statements, but your generalization just perpetuates baseless FUD.

Ah no.
When I tell you that your quality of life will be better on MacOS and Windows specifically for professional audio that is an opinion but a professional one.

 

[l4mpi]

I've gotten that far. Have not solved the missing mouse cursor, but it does connect to my Axe-FX and displays, so I feel great progress.
By any chance do you remember where on reddit to get the fix for the missing cursor?

Follow the steps in this post from the thread linked by jamesmarshall: https://forum.fractalaudio.com/threads/linux-folk-disappearing-mouse-cursor.138625/post-2310033

Steps 6 to 9 are only applicable if you start AxeEdit via a shortcut (.desktop file). I instead use a small bash script as follows - adjust the library name/path as required:

#!/bin/bash

LD_PRELOAD="libaxeedit-cursor.so" wine "$HOME/.wine/drive_c/Program Files/Fractal Audio/Axe-Edit III/Axe-Edit III.exe"

 

[Ingo]

When I tell you that your quality of life will be better on MacOS and Windows specifically for professional audio that is an opinion but a professional one.

(emphasis mine) Well, but you never said anything of the sort. It's not implied just because this is the FractalAudio Forum, surely not in a thread that is explicitly talking about AxeEdit, and not recording, mixing or anything else.

Whether I agree or not: you switched to a completely different and much more specific statement.

 

[HurdyGuigui]

I use Axe Edit with Wine too but I would love to have a native linux version.

 

[skategeezer]

(emphasis mine) Well, but you never said anything of the sort. It's not implied just because this is the FractalAudio Forum, surely not in a thread that is explicitly talking about AxeEdit, and not recording, mixing or anything else.

Whether I agree or not: you switched to a completely different and much more specific statement.

Fair enough. Let me clarify.
Your quality of life using Axe Edit and Fractal Bot will be substantially better on a supported operating system. (Felt I needed to add Fractal Bot)

Will there be an official Linux version?
I have heard this asked on these forums since I owned a AX8. Still no Linux support. So I can say no.

Am I trying to crap on Linux? Nope. I get paid to admin Linux systems.
I do not see any logic in trying and complicate music performance or production like this.

It just seems like you are trying to ice skate uphill.

 

[Ingo]

Fair enough. Let me clarify.
Your quality of life using Axe Edit and Fractal Bot will be substantially better on a supported operating system. (Felt I needed to add Fractal Bot)

Got you. This is just a point where reasonable people can differ. For me, it depends on the specifics of what is possible and necessary to get something running. I completely agree that there are huge benefits to using software on a supported OS.

It just seems like you are trying to ice skate uphill.

Different folks have quite different ideas of what constitutes ice-skating uphill.

I have been using Linux professionally and personally for over 20 years. I have also had to use Windows (and MacOSX, for that matter) for several years professionally, and that, to me, is like ice-skating uphill, only to have to wade through swampland once you have arrived.

At that point, a minor inconvenience getting something to work on Linux is a far better option than even considering changing the OS or dual-booting. Where wine does not work (FM3-Edit), I have resorted to a Windows VM, which sucks, but at the same time, whenever I see Windows trying to wreck the system in the VM, I am very happy that it's just that, a VM...