i install my plugin, get dll file, put it in home/wynnerskew/documents/ardour-plugins, go to pereferences, set plugin directory and scan but it doesnt show up
There are a number of issues here :
First VST plugins in the dll format are Windows plugins, and can’t be used in Linux without extra software like WINE and yabridge (and sometimes not even that works).
The next issue is the location where you put the plugin.
If it’s a Linux VST3 plugin it should be placed in your /home/wynnerskew/.vst3 or alternatively in one of the global paths /usr/local/lib/vst3 or /usr/lib/vst3
If it’s a Linux VST2 one you did the right thing.
Note that you need to explicitly scan for VSTs if you’ve added one.
Ardour autoscans for LV2 plugins when it’s launched but the same doesn’t go for VSTs.