Hi , I am at a crossroad so to speak.
After a calamity, to begin with self-inflicted, … now trying to install the latest version of …
I guess the Linux communitiy’s latest talk.
So I am looking for alternatives like Ubuntu Studio or Fedora Jam etc.
What are your views ? What would you recommend ?
cheers and thanks
If you will just use your system as a workstation and want really good stability, I’d go with AVLinux probably. However, I use Tumbleweed for the rolling release model. It’s really stable and the guys at GeekosDAW have a really complete repository with all things audio.
I’ve been very happy with Ubuntu Studio, currently at the 24.04.3 LTS release. It installs the KDE desktop, which I have used productively for many years, along with a large number of utilities for music production. It also installs many, many packages unrelated to music production (things like graphics, video production, etc) which some users find to be excessive. I have found several of them to be useful.
It runs well for me on my old hardware - Lenovo deskside tower, 32 GB, NVidia hardware and proprietary driver, dual boot with the original Windows 10 OS. Running Ardour 8.12 and using the LSP suite wherever possible. Good results.
I like the LTS version because it’s very stable once you get it working correctly, and requires very little/occasional adjustments to the base OS packages when updates come along.
I’d also try AV Linux 25 first, and i would definitely use that (basicaly, all software is already packed in it’s .iso instalation image file, minus sample lybraries). The only reason i don’t, is my specific laptop hardware don’t play ball with it. Back when i had various Thinkpads, everything was cool and ready to go once the installation and initial setup was done.
…And you have Glen McArthur (creator and mainteiner of AVL) often present on this, and LinuxMusicians forum.
Hi, I appreciate the mentions, thanks!
Regarding AV Linux it’s not like Ubuntu Studio, GeekOS and other things, AVL is essentially my daily system setup informed by 18 odd years of Linux Audio and Video experience that I share using the build toolchain of MX Linux. It is far more in-depth than any other Multimedia Distro out there with a lot of extra handy File-Actions and utilities that most people don’t even know exist, BUT… What kills it for a lot of people is that it isn’t focused on the ‘Big Linux Desktop Experience’. If your daily joy is working with Gnome, KDE, XFCE4 et al then you may find it confining. It uses a highly customized Enlightenment Desktop Environment for it’s blend of nice compositing, great scaling and very low RAM usage (+/- 450 Mb depending on your hardware)… Enlightenment is quirky and unique and it looks and acts like Enlightenment… If you want to focus on the Desktop Environment then it will never act or look like Gnome, KDE or MacOS… It has a panel, a menu a Desktop and everything you need and if you’re focused on using Applications it will set you up without wasting your resources but if your focus is not on the Applications then you may not like it, just being honest…
Of course you can boot the USB and see for yourself, it comes with Ardour 8.12 and a boatload of popular and useful Plugins many of which are not in any Repos, Windows Plugins are also supported after running the included ‘Wine4VST’ utility . PipeWire is ready to click play and go. It uses the excellent MX Linux Repositories (with Debian Trixie) and their extensive backporting makes running a Debian stable base feel like running a Rolling Release Distro.
@JcVardy
That is interesting ! I never heard about GeekosDAW .
…and that you are happy with Tumbleweed is good to know too. I don’t if you have guessed the problems I encountered are with openSUSE 16.0 => it should have never been released in that state.
Reading the replies , I will further investigate AVLinux, GeeKosDaw on Tumbleweed and Fedora Jam
Thanks
Many thank to all of you who have replied !
@Ljuba
@GMaq
I certainly have a close look at AVL , meaning I will install it and see how I get along 
with “Enligtenment” . I do like the concept behind it and the opportunity to talk to the creator !!!
A pic of my studio
Thanks and best regards
@JcVardy
Hi JcVardy, I was trying to contact you via private msg which does not exist.
Anyway, I have some questions re Tumbleweed and GeekosDAW and some of my background.
I was (!?!) using SUse since 2005 which proved to be a very stable system and by running Ardour the last 5 year no xruns.
Since I have to start from scratch with one of my system there was Leap 16.0, which never should have been released in that state.
Anyway I shortlisted AVLinux (not sure about “Enlightenment” ) and GeekosDAW (familiar environment and KDE)
So, does Tumbleweed still come with full functioning Yast ? If “Cockpit” was introduced , does it work “out-of-the-box” ?
You mentioned the system is stable. I assume you have to run updates … in what frequency?
Do you have problems with xruns ?
Could you give me a brief rundown on GeekosDAW , just features you like, how it stacks up to other systems … just some brief comments.
It would be much appreciated
Greetings from DownUnder
