08-08-2019, 06:28 AM | #1 |
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Win7 user thinking about moving to Linux...
What happens if I just keep using Windows 7? Will I be risking losing data or viruses etc.? I'd prefer not to have to learn a new OS if I can avoid it. If it's unavoidable though, what is the best linux distro for running Reaper and do they come with WINE and JACK etc. pre installed? I really hate Windows 10 and can't face the idea of caving into it, but linux seems complicated and I'm having trouble deciding what to do. I'm wondering if I should just disconnect my computers from the internet to reduce risk and just keep running Windows 7 indefinitely.
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08-08-2019, 06:38 AM | #2 |
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I just upgraded my windows 7 to windows 10 for free. It ran the upgrade for an hour and was done. It works great.
I forget which link I used but here is one. https://www.zdnet.com/article/heres-...ws-10-upgrade/ |
08-08-2019, 07:00 AM | #3 |
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Thanks but as I said, I really don't like windows 10. Win 10 is not really an upgrade when your PC is not brand new, it just slows everything down, too much bloatware, privacy issues, Cortana spies on you and I just hate the aesthetic look of it. That's why I'm looking to Linux, or even better, seeing if I can keep Windows 7.
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08-08-2019, 07:04 AM | #4 |
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I understand. I ran linux for many years and find it a major pita. I also ran
"shut up windows 10" to turn off a lot of things. I'm really happy in windows 10 and have "start menu 10" replacing their menu system. https://www.oo-software.com/en/shutup10 |
08-08-2019, 07:26 AM | #5 |
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I have heard shutup10 recommended before but it still doesnt solve the main issue i have with windows 10 which is the constant need for updates (Shutup10 recommends that you don't disable the win 10 updates). Using an older PC, i think windows 7 is my only option unless I'm willing to learn Linux or buy a Mac. I am ethically against windows 10 and everything it stands for, so I feel quite strongly about not migrating towards it.
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08-08-2019, 07:29 AM | #6 | |
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Quote:
That said, I setup a dual boot Window 7 and Xubuntu Linux DAW last year with the thinking that I would boot Win7 to do music and disconnect it from the internet. Once I setup REAPER in Linux it started becoming obvious that I didn't need Windows at all. I have all my Windows plugins functioning in Linux, including Kontakt, Superior Drummer, Etc., but since I record mostly real guitar, bass, drums, and other real instruments, I'm not extremely dependent on virtual instruments. Almost all the music on my music page was done 100% in Linux and I don't miss Windows at all. |
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08-08-2019, 07:35 AM | #7 | |
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Quote:
https://www.windowscentral.com/how-d...etting-updates |
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08-08-2019, 07:57 AM | #8 |
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If you are planning to continue to use Windows VST plugins and other Windows software then I recommend you continue to use Windows. It's not impossible to make Windows VST plugins work in Linux but the fact you seem scared to learn about a new OS hints that you might not like jumping through any hoops that are required.
Each OS has things about it that you need to learn. Current Linux distros are lot better at being user-friendly than they used to be, but you will still have to go through some growing pains once in a while. If you are not using any Windows software in Linux then I think the biggest change you'll notice is how you install software. The idea of simply downloading an EXE and installing it is a foreign concept to Linux. You would generally install software through a software / package manager. It's a good system but you are not as free to mess around with different versions of software anytime you want without potentially making a conflict which requires resolving. There are other ways of installing software (for some things which are not available from a package manager) and some are easy to do, but you have to be careful about what you're doing so you don't cause conflicts in your system. Another thing you might not be used to is the idea of running commands in Terminal sometimes. It's easier than ever because there's so much information you can easily search for on the Internet when you need to troubleshoot Linux. But the idea of typing commands like that scares some people off. A lot of times it's not even necessary to use Terminal, but since every distro is going to have Terminal (and the people giving troubleshooting advice want to make it general for as many people as possible), you'll find a lot of troubleshooting advice requires using Terminal. Likewise if someone says you should build a particular software package (some software which is not in a package manager), well in that case you are going to have to be more comfortable using Terminal and doing any housekeeping on the system required. This will take more learning. It's not rocket science but some of it is esoteric when you're coming from Windows. What might make the decision easier to assess is knowing what software you intend to run and if there are any substitutes you find acceptable available as native Linux software. Make a list of the things you find important and maybe we can help you decide if you can substitute the software. Also your particular audio device might not be compatible in certain ways so it's good to mention that too. Lots of audio interfaces work fine in Linux but some of them don't have drivers and also a lot of them won't have the same control panels / mixers available to them (since that part is actually Windows software). I'm running native Linux software only. I installed Jack just for the odd thing; I don't need it for Reaper. I don't have Wine installed. My day-to-day experience in Linux is virtually the same as anyone's in Windows. |
08-08-2019, 08:32 AM | #9 |
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Win10 is not as bad as it was. Cortana can now be fully disabled along with all the other bloat.
Having just done the upgrade after stubbornly refusing to do so for years, I have no regrets and I don't miss anything about 7. With Classic Shell and AeroGlass installed, the experience is almost identical, with some definite improvements. It's definitely faster for me, but I've got a Ryzen. I did tests with LatencyMon to ensure it wasn't my imagination.
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08-08-2019, 08:34 AM | #10 |
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@JamesPeters 100% agree
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08-08-2019, 09:06 AM | #11 | |
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Quote:
1. Management comes in and says "We have to support cell phones in windows 8". 2. Devs "It will require an entire rewrite of the gui engine and take a few years. 3. You have 3 months. 4. Devs "fuck it" |
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08-08-2019, 09:15 AM | #12 | |
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Quote:
As far as VST plugins go, I'm using almost zero Windows audio plugins and have found free and paid native Linux audio plugins that work just as well as the Windows ones I have, but for VSTi instrument plugins, the selection of native Linux plugs is more sparse, so I use Kontakt, Arturia Minimoog, Toontrack's EZ-Keys, EZ-Drummer, and Superior Drummer plus a few others with zero issues. I do also have a fully functional and set in stone version of Windows 7 as an alternate boot up option. I deactivated the network interface for the Win7 side, and did have to re-activate Windows 7 using the touch tone phone option, but now it will work till Hell freezes over without network connectivity or until I smoke it for the space it is taking up on my SSD. Also, Windows 7 updates are failing on ALL my Windows 7 boxes because Microsoft is rolling out the same nagging they did several years ago with their heavy handed attempt to force you into Windows 10. I disabled all the mechanisms they were using then, and now the last time updates tried to install on my last Win7 machines, it fails and rolls back which is fine with me as one machine is permanently off the internet now, and the other final Win7 box will be converted to Xubuntu before the year is out. |
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08-08-2019, 09:30 AM | #13 | |
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Quote:
One of the lightest desktops is xfce, and it works great on older hardware which is why I initially chose it for a MythTV server in a back room. Later when I started trying different flavors of Linux on my DAW, I found that the lightweight xfce desktop in Xubuntu was my favorite there as well, after trying Manjaro, Mint, MX Linux, Ubuntu, AV Linux, and some others. |
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08-08-2019, 10:04 AM | #14 |
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08-08-2019, 10:38 AM | #15 |
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Thanks for the offer James, but I have never used anything that hooks itself into REAPER unless it comes straight from Cockos. I've had multiple bad experiences with other products when there were too many 3rd party cooks in the kitchen, and since I record pretty straight forward just like using rolls of old school 1" tape, I don't find myself really needing more than the basic tool set that a stock REAPER offers for multi-track recording of performances and then playing them back.
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08-08-2019, 10:54 AM | #16 |
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If you use plugins, it's essentially the same thing as loading SWS - except SWS would be safer since some of those devs are/were so closely aligned with Reaper. Not to kick you guys in the nuts or anything but the SWS reasoning given is kind of weird.
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Music is what feelings sound like. |
08-08-2019, 11:07 AM | #17 |
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Yup. If REAPER starts acting weird, I have fewer places to look for where the root of the problem stems.
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08-08-2019, 11:11 AM | #18 | |
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Quote:
Besides, press record, play something, press play, hear something. How would SWS extensions make that better for me, coz it's all I need in REAPER. |
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08-08-2019, 11:20 AM | #19 |
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Right, I just meant the hooked in danger/worry. No biggie.
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Music is what feelings sound like. |
08-08-2019, 11:57 AM | #20 |
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Here's what kind of stuff I never ever have to deal with.
https://forum.cockos.com/showthread.php?t=223902 Does REAPER have a bug or is it the 3rd party stuff I bolted onto it? |
08-08-2019, 12:04 PM | #21 |
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The key term was "I don't want anything hooking in" but that is exactly what anything other than Reaper.exe does, including VSTs and so on. If the new term is "I think SWS can be buggy" then no argument from me per se.
Of the myriad of great features SWS has though, a handful are buggy, same for Reaper as well. I can guarantee though you are not going to suddenly start getting crashes just because it's DLL is in the plugin folder and being loaded.
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Music is what feelings sound like. |
08-08-2019, 12:14 PM | #22 | |
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Quote:
Either way, I don't need them. I don't use 90% of all the stuff that comes with a stock install of REAPER. Takes are disabled here for instance. If the part I just recorded isn't the one, then I record again until I hear one that is the one. Just like I did it with the 1" Ampex AG440B-8 studio recorder I used to own. Really the only thing I use that's much different than working with tape is automation, and I use it pretty infrequently because most of my mixes are static where the balance of the instruments and vocals never changes unless the players/vocalists do it through dynamics. |
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08-08-2019, 12:24 PM | #23 | |
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That said, once the library is loaded, that's it, there is no code or boogieman getting in the way, causing issues or crashes, it's just importing function calls in the event you decide to call them - if you call them and use them and there is a bug in the code called, then that's when it affects you. I certainly have no problem if someone does or doesn't want to use it or reapack but it's important readers understand so they can make a good decision either way. IOW, it doesn't need to be oversold or undersold, it just needs to be accurate. Barring any mistakes I myself made in explaining.
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Music is what feelings sound like. Last edited by karbomusic; 08-08-2019 at 12:32 PM. |
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08-08-2019, 12:32 PM | #24 | |
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Is the library for SWS being loaded every time I launch REAPER in that scenario? |
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08-08-2019, 12:38 PM | #25 |
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There are tweaks that should help. See the sticky thread in the "Live" forum.
-Michael |
08-08-2019, 12:41 PM | #26 | |
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Quote:
I just don't want to boogieman loading a library vs calling functions in it too much that's all. After all these years, it just sitting there and causing issues should be incredibly rare.
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Music is what feelings sound like. Last edited by karbomusic; 08-08-2019 at 12:55 PM. |
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08-08-2019, 12:47 PM | #27 | |
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Quote:
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Music is what feelings sound like. |
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08-08-2019, 01:05 PM | #28 | |
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Quote:
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08-08-2019, 01:14 PM | #29 | |
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Quote:
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Music is what feelings sound like. |
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08-08-2019, 01:17 PM | #30 | |
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08-08-2019, 01:35 PM | #31 | |
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Do whatever you want, Glen, but have some respect for the devs of SWS including Justin who contributed recently (at the very least if not also in the past). It's as stable as anything I've ever relied on; it's been on my system with Reaper as soon as I learned of its existence, and used it on every OS (Windows, OSX, and a few Linux distributions). You don't notice me making threads talking about how SWS is crashing Reaper. And I've done comparisons to Reaper installs without SWS; I saw no discernible difference in performance. Besides Glen, you use Windows plugins bridged in Linux. The way I see it, your system is far from "pure". PS. I don't use SWS for much. It has some functions which get called with some scripts, it has the odd action which is really handy for me, and it has "Auto track color/icon/layout" which I like. (Even that last thing, you might appreciate.) Last edited by JamesPeters; 08-08-2019 at 01:44 PM. |
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08-08-2019, 01:46 PM | #32 |
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SWS is awesome and makes Reaper kick into turbo drive. If your cpu is so weak that it is hit by SWS you're running a dog pc.
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08-08-2019, 02:02 PM | #33 |
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Do you use scripts? A decent number of them (notably some of my fancier ones) use features provided by SWS.
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08-08-2019, 02:27 PM | #34 | |
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Quote:
As for the bridged plugins I use, there is no replacement for Kontakt that is a native Linux plugin, and unlike the SWS extensions, I can't live without that. Just try emulating George Martin orchestration with the SWS extensions and you'll see what I mean. |
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08-08-2019, 02:39 PM | #35 |
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No scripts at all used here. My use of REAPER is pretty simple. I use record, playback, stop, rewind, along with the FX bins for adding EQ, compression, limiting, delay, reverb, Etc., and maybe some automation if a part needs to be goosed or ducked somewhere in the project. That is about the extent of what I use in REAPER. I could do pretty much the same with an old fashioned tape recorder. It just wouldn't sound as good.
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08-08-2019, 04:57 PM | #36 |
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Again, use whatever you want. I just object to your use of strong language that implies SWS is a problem waiting to happen. So is every piece of software, if you look at it under that kind of lens. Any software/plugins/extensions can have bugs and/or incompatibility. SWS goes through "growing pains" once in a while as Reaper matures, but they get ironed out and/or more native actions get added to Reaper.
Currently there are improvements to Reaper's UI efficiency (in the pre-release builds), and some aspects of the API were modified. That broke some compatibility with some aspects of SWS. Justin fixed it within a couple days. All this happened during pre-release dev builds, so the only people who would've noticed are the ones using the pre-release builds. I offered the built (latest) SWS files knowing how chicken you are about building things. But no good deed goes unpunished, I guess. |
08-08-2019, 08:05 PM | #37 | |
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The walled gardens of the corporate world are betting that you're too insecure or lazy or incompetent to declare your independence from them.
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08-08-2019, 10:40 PM | #38 |
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My aversion to building stuff in Linux is that the source usually ends up dependent on additional libraries that I don't have and don't want to devote the time necessary to find them when I could be recording or composing something. I do appreciate your offer, but I've never needed the stuff that SWS adds to REAPER.
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08-09-2019, 12:11 AM | #39 | |
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08-09-2019, 04:28 AM | #40 | |
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Quote:
Last edited by Coachz; 08-09-2019 at 09:14 AM. |
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