Editing on Linux is super fun (sarcasm)

[Katie Boundary]

Today I completed my first music video project to use a 100% Linux workflow. I learned a few pretty important things:

1) There is no excuse whatsoever for 7-zip to exist or for Linux support for it to be so atrocious

2) Dependency hell is like... double hell on Linux. Executing a program with WINE is one thing, but when you're using AVIsynth filters that require Microsoft Visual C++, you're fucked. Another example is the ffmpeg2source quirk. It requires index files created by ffmsindex, which in turn only likes being opened by Windows drop-down context menus or the Windows command line, neither of which is available in Linux regardless of whether you have WINE or not. Fortunately, ffmsindex has a native linux port.

3)Windows editing programs running in WINE won't recognize the Linux versions of codecs that you have. You need to install the Windows versions of the codecs. This is easy enough for the ones that have installers, but it kinda rules out HuffYUV, the installation of which again depends on Windows context menus and/or the Windows command prompt. Also, the Windows XviD installer didn't work with previous versions of WINE.

4) My Premiere Project files became corrupt and unreadable pretty much every time I saved and exited.

[ChaosKing]

Installing Linux to use Windows software, find the error...

[FranceBB]

Installing Linux to use Windows software, find the error...

Precisely...

First thing first, I use Fedora Linux on a daily basis and whenever I have to use Avisynth, I fire up a Windows VM which is much much better than using wine.
That being said, now that AVXSynth has been merged into the main Avisynth branch, I mean the master, you can compile Avisynth+ and use it directly on Linux. Stephen (I mean qyot) has been writing some topics about it, showing how to do it and how to make use of filters. Unfortunately, only a bunch of filters work on Linux 'cause not everything has been ported/compiled for Linux, but the basic stuff work like ffms2 as an indexer, all the internal plugins etc. As to the encoders, Avisynth can be used within ffmpeg and that works just fine on Linux, so you can use it just fine. Last but not least, when it comes to non linear editors, Davinci Resolve is one of the only NLEs that work on Linux just fine, however you're gonna need to have a decent GPU and if you have Nvidia you must use the proprietary Nvidia drivers (good luck with that on Linux) 'cause it won't work with the Nouveau drivers.

[Reel.Deel]

...now that AVXSynth has been merged into the main Avisynth branch, I mean the master, you can compile Avisynth+ and use it directly on Linux...

I don't think that's true, AVXSynth was its own separate project based on AviSynth 2.5.8. AviSynth+ is based on 2.6 and with all of the work done by pinterf, ultim, tp7, innocenat, qyot27 and others it finally got to a point that it could be compiled in other OSes. Correct me if I'm wrong but I've never read anything about AVXSynth being merged with AviSynth+.

Stephen (I mean qyot) has been writing some topics about it, showing how to do it and how to make use of filters. Unfortunately, only a bunch of filters work on Linux 'cause not everything has been ported/compiled for Linux, but the basic stuff work like ffms2 as an indexer, all the internal plugins etc. As to the encoders, Avisynth can be used within ffmpeg and that works just fine on Linux, so you can use it just fine.

Yep, here are the relevant links to all of that in case someone else finds this thread:


Using AviSynth+ on POSIX systems: https://avisynthplus.readthedocs.io/en/latest/avisynthdoc/contributing/posix.html

AviSynth+ 3.5: Linux, macOS, and BSD support: https://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=180436

AviSynth+ plugins and utilities for other OSes and CPUs: https://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=182032

AviSynth+ and ffms2 on ubuntu linux: https://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=182280

[Selur]

Side note: Vapoursynth runs fine on Linux (and Mac) here,..

[Katie Boundary]

Installing Linux to use Windows software, find the error...

Premiere Pro 2.0 requires XP or earlier, but XP can't see hard drives larger than 2 TB. Linux/WINE is a wonderful little cheat that allows me to use Premiere Pro 2.0 with my 8 TB external hard drives. And no, I'm not going to spend a thousand dollars for a newer version of Premiere. Fuck that.

And don't even get me started on how impossible Cinelerra is for an actual human to use.

[FranceBB]

Premiere Pro 2.0 requires XP or earlier, but XP can't see hard drives larger than 2 TB. Linux/WINE is a wonderful little cheat that allows me to use Premiere Pro 2.0 with my 8 TB external hard drives. And no, I'm not going to spend a thousand dollars for a newer version of Premiere. Fuck that.

And don't even get me started on how impossible Cinelerra is for an actual human to use.

Try Davinci Resolve running natively on Linux and you'll never go back to Premiere 2 via Wine, trust me.
Unfortunately all other NLE don't seem to love Linux: Adobe Premiere is Windows and OSX only, AVID Media Composer is Windows and OSX only, Final Cut is made by Apple, so I'll let you figure that one out, so... you know, it's a tough world out there.
Luckily Davinci Resolve seems to be the outlier and they made it Linux compatible.

[hello_hello]

Another example is the ffmpeg2source quirk. It requires index files created by ffmsindex, which in turn only likes being opened by Windows drop-down context menus or the Windows command line, neither of which is available in Linux regardless of whether you have WINE or not.

Why use ffmsindex? Create a script to open a video with ffmpeg2source / ffms2 / FFVideoSource and it'll be indexed the first time you open the script. ffmsindex isn't required.

[ChaosKing]

Premiere Pro 2.0 requires XP or earlier, but XP can't see hard drives larger than 2 TB. Linux/WINE is a wonderful little cheat that allows me to use Premiere Pro 2.0 with my 8 TB external hard drives.



Paragon GPT Loader for XP seem to do the same. Some Motherboard vendors included also software for this called drive unlocker.

Instead of premiere you could try kdenlive which is also a powerfull and free video editor on linux.

[Frank62]

Premiere Pro 2.0 requires XP or earlier.

What happens exactly if you install on Win7? There are some good switches in the MS compatibility kit.

[ChaosKing]

Google says it works on Win7 if you start it as admin. Even Win8 should work

[qyot27]

I don't think that's true, AVXSynth was its own separate project based on AviSynth 2.5.8. AviSynth+ is based on 2.6 and with all of the work done by pinterf, ultim, tp7, innocenat, qyot27 and others it finally got to a point that it could be compiled in other OSes. Correct me if I'm wrong but I've never read anything about AVXSynth being merged with AviSynth+.
This is correct on both counts, AvxSynth was not merged, AviSynth+ working on other OSes was the result of the accumulation of changes¹ that increased the likelihood of working outside Windows until it got to the point that it could finally be pushed past that barrier.

There are a few small bits which did get copied over so some effort wasn't duplicated, but the single largest block (see commit 185723fd) was subsequently rewritten to be more portable. The rest are tiny, and you can find them using grep - a few compatibility defines in avs/posix.h, a few bits in core/parser/script.cpp that are explicitly marked as having been copied or adapted over, and core/parser/os/win32_string_compat.cpp (which just reimplements three Windows string functions, rather than anything directly related to AviSynth(+)'s code).

¹The general modernization effort did a lot to resolve things, as intrinsics are more portable and it reduced/eliminated much of the MSVC dialect being used in the core's C++. Explicit support for Linux was attempted in fits and starts for a couple years, the GCC compatibility removed another large hurdle, and beyond that you can see what went on if you read through pull request #120 (https://github.com/AviSynth/AviSynthPlus/pull/120).

[qyot27]

Another example is the ffmpeg2source quirk. It requires index files created by ffmsindex, which in turn only likes being opened by Windows drop-down context menus or the Windows command line, neither of which is available in Linux regardless of whether you have WINE or not.
In the normal Terminal provided by the Linux distro:
wine ffmsindex <options>
That just needs ffmsindex to be on Wine's %PATH% (unless you want to provide the absolute path to ffmsindex every time), which does unfortunately require using wine regedit to edit, although maybe Windows Path Editor (https://rix0rrr.github.io/WindowsPathEditor/) works under Wine.

But even then, Wine does have a cmd.exe substitute:
wineconsole

[FranceBB]

There are a few small bits which did get copied over so some effort wasn't duplicated, but the single largest block (see commit 185723fd) was subsequently rewritten to be more portable. The rest are tiny, and you can find them using grep - a few compatibility defines in avs/posix.h, a few bits in core/parser/script.cpp that are explicitly marked as having been copied or adapted over, and core/parser/os/win32_string_compat.cpp (which just reimplements three Windows string functions, rather than anything directly related to AviSynth(+)'s code).

The general modernization effort did a lot to resolve things, as intrinsics are more portable and it reduced/eliminated much of the MSVC dialect being used in the core's C++. Explicit support for Linux was attempted in fits and starts for a couple years, the GCC compatibility removed another large hurdle.

Oh, I see! Nice one, then, really. :)
Ah and thanks for diving into this, I really appreciated back when it was announced that the frameserver could have been used outside of Windows too. :)

[Katie Boundary]

Paragon GPT Loader for XP seem to do the same.

Only for internal hard drives, not external ones.

What happens exactly if you install on Win7?

Some error message or another, IDK.

Google says it works on Win7 if you start it as admin.

I tried stuff like that a long time ago. No dice.

But even then, Wine does have a cmd.exe substitute:
wineconsole

Hmmm, intradasting.

[Frank62]

I tried stuff like that a long time ago. No dice.
You did try the MS compatibility kit? You tried ALL switches?
I could bring some applications to work on Win7 with it, that worked with no other "stuff", f. e. the old Ulead Media Studio, so this was a quite good advice. :)
First switch you should try is "SingleProcAffinity", if you don't know how to handle this, let me know.

[Katie Boundary]

You did try the MS compatibility kit? You tried ALL switches?

If you're talking about something other than the Compatibility tab in the Properties window, then I've never heard of it.

[Frank62]

Meanwhile it's part of something bigger, but you still get it f. e. here:
https://www.chip.de/downloads/Microsoft-Application-Compatibility-Toolkit_13005894.html
Click "Manuelle Installation", and then on the big blue Download button. You have to install, start, then create a new database, create a new fix in it, save the database, and finally "install" it. Then the fix will be applied each time you start Premiere automatically.
(If you will really need it, you didn't answer what exact error you get, it's only a good way to go if nothing else works.)

[Katie Boundary]

I've installed Davinci Resolve and it's one of the worst pieces of shit I've ever used. It can't even get through setup because it keeps crashing to desktop.

[emcodem]

I've installed Davinci Resolve and it's one of the worst pieces of shit I've ever used.
You ever tried avid? :D

[FranceBB]

You ever tried avid? :D

LMAO.
I can relate so much here at work every day, it's one of the most bugged system ever xD
Still, like it or not, at work we have the whole infrastructure based on the AVID environment, so it comes in handy to have AVID Media Composer work with Interplay Access, Mediacentral etc. In a way or another, I got used to AVID, so it would be nice to have a Linux version of the Media Composer too instead of having it for Windows and OSX only.
I gotta give credit to the Blackmagic guys on this, 'cause they made Davinci work with Linux and they cared about the community.

It can't even get through setup because it keeps crashing to desktop.

Davinci needs specific hardware acceleration with the GPU, otherwise it's not gonna work. If you have an integrated Intel GPU (within the CPU), for instance, it won't work. If you have an NVIDIA GPU, then good luck with that 'cause it won't work with the Nouveau drivers and you're gonna need to use the proprietary NVIDIA drivers with all the bugs they have and you need a specific kernel version 'cause they won't work with every kernel but only with those tested by NVIDIA engineers themselves, given that they're closed source (the drivers, that is), unlike Intel and AMD ones.
Ah and if you're on Wayland, it won't work, you need X11 with Xorg.
Love it or hate it, Linux is not an OS for everyday's people; you need to know its peculiarities and get used to them and overcome the issues it has. If you have time and will, everything is gonna work, otherwise if you just want something that boots and works, Linux is not the OS for you.
I've been using Fedora on a daily basis since Fedora 25 (I'm now on Fedora 35).

[binaryflow]

Why not using Linux native software instead? What do you people need video editors for?