Running VinylStudio under Linux

[markolinux]

Howdy,

I'm wondering if anyone has been able to get VS working well under Linux.

I've tried a quick setup of Win7 running in Virtualbox on Linux Mint 10, but was having trouble controlling the sound levels in Windows. Changing the record level sliders didn't change the recording levels at all - I had to go out to the Linux host OS and change the volume there to change the recording volume in the Win7 Virtualbox session. I didn't have a lot of time to play around with it, so I may have had something set up incorrectly in VB, or there may have been some other issue.

I'm probably going to set up to dual-boot between Windows and Linux, but it would be nice to get Vinyl Studio running inside of VB or some other virtual machine-like environment.

If I do get something working well, I'll post how I did it.

Thanks,

Mark

[Paul Sanders (AlpineSoft)]

Hi,

We did have someone who had a go at this but the last time I tried to raise him I got no response.  I think getting CD burning going might be a bit tricky, if you need that.  As for the recording level thing, it sounds like VirtualBox doesn't virtualise the sound card correctly, since the slider is setting the level in 'hardware'.

Just out of interest, what audio hardware does VirtualBox emulate?  It will appear in the dropdown in VinylStudio's Check Level dialog.

[markolinux]

Sorry it's taken a while to reply.

I will post more info once I get my PC back up and running with Linux.

I reformatted it, and installed XP on it so I could have a working copy of VS. I'll be putting Linux back on soon a multi-boot scenario, and then I'll try to work on getting VS to work in Virtualbox, or some other VM product.

[Paul Sanders (AlpineSoft)]

OK, thanks.  Interested in how you get on.

[gmboothe]

I see this topic has not been addressed for a long time, but thought I would post on this thread.  I am building a new PC and plan to install Linux exclusively and use it as my primary PC to see if I can go cold turkey with Microsoft.  There seems to be decent Linux software for most functions, but I don't know if there is a good Vinyl Studio alternative.  I am a big fan of VS although don't use it a lot anymore (purchased it to digitize a few hundred albums some years back) but I do like to have it available when needed.  I was hoping it could be made to run under WINE or something, but the posts here and the lack of follow-up posts lead me to believe there has been little success in getting this to work.  For the time being, I plan to still have my present PC with Windows 8.1 (bad, but better than Win 10) available for use, but I hope to do away with Windows completely in the future.  Any discussion at AlpineSoft of developing a Linux version of VS?  I, for one, would gladly pay for a new license.  Thanks.

[Paul Sanders (AlpineSoft)]

Hi,

We have no plans to port VinylStudio to Linux at the current time - the amount of effort would simply not be repaid.

The last time we looked at Wine (which was a while ago now), VinylStudio would not run under it and even if it did I doubt if they support the CD burning functions we use.  Your best bet might be to try to get VinylStudio running in a Windows VM under Virtual Box.  I believe the audio works but CD burning does not.

[gmboothe]

Hi, Paul.  I have used Linux a bit, but have not done the Virtualbox stuff.  I will give it a try when I get the PC set up.  As long as I can create the audio files with VS, I can do the burning with Linux software.  Something to work on while huddled in the house this winter.  Thanks for the help, and thank you for great software at a great price.  I love VS!

[LateJunction]

I know this is a bit old, but my experience might be of help.

I ran the current version of VS under Win 7 as a guest OS within VirtualBox on a host Linux Mint 18.1 XFCE, both OS in 64 bit versions running on an 8 year old Lenovo laptop with 4 MB memory. The setting up of VirtualBox was straight forward with good guidance on the internet. Just remember to install the guest extensions to VB and set up file sharing. The 'Howto' guide which I followed explained how to do all this very clearly.

The biggest issue I had - which took about 5 days to solve with the patient help of the VirtualBox forum - had nothing really to do with VS but with the need to install USB3 drivers in Win7, even though I have no USB 3 devices in my setup.

Once this was done correctly it was possible to install and run VS under Win7, under Linux. I was able to digitise some of my recordings within the 5 album limit of the trial version of VS.  I did not have a major performance problem with VS, but file operations  within Win7, within VB, under Linux was slow - about as bad as Vista. More importantly I decided to abandon the attempt to run VS in this way because VS was not stable - some functions caused a crash in Win 7. This is not a criticism of VS - Alpine Software does not claim that it will work on anything other than native Windows or native OSX. I suspect the problem is with the interaction of Windows, Virtual Box, Linux and the USB drivers.

SO, on balance I don't recommend running VS under Linux via VirtualBox and have very little confidence of being able to run VS with Version 2 of WINE or with PlayOnLinux. Much as I despise Windows for its ongoing, deep and extensive support for criminals to attack ordinary computer users (which is why I use Linux predominantly), I have no problem with running VS natively under Win 7, having now converted my laptop to dual boot.

[gmboothe]

I appreciate the additional information.  I've pretty much accepted that I will have to keep a Windows box so I can use certain software l can't do without (like VS.)  I also would like to ditch Microsoft and hope to switch to Linux for all online activity eventually.  I've just been a little slow about making the big leap.  Thanks for sharing your experience. 

[LateJunction]

I think it right that I add a little further clarification about what looks like negative comments about VS: on reflection the problem I had (instability of VS under Win 7, under VirtualBox, under Linux) could very well be the incompatibility of the specific ASIO drivers I had to install to support the specific USB hardware I am using for ADC and DAC - a Focusrite 2i2 Audio Interface. The manufacturers of the hardware and of the ASIO driver do not claim that these will work under anything other than native Windows or native OSX. Those using different hardware may well find that VS IS stable in a Linux + VirtualBox + Win environment.