CedarBluffGraphics&Layout

Year after year I bought PhotoShop, Illustrator, InDesign. I loved Adobe products back then. Then Adobe came up with fancy "suites," cranked up their prices, and finally lost me when they went to subscription hell. I then started using Affinity products. I really like all three, Photo, Designer, Publisher. Impressive. Beautiful, smart interface. A joy to run. Intuitive workflow. I bought all three for Mac. Then all three for Windows. Then Photo and Designer for iPad. I'd DEFINITELY buy all three again if there were a LINUX VERSION. My Linux machines run flawlessly, better, less errors than Mac, way yonder better than our Windows machines. I would happily just run Linux if there was commercial software I could run on it. Like Affinity. Most people don't really care what OS they are on, just what software they can run on it---they don't run Linux because the software they want to BUY isn't isn't available for Linux, because companies like Affinity or Serif think Linux users are a bunch of beatniks, whoever they are. Were.
If Affinity never comes out with a Linux version, I will no doubt move on. Affinity products are great, but there are always alternatives.

The revolution of compatibility seems definitely at the cusp of affinity.
Must we wane and depress at the blackhole of colored ignorance.
Requirements must be reached from the origination.....

Those healing requirements are the only solution.

We have to meet those requirements somewhere,somehow, with passion , healing and determination.

Who's going to actually fight for it...

That's the real question.

*I'm in support of fully functional linux ports with magical updates*




 

Starting up a virtual machine each time I wanted to run Affinity Photo had become too tedious for me, particularly given the poor performance of running it in a VM.  My Affinity Photo license goes largely unused now.

I've taken to just using Gimp instead.  It's rough around the edges and lacks a feature or two, but it's very capable.  The main hurdle has been adapting to its shortcuts and UI.
I raise my hand as someone who'd appreciate Affinity Photo releases under Linux, but I'm not holding my breath for it.  Serif will do what Serif will do.

As has been alluded of Linux users previously in the thread, I'm not opposed to paying for and using commercial, closed source software.  I've also paid for Davinci Resolve Studio, which I'm delighted to be able to use under Linux, and is a suitable equivalent for GPU/CPU intensive closed source graphics software running under Linux/Windows/OSX.  BlackMagic target and officially support CentOS (although perhaps under review given it's approaching EoL), so whilst you can run Davinci Resolve under other distros (and I do), they're only community supported.  And that's fine, because community support is something Linux has always done and does well.  In a nutshell, needing to support 200+ (or whatever) distros is not necessary.  Target one (eg: Ubuntu LTS or Fedora) and let the community worry about packaging for, and supporting other distros....or don't *shrug*

Don’t you have anything better to do with your time other than trolling around this forum, LondonRascal? The other thread related to this same topic got closed solely because of you. Does this give you some kind of mental reward, you freaking sociopath?
Since he will probably continue on his idiotic quest, I ask you guys to stop enabling him. Just ignore his wannabe comments. As easy as that.
Thank you 😘

Looks like this thread went somewhere else entirely.
If you aren't interested in using linux/affinity software on linux, just ignore this thread and stop looking for people to argue with.
As for affinity products on linux, A LOT of users(including me) would love to see them on linux and PAY for them just like every other
commercial platform doesn't matter the OS being used.
There are more than enough web developers, graphic designers and regular users that are using linux and need a better solution
that the currently available design software.
If someone from the affinity team is here, I would suggest making a survey to see some real numbers and post about it on twitter where a lot
of potential users are.
After that, maybe they can consider doing a linux version.

1% of the total desktop users does not equate to 1% of Serif's target demographic. Serif makes design software, not a universal application like a web browser, so you should be taking into account only Serif's potential customers in this argument, and not the entirety of computer users. The number of creative professionals that use (or want to use) Linux is higher than the total population.
The thing is, we don't know exactly what Serif's target demo is. If Serif is only interested in taking current Adobe users (who are ipso facto only Windows and Mac users), then yes, making a Linux version makes no sense. But I would assume that Serif is interested in more than Adobe's current customers that need design software: students, UI designers, front-end developers, film editors, 3D animators, software developers, and marginalized creatives.
I don't know what their target demo is, but I what Serif to know that there are designers who work in software development that want Affinity applications available in Linux, even moreso in web design. I know people who work in animation who would give anything to use something besides The GIMP at work because their 3D pipeline is Linux (Pixar, WDAS).
As someone who has a graphic design degree, who is currently working on 3D assets, does web design and front-end development as part of their job, I'm in Linux for 70% of my day. I spend $323 USD annually on software that I run in Linux (no VM, no WINE). It fluctuates every year, but this year I donated €40 to open-source software that I use in Linux and Windows. Not technically commercial software, but it's software I use commercially, and I gave them my money. That sounds like a business to me. It shows that if it was not open source, I would have paid at least that much money for the software. So abso-freaking-lutely, successful commercial Linux software exists.
Again, I get it. Serif might not care about large film or animation studios. They may not care about software developers. But I think it is the right of customers, and potential customers, to let Serif know that there's a need for it. So instead of pretending to know what Serif's demo is, accept that there is demand for it. The argument that an electric car shouldn't be made because not enough electric cars have been made doesn't make sense to me.

I wouldn't say I'm emotional about it, but I'm certainly passionate about not having to use Windows.  I've dedicated a lot of my time to ensuring my own privacy, security and reasonable anonymity going forward in a way that doesn't inconvenience me, this was a choice I've made because I believe those three things should be the default and Microsoft doesn't. Apple is far better with this than MS but I chose Linux because I get on with it more than MacOS (though I have every other apple product, iphone, ipad, watch, tv etc). In the end it comes down to the fact that people should be able to choose the OS which is best for them and not be forced to use an OS they don't want to. Linux by default is secure and private.

The only reason I've not been inconvenienced by a lack of photoshop alternatives yet is because as a 3D artist I'll typically go to Substance Designer before I go to Phototoshop for texture packing, and I'll go to Substance Painter before photoshop for hand painted textures (both of which are on linux) and for most other things I can get away with using Krita for any hand painted 2D stuff. The inconvenience will come later when I need to use something like photoshop for touchups because I don't get on with Gimp (I've really tried).

When it comes down to it, Affinity photo and designer is a 'nice to have' for me more than a necessity but I'd still 1000% pay for it if it came to linux as I'm sure a lot of people would, since there just is no real competition for that kind of thing on Linux for professionals. There should be though.

not developing for linux because of a small market share is shortsighted IMO and I've said exactly why that is a few times here A market only exists after developers make a market usable... That's serif in this case. I don't know about the last 25 years of linux but I do know about the last 5 or so years and Linux is just as capable as windows and mac, just as simple to use (I find macOS more difficult to use than something like POP, Mint or ZorinOS).  Anyway if you really want to argue numbers then Serif should only develop for windows. MacOS holds a tiny share as well. Thats bad because no one wants to see a monopoly or duopoly. People are only using windows and mac because of software support. I don't want to be forced to use either of those. No one wants to be forced to use an OS.

Where are you getting stats that developing for linux results in failure? Lots of creative software exists on Linux alongside Windows and Mac without a problem. Substance, Unity, Unreal, Houdini, Blender all work great and is a handful of the software that are cross platform, I fail to see why Serif would fail in this area alongside them. 

Anyway, I see your points, but I disagree with you on a base level. Your reasoning is flawed IMO.
 

As people have pointed out there are so many commercial applications that are on linux and are used. I use the Substance suite, Blender and Unity, which are my softwares of choice, but forced to use gimp/krita which aren't my choice. It's a mixed bag of FOSS and commercial. I think a lot of people consider Linux as a whole some kind of anti-consumer, anti-commercial, anti-paid software OS for hobbyist programmers with tinfoil hats but it's absolutely not like that. Linux is just one of three options that happens to be FOSS where the other two aren't (being FOSS is a good thing, not bad). Boggles my mind that it's even an argument for some people. 

'Hey Serif, stop working on the iOS version of Affinity because most people don't even use it and it's wasting resources that could be put toward the OS I use!' 

Yes, 4 times over I'd be willing to pay upwards £300 for the affinity suite on Linux, this is a normal amount for software these days. I've bought other softwares like gaea, world machine, embergen etc all for around about £200-300 and I'd hella do the same for Affinity if it meant coming to linux

@MattyWS 
It's very inspiring to see such enthusiasm! I personally have nothing against Linux and would gladly support Serif on this platform even if prices will be higher.
More to say, I have a couple of Linux machines at home and these systems are simply wonderful and stable. Distributions are improving and becoming better and better.
Just maybe my views are a bit more pragmatic when it comes for estimating business expenses and analyzing the risks. We should understand, that:
But anyway, bringing Affinity suite to Linux would be very great.

Ugh. I quite literally only use Windows because of the Affinity suite and Capture One. I made the mistake of upgrading to Windows 11, and now I can't use the suite. 😢
I would greatly welcome Linux versions. Would gladly pay for them again.

Again, this is only the case because most people use windows and I think is is a bad way to think.

and it shouldn't be so much thought about as "switching to linux" so much as "this is the best OS and people should start using it" and the only way that happens is if developers make software for the platform so people can use the platform. 

I think it's wise that people stop giving in to Microsofts monopoly just like people should stop giving into Adobes monopoly. I think it's wise that people stop considering which OS they are forced to use because they have to and start to think about which OS they want to /should use, and not necessarily for the now but for the future. The same could be said about a lot of things though I don't want to go on a crazy rant, but this kind of thing happens all the time, people *should* use Signal over Whatsapp but no one does, because everyone uses whatsapp. Be the change you wish to see in the world. Linux is the healthy* choice of OS, and on that note Mac is also a pretty healthy choice but many people struggle to go from windows to mac for the same reasons as they struggle to go to linux. There is a lack of software options and the only solution is for developers to make software for the OS's.

I shouldn't need to keep quoting myself on this, but there's no market share until there is one. And how do you think a market like this starts? developers make their software to begin with.

Perhaps you're cool with a lack of choices but in that case, go back to using photoshop if you think there is no place for alternative solutions because Affinity Photo is the alternative solution here. Serif don't make even close to the money photoshop makes, but I don't see that discouraging them. In fact, I think Serif are making affinity photo because of a need to get away from bloated, legacy software. Just like the need to get away from bloated, legacy ridden OS's

What you're describing is not a reason for serif not to support linux, but in fact the problem caused by developers like serif for not supporting it. And as I mentioned before, again, is a bad argument in general. Most people use photoshop, so why bother developing affinity photo? Most people use windows, so why use linux? it makes no sense.

It's a self fulfilling prophecy. Not making Affinity photo for linux is the reason no one uses affinity photo on linux.

Also just as a side note, many schools use cheap or free software alternatives... Including linux. This is likely because schools tend to not want to use up all their budget on expensive software and thats great, in fact it should be encouraged. 

I use Linux because proprietary OSes are pushing things to me, like specific software I never use. I remove those, they come back or render the OS unusable - although should not. That is not all, they simply meter me. They have decided to know my habits and push some commercial to me - that never succeeded. Anyway, during this time, the computer may use a lot of its resources for that. It is not in my interest. Why would allow some software to consume my paid power and Internet connection for their needs? Also, I have paid for it $100-300. I pay to stress my computer while I may need it for something else. I would not accept that even it the OS is free (like Android, for example).
Right now I run my Linux OS with the exact apps I need, much lighter and faster than Windows 10 on the same hardware. Also, don't agree to their policy that patronize me like they know better. For instance, many times I've had hard times - as IT specialist - to make Windows upgrade and run again just because I have used a custom dual boot tool.
Now Windows 11 is advertised as nicer. Well, KDE looked like that years ago, not to say it can look however I consider.
I am sure, if you take the Windows OS separately, its core from the bloatware, it's neat and fast! But I can't stand the way it presents itself these days.
On Linux I have, let's say, so much freedom I've had on Windows 7 before, and more!
Next, regarding the users, if some asks for a Linux version of some Affinity product, it means that person won't use it to build apps, isn't it?
There are many applications to use Affinity products under Linux. From gaming graphics to movies production and simple 3d and web. Those fields are pretty well represented under Linux. Photography and publishing, for example,do not pay under Linux because they are not there yet.
 

Understanding that the reason for there being a small fraction of users is key here. There's not many users because software developers like Serif aren't making the software for users on the platform. I think I've maybe mentioned this for a third time now, but developers not making software because of lack of users because of the lack of software from developers is a *stupid* reason not to make software for a certain platform. Linux is the superior OS compared to windows and the only thing holding it back is lack of software developer support. Of course people are more likely to use an OS when  the software they want to use is on it, and of course people aren't going to use an OS if the software they use is not on it.

So the answer to the problem is for the developers of software to support linux. It's not like linux is a limited OS like chomeOS. It's not limited to only some hardware. It'll only bring in more customers for serif.

Honestly until Linux has the software support from devs like serif it's pointless even comparing numbers, of course there is a lack of customers on linux right now, because there's nothing for them to buy yet.

you said it yourself, the only thing holding linux back is the need for software... sooo Developers need to make the first step. They always have. There were no windows users before developers made software for windows. There were no affinity suite customers until serif made the affinity suite. It's a backwards argument to make that devs shouldn't take the first step.

I mentioned before that I think Serif and Linux have a lot in common if you compare photoshop vs affinity photo to windows vs linux, so I guess I'd argue here, why did serif even set out to start Affinity knowing the market share they have would be next to nothing compared to photoshop? Serif are very much banking on their target audience seeking out an alternative to photoshop, which is what everyone uses, much like people are seeking out a good alternative to windows, which is what everyone uses. It's a very similar comparison IMO. People Want change from windows for much the same reasons as people want change from photoshop and Serif have been here to help us escape.

This is true for now, however it is a growing market with currently no major competing products and if Serif gets in there early, they're going to be *the* suite of choice for photo editing and design work. Sure you have gimp, krita and inkscape, but gimp is like a special needs little brother of photoshop and krita is mostly for painting... and Inkscape is not the most intuitive software to use. The affinity suite blows these away. Photoshop is nowhere to be seen in this marketplace as well so Serif will pretty much get the only share of profits there and make no mistake, more and more people are choosing Linux as their desktop OS. It is a growing market for sure. I think the problem is that normal people who aren't in the know still think of Linux as the 'programmers and hackers OS' which sounds scary and complicated, but it's actually just a regular OS people can use just fine. Linux as a desktop gaming PC solution has the full support of major companies like Valve.

Anyways I think this time next year we will see a huge growth for Linux. the hundreds of distros aside, developing for linux in general means distro can use it (kinda, please serif do not go the route Adobe did with substance designer on linux lol).

The other way to look at it is to consider the size of the PC market in general. Linux may only have 2.5% of the that overall market, but that's still tens of millions of people.

Well everyone is entitled to their opinions no matter how wrong. Windows, Mac and Linux are the three major OS's. Linux might be dominant in other areas, like how pretty much the majority of phones, supercomputers and servers are running linux, and in that sense sure you can say "it's not a major desktop OS" in that most people use Windows and the rest of the share goes to Mac then finally Linux... But it's still one of the three major OS's and it runs faster and more secure than windows. Literally the only reason the vast majority use Windows over Linux is;

1) basically all computers that aren't mac come with windows preinstalled and most people aren't bothered about changing their OS
2) most software runs on windows because developers make software for windows, because thats where the majority of users are (which is also partly the reason people stick to windows, it's really unhealthy relationship. Devs dont make software for linux because not many use linux because devs don't make software for linux, which is a stupid cycle)

There is nothing Linux can't do that windows can in theory. People *should* be using the fastest, most secure OS (linux), but people just use what they're handed to them which is windows most of the time. Thankfully this is starting to change. Steamdeck and all steam machines run linux, there are a few brands of pc that come preinstalled with linux most notably System76, which is kind of the apple of the linux world https://system76.com/desktops

So yea, just because you don't use linux doesn't mean it's not in the running. It *is* used by a lot of people, creatives and developers mostly at the moment, gamers secondly and slowly but surely, every day, non-tech-savvy people. Take a look at POP OS. it comes installed of the system76 computers and it's extremely user friendly, so much so that I'd actually set up my grandma a POP_OS pc than a windows pc. It's far more user friendly than windows, far more secure than windows, far *faster* than windows, can do all the normal, every day things people need just like windows can, but without the telemetry and bloatware. The only thing holding Linux back in this case is that developers for niche stuff like what we do need to start developing software for us to use on linux.

Anyway, your comment doesn't help anyone. If you don't use Linux and you don't have a need for affinity photo on linux fine, just don't make anti-comments. I don't use Mac OS but I'm not going to sit here and complain that Serif are wasting time on the Mac version of the software even though like 90% of people use windows. Linux support is being requested because people want it.

+1 for Linux version. I would also pay. Professional and paid software can easily exist on Linux with the will to do it.
If Affinity software and clip studio paint were on linux, I would completely switch to linux right now.

I use the OS every day. I know I use it, because it has simple use cases we take for granted. For example, you've likely forgotten how often you just Ctrl+Alt+Delete into a Task Manager or Alt+Tab Tab Tab to the next window or hitting the windows key and immediately typing what you want to find. They are windows things that become a habit. I have already noticed that I try to Swing my mouse cursor to the left top of the screen... On the windows work computer (on Linux Gnome it brings an overview of all opened apps and workspaces). Still using windows at work every day, but it's been eating my brains out for a year now and the fact that it's so incorporated in every-day application use is scary, because I have to admit that I'm still being dependent on it... When I hate it.

On Linux my creative work load consists of Blender, Davinci Resolve and would be Affinity, then there's the other load consisting of VS Code - Web Designer. So not always using Design Apps, but still a Designer. I also make use of Computer hardware for playing games. Blender and Affinity are 30% incorporated in my daily work, the rest are creative hobbies and starting to freelance. I'm no big shot painter who ONLY uses ancient elephant tooth-fiber hair for their work or else they may not get the perfect stroke, so I can live without Affinity. Like I lived without Adobe for a while until stumbling upon Affinity. I just don't want to switch again and don't want to wrestle the damn windows updates anymore for some better FPS and render times. I'm limited, which brings me to your 2nd line. 60 Is a lot for me and the cancellation fee with adobe was GOD DAMN 360 EUROS when I couldn't pay the 60! Damn hated adobe for that. Pay was irregular, no freelance jobs at the time, 60 was a month of food. Pay is better now, but I'm still living in low standards, so I have to keep my spending in check. I can afford to pay adobe the 60, but then I'm trapped again. One person and three programs. I mostly end up opening one program a day, but I find use in all three over the month, so it's not ideal or good enough to go back.

 

What nBlaze said. I'm not talking about Windows being unhealthy to use, I'm talking about the OS being filled with floatware *from microsoft*, the fact that they have several versions of software that do the same things (settings... the snipping tool+snip&sketch, random other junk). If you look in the windows store you'll see theres a bunch of stuff including *games* already installed, and some stuff isn't removable. I don't want MS edge, I want to remove it but that shit keeps appearing still. You don't have the control you want over your OS with windows and more importantly Microsoft will scrape every little bit of data out of your usage of their OS. Some services are so reliant on MS as well (anyone remember when an MS server went down and stopped the task bar from functioning correctly? wtf). 

Miss me on that junk. At least with Mac OS you may be limited, but you know what to expect. You know you're a customer because Apple sells hardware and trust as opposed to MS which needs you to use their OS, which is the unhealthy part. Linux is just there for us to use with no bs, Mac is a byproduct of having bought apple hardware, MS's Windows is latching onto their users as hard as facebook is (and no, I don't have a facebook/instagram/whatsapp account, nor a google account). 

TLDR; windows sucks and we shouldn't be forced to use a different OS of our choice, but sadly this is currently true and only developers like Serif have the power to change that.