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@SrPx, quite a few Chromebooks can now run Linux apps and for those that can't there's Crouton to help out there. A few of the online image editors are quite good and can be accessed by Chromebooks (Photopea, Pixlr, Sumopaint, etc).

@Merde, the short answer is a complete stuff up by Netmarketshare who noticeably overestimated the Linux market share (I suspect a change in measuring parameters/algorithms). They then compounded the issue by changing things and underestimating the Linux market share.

@OS1, I agree and the best that can be hoped for is that Serif would at least look into the practicality of making the rather good Affinity products work well with Wine.

@Eric5, you could check out any/all of DarkTable, RawTherapee and LightZone, try them out and go with the one that works best for you. I should add that they are all free and cross platform.

@Arte, I agree with what you said. I also think it's better that Serif concentrate on the development of Designer, Photo and Publisher at present rather than go down the routes of DAM and Lightroom softwares not least because those two markets are already pretty crowded with many existing competent options.

@Michael, I am pleased to report that VivaDesigner is also another worthy alternative to Scribus. I should none of the Linux software l suggest is in any way a direct competitor to any of the very good Affinity products because Serif doesn't currently provide any products that are either Linux or Wine-friendly.

@spacedrone808, I'm a Linux user and if you look through my posting history you'll see what l personally use (not GIMP) and what l suggest trying with Wine.

@Bloque9, I recommend Affinity products to Windows and macOS users since it is an affordable alternative to being permalocked into a certain cloudy subscription service. Indeed, Affinity Photo is so good that l know of astrophotographers who use it to process their images. I happen to use Ubuntu Mate on my desktop PC and Linux Lite on my laptop (see pic below) and I'd welcome Affinity products that work well with Wine. That reminds me, you're welcome to check my posting history where you'll find out what l use and what l suggest to try out with Wine.

@Bloque9, I just wanted to say that I do actually have a great deal of sympathy for your position and the only other option that comes to mind is, for example, using the Affinity softwares on Windows 7 inside VirtualBox on a Linux computer. That solution does though have system resource implications.

@R C-R, when it comes to the use of Windows RAW developer and image editor softwares (without mentioning any specific names) on Linux via Wine, the performance issue aspect is one that does not appear to be prominent or to be a cause of great concern. Therefore, I do not think it is an unreasonable request to ask Serif to get one of their developers to look into, for example, just how much tweaking would be required to get the Affinity Photo Windows version to work reasonably well in Wine on Ubuntu or Linux Mint. However, at this time, I think it would be an unreasonable request to ask Serif to consider directly porting over the Affinity products given Linux's third place desktop market share and the attendant large financial viability uncertainties.

@Bloque9, I am afraid that whichever way it is looked at, Linux on the desktop comes in third place behind Windows and macOS and that currently makes it uneconomic for Serif to port the range of Affinity products to Linux. It's an unfortunate chicken and egg situation where Linux users want productivity software but companies won't port their products over until Linux market share grows but people won't move over to Linux because the productivity software isn't there. What I think it is reasonable to do (and some other software providers already do this) is to ask Serif to look into making the Windows Affinity softwares work well with Wine for Linux so that Linux users can then use the rather good Affinity range of products on their computers.

@Estrobeda, I would regard that as a sane and eminently rational compromise and a win-win for everyone.

@Andy, the Affinity range of products is excellent software and I heartily recommend that anyone on Windows and macOS actively considers using them over a certain range of equivalent cloudy, monthly subscription products (they who shall remain nameless). I also agree that porting over the Affinity softwares to Linux is not economically viable at this time. However, what really ought to at least be looked at is adjusting the Affinity products so that they can work well in Wine for Linux. That is an altogether more manageable and cost efficient solution and it could be marketed as such - for Windows, macOS and Linux with Wine. Not only would Serif get thousands or more of extra sales, it would produce more converts to Linux (now that good productivity software would be available) which would then in turn bring in more sales. I'm calling that a win for Serif.

@Unleavened Tech, while I have a great deal of sympathy for your request, I can't see it happening because of Linux's low presence on the desktop which makes it uneconomic to port the Affinity range of software to Linux. I think it would be more reasonable to ask them if they would at least look into making the Affinity products for Windows work well with Wine which is what the developers of PhotoLine have done.

@Trueman, I mentioned some Wine options earlier on in this thread but some previous single payment versions of Photoshop do work well with Wine (Gold & Platinum ratings) and depending on a computer's capability, it's also possible to use Affinity and Adobe softwares in Windows in a virtual machine (free Virtualbox or VMware) on a Linux PC so in a roundabout way it is sort of possible to run Affinity Photo and Affinity Designer on Linux.

@SrPx, your very own post reminded me of some the posts I have seen on various different forums from business owners who specialise in photography, on both Windows and macOS, who have moved over to Affinity Photo because they liked the product and did not want to be locked into the ongoing subscription model that did not offer value for money.

@Patrick, I did see it in another of the Linux-related threads of which there are quite a few. I do know loads of Windows users (and only one Mac user) and I do recommend the Affinity products to them as an option because they are good, capable pieces of software. While those who operate a software as a paid service model might retain the current crop of professional photographers, etc. those who are on a budget and the next generation of would-be photographers might not want to become permanently hooked up to such a cash cow operation. If it's not being done already, I think there's an opportunity for Serif to look at the educational market in colleges and universities. etc. so that the Serif products are the ones that people first encounter and become used to and all good luck in that respect.

So would I but regrettably that's not going to happen (although I do suggest Affinity Photo & Designer to Windows users who don't wish to be tied into the expensive and never ending subscription model). I get the impression that some staff moderators don't like to see competing products being mentioned. However, any Linux-compatible software by definition cannot be competing with the Affinity range because Serif doesn't offer any Linux options. Therefore, I'll mention stuff that works for me or that I know about, e.g. Corel Aftershot Pro, Pixeluvo, Polarr, Neat Image (noise reduction) and Photomatix HDR for Linux. I also have a soft spot for the free PencilSheep which is available as an Ubuntu snap. I'm also impressed with Gimp 2.10 and the current set of Gimp developers are doing a great job there. In addition, PhotoLine, PhotoScape, PhotoFiltre and PhotoImpact work well with Wine. When all the free and open source softwares are added in as well, Linux users do have access to a reasonable range of photo/image editor options. Again, I want to stress that all the softwares mentioned above are not competitors to any Affinity product on the Linux platform precisely because Serif doesn't cater for that platform.

All my devices have Linux kernels and I've been using desktop Linux for years now for security, stability and maintenance reasons. That said, I can fully see why Serif aren't making Affinity Photo and Designer available for Linux. They can reach 95% of the desktop PC and laptop market with Windows and macOS alone and, for them, it's just not economically viable for them to spend hundreds of thousands of pounds or more in development costs just to reach that extra few percent. I get that and I accept that. However, other software developers take a different view and they do cater for the Linux market by offering commercial products, e.g. for RAW editing, photo/image editing, noise reduction and HDR photo enhancing. They are all out there in Linux versions and I make a point of buying such products not only because I want them but also to encourage the development of the market for Linux software and the more that Linux users keep on buying such commercial Linux software, the more that very market will grow and develop.

I agree. Serif have made it crystal clear in no uncertain terms that there will be no Affinity Photo or Affinity Designer for Linux (the same almost certainly applies to the Skylum/Macphun products too) and that there will be no attempts to make these products compatible with CrossOver/Wine either. On the positive side, there are now more free and paid-for photo editors available for Linux and there are plenty of online image editors that don't discriminate against Linux. There are also some Windows photo editors that work well with Wine (one company even makes an effort to ensure Wine compatibility). Even the most famous open source image editor is much improved in its most recent iteration. Those are the softwares to go for.