Don’t know if anybody has read the news but Lightburn is dropping Linux support after the 1.7.00 release.
%$#*! Penguin people direct your anger HERE. <—link to Lightburn’s forum announcement thread.
EDIT: Just realized @dkj4linux mentioned this about 40 minutes ago.
I’m a LightBurn user, I run Linux, and I do so on a JL1 laser using the V1 Jackpot board.
I’ve also supported a community using LightBurn on a 100W CO2 / Ruida controller laser cutter at a community makerspace.
I’m disappointed, but it’s hard to be angry about this. I will post a comment on the LightBurn forum at some point.
The reality is that Linux users represent something around 1% of the LightBurn userbase, and represent a much larger than 1% level of effort to develop/test/support and maintain.
Lightburn offers Linux installers and an appimage version of Lightburn, but since these represent such a disproportionate expense versus the user population this decision is understandable. That cost/benefit math doesn’t work out well and I completely understand why they would choose to focus their money and effort on the platforms that do sell.
Even so, it still bums me out.
I’ll get 1.7 and keep a Linux machine working with 1.7, but will likely move on to get another Macbook air for my laser controller machine. The 1.7 final version won’t stop working, so it’s not like I’m losing anything or having functionality taken away from me. Pretty decent for an end-of-support product, frankly.
Disclaimer- I also have a Windows 10 laptop that has a lightburn install, because I help other people set up similar machines to mine, and not one user that I’ve helped has run Linux. A couple of Mac users, and overwhelmingly Windows users. That matches what LightBurn reports about their user community.
I’m not sure I’ll even monkey around with using the tools to run Windows binaries on Linux as frankly using LightBurn on my Mac is fine with me. I’ll eventually need to find a Win11 laptop as I don’t intend to stop helping other makers, and overwhelmingly that’s what they have.
I agree with your sentiment. But - I think that the timing is a little unfortunate… there are many complaining about Microsofts directions with windows (the adds, needing an online account, AI, and so forth). Linux enthusiasts are talking about this being a great opportunity for Linux as an viable option for many. But again, adding to your point - it’s not Lightburns responsibility to help the Linux case!
So… run it under wine. That will be what I do before my updates run out from my last purchase. It’s a pain, but I already have wine in order to run Estlcam.
I’m starting to seriously phase out Windows installations for my stuff. I still need some for work, but I’m moving more and more of my media boxes from Windows to Linux, since Blu-ray support is becoming less relevant, and since I am playing fewer and fewer ganes, it seems to be more practical than ever before.
Some things I do want or need, but so long as I can run it under wine, it’s fine. When or if that becomes a problem, I’ll stop upgrading my license.
Bummer because I just got rid of the Windows box downstairs because I could run Estlcam, Lightburn, and PrusaSlicer all on Linux, and Mint 22 looks really nice.
That is unfortunate. I’m used to this kind of treatment as a minority os user. But I was excited that LB was Linux friendly. Especially because they are using QT for their development. Maybe that is what is changing after 1.7.
I’ve been playing a lot more. Steam has made gaming in Linux mostly trivial. It does all the proton/wine setup behind the scenes. I can play almost any game on my linux laptop or the steam deck.
Looks like mill mage for Linux is not guaranteed either. The devs didn’t confirm or deny that. sigh.
Part of the problem may be that windows emulation has gotten good enough.
When I heard this news I assumed MillMage on Linux native is not initially going to heppen.