I’d like to start a thread to collect everyone who wants or needs to migrate to Linux but is held back by Rhino. This isn’t about complaining, but showing McNeel there’s a growing professional user base increasingly forced to keep Windows solely for Rhino – which weakens McNeel’s competitive position.
Why Linux matters now
1. Europe’s digital sovereignty push
Governments are massively shifting away from proprietary US systems:
Germany (Schleswig-Holstein): 30,000 government workstations moving to Linux
Denmark: nationwide migration to open-source announced
France, Italy, Switzerland: major open-source infrastructure investments
EU sees open source as key to digital autonomy
2. Windows privacy concerns
Recall feature (AI screenshots every 5 seconds)
Extensive telemetry even when “disabled”
Forced Microsoft accounts
Windows 10 EOL October 2025 – millions must migrate
3. Gaming proved it works
Steam Deck: 330M hours played in 2024 (+64% YoY)
17,000+ Windows games run on Linux via Proton
The technology to run Windows software on Linux exists and is mature
4. Professional CAD is coming to Linux
BricsCAD, GstarCAD, Siemens NX all have native Linux versions. They’re solving the pain point McNeel isn’t addressing.
The competitive risk for McNeel
Many of us maintain Windows installations only because of Rhino. Every other tool in our workflow already runs on Linux. This means:
We’re actively looking at alternatives (BricsCAD, FreeCAD, etc.)
Competitors offering Linux support gain a decisive advantage
McNeel risks losing users not because Rhino isn’t great, but because the platform dependency becomes untenable
Possible paths for McNeel
Short-term:
Official Wine/Proton support/testing (like gaming companies do)
Long-term:
Native Linux port (proven possible by BricsCAD)
What we can do
Sign in here: Are you keeping Windows only for Rhino? What’s your situation?
Business arguments: Which professional/institutional needs do you see?
Technical insights: Anyone familiar with Rhino’s architecture?
Goal: Show McNeel there’s real market pressure here – not just feature requests, but competitive risk.
Particularly relevant for:
Universities (increasingly Linux-based)
Government agencies (digital sovereignty requirements)
Studios/firms wanting OS independence
Anyone maintaining dual-boot or VM setups just for Rhino
My situation: I run Windows solely for Rhino. Everything else in my workflow is Linux-compatible. It’s frustrating, and it makes me evaluate alternatives I otherwise wouldn’t consider.
This is an old request. A quick port can be made through PortJump - Windows Software and Porting Services to Mac and Linux using CrossOver | CodeWeavers. “CodeWeavers porting technology enables you to bring your Windows software to the macOS and Linux marketplace efficiently and economically. Becauseno source code changes are required, you won’t have the hassle of maintaining two code bases. Join the likes of Wargaming, KingsIsle, SQUARE ENIX, LogMeIn and AudioKinetic who have reached new markets with PortJump™.“
CodeWeavers also do have a consultation service ExecMode to evaluate the viability of porting a Windows software to Linux and Mac.
If McNeel wants it is doable without too much hustle, but we all are expecting some love from McNeel in this regard.
While I’m sympathetic to the idea of Rhino running on Linux, I think there are a couple of things you overlook here.
First, there is no single Linux version, like there is Windows or macOS. Instead there is a whole zoo of distros and not only that, but also various desktop environments and so on. I imagine all of this makes it hard to ship a stable product that’s guaranteed to work for every user.
Second, there probably is often times no direct line of support for McNeel to contact, if they needed assistance with some OS/distro specific issues. While you might be able to get somebody from Canonical on the line, I doubt that’s the case for many others, and I’m not even expecting that since it’s free software.
That’s the same pitfall that all of the EU countries are stumbling into, if their Linux move is not only some half-arsed measure, like so many others. In reality, it will take generations to get away from Microsoft and heavy investments, and they sure as hell will lobby against each and every step that’s made in a direction away from them.
Many of the other softwares you name are targeted more towards industry, whereas Rhino in my opinion is more of an in-between, consumer-friendly solution.
In an industrial setting, software is often run on server infrastructure, which is still dominated largely by Linux. Like in the animation industry, where they might want to run an instance of Maya on Debian to render or compute something.
The EU migration: Germany’s Schleswig-Holstein already completed 30k workstation migration. These institutions need desktop CAD for architects/designers – they’re actively seeking Windows alternatives.
Practical path (as previous commenter noted): CodeWeavers/PortJump offers exactly this – no source code changes, no dual codebase. McNeel could start with Wine/Proton support tomorrow if they wanted.
The question isn’t “is it technically feasible?” (CodeWeavers proves it is) – it’s “does McNeel see the market opportunity?”
It makes a lot of sense for me as a Win-Mac-Linux user too. Only 2 apps are keeping me on Windows (Rhino + TouchDesigner), I don’t use my M1 Air for 3D work, and I would happily switch to Linux if I didn’t have to switch back and forth with Windows.
I don’t know what this switch would mean in terms of McNeel development time and resourcing, but a WIP using the off-the-shelf tools mentioned above is intriguing.
As far as I know the CodeWeaver solution is based on Wine. Rhino 7 kind of works with Wine. Rhino 8 does not since not all required API is implemented to have it work. This means that the porting work for Rhino isn’t going to be as straight-forward as you are probably led to believe.
To the Steam Deck and Steam on Linux numbers, yes, very nice. But Rhino is not a game, Rhino uses many API and SDK outside of what games would be using. Much more work is needed to have such systems install and run Rhino. Proton is also a Wine descendant, albeit a heavily modified version.
You can already move to a Linux-only boot for your computer. Because you still can run Rhino on Windows in a VM with reasonable performance. And when that Windows in your VM is up and running you can ensure it is otherwise “air-gapped”. So in essence you can run an otherwise Linux-only desktop and use an (old) license of Windows you already probably have. This is how I have my own machine set up. It used to be a Windows 11 machine, but since this year it it has been a Linux-only boot. It is now a Kubuntu 25.10 machine, recently upgraded from Kubuntu 25.04. The old Windows 11 license repurposed to run in a VM. From the comfort of my Linux machine I can still use Rhino to its full potential. I’ve posted a video or two on this forum showing how Rhino runs perfectly that way in my Linux. I believe the latest video I recorded with Rhino on Linux was
Anyway, I would very much love a native user app version of Rhino on Linux, but it remains to be seen if that will ever become the case.
What of those of us who use windows but would love to migrate to Linux from windows, how hard is it to set up a computer? Can you order a Linux computer and just use it like windows for the most part or does one have to constantly jump through hoops to do everyday things like email or hook up usb hardware etc.? The reason I ask is that most of the programs I use have Linux versions and I am thinking of switching but I don’t want to loose functionality or worse have programs not perform as well. Do you find native Linux programs run better or are Windows versions better or is performance roughly the same? Is it a pain to setup hardware?
Not terribly hard, but it helps if you are familiar with doing so
There are vendors who provide computers with a Linux distribution installed. You can use it like Windows for most of the part. Most of my family use Linux without really ever worrying about it not being Windows - and no, they are not programmers, IT specialists or anything like that. Just regular people who need or want to use a computer. Most of them use web-based email clients, so no problem there. And using USB and Bluetooth devices is no problem. They are able to hook up all the USB devices we have without me having to do and configure it for them. Just plug and play - microphones, webcams, keyboards, mice, game controllers (pads, steering wheels, pedals). So far it all Just Works.
Personally I find the Linux experience smoother than Windows and MacOS. And there are no walls holding me back if and when I want to do things my way. But it will also depend on how quickly you can assume the Linux distribution and desktop environment you choose.
Not really anymore. Back in the day (I started using Linux in 1997 with Redhat) it could take a lot of effort to set up a computer. But these days it is just a matter of picking a well-supported distribution and installing it. For a long time I used Linux Mint, but last year I moved to Kubuntu on my laptop, and made the switch on my desktop from Windows to Kubuntu this year.
I already was using a lot of Open Source software instead of commercially available or closed tools. Software like Libre Office (much, much better than Microsoft Office), Thunderbird (e-mail), Firefox (browser), GIMP (image editing), MuseScore (scoring), OBS (screen recording), Blender (video editing / 3D / animation), Krita (painting), VLC (media player) to name a few. These all work great on Linux.
Awesome post; I only have Rhino and Native Instruments holding me to windows. Most everything else has native Linux versions. I have to look into NI, I think they have a Linux version.
Thanks for your detailed help and descriptions!
RM
what are the specs for your whole system? i notice you have an A6000 running at 85-90% utilization ($5K USD graphics card with 48GB VRAM in case anyone is curious), but it would be nice if older/lower end cards can still run QEMU effectively. a brief Google search shows that many people complain of poor performance using QEMU.
how much of your system do you allocate to run Windows in QEMU?
EDIT: these are not intended to be “gotcha” questions. i want to know what would be the minimum specs to run rhino easily through virtualization (ie comparable to what’s shown in your videos).
I feel I’ve gotten increasingly attached to Windows over the last months due to working with more companies who require Windows-only software but I always prefer investing in software I know I could use with Linux.
Any program that supports Linux automatically gets bonus points from me. Would love to see Rhino following this path.
Most companies are stuck with the Windows ecosystem because of deep integration with Office 360, collaboration tools like Teams and OneDrive. Unless there is a similar solution in the Linux ecosystem, I doubt companies would switch to Linux.
Having said that the recent Cyber-attack on JLR, brought down the entire infrastructure. I am not sure they are up and running 100%.
Plasticity is still new .. but already quite capable. One license for Windows, Linux, Mac OS. And perpetual license cost $299.
I just looked at a few NI forum posts and many people have had success using NI in Linux. I don’t currently have time to fool with a Linux install I’m holding off until next computer purchase since it takes me a long time to migrate projects to a new box.
I was contemplating getting Cubase; I’m an old cakewalk user and I’m still using Sonar. All my old products are available via the Sonar command center even installed on this newer computer.
Does Cubase have a programming language?
The reason I ask is that Sonar has a programming language that I use quite a bit. Cakewalk developed it in the early days and then never developed it further but it was included and works in all versions. They call it cal, cakewalk application language. It lets me program counterpoint, chords and even aleatoric music, it also lets one automate things, but I love it because I can hit a hotkey with a note selected and get a grandmother chord or a rite of spring chord or clusters or random notes. I know Cubase has macros do you think one can do the same types of things with macros in Cubase. I also use the score editor and one of things I like about Cubase is that it also has a score editor.
Sorry for the off topic but I know you’re a programming wizard and was wondering what you thought.
RM
I converted an old laptop to Linux Mint. However, for me, as long as I have to type commands into Terminal it is not up to the ease of Windows and I just use it to keep experimenting with Linux. That said, I was also a Cakewalk user, and diddled with Pro Tools and Bitwig Studio. A few years back, I switched to Reaper. I love it. Reaper also has a native Linux version, and like McNeel, an amazing community. I run it on my Windows machine and have it on the Linux laptop. The Reaper license ($60) Is good for two major releases, you can have it on as many machines and OSs as you want, and updates and fixes come fast. The difference from other packages is it does not include many VST instruments. For that, you can either buy commercial, or download from the thousands of freebee/opensouce instruments. I’m using mostly free stuff, which works well for my purposes. It is a serious package with a learning curve.
The answer to that is longwinded, but Grok summarizes the mess quite well. I copy-paste the answer below.
I have not digged into the new programming features in Cubase 14, so I can’t really tell what it is capable of but Grok comments on that briefly (see below). The only thing I’ve used so far is the “Logical Editor” (which I assume you referred to as “macro”). Useful to some extent, but it doesn’t provide much functionality in terms of shaping MIDI or sound.
My question:
Does Cubase 14 have a script language inbuilt, or any API at all for external, programming?
Grok’s reply:
Built-in Scripting Language in Cubase 14Yes, Cubase 14 includes a built-in scripting capability called ModScripter, introduced as a new feature in this version. It allows users to create custom modulators (e.g., for effects like LFOs, envelopes, or complex automation) using JavaScript as the scripting language. This is integrated directly into the Modulators section of the Channel Settings window, enabling programmatic control over modulation parameters within inserts or sends. Scripts can be written, edited, and executed entirely within Cubase—no external tools required. For example, users can script dynamic behaviors like frequency-linked LFOs or custom parameter mappings.Additionally, Cubase has long supported MIDI Remote API scripts (also in JavaScript), which let you customize hardware controller mappings (e.g., for MIDI devices like the Mackie Control Universal). These are built-in and run within Cubase’s MIDI Remote setup.Other internal tools like the Logical Editor allow preset-based “scripts” for MIDI/audio processing, but these are not full programming languages.APIs for External ProgrammingCubase 14 does not provide a comprehensive, open external API (e.g., via HTTP, SDK, or direct programmatic control like Python bindings) for third-party applications to interact with projects, tracks, or the DAW engine from outside the software. Community discussions frequently highlight this as a limitation compared to DAWs like Reaper (with Lua/EEL) or Ableton (with Max for Live/Python). There is no official support for external scripting shells (e.g., JavaScript or Python) to communicate bidirectionally with Cubase’s core features like MIDI, audio, mixers, or effects.However, indirect external integration is possible through:
VST3 SDK: Steinberg’s official SDK for developing VST plugins, which can include scripting (e.g., Lua in some third-party plugins) and interact deeply with Cubase’s audio/MIDI engine.
ARA (Audio Random Access): For audio editing extensions in compatible plugins.
UI Automation Tools: External programs like Macro Scheduler (Windows) or AppleScript/Keyboard Maestro (macOS) can simulate user interactions (e.g., key presses, menu actions) to automate workflows, but this is not a true API and relies on GUI scripting.
MIDI/OSC Protocols: For controller-based external control, but not full programming access.
If you’re looking for deeper external extensibility, alternatives like Reaper or Bitwig are often recommended in forums for their robust scripting ecosystems. For official details on ModScripter or MIDI Remote scripting, check Steinberg’s forums or the in-app Programmer’s Guide (accessible via right-click on the MIDI Remote tab).
Thanks for the detailed posting. I looked into some of what you mentioned but although I did come upon someone macroing notation in Cubase it was primitive compared to what cal can do, I’m more interested in changing/adding notation which cal can do incredibly well. None the less I’m going to download a trial of Cubase and see and check into Dorico; though I do have a little know notation software that is pretty good it’s French called Harmony assistant.
CalypsoArt, I looked at reaper and it looks quite nice I think I tried it many years back but will give it trial.
For many years I only used free Vst libraries, some are incredible and I still use them. Like the Sonatina orchestra and choirs. Also Allan Vista percussion vst, really pro sound for free. This is the site I used for years but now I also use Native Instrument libraries which are incredible and complete.
I use Rhino on Windows but have 2 super high end linux machines and use Maya on those. I would love to see a real port to linux (ubuntu or mint, whatever) as I believe the linux kernel will process the data more efficiently and quicker. Call me crazy, but I code in C++ on linux and have been doing so for decades. You guys will crush it.
I swear. I have my backup drive ready, my Windows key copied, and a drive to flash a distro to. This software is the singular thing keeping me from pulling the trigger immediately.
