Rhino on Linux?

just want to throw in here that I made an all ssd nas from my old hardware. its running truenas scale.
:slight_smile:

1 Like

awesome, truenas is actually what I had in mind (runs on freebasd), good choice
did it take you long to setup?

I was actually thinking of compiling them without visual studio and using a separate text editor on linux

wine "C:/Program Files (x86)/Microsoft Visual Studio/2019/Community/MSBuild/Current/Bin/MSBuild.exe" MyRhinoPlugin.csproj

full advice from chatgpt

but I don’t know if I wouldn’t bite a bullet and just use a virtual machine given that visual studio/jetbrains also let you check for errors and debug and setting this up may be very hard/practically impossible

1 Like

truenas scale is actually linux. the old truenas was FreeBSD but they moved away from that.

It sets up very quickly. I just recommend watching some tutorials before. not for the install but more for how to set up your groups, users and permissions. setting up the pool is also simple. but only watch the recent tutorials since a lot has changed with the latest updates.

it also has a really great app eco system. there really is a lot you can run on your system. it really is then more than just a nas. I currently only have “Stirling PDF” running but there is so much more usefull stuff especially for office use. Paperless-ngx and Syncthing is what I want to try next.

The CPU is a Ryzen 5700G, 4x 2TB NVMe SSDs (that makes six useable terrabyte in the ZFS pool), all directly attached to the CPU and one SATA SSD for the OS. Only 30 Watts idle, which is pretty good for a NAS with a proper desktop CPU :slight_smile:

1 Like

oh true, I guess linux got so many cool new features over the years that it warranted transition (I’d bet containers played a role)

exactly, there are so many apps to explore now. Syncthing can be very useful (although be careful if exposing a machine to the internet).

Since this is the closest thing to a place to make bug reports, I thought I’d mention a behavior that I’m now running into for the first time. For some reason referencing a geometry from Rhino into a gh Parameter by right clicking on the Parameter container doesn’t work at the moment on wine. Additionally, it seems hovering over a component or its inputs or outputs to peek at the information there.

Right clicking on the inputs or outputs of an actual Component still works - so I can reference in geometry by placing a Component, right clicking on the input and selecting from the “Set” options. Then I can “Extract Parameter.”

But a lot of the feedback you’re used to - and that until recently I was getting in grasshopper on wine has mysteriously disappeared.

I’m running i3 on Debian. Later I’ll try to see if it’s still broken on Gnome too, but I wanted to share that.

hmm do you mean like this

1 Like

Yes, although I checked - running it in Gnome works perfectly. I should poke around and see if there’s been any progress in getting sway to work with NVidia cards yet. I love TWM’s and can’t ever go back. When I started using them I had to go with i3 just because Sway was incompatible / a PITA with NVidia proprietary drivers. But the limitations of a 30 year old pile of kludgy legacy code can really be as much of a pain…

Edited to add: For a while the viewport regen issue was occurring in Gnome too, but that seems to have been fixed - this looks and acts flawlessly. (Other than wine’s annoying antiquated file manager interface.)

no worries, I imagine that i3 and other X11-based window managers are only going to get worse from now on, other options are KDE with new krohnkite tiling window manager addon (was able to use wine with nvidia prime offload at least) or maybe hyprland?

1 Like

So I finally got a better hold of myself and made my personal desktop PC into a Linux first boot. I can still dualboot into Windows, but past weekend I configured QEMU/KVM and my kernel to do PCI passthrough. I have now on a 750GB virtual disk a Windows 11 installation with full RTX A6000 access. I can run Rhino with CUDA or Optix for Raytraced. It is pretty mindblowing that I have inside my Linux a Windows running with Rhino essentially on a 12 core, 48GB RAM machine with RTX A6000.

edit: a short screen recording:

https://youtu.be/dF-sM9z3lZo

It is quite fun.

14 Likes

Interesting.

way to go @nathanletwory :partying_face:, great news!
How did you pass the discrete GPU through to the virtual machine, so that it is still detected on the host? It normally requires a reboot/logout, no? Or is this some new virtio-gpu driver?

wow, i also like the window wobble thing

to me you are running a dream setup, nicely done!

I didn’t, I happen to have two discrete GPUs. One I keep on the host (RTX 6000 Ada gen), and one is passthrough (RTX A6000). The one on the host is to make sure the desktop rolls smoothly - and obviously to play Beyond All Reason every now and then :wink:

The all important productivity booster!

4 Likes

My initial excitement upon seeing this work :star_struck:

My subsequent feeling at needing 2 discrete GPUs :sob:

It can’t be helped. Configuring a PCI device (and slot) for passthrough means giving that up. The devices will be controlled by the virtio kernel driver, meaning the GPU driver can’t be loaded for that.

In a setup with integrated GPU and discrete GPU you’d indeed set up your GRUB with two configurations - one with iommu and virtio IDs assigned, one without. Of course if you don’t do much graphical work in Linux that requires a discrete GPU you could stay in just the one configuration.

1 Like

I didn’t expect that :sweat_smile: so normally you use a mid-tier GPU for CAD and high-end one for gaming/ai? Didn’t think they make such devices, but for a setup like this it sounds perfect.

@ssommerv as Nathan mentioned it’s not strictly necessary to have two discrete GPUs, rhino can happily run on default vm drivers that will use integrated one. Having said that (and with some caveats) there is a trick where you can also achieve the same with only a single discrete GPU and without completely rebooting, if you need it for larger scenes. That still makes it available to either host or VM at any one time, that’s why I was so curious about the above setup.

How much money would be needed to officially port Rhino to Linux ? Can’t we start a kickstarter or something to make it happen :sweat_smile:?

8 Likes

Well, in my case I want the high-end GPU also for CAD, because I work on Raytraced/Rhino Render :slight_smile: Need them compute cores!

3 Likes

The clock is ticking: Windows 10 support ends on October 14, 2025.

Despite this looming deadline, countless users have yet to make the leap to Windows 11 — and skepticism runs high about Windows 12, especially given what’s been revealed about its performance. This uncertainty is driving a growing wave of users to explore alternatives.

Thousands will inevitably turn to Linux, running essential applications like Rhinoceros inside virtual machines such as VMware. But why settle for an emulated experience?

It’s time for a bold leap forward: Rhinoceros needs a native Linux version.

Yes, building a Linux-native Rhinoceros won’t be easy. The current architecture presents challenges. But the future demands innovation — a version designed from the ground up for Linux, free from the constraints of emulation and Windows dependencies.

This is more than just software evolution. It’s about empowering users, embracing freedom, and pioneering new possibilities. The time for change is now.

Let’s make Rhinoceros on Linux not just a possibility — but a reality.

McNeel, this is a pivotal moment for your company to lead the next frontier in CAD software.

You don’t need to open source Rhinoceros — that’s not the point. What the Linux community needs is a professional, native version of Rhinoceros that runs seamlessly on their platform.

Today, the Linux CAD landscape is sparse and limited — dominated by tools like VariCAD and BRCAD, which leave much to be desired in terms of power, flexibility, and user experience.

By investing in a dedicated Linux version, McNeel would position Rhinoceros as one of the first true professional-grade CAD applications on Linux. This is a rare and extraordinary opportunity to capture an underserved, growing market of innovative engineers, designers, and creators who prefer or require Linux for their work.

Imagine the competitive edge, the brand loyalty, and the expansion potential that come from boldly embracing this challenge.

McNeel, it’s time to rethink, innovate, and lead. The future of CAD on Linux is waiting — and Rhinoceros can and should be at its forefront.

10 Likes