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Does Flexi 10 work on Linux?
- Thread starter BryWY
- Start date
WildWestDesigns
Active Member
If wanting native on Linux, have to go with Caldera (but be aware which distros that they officially support).
If dead set on trying to run Flexi on Linux, your best bet is to try to see how it handles via VM, but make sure your computer has enough resources to essentially be running two OSs at the same time. But will still be reliant on Windows in the end. Now the nice thing about Linux as a host is that there are plenty of DEs to get the host requirement down to allow for more resources to go to the guest. Depending on what connections that Flexi needs to talk with everything, that could be a bummer going through a VM (it may work, just take some time to set everything up).
Now, if don't want to run a VM, the next best option is to use WINE (compatibility layer, translates Windows sys calls to POSIX ones). However, there is a big caveat with this, it tends to do well with older versions of software (not all the time, depends on how motivated people are and have to work on a particular software) and certainly not niche ones (which Flexi is). Because this isn't using a hypervisor or an emulator, the performance hit is almost nonexistent. The reason I don't have this labeled at the top is because it may not have workable compatibility with such a niche software such as Flexi. But it's performances would still be better compared to straight emulation.
Emulation would be the last option (some will say vm/emulation interchangeably and they are not, there are significant differences between the two and those also translate into performances hits (or not)). I wouldn't even go this route. I mention it, because it may be possible to get a working solution still, but performance will be a drag.
If dead set on trying to run Flexi on Linux, your best bet is to try to see how it handles via VM, but make sure your computer has enough resources to essentially be running two OSs at the same time. But will still be reliant on Windows in the end. Now the nice thing about Linux as a host is that there are plenty of DEs to get the host requirement down to allow for more resources to go to the guest. Depending on what connections that Flexi needs to talk with everything, that could be a bummer going through a VM (it may work, just take some time to set everything up).
Now, if don't want to run a VM, the next best option is to use WINE (compatibility layer, translates Windows sys calls to POSIX ones). However, there is a big caveat with this, it tends to do well with older versions of software (not all the time, depends on how motivated people are and have to work on a particular software) and certainly not niche ones (which Flexi is). Because this isn't using a hypervisor or an emulator, the performance hit is almost nonexistent. The reason I don't have this labeled at the top is because it may not have workable compatibility with such a niche software such as Flexi. But it's performances would still be better compared to straight emulation.
Emulation would be the last option (some will say vm/emulation interchangeably and they are not, there are significant differences between the two and those also translate into performances hits (or not)). I wouldn't even go this route. I mention it, because it may be possible to get a working solution still, but performance will be a drag.
FrankW
New Member
Aurelon Printfactory has a Linux-Version too (besides Mac and Windows).
correct!
and altheough i almost always agree with what wild west design posts, and even though i often suggest running something as a vm, i don't interpret the original question as: can i simultaniously run linux and windows, i would really like to complicate my operating environment!
WildWestDesigns
Active Member
If "dead set" on running Flexi on Linux, I mentioned the VM and in this case may be the best answer to have Linux as a host and Windows as a Guest (could also hinder the telemetry a lot easier as well, just deny WAN and is enough to still have LAN for the printers).
However, to avoid that issue of hardware resources, WINE would have been the best possible method, but just don't know the compatibility of Flexi 10 as 8.1 was the only one that I could find. There would be very little difference between a truly native client and using this compatibility layer to handle it. It's akin to Rosetta on Mac (Mac does have a commercial version of WINE available for it, but I digress), but that only handles different arches on the same OS (x86_64 on M1 mac programs etc) (which WINE can do that as well, how people have gotten GIMP and Inkscape to run on Android).
However, the reason why it wasn't on top is due to what I saw attached. That's the only testing that has been done and it doesn't apply to Flexi 10.
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WildWestDesigns
Active Member
Truly native or Electron based? I couldn't find any specs for individual OS setups, just that it was compatible on all three and I get leary with Linux support nowadays as most have gone the Electron route and while that does get the program on Linux, it's not always the best (although some are able mitigate that) on resources, because it isn't truly native (I really wish that they would just go with Webview at that point, but I digress).
FrankW
New Member
It looks like that they don´t promote it officially, but I have heard it from a Printfactory supporter, and I have seen a Linux-Download after logging in on a linux PC.
WildWestDesigns
Active Member
That's a little disconcerting.