How to run Adobe Software on Linux

[dimitrise18775767]

Hey guys, sorry to bother you. I am switching to Linux basically due to Software development limitation on Windows. Apart from a developer, I am also a Designer. I would like to take Illustrator and Adobe xD along with me, but it appears short of running VMs there is no other solution.

So, my Question is: How to create a VM on Ubuntu 18.04, and have it run an OS that supports Adobe. Just an article that is sufficient to a Linux beginner would be fine.

Suggestion: Truth is, I decided to start switching to Figma for Web Design and their Online Tool in the Browser since Figma is on the cloud. IMHO, and don't get offended but Figma is more feature rich than Xd. That being said still Xd interactions are much more fluid for some weird reason. So my suggestion is to make all your apps Browser based.

Thanks for your time.

[Abambo]

dimitrise18775767  wrote

So, my Question is: How to create a VM on Ubuntu 18.04, and have it run an OS that supports Adobe.

I would suggest to ask this question an Ubuntu guru! Your option of OS will be quite limited to Windows as MacOS needs Apple hardware...

Discussion successfully moved from Creative Suites to The Lounge

[Brian Stoppee]

dimitrise18775767  wrote

I would like to take Illustrator and Adobe xD along with me, but it appears short of running VMs there is no other solution.

This is not a new question. I have heard this going back more than 20 years.

There was a time when Adobe offered Illustrator and Photoshop for Linux. When we were doing work for NBC News, it was on their weather content computers, which were Linux based. Janet & I demonstrated a few things to the people who created weather graphics. But, everyone was used to their Macs and Windows machines so it got no use.

I have a feeling that Adobe discovered that the investment they had to make in the Windows and Mac platforms had to be their focus because the Linux platform was not well received.

If anyone has had any success in getting a Windows version of Adobe apps to run in Linux, I have not heard of it working. That's not to say that it cannot be done, Janet & I have just never heard of any success stories.

We have talked to some very smart IT people who do high level security for government and monster media firms and have shared some thoughts on how something like this could be done, including running macOS on Linux. But, it's all "hackathon" kind of things and nothing anyone would use in a production environment.

[Abambo]

Photoshop 3 was running under Irix, sgi’s Unix.

[defaulta437jz59ac7i]

Is that Photoshop 3, or Photoshop CS3?

[Ussnorway]

XD will not run on Linux

I would keep Windows 10 and run Linux on a seperate boot hdd... if you don't know anything about systems then the safe option is to remove the Windows drive from the system and replace it with a cheap hdd to install your Linux then reswap | connect the Windows as needed

p.s, a V-anything will not perform the same as physically booted software so is pointless for development testing anyway... the same as you don't know how a website will look until you put it on the web, local machine testing is only a 50% true outcome mate

[Erik_Lord]

Would an option not be to setup a Linux VM under a top-level Windows install? Pretty sure I've read that's possible with HyperV...

[Ussnorway]

yes its possible to run Linux (or whatever else) inside Hyper-v but Hyper-v does not access the G-card and so is not a true development test if the grapthics are needed + swapping in a new hdd is the simple option for people new to computers... you can't bugger up your Windows system if it is sitting in a desk away from the computer

[MarekMularczyk]

You have a few options:

• you can run a Virtual Windows on your Linux
• install WINE on Linux, which allows you to run some Adobe software

WineHQ - Wine Application Database

Here's current support for Illustrator:

WineHQ - Adobe Illustrator

[vsemecky]

I tried many options (VM, Wine), but I always returned to the only one that worked for me: Windows on a second partition (or second drive).

PS to Adobe: I don't understand why it is such a problem to make Adobe sofware also for Linux.

[Peru Bob · Accepted solution]

 I don't understand why it is such a problem to make Adobe sofware also for Linux.

By @vsemecky

See the reply by Dov Isaacs, former Adobe Principal Scientist (April 30, 1990 - May 30, 2021) here:

https://community.adobe.com/t5/the-lounge-discussions/waiting-for-linux-native-softwares-cloud-on-li...

[Nancy OShea]

I don't understand why it's such a problem for people to use Windows or Mac as required in the specifications. 🙄

Creative Cloud apps work on:

• Windows 11, Windows 10 versions 21H2, 21H1, 20H2, 2004, and 1909 (LTSB branches are not supported;)
• macOS 12 (Monterey), macOS 11 (Big Sur), macOS 10.16 or 10.15 (Catalina).
• And a variety of mobile devices (Android, iPhone, iPad, Windows...).

- https://helpx.adobe.com/creative-cloud/system-requirements.html

If you want to use a Linux enivironment, get Linux compatible apps.   Simple, simple.

[Abambo]

PS to Adobe: I don't understand why it is such a problem to make Adobe sofware also for Linux.

By @vsemecky

If you are a developer, you will understand the complexity of the task.

[ScottNailon]

I can say with confidence that if Adobe bought out a Linux version compatible with Ubuntu I would actually move away from Apple to Ubuntu. And considering the fact I am hearing whispers of Windows moving its foundation over to a POSIX foundation soon anyway I would say Adobe better get ahead of it all.

I spend over $100 per month with Adobe right now for what I use and am looking for alternatives that are cheaper and platform-neutral. I am totally over software companies choosing my foundations for me - also getting a bit over the billing levels too personally. There are plenty of Cloud-Based alternatives out there now which give many of the features I use but through a browser.

I think that if Adobe doesn't put its finger BACK on the pulse soon they are going to suddenly lose a massive slice of the market share they have worked so hard to get.

[Nancy OShea]

@ScottNailon,

You said it yourself. Platform agnostic apps are the future. 

Before long it won't matter which OS we have.  We'll be accessing all our apps online from our web browsers.

In the meantime, Adobe has these web-based apps & services available right now:

• Acrobat PDF,
• Lightroom CC,
• Premium Adobe Express,
• Portfolio,
• Behance,
• Adobe Fonts,
• and more...  🙂

Online APIs are improving all the time and limited only by what browsers can do today.  Rome wasn't built in a day and neither was the Internet.  Eventually, the apps we use will get there but it will take some time.

[Abambo]

I can say with confidence that if Adobe bought out a Linux version compatible with Ubuntu I would actually move away from Apple to Ubuntu. And considering the fact I am hearing whispers of Windows moving its foundation over to a POSIX foundation soon anyway I would say Adobe better get ahead of it all.

By @ScottNailon

Sorry, but you are late to the party: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_POSIX_subsystem

And if you are there: macOS is based on a BSD UNIX, and macOS is probably more UNIX than Windows. https://www.linuxandubuntu.com/home/difference-between-linux-kernel-mac-kernel

To implement and support a platform, you really need to have the user base. On LINUX (desktop), you do not have the user base. That's a fact, still today. And as a side note: having a user base on LINUX would not lower the price of the Adobe products. So, you would even on LINUX need to spend your $60 on Creative Cloud all apps. If you are spending $100/month, you are using plenty of Adobe products.

All software enterprise is currently migration more and more applications to the web, which will lead to other problems. Servers in the cloud will take over more and more of the processing.

And my last: UNIX (LINUX) is not platform neutral. It's even not exactly neutral on the flavour of LINUX you use. LINUX is just open source, so if it pleases you, you can work yourself on building your own LINUX.

[Sergey30314706l2mb]

I use Ubuntu 20.04 and easy installed using this guide - https://www.imaginelinux.com/install-adobe-acrobat-reader-ubuntu/