this post was submitted on 21 Apr 2025

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112

Petition: Bring the Affinity Suite to Linux - Please sign it! (www.change.org)

submitted 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago) by Novocirab@feddit.org to c/technology@beehaw.org

32 comments fedilink hide all child comments

We are currently seeing a huge increase in people considering to install Linux because of the actions of both Microsoft and the autocratic U.S. government. Among these people are many who rely on creative software by Adobe or other companies, for which there is no comparable alternative with Linux support. If we can convince Affinity to provide Linux support for their programs (Designer, Photo, Publisher), a lot more people will likely ditch Windows, and a lot of people who are already using Linux will get easy access to powerful (one-time payment) creative software.

#AffinityOnLinux

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[–] Ignatz@beehaw.org 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I used to use Adobe applications and have found decent alternatives for Photoshop (GIMP), Illustrator (Inkscape), and Premiere Pro (KdenLive) that run on Ubuntu.

Among those, Kdenlive probably measures up the worst to its Adobe counterpart. I am happy with it as an NLE, but I can't deny that Premiere Pro is quite a bit more useable and powerful. The new interfaces do take some getting used to, but they are all excellent tools in their own rights.

[–] Ignatz@beehaw.org 1 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

I also like Darktable for photo editing and used Audacity over Adobe Audition even when I had an Adobe sub.

[–] ArkyonVeil@lemmy.dbzer0.com 5 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Sigh, it would be nice to have this petition before Affinity sold their soul to Canva. Oh well.

[–] shirro@aussie.zone 3 points 3 days ago

Yep. This is a waste of time. Canva are just another US VC backed SaaS company despite their Australian origins. An affinity suite port would have been interesting under the previous UK ownership.

[+] space_iio@sopuli.xyz 12 points 4 days ago (7 children)

[removed by mod]

[–] Novocirab@feddit.org 46 points 4 days ago (1 children)

People with your attitude are a significant reason why people decide against Linux. It's doing Microsoft a service.

[–] space_iio@sopuli.xyz 9 points 4 days ago (4 children)

and people like me are why Linux has even gotten to where it's at today.

Consumers don't make software, developers do.

[–] dfyx@lemmy.helios42.de 24 points 4 days ago

Well, are you a developer?

I am. I have written software, both open source and commercial, for almost twenty years now and the most important lesson I have learned in that time is that developers alone don’t write good software. You need to listen to UI/UX experts, testers and user feedback to make something that people actually want to use.

[–] samwise_gamgee@beehaw.org 18 points 4 days ago

Developers don't have to be so arrogant. In fact stuff like this pushes other developers away too.

Not to mention from what I've heard GIMP just doesn't compare to the paid options for professional work.

[–] Radiant_sir_radiant@beehaw.org 7 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago)

and people like me are why Linux has even gotten to where it’s at today.

Not true. There are tons of nice developers out there. And I for one wouldn't want to work in a team where an attitude like yours is prevalent.

[–] nimble@lemmy.blahaj.zone 8 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Developers make software because they want to, or because they are paid to.

Consumers can use free software because it fits their needs, or they can pay for software if the free options don't suffice.

Consumer demand for paid software drives paid software development.

You claim to be an open source developer, cool. There are people who are not developers who can't contribute code but still want software. Sometimes that software needs to be paid because some free options aren't "there" yet. Yes they could pay or donate to open source developers, but they can also tell a company they want to pay for linux software which is what this thread is about, in a community that isn't focused on open source software

[–] Ebby@lemmy.ssba.com 5 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago)

Your comment made me realize I'm (and I'm sure I'm not alone) sort of the problem with Linux.

Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love the massive community of tools and programs out there like free open source software. But I've never actually bought anything for a Linux system with one exception: Debian in a box, on a CD for like, $15.

Buuuut, I have bought FOSS, games, and utilities for Mac and Windows that started as Linux apps and work on my new system.

I guess there is a mindset of get something free to suffice with Linux systems rather than pay for polished apps, and I totally get that thrill, but is there business to be made in this market, or a sunk cost at the end of the year.

I'd really like to see the app, and it takes bold risks to populate this platform, and there's certainly pushback, but that's also what separates Linux from windows. No point in having a machine if there are gaps in workflow or utility.

[–] Kichae@lemmy.ca 31 points 4 days ago

Remember, boys and girls, Steam bringing its monopoly to Linux is a victory, but wanting literally any other closed source software is "pathetic".

Yet another reminder that the worst thing about Linux is its users.

[–] nimble@lemmy.blahaj.zone 19 points 4 days ago

To play devils advocate: please name me an entire open source list of alternatives for each part of affinity studio/adobe suite.

For bonus points, all programs should be mutually agreed by other people as "the best not Adobe" and for extra extra points, they should all be part of a studio package for ease of installation for creatives

Now if someone made these demands in an open source thread they'd probably get a new asshole ripped open for being entitled with such requirements for free software. Instead, someone is saying they'd pay for affinity Linux software that meets this criteria but youre telling them to use open source which is not helpful.

Don't get me wrong, open source is great. I do use gimp but i still need alternatives to affinity studio and it would've made moving to Linux much easier if i could use affinity on Linux.

[–] Virkkunen@fedia.io 8 points 4 days ago

If you ever used Affinity/Adobe products and GIMP on any capacity over just trying to crop an image, you'd never say something like this. GIMP, despite its 3.0 release, is still decades behind those other programs.

GIMP feels like it's made by software engineers for software engineers, trying to play catch up with the other softwares available that were made with designers and artists in mind.

[–] dfyx@lemmy.helios42.de 12 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago) (1 children)

I tried again and again to do the things I need to do with gimp but it still lacks many features and the ones it does have are hard to use. Sometimes it’s not about ideology but about needing to get shit done.

[–] IceFoxX@lemm.ee 3 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Tried Gimp 3.0?

[–] dfyx@lemmy.helios42.de 4 points 4 days ago (2 children)

Just for maybe an hour or so, haven’t had time for more. It seems a bit better but still too different from everything else to assume people can „just“ use it instead of the solution they are familiar with.

Gimp really needs the kind of in-depth UI/UX redesign that blender got with 2.8.

[–] mtchristo@lemm.ee 4 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Don't try to do client work bound to a deadline on gimp. Because the stress will make you close gimp at the simplest inconvenience. That's what happened to me. But trying to work with it on my free time. And installing the photogimp addon helped alot. Gimp still has a long way to go.

[–] dfyx@lemmy.helios42.de 1 points 4 days ago (1 children)

So what do I do when I need to get something done on a deadline? VM? Dualboot? Just give up?

Please don't interpret that as an attack, it's a serious question. I would love to fully move to linux. I've put Arch on my laptop about a month ago as an experiment and overall it works great. But every time I need to be productive, I hit a wall. Especially with photo editing but even for software development (mostly C# and C++), Windows 10 + WSL feels like the better choice.

[–] mtchristo@lemm.ee 1 points 4 days ago

My comment wasn't about specifically using gimp on Linux and dumping Mac and windows. But just about how to getting used to gimp in general.

Linux is still lacking many other professional grade software so even you find a PS replacement on linux. Other software problems might pop up.

[–] IceFoxX@lemm.ee 2 points 4 days ago

I had only read that there were changes under the hood and also in the UI/UX. I hadn't tested it yet and thought I'd just ask. It could have been that you had also only used the older versions and now there might have been changes.

[–] Radiant_sir_radiant@beehaw.org 4 points 4 days ago (1 children)

You know, downcasting and/or insulting people just because they don't live up to your personal standards is a pretty shitty thing to do.

[–] renard_roux@beehaw.org 1 points 3 days ago

Also, guessing their standard is pretty low if Gimp does the job — at least from a professional standard. There's not much of a comparison.

[–] Prandom_returns@lemm.ee 3 points 4 days ago

Gimp is a pile of garbage, please don't recommend people use it.

It needs a full rewrite (preferably by others) for it to function like a modern digital image editor.

The name is just a nugget on the shitpile.

[–] Ebby@lemmy.ssba.com 12 points 4 days ago

What a coinci-dink. I just installed Ubuntu last week on a new mini computer. I like how easy it's gotten over the past decade and pretty polished.

I still had to break out the terminal to install some utilities and programs, so that'll exclude 90% of my family, and if something goes wrong, I couldn't offer phone support.

But I do use Affinity and think it would be at home on Linux.

[–] Midnitte@beehaw.org 10 points 4 days ago

This plus Fusion would be amazing.

[–] irvinefantasyno@beehaw.org 2 points 3 days ago

Oh, hell yes!

[–] along_the_road@beehaw.org 3 points 4 days ago (1 children)

That would be lovely. One of the things holding up back linux is lack of good creative software. For example things like video editing or image post processing.

[–] dfyx@lemmy.helios42.de 7 points 4 days ago (2 children)

For video editing I would highly recommend DaVinci Resolve. So far I've only used it on Windows because I haven't had any need for it since my switch but it's available for Linux as well.

[–] shirro@aussie.zone 1 points 2 days ago

An additional benefit is DaVinci Resolve is Aussie owned (Blackmagic Design from Melbourne Australia) which is great for people outside the US looking to decrease their dependence on US owned products and services.

I am more than happy with kdenlive for my video editing needs but I don't edit video professionally.

[–] renard_roux@beehaw.org 2 points 3 days ago

Seconded.

[–] jarfil@beehaw.org 1 points 3 days ago

one-time payment

Is Canva going to keep that? In the purchase announcement, they stated that their plan was to add the features of Affinity to Canva, which only has a subscription option.

rely on creative software by Adobe or other companies, for which there is no comparable alternative with Linux support

Corel has comparable features with a single purchase option. Too bad they removed the Linux version.

As for alternatives, Krita, Inkscape, or Blender, are not a 1:1 equivalent, but include features that Adobe is missing. When I used to do visual stuff, they were a good set of tools to complement an Adobe subscription.

How does Affinity compare to that?