AutoCAD on Linux

[Anonymous]

Dear AutoCAD forum,
we try to find a way to install AutoCAD under Linux in our enterprise. The best known possibility to install Windows porgramms in Linux seems to be Wine.
We have tried out different versions of Wine as well as from AutoCAD, however, we always had the problem that during the installation process the setup window has always shut right in the middle, although the installation was not finished yet, or that the setup has got stuck with about one third.
Did somebody already have the same problem and if so has somebody solved it?

Yours sincerely

Lukas Seim

[RelayControls]

This is a chicken & egg situation for a lot of users, Autodesk is the ONLY thing tying my business to windows and we would be very glad to be out from under microsofts control, especially with the OS development direction they have been heading in (removal of features, increasing data colleciton & privacy issues, insertion of advertising into a paid product, etc.). 

If autodesk supported linux we would be on a linux distro tomorrow & therfore increased marketshare. Microsofts stranglehold on the business market is tied to their weight in discouraging software devs from bothering to develop for alternative options.

[RobRocks]

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@RelayControls wrote:

Microsofts stranglehold on the business market is tied to their weight in discouraging software devs from bothering to develop for alternative options.

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More likely is that the market for those alternatives is too small to make it cost effective.

Have you had a look at what they offered for AutoCAD for MAC? Be careful what you ask for.

[pendean]

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@RelayControls wrote:

...Autodesk is the ONLY thing tying my business to windows...

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Why not explore other options is that is truly a problem for your needs? 

https://www.google.com/search?q=cad+for+linux

https://www.google.com/search?q=cad+for+MacOS

https://www.google.com/search?q=cloud-based+CAD+software 

[RelayControls]

Yes we have looked into CAD alternatives, however we have invested a lot of time setting up databases, templates & blocks for use in the Autocad electrical product. Rebuilding these and re-training in other software is not a cost effective option for us.

[pendean]

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@RelayControls wrote:

Yes we have looked into CAD alternatives... is not a cost effective option for us.

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Just like you don't want to move away from their software for those reasons, they don't want to move away from Windows for the same reasons. Amazing how all for-profit businesses think alike when it comes to "cost effectiveness", isn't it.

To summarize: I suspect you are 100% out of luck expecting LINUX to be adopted by Autodesk for AutoCAD (and especially marginalized ELECTIRCAL) anytime soon to affect your business line. Sorry.

[genethesurveyor]

Gentlemen, I have been a user of AutoCAD since ACAD 10, as a Land Surveyor. Of course the machines we used have been Windows based hardware. Now it has been brought to my attention that Windows 11, has a built in spyware section which takes a screen shot every 3 to 5 seconds and stores this information on your computer where hackers can gain access to your proprietary information and steel your companies work. As a consequence, I have decided to abandon any use of the Windows platform and move on to Linux Mint. I am in the process of changing all my software over to the Linux system. Any help you can provide me to get my AutoCAD software to work on Linux would be greatly appreciated. Thank You

[Tomislav.Golubovic]

That is a pretty extreme train of thought, it may or may not be true, and it could be turned off

https://www.theverge.com/2024/6/7/24173499/microsoft-windows-recall-response-security-concerns

[RSomppi]

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@genethesurveyor wrote:

Now it has been brought to my attention that Windows 11, has a built in spyware section which takes a screen shot every 3 to 5 seconds and stores this information on your computer where hackers can gain access to your proprietary information and steel your companies work. 

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If that is true, Microsoft has a pretty big legal problem on their hands. I would tend not believe it.

[pendean]

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@genethesurveyor wrote:

...Any help you can provide me to get my AutoCAD software to work on Linux...

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https://www.autodesk.com/support/technical/article/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticles/AutoCAD-and-vertic...

So...

https://www.zdnet.com/article/how-to-run-a-windows-app-on-linux-with-wine/ 

https://www.pcworld.com/article/2091356/how-to-use-windows-software-in-linux.html 

OR...

BUT...

[stroudmcdermott]

https://www.tomshardware.com/software/linux/linux-market-share-approaching-45-for-first-time-could-h...

:). @TerryDotson Linux is on target to meet that benchmark by early next year. Were you serious about consideration of support?

If you were, I think you will find there are members of the Linux community who are willing to help with the lift to get an initial release or beta out, if you were to publish a road-map of necessary technical hurdles to be overcome.

Feel free to PM me to discuss further.

[pendean]

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@stroudmcdermott wrote:

....Linux is ....

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AutoCAD on LINUX has been around for quite some time, here are the two ways you get to use them

https://www.autodesk.com/products/autocad-web/overview?term=1-YEAR&tab=subscription

Don't like those options? Prefer old-school installed software on hardware at your desk? Then tell Autodesk all about it, these forums are not the way, all you are doing here is pointless ranting. The more colleagues and true/actual subscribing AutoCAD users that you can convince to ask for this exact need as you do the more likely it will get noticed.
https://www.autodesk.com/support/technical/article/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticles/Feedback-to-Autode... 

Best wishes.

[mdpape]

genethesurveyor, I am a 30+ year autodesk user that has abandon the windows platform and have both LinuxMint and Mac, ARES Commander is a multi-platform 2D/3D CAD software program at a fraction of the cost of Autodesk with almost no learning curve.

[genethesurveyor]

Thanks for the indo. Does Aries load with the Linux system or do you go to their web site to download it? Also does it read DWG files?

[mdpape]

Ares Commander is a native dwg based cad software that installs directly on your computer.

https://www.graebert.com/cad-software/ares-commander/

[volvorod]

It is 2025 now.

It is time for a Linux version of Autocad.

Have Autodesk heard that many EU-connected countries are switching to - Linux..?

https://www.google.com/search?q=which+eu-countries+are+switching+from+windows+to+linux&sca_esv=75ee9...

[pendean]

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@volvorod wrote:

It is 2025 now...

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https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/autocad-forum/autocad-on-linux/td-p/7927396#M183617 

[theblackspartan254]

I also tried other softwares like ashampoo cad and still after installing all the tabs are blank and the menu bar is also blank can't be used these softwares are windows dependent.

[adamcralle]

2025 runs great on a winboat vm running on kubuntu.  

[stork91]

AutoCAD, as well as I believe all of the AutoDesk programs offered, uses OpenGL. Meaning that they would not only work in Linux, they might even work better in Linux.

Web deployments of any software sucks. Web deployment of a program that uses LISP routines and thus cannot in a browser is dumb.

AutoDesk might not want to release a Linux version, but Proton likely already runs it well, and I'm tempted to try on my Linux machine this weekend just for fun.

P.S. Steam hardware survey has had Linux above MAC OS for nearly a decade, and windows has lost nearly a full point Linux in the past 3mo. This is happening. Many companies have security concerns, copyright concerns, and hate Copilot.

[tstorzuk]

With the planned Windows 12 forced subscription that's coming, many companies are going to drop Windows permanently. I'd suggest that AutoDESK start on porting this ASAP.