Mac v Linux?

[adamt]

I am wondering if there are enough benefits to warrant making the leap from 30+yrs Mac usage to switching to a Linux system to run my Flame. Apples seeming lack of interest in updating the Mac Pro's is pushing me to assess the alternatives.

I have never used anything but Mac, so linux is a scary prospect, but I have heard many anecdotal discussions about the superiority of linux with Flame...

so my question is - are there any real-world examples of just what the difference is between the two os's and how Flame behaves with them?

Is a linux Flame faster for Action, or Rendering?

Can my current stonefs be connected to a linux or does it all have to go through the pain of archiving everything?

Does a licence cost more for use on Linux, or are they all the same regardless of OS these days?

thanks for any insight you may wish to share

adam

[arichards]

Hi Adam, 

I have been on Linux now for just over two years and, although my system is not the latest or most advanced, it still runs rings around my mid 2017 MacBookPro and 2013 MacPro (bin) that we have at the University. My Linux is a z840 with dual k6000 (background reactor, yeah!) with SSD for boot drive and PCI-E SSD for framestore. It copes with larger batch set-ups much easier than my MBP and the extra graphics memory and cuda cores makes it much more responsive with less hangs. 

I too had no experience, really, of Linux before moving my main system across from Mac and, although I am not the greatest fan of the OS itself in comparison to Mac, the software itself is well worth taking that hit. Installing the CentOS and the DKU was relatively transparent and I have a dual boot system which also runs Windows 10.

As I say, my dual K6000 (with 12gb graphics memory) is not the latest and greatest but I've heard really good things about the P6000 (12 or 24gb) in terms of speed-up and some have gone for the gamer card. I also hear the the latest RTX cards are working with 2020 and, hopefully its more advanced features will start to be used by Flame. Imagine if it had Nvidia RTX Arnold integration?! 

As Nvidia moves forward and Apple seem not to be updating to professional graphics standards, and their hardware offerings being overpriced at that, it looks like the gulf is only going to get wider and more notable. Then there's OpenGL worries with Apple coming down the pike. Hopefully Apple do come through and hopefully Autodesk can adjust Flame from OpenGL (or negotiate continuance?) to carry on their mac support,  but if I were to choose a new system now, it would be unequivocally be Linux whatever its lack of Adobe (helped with dual booting Windows) and markedly starker vibe. 

I don't believe there are any pricing differences as far as Linux versus Mac. 

I am not sure about sharing your StoneFS and so hopefully someone can chime in on that. I archived some projects and moved them across via external hard drive.  

Cheers

Tony

[adamt]

Thanks Tony,  very useful info.

fingers crossed i can convince the boss!

adam

[Anonymous]

Hi. Is there a thread somewhere where people are discussing new Mac pro configurations being used for flame?

if so will someone please point me there?

thank you,

billy

[adamt]

there are some discussions in the Facebook Logik group....worth joining up if you are not already a member.

For what its worth, I bought the new Mac Pro in the config recommended by AD - 16core, 32gb ProVega II graphics and huge amounts of ram (I have 224gb!)...it is really impressive.

Was working in action with a bunch of layered files in 3d space, lights, lens flares, matchbox textures and a particle system, and I was working in real time without needing to render! Never seen that before on a Mac.