There’s evidently a demand for a Linux Editor based on this feedback idea . It has 5871 votes and yet it’s still not under review when other feedback ideas with less votes are. Some ideas with less votes have even been completed like the full featured 2d system . Was the full featured 2d system more within the Unity 3d team’s grasp then a Linux editor? I don’t know what the Unity 3d team has to deal with when they decide to add more features for their engine. I’m just a little unsure why they haven’t been able to add this feature.
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The userbase that uses Linux, but refuses to use other operating systems, is quite small. I use Linux, (Ubuntu) but I also maintain systems running Windows and OSX. So long as Linux remains a peripheral install base for general game development users, a Linux port of the Unity IDE is going to be a lower priority.
The recent developments with the Steam OS could potentially start shifting things in the market. A version of Linux specifically targeting games, and with a solid digital marketplace like Steam, could convince more users to start keeping a Linux install around. And a broader Linux user-base could eventually lead to a higher priority for a Linux port of the Unity IDE.
It’s not just “adding a feature”, it’s a port to another OS. That’s a huge undertaking–it’s not just the editor, it’s all the middleware too–and it’s not just a one-time thing, it requires continuous maintenance. The number of votes isn’t necessarily any indication of priority when considering features (particularly in this case where there’s a high likelihood of virtual ballot-stuffing), although I expect it has some influence on their decisions.
–Eric
I didn’t consider virtual ballot-stuffing. Is there any indication of that being the case in the linux feedback idea I mentioned or would it be impossible to tell?
I buy Unity Pro if will be port on linux. PS sorry,my english is bad
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it is a huge task for them, but i would still love to see it eventually. i was hoping it would be out soon before windows xp reaches its end of life support this april, but luckily ive managed to get a windows 7 license when my sister spilled pop all over her laptop.
The absence of Unity IDE on Linux (i.e. Fedora or Ubuntu) is a complete showstopper. Cocos+Blender FTW.
…and let me chip in with my “2c”: I would definitely buy a Linux Pro version.
Isn’t linux that OS where the people that use it automagically become 1000 times more intelligent, can process a command line argument that formats the internet in 3 seconds and qualifies them for the fastest keyboard key tappers the cosmos has ever seen?
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I have always somewhat liked Linux but i feel using it as a primary OS I would miss out on too much windows & OS X software, and when you already have those two on your primary computer there’s little incentive left to justify a third OS.
OpenSuse here and some Windows XP VirtualBox VMs. But Unity in VM sucks.
But now we have UE4 on Linux, so who cares anymore…
Edit:
What I don’t understand is that they have an editor for Mac. OSX is Unix. So how difficult can porting to Linux be? Should be piece of cake. Political reasons (aka goodies from MS)?
Being Unix doesn’t really have much to do with it; OS X is a very different OS compared to Linux. Porting the Unity editor is far from a piece of cake.
–Eric
Depends on how ugly their code is. If Unity Editor WIndows and Unity Editor Mac are basically 2 code bases then yes, it could be hard.
But if Unity is engineered like cross-platform code should be, by using multi-platform libraries like e.g. QT for GUI, then it should be easy. Even without multi-platform libraries, OSX is posix and Linux is posix, so most stuff should just work. Except if they really created native GUIs…
What GUI Toolkit does Unity Editor use?
As Eric said it’s not that easy.
You can safely assume that Unity has a huuuuuuuuuge code base. And a huge code base means a lot of room for problems in this regard.
As much as I’d love them for doing this, I don’t wait for it.
Maybe, maaaaaaaaybe they’ll do it some day. Linux is getting more relevant and there’s no denying that. It’s like every other week a new game gets released/announced for Linux. Unreal4 and CryEngine will have Linux editors. So yeah. I think you just need to be patient. UT isn’t blind after all.
On a side-note:
Epic has handled it best. They gave people the sources and the community does a lot of the heavy lifting. It was a radical move from Epic though, so I don’t blame UT for not doing the same.
Also it’s not just Unity, but all the third-party tools it uses, which may or may not have Linux versions, and they don’t necessarily have source code to do their own ports.
No, that’s…not how it works. I’m in favor of a Linux version of the editor, but you need to have a realistic idea of what’s actually involved in a port.
–Eric
Yes. 