ronin-on-linux

A 3D Artist's Comprehensive Guide to Linux (NVIDIA)

5 min read

Getting Started

My goal for this page is to unify all the Obsidian notes that I have created for Linux while setting up and troubleshooting my own creative workstation to hopefully reduce the friction it takes for 3D Artists, Video Editors and Photographers to get back into their creative flow.

Keep in mind these notes are based on my own experience, yours may vary.

Did You Know Linux is a VFX Industry Standard?

See the VFX Reference Platform Surveys from 2021 and 2024 to get a glimpse into the percentage of studios that use Linux, and what they are using.

What Linux Distro Should You Start With?

There is an endless amount of good reasons to pick ANY of the many Linux Distros, and I do recommend trying a few out on your own.

To make it easy for you, I say 3D Artists should try one of the two options below first.

%%{init: {"themeVariables": {"fontSize": ".9rem"}}}%%

graph LR

classDef grey stroke:#5F5E5A
classDef blue stroke:#185FA5

A([Linux])
B{Want<br/>Modern<br/>or Stable?}
C([Studio/Long Term Support])
D([Modern/Gaming/Bleeding Edge])
F([AlmaLimux 9])
E([CachyOS])

A --> B
B --> D
B --> C
C --> F
D --> E

class A,B grey
class E,F blue
CachyOS ISO Download Desktop Edition - DirectAlmaLinux 9 - KDE LIVE ISO Download (Scroll Down to Live Media and Download KDE) (Don’t Accidentally Download AlmaLinux 10)
https://cachyos.org/download/https://almalinux.org/get-almalinux/#Live_Media-x86_64-9

How to Install Linux?

See your corresponding guides for whichever one of the two distros you chose from above.

Why these distros?

If you want to see my reasoning for why I recommend these distros to 3D Artists over others, there is a quick summary under each index link above.

If you want to try something else out instead, Linux Mint, Fedora or Ubuntu LTS are great starting places. In fact, please do, but know there will be less documentation on this site to help you.

What Software Works on Linux? Alternatives?

Common Creative Software Native to Linux:

BlenderDaVinci ResolveDaVinci Resolve Studio
HoudiniAdobe Substance PainterAdobe Substance Designer
Nuke & MariUnreal Engine 5Unity
Affinity on Linux (Wine)KritaMaya
DJV (EXR Sequence Viewer)VS Code & VS Codium3dsMax
OBS StudioSteam (Games)Gaffer
Slack, Discord, MatrixObsidianWeb Browsers

See Linux Software Alternatives to view Alternatives if you do not see your software in the above list.

Other Useful Resources

Blender

  1. Blender File Locations on Linux
  2. Motion Blur Fix in Blender while Using Shape Keys
  3. (Uncommon) Blender Denoising Glitch Fix on Linux

DaVinci Resolve

  1. My Full DaVinci Resolve 3D, VFX & Color Grading Pipeline
  2. Simple 3D Colorspace Transform Guide for DaVinci Resolve
  3. Export to External Drives in DaVinci Resolve on Linux

Linux Apps, System and Customization

  1. Fastfetch Customization
  2. Package Manager
  3. Common Package List for Linux Installs
  4. CachyOS - 1.2 Setting Up Wacom Tablet and Stylus on Cinnamon - Most Desktop Environments do this for you in the settings. Mine just broke and its always good to know the workarounds.
  5. LocalSend - Fix firewall so you can send to other devices/devices not detected.
  6. Download ISO and Create Bootable USB

Files and Compatibility

  1. HEIF Image Compatibility on Linux
  2. Convert HEIF or HEIC to PNG on Linux - Because way to many of us have iPhones with the proprietary image formats.

My Favorite Writing/Storytelling Resource

(Best 45 Minutes of Writing Advice I’ve Ever Heard.)

  1. How Craig Mazin writes a movie | Scriptnotes Classic (Full Episode)

Be Honest with Yourself

Be very honest with yourself about your needs and interests. What software and workflow changes you are willing to make and what you are not willing to sacrifice to gain whatever attracts you to Linux?

Why did I Make this Resource, and Why Linux?

Near the end of 2025 a Windows update broke my installation during an important client project. After weeks of troubleshooting with no success, something needed to happen. I’ve always been a Linux enthusiast, so I decided it was time to try Linux in production.

Switching to Linux always involves a bit of a learning curve. Whether you are here because you are just curious about Linux as a hobby or because you are serious about adopting it, my hope is this documentation can help you troubleshoot a range of issues that I ran into along the way, because very often the issues you encounter are just a matter of knowing.

Why is there NOT instructions for AMD GPU users?

Because I do not own any AMD hardware, so it would be unfair for me to instruct users on how to use hardware that I haven’t thoroughly tested my workflows myself - especially since AMD vs NVIDIA does change a few things on Linux/Open Source. I apologize and hope to be able to add the AMD instruction set to this documentation as soon as possible.

How did I make this website?

Maybe you want to host your own obsidian notes on github. I found Isak’s video very helpful attached below! I also used the Quartz v5 documentation. https://quartz.jzhao.xyz/

Graph View