Multimedia And Linux
After just under 3 months with Linux (6 weeks on a virtual machine and 6 weeks as my only operating system), it's time to take stock of how multimedia is working for me on Linux.
Basically, the answer is: Yes, that's possible, but...
At first glance, everything looks good, but unfortunately, the finer details are lacking.
While tinkering is fun at first, at least for me, there comes a point where I just want a program to work—without having to install yet another package.
Details
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Darktable works right out of the box. However, for OpenCL to work, a few additional packages need to be installed. Fortunately, this is described on the Darktable website.
- Even though GIMP has come a long way (especially with PhotoGimp), in my opinion, it still can't hold a candle to Affinity Photo and similar programs.
Here, too, you'll need to install additional packages if, for example, you want to print via Gutenberg or have the interface in German.
- As an alternative, I ended up installing Photoline. However, that only works with the Windows workaround Wine.
- Playing Blu-rays and copy-protected DVDs. Apparently, I have a knack for owning exactly the discs that aren't included in the database that allows for playing such "protected" discs.
So I installed a Blu-ray player under Wine—it doesn’t look quite as great because the interface isn’t displayed in full, but playback works without any problems.
- DVD Management: I installed WinCatalog via Wine here as well. In my opinion, none of the alternatives I found could hold a candle to WinCatalog. Tellico is usable, but the contents of a DVD, for example, are displayed in a completely confusing way in the "disc tree." The folder structure is missing.
- Office: There were no problems there. Softmaker, which I really like, is also available for Linux. And it runs without any further adjustments. That's how I'd like all Linux programs to be.
- OBS Studio: Right out of the box, the camera's performance is, let's just say, very slow. Here, too, you have to do some research until you figure out where to change the settings.
When it comes to plugins, I miss something like XSplit VCam, which lets you remove the background. Background Removal works just “so-so.” - Nvidia graphics drivers: The latest driver available isn't just causing a pitch-black screen for me.
- Streaming: Say goodbye to HD. Amazon Prime is only available in SD—but at least there’s a plugin for Netflix.
Unfortunately, this gets annoying over time—after all, there’s a reason I upgraded my Netflix subscription so I could watch in HD. - Linux is faster: I can't confirm that with my PC. Nor can I confirm that memory usage is lower.
Once you've installed the KDE PIM Suite, that's the end of low memory usage.
- Drivers: Linux recognized all my hardware. However, I'm missing the 7.1 surround sound on my Kraken headset and the convenience of something as simple as Logitech Options.
It's all possible to set up somehow—somehow.
The list could go on and on. Ultimately, with many things, I find myself missing that "just start it and it works" experience.
Finding and fixing problems on the PC is fun, but sometimes I just want to launch a program, work with it, and be satisfied—without having to tweak any settings first.
As much as I love many things about Linux—and Kubuntu in particular—Windows is simply more convenient in many ways.
As much as it pains me.
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Update 2026: Most of the mentioned problems are solved since the article was published. Since 1 year I am a happy Mint user.
Rainer: on 28.01.2024