I believe I know the answer for this, but I will give it a shot. Is there a Linux version of RM?
No, and in the 30+ years of RM and its previous incarnation, Family Origins, has there ever been the slightest indication that RM would release such a beast.
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Speak of the DEVIL! ≡÷þ
Coming in RAD Studio 13.2: A New Generation of Delphi Development for Linux Intel 64-bit – Embarcadero RAD Studio, Delphi, & C++Builder Blogs
~PHEW~
While we are focused on Linux web servers and web services, the new compiler is also going to support Linux client applications development with FMXLinux.
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That just means they won’t have to change their tool chain. Given that there seems to still be some people taking issue with the Mac release, do we really think they are going to try and tackle a Linux version so they have to juggle three variations at once? If I had a mortgage payment, I would probably be willing to bet it that they won’t.
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It would be nice if there was a Linux version. I really don’t care for Windows now days. I’ve converted to Linux for everything except for 3 programs, RM is one. Since Wine, Bottles and Winboat don’t run RM, I’m going to try a Virtual Machine. I agree that Bruce has his hands full with Windows and Mac versions.
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I agree. But with a lot of people jumping ship from Windows. Bruce may have to think about a Linux version.
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It’s weird but my stress level really drops when I get on my Linux laptop. I can feel it. If they don’t want to make a native app, maybe spend some time getting it to work utilizing Wine.
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In July, StatCounter reported that Linux had achieved 4.36% of the global desktop market while macOS achieved 4.48%. Chasing such a small market share with scarce and expensive resources doesn’t seem to be a good idea to me.
I recently switched to Linux. Since I don’t want to have to deal with Windows anymore, I have to use Ancestris. Ancestris doesn’t have as many features as Rootsmagic, but it runs on Linux, so that’s a price I’ll have to pay.
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While Delphi has supported Linux that doesn’t mean all the extensions RM uses work on Linux. My biggest concern with Linux and RM is their staff isn’t really large enough to do the testing on an entire new platform along with all the various distributions Linux has. While Linux desktop has nearly the same customer base as MacOS, that is split across at least a dozen distributions. When you look at the demographics of the average genealogist vs the average Linux desktop user the penetration is even smaller. My mom (born 1923) used macOS, she would have never attempted a Linux install.
Linux is cool for development (I’m using Zorin for some work lately) as ease of use has grown by leaps and bounds of late but until you pick up a Linux laptop and Walmart or Bestbuy and don’t need your developer relative to help you get it running I can’t see most small scale consumer products porting to it because you’re looking at an audience that would fit on a Greyhound.
My post was a bit of an “inside” joke, just funnin’ with kfunk. It was perfectly coincidental timing that Delphi had released that PR news release. There’s generally been doubts for a long time, from regular observers here, that the percentage of Linux genealogy users will ever warrant any real consideration by Bruce as a target platform and the even lower number of highly technical Linux users who might have a go at Wine and other windows compatibility efforts.
The Linux problem ~IS~ exactly as You say, an enigma of sorts, in that it’s mostly and majorly just a kernel that is wrapped in a distribution that is then wrapped in a package manager and accompanying configuration files, with varying degrees of frustration for newbies and journeyman alike… depending on which distribution chosen and the intentions of its particular contributors.