Anyone using Linux/Ubuntu/Dual Boot system with their DAW?

[TimS]

I'm seriously considering running a dual boot system, although Linux/Ubuntu looks pretty good also.
Do any of you guys (or gals) have experience with Linux systems or dual boot setups when using it with DAW?
I'm running Pro Tools 7.4cs4 and have an Intel Quad Core Q6600 2.7GHz system which runs fine, but I'm looking at an OS thats something a little more streamlined and less bloated than Vista (my new machine came with Vista only)
I have had a look around the DUC and there are a few who run these systems and they seem pretty happy.
Just wondering if we have users on this side of the pond who do similar..
Thoughts, ideas anyone...
Tim..

[no-fi]

I have a dual boot system, but it never boots off anything but xp for the last 2 years.... Ubuntu is nice to play around with, but by default has latency issues (kernel isn't realtime enough compared to other distros by default???) and linux has very little in the way of apps.

I know someone who uses a linux install with Ardour for recording and he seems to do well with it, but I like my small collection of VST FX I use. And the few sysex editors I have. And cubase, and ableton live... none of which will work in linux. well.. they may work in some kind of emulation system, but with big hassle.

the real thing with getting an audio computer is the applications you want to run. that's the core thing. the reason you have the computer in your studio. After you worked out what you want to do with a computer to make music, then look for what software will do it, and what OS best supports that software... picking the OS first is kinda backwards.

PS, I don't know first hand, cause I don't use it, but vista seems to be a lot better for audio now. it was at its worst just when it was released, but there's been a lot of fixes apparently. A lot of the old horror stories aren't really applicable anymore. and there's people around the web claiming to be getting acceptable performance from it...

[JulienG]

I've been doing a bit of experimentation with Ardour as apart from my media work I'm Linux only. It's certainly not ready to take down Pro-Tools, but for a lot of the simple stuff it works fine.

The driver situation is a bit sad at the moment, I've done a little bit of work on the FFADO driver for the MOTU and other firewire devices and was able to record 10 channels of 96k audio without a hitch, but it's really a bit of a crapshoot.