If it were really that easy, we'd probably see a lot more commercial software shipping native Linux builds. The reality suggests there's more to it than "just ask ChatGPT." As someone who develops cross-platform software, this matches my own experience. And if you were a professional developer, you'd already know the development and maintenance overhead involved in a Linux port.cor_corax wrote: ↑Wed Jul 22, 2026 10:22 pmas a non-hobby developer.Katmata wrote: ↑Tue Jul 14, 2026 5:34 amAs a hobbyist Programmer I can tell you that when it comes to cross-plattform compatibility X-Systems are awfully complicated.
Just setting up the GUI will drive some developer crazy, since you can have many different Window-Manager on Linux.
And in the case of FL they probably need to figure things out about the kernel as well, that's a really big chunk of work so I can relate with IL that they try to avoid the box of Pandora.
The general rule of thumb is:
1) Windows is a charm
2) OSX break your stuff constantly
3) X doesn't do the things you want until you make them happen
1) windows is a charm - :shrug:
2) os x break your stuff? not really... no.
3) x doesnt do the things you want until you make them happen - true of all platforms... x is being phased out for wayland anyhow.... but whatever....
at this point, if you cant figure it out with chat gpt and a text editor.... you arent a developer at all. its really not that complicated. there are some things you have to pay attention to... bugs you'll have to hunt down etc. its not the monster you are drawing at all tho. the beauty of it is.... even if you are an idiot, you can install a llm coding partner right in your ide and just have it point to where the issues are for you. really a 10 year old can do it now.
and dont get me wrong, as someone who has been coding for damned near 45 years.... you dont NEED that to pull it off... but its right there and real easy if you want to get the work done and not jabber about how hard it is.
AI certainly lowers the barrier to entry, but it doesn't eliminate platform-specific testing, packaging, distribution, ABI compatibility, or supporting users across dozens of distributions. Those are exactly the parts that cost companies time and money. It's not that these problems aren't solvable, but they represent a significant overhead that has to be incurred before a product can even be shipped.
I said this elsewhere already: ChatGPT estimated the effort to port FL Studio to Linux at roughly 15 to 45 man-years. That translates into millions of dollars in engineering costs, which is a very realistic estimate. Just look at how long the macOS port took.