Forum Discussion

Corbb's avatar
Corbb
Honored Guest
4 years ago

Linux Support???

I'm really disappointed that I wasted $400 on a Rift S just for it to become a paper-weight since I don't want to use Windows on my computer. I have no clue why a multi-billion dollar company can't afford to support more than one operating system.

I'm by no means expecting perfect support with no performance issues or hiccups on the less popular OS's, but having the headset be COMPLETELY UNUSABLE is not at all excusable. Just let me use the headset, and I'll do the optimizing myself. It's pretty embarrassing that Valve, a company valued at $8 billion, can comfortably support Linux and Windows almost flawlessly on their headsets, but Oculus, which is owned by Meta, a company valued at $572 billion can only support Windows.

I understand the tone may seem harsh, but as someone who spent $400 dollars on the thing, I should have the right to use it on whatever computer I see fit even with less than desirable performance.

28 Replies

  • Anonymous's avatar
    Anonymous
    4 years ago

    I couldn't understand this either. I think it has a lot to do with the audience they target on Facebook, Windows/Mac/phones.

     

    A multi boot to an alternate Linux environment option would be very useful here.

     

    Linux has Steam, and it should also have Oculus!

  • user_901925786032222's avatar
    user_901925786032222
    Expert Consultant
    4 years ago

    The biggest userbase for PC gaming is Windows and it's not as if Oculus / Meta can even get Windows 11 support working at the moment. How many Linux distributions would they have to support?

    • Anonymous's avatar
      Anonymous
      4 years ago

      All of them!

       

      I don’t care what that means…

       

      I highly doubt they couldn’t if they wanted to, and I highly suspect that them ignoring the latter is completely intentional, for whatever completely transparent interior motive they may have with this metaverse agenda.

       

      Oh well, I see it coming either way, in shiny colors, within the next few years.

       

       

    • MadScientist_42's avatar
      MadScientist_42
      Protege
      3 years ago

      Considering that there's less differences in behaviors with Linux distributions such that I was able to ship for 30 differing distributions, supporting 32 and 64 birs back when I was part of the Humble Indie Bundle #2 group...I consider the take there to be a lark.

  • sford52's avatar
    sford52
    Heroic Explorer
    4 years ago

    With the advent of Windows 11, Linux support has increased ten fold in importance.  I wont move to 11 under any circumstances. But I do doubt that Oculus will ever expend any effort towards this, so I think we are SOL.

    • Rhcev6's avatar
      Rhcev6
      Explorer
      2 months ago

      Who else but Linux and tech savvy ppl do they think they can get to pay >$500 and then some for a quest 3 with ALL the tech goodies???

  • Pearingron's avatar
    Pearingron
    Honored Guest
    4 years ago

    Probably a dumb question, but has anyone tried Wine or Bottles to get it connected? I imagine that it just won't detect the headset, but it might be worth a shot just in case. Still seems weird that it's not a bigger priority given the grants for projects like Godot to work on XR capabilities given how many Linux users that engine has.

    • MadScientist_42's avatar
      MadScientist_42
      Protege
      3 years ago

      Wine will let you play things...so long as you have an OpenXR title and proper drivers. There's not really stable Oculus drivers from the community.  They work.  Mostly.   The PSVR hacked onto a PC works better and more reliably right at this moment.  

  • BnuuyDoot's avatar
    BnuuyDoot
    Protege
    4 years ago

    have you considered just using windows for games? You're digging yourself a hole in the ground by continuing to use Linux. I get it, windows sucks, but you're much more limited with what you can do on Linux.  Do with this information what you will, but I can't see support for Linux coming any time soon. Alternatively, you can choose to do without PCVR until support arrives, whenever that may be.

    • user_901925786032222's avatar
      user_901925786032222
      Expert Consultant
      4 years ago

      Agreed. It's not as though the Rift was sold under the pretence of supporting linux. Spending that much money and just assuming it will support everything you want it to is pretty entitled.

       

      If i bought a car and assumed it would run on plutonium, I doubt I'd get much sympathy when I complained.

      • BnuuyDoot's avatar
        BnuuyDoot
        Protege
        4 years ago

        “It's not as though the Rift was sold under the pretence of supporting linux.”

         

        exactly, it was not. especially not the rift s.

    • Hairboy's avatar
      Hairboy
      Explorer
      4 years ago

      This thread is even more pertinent now that SteamOS is gaining momentum...  if all my steam games - dating right back to the 1990s titles that aren't even payable in Windows! - now exist in Linux,  then literally oculus support is the only thing I need Windows for. 

       

      Rather than debating and defending the fact that oculus is only in Windows,  why not ask.. why wouldn't it support Linux?  VR has always been a niche community,  so supporting a niche (but expanding) OS doesn't seem unreasonable

      • Rhcev6's avatar
        Rhcev6
        Explorer
        2 months ago

        28 years in IT and Linux desktops since Fedora Core 6 in 2005 I can say GUARENTEED it is FAR from niche now.  ANYONE can just download to a USB the latest Fedora spin of their choice (MATE is best IMO as it is easiest for win users) and start running it right off the USB in less than 10 minutes.

    • Kaje97's avatar
      Kaje97
      Explorer
      3 years ago
      BnuuyDoot wrote:

      have you considered just using windows for games? You're digging yourself a hole in the ground by continuing to use Linux. I get it, windows sucks, but you're much more limited with what you can do on Linux.  Do with this information what you will, but I can't see support for Linux coming any time soon. Alternatively, you can choose to do without PCVR until support arrives, whenever that may be.

      I'm sorry, but you don't really seem to have much of a clue. With Lutris, Steam Deck, etc., Linux now gets pretty good support for many games. Furthermore, it should be more than possible for a billion dollar company to support Linux distros, such like the very common ones like Ubuntu and Fedora. Windows 10 and Windows 11, on the other hand, are now revealing themselves to be real data octopuses and I wouldn't want to have such an operating system on my PC. As soon as the support for Windows 10 ends and Windows 11 takes over, everyone will also have to use a Microsoft account to be able to fully use the operating system. Then, unfortunately, "use Windows only for games" will no longer work and I will be forced to give my data to Microsoft. No thanks. Not happening.

  • Aziedearest's avatar
    Aziedearest
    Honored Guest
    4 years ago

    I ended up caving and just picking up another headset, however for people still using the Oculus family of headsets on Linux. OpenHMD is about all I can find for any level of support, though depending on your headset the level of support becomes worse. If you have the DEVKit headsets you obviously don't need this comment, seeing as how before Facebook owned this brand the headsets worked on Linux. 

    Also, the "Just use Windows" comment. I normally would be inclined to agree if the brand name itself when it was a Kickstarter didn't advert that it would support Linux. Facebook legitimately makes more than enough to hire some software engineers specializing in GNU Linux support.

    Source of claim made: Oculus Rift: Step Into the Game by Oculus — Kickstarter

  • dan.rivas.231295's avatar
    dan.rivas.231295
    Honored Guest
    3 years ago

    Maybe they can't get enough data from you on Linux??? I don't know, but it seems weird that with so many billions investing they can't get multiplatform, I can program multiplatform without any budget from my home pretty easily with all this technology that we have today, weird that Meta can't do it with BILLIONS!!! of dollars spent in development.

    Linux is pretty common for developers and power users and now that they are promoting productivity with Quest Pro and Horizon and others things, how can they ignore Linux???

  • Rhcev6's avatar
    Rhcev6
    Explorer
    2 months ago

    I have a quest 2 and would LIVE to but the best quest 3 BUT I'm not doing that until there is some hope or at least a basic plan than is at least alpha-quality that works on m,y quest 2.

  • Rhcev6's avatar
    Rhcev6
    Explorer
    2 months ago

    I've been a Linux admin/Architect in IT since 2001.  I KNOW Linux inside and out BUT I do NOT know Meta /VR well at all.  I assume to make a meta work on win in steam you need some SW or plugins?  What are they>  Can they work via USB Link?

    If someone can help me with the Quest/VR/Steam on win side I might be able to get a quest 2 to work with at least steam on Linux.

    I do NOT want to even try wifi (as I have Cat7 10Gbe everywhere and still only use a WRT54G old router for a wifi access point I am NOT a fan of wifi - NOT reliable!)