ArchiCAD Linux support

[maxawake]

Dear ArchiCAD developers and community,

I am writing to express a growing concern within the architectural and design community regarding the lack of native Archicad support for Linux. As professionals who rely heavily on robust and efficient tools, the absence of Linux compatibility in Archicad's offerings is increasingly becoming a significant limitation. Let me elaborate with a few points:

The Rising Tide of Linux Adoption

Linux has seen a notable increase in desktop market share, reaching 4.45% globally as of July 2024, up from 3.12% the previous year . This growth is not just in numbers but also in the diversity of its user base, which now includes a substantial portion of developers and professionals seeking stable and secure operating systems. (https://www.zdnet.com/article/5-factors-steadily-fueling-linuxs-desktop-rise/)

Enhanced Privacy and Stability

One of the primary reasons for this shift is Linux's superior approach to user privacy and system stability. Unlike other operating systems, Linux does not engage in intrusive data collection practices, offering users greater control over their information. Moreover, its open-source nature allows for continuous community-driven improvements, resulting in a more secure and reliable environment.

Advancements in Development Tools

The development landscape on Linux has matured significantly. With Microsoft's .NET now fully supported on Linux distributions like Ubuntu 24.04, developers can build and run applications seamlessly across platforms. This cross-platform compatibility reduces the barriers for software like Archicad to operate efficiently on Linux systems.

Challenges with Windows 11

Conversely, Windows 11 has introduced several challenges that are prompting users to seek alternatives:

• Privacy Concerns: Features like the Recall AI tool, which captures screenshots of user activity, have raised significant privacy issues .

• Hardware Limitations: Strict hardware requirements have rendered many functional PCs incompatible with Windows 11, leading to increased electronic waste and unnecessary financial burdens on users .

Linux Powers the Architecture of the Internet and Industry Tools

• Linux is already dominant in infrastructure: Most servers, cloud services (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud), and render farms rely on Linux. Architects and visualizers who work with networked rendering (e.g., Blender, V-Ray, Houdini) often use Linux-based environments.

• All of the top 500 supercomputers run Linux (https://www.stackscale.com/blog/most-powerful-supercomputers-linux/)

• Why should the desktop environment be the outlier? Offering Archicad on Linux would allow better integration with these workflows.

Cross-Platform Engine Use Is Already Industry Standard

• Many modern creative tools (Unreal Engine, Blender, Unity, Godot, etc.) are cross-platform and run on Linux.

• By not offering Linux support, Archicad is an outlier compared to software like:

  • Blender: Fully open-source, Linux-native

  • Autodesk Maya / Houdini: Have Linux support in VFX pipelines

  • DaVinci Resolve: Professional video editing, Linux-native

• Professionals in architecture, VFX, and design increasingly use Linux as a unified OS to run all their tools efficiently.

macOS Support Already Shows UNIX Compatibility

• Archicad already runs on macOS, which is a UNIX-certified OS.

• This means a large portion of the underlying codebase is already POSIX-compliant or portable to Linux.

• Supporting macOS but not Linux ignores a large, growing, and more open UNIX-based platform.

WINE and Virtualization Are Not Professional Solutions

• Many Linux users attempt to run Archicad through WINE or Windows VMs, but this leads to:

  • Reduced performance (especially GPU acceleration)

  • Incompatibility with licensing systems

  • Unreliable behavior on updates

• Native support is the only sustainable, production-grade solution.

Security and Offline Functionality

• Linux systems are highly secure, particularly valuable in firms handling sensitive client data or operating in air-gapped environments.

• Linux offers easier offline installation and dependency control without forced updates or telemetry.

Education and Emerging Talent

• Linux is becoming more popular in universities and architecture schools, especially in Europe and Asia.

• Many students use tools like Rhino, Blender, and QCAD on Linux and look for employment with firms using modern, open tech stacks.

• Not supporting Linux may alienate a new generation of architects.
  
  

Additionally:

Which components of Archicad currently depend on Windows- or macOS-only frameworks?

• Is it UI rendering (e.g., relying on proprietary Windows/macOS GUI toolkits)?

• Licensing infrastructure?

• Graphics APIs such as DirectX instead of cross-platform ones like OpenGL or Vulkan?

• Third-party dependencies or middleware that lack Linux support?

Understanding this would help the user and developer community appreciate the complexity involved and, importantly, assess how we might collaboratively help.

Is there any way the community could contribute to this effort?

• If a Linux version is not currently feasible internally, could Graphisoft consider open-sourcing select non-core components, or facilitating a community-driven feasibility study or prototype?

• Could Graphisoft publish a technical roadmap or host a discussion with interested professionals and developers?

Given that Linux is an open ecosystem, and many architectural firms are filled with skilled IT and CAD professionals, there is potential for volunteer contributions or joint initiatives, especially if the hurdles are clearly defined.

We understand such a move would be non-trivial, but openness and community engagement would go a long way toward both goodwill and innovation.

Looking forward to your response and hopeful for a positive dialogue.

Best regards,
Maximilian Richter

Operating system used: Windows

[andreas_baer]

I second that. The path of Windows is towards cloud operating system. Some of our projects are in security areas, power delivery, transport systems and so on. We as a company can't use a cloud based OS and switching our office to MacOS is of course possible but not a real solution.

So thinking of a reliable way for our company leads straight to Linux. But there's no way to switch from Windows to Linux without a working ArchiCAD.

ArchiCAD on Linux would be a real breakthrough for Graphisoft and Linux.

[Tom-Tester]

Hi there! I'm administrator in an architecture office and I'm very close to Maximilian! And it's not only a problem in software used in construction. We will become so many problems in dependence of US solutions, that offices with security relationed jobs (Police, Military) had to avoid using MS solutions in communication and storage and other cloud based software solutions, that uses US cloud services (I think: all) became restrictions. I think it's great, that the EU pushes own Linux based developments, but it will be better, they should do that with the billions of Euros MS became for licensing. Yes, it will last more than 5 years, if significant problems will come, but they come! If good old Donald makes his job so god as he can, it becomes earlier...
And, i'm sorry Eduardo, who will support the students and development alternative solutions, when universities are so old styled and the professors starts his/her presentation with a Windows badge (or a bitten pear), what will change? It's not expected for offices, that had to do their job, to force Linux development - that is a non-commercial job. But why don't start the universities in cooperation with the big software brands the porting or development on Linux? Are your university do not have IT students? Something have to change or all small and medium offices will die, because the biggest ones build their own solutions: The take a existing tool under MIT licensing, build their own software development team with KI support and have a proprietary solution that defines a new standard. This scenario is not so far as you think, the big ones are soooo big and have the money!

This is my humble opinion, I see not so positive trends: All is every year new and Ki Ki and kikiriki, but under the hood, it's too conservative for the new times. Please start a new era of evolution (I mean consciously not revolution ;-).

Thomas

[jl_lt]

One can only imagine not having to use Windows or hearing about OS.

[March_ Bruce]

It may get interesting very soon for architects and those vested in software development of mature offerings with a corporate mandate for endless growth...

I've had Ubuntu running in VM for a while now and have found existing or imminent open source replacements in the last year for mostly everything I might need in practice.

Are they as powerful or elegant as the status quo and mature products ?  Not to me yet in some cases by quite a margin, yet is the potential there, such as FreeCAD or Bonsai in Blender...?  Is it possible AI will speed all of this up ? 

I have wondered about an alternate development approach where a company like GS might move into more of a maintenance mode - still profitable yet downsized - does mature software risk diminishing returns and over development beyond being easy, useful, affordable and in the end sustainable?

Could persistent licensing still exist, along with paid maintenance upgrades...?

Is this an article on the trajectory of another creative profession that may be worth consideration of parallels in the context of ArchiCAD & Linux ?

https://fstoppers.com/opinion/6-things-wrong-photo-industry-710529

[BeniWie]

There already exists a quite good CAD/BIM solution for Linux – and it’s European too: BricsCAD. Although I prefer Archicad’s 2D approach, I’m considering switching to BricsCAD because it runs natively on Linux and offers all the features I need. I’m becoming more frustrated with Windows every day, and macOS is no alternative for me.