Run LC standalone on Linux ubuntu 24.04.4

[trevix]

Hello.
I've been asked to create a LC standalone that should run on a Linux Ubuntu 24.04.4 computer.
I develop using a Mac 26.5.1 (M1) running LC 10.0.5(Rc1). The idea is to save the Linux standalone and move it to the Linux computer.
My standalone has a couple of LCB extensions, for reading BLE iBeacon and NFC text.

I wonder if there is something I should know about this. Will it work? What kind of problem should I encounter?

Question 2:
I also thought that installing Linux on my Mac, using VMware, and LC on Linux, would make for me easier to debug the App.
But on the LC release notes, I read that LC support the following:
"Linux distributions, on 32-bit or 64-bit Intel/AMD or compatible processors":
Ubuntu 14.04 and 16.04
Fedora 23 & 24
Debian 7 (Wheezy) and 8 (Jessie) [server]
CentOS 7 [server]

The available ubuntu install is now version 26.04 !!!
Is installing LC on Linux on My Mac a bad and useless idea?

Thanks for any help.
Trevix

[richmond62]

That support list is as old as the hills.

I run LC open source 9.6.3, and OXT Lite 1.15 on Xubuntu 26.04 with no noticeable problems.

Instead of installing a Linux distro in a virtualisation environment why not buy a cheap, second-hand PC laptop and install Linux on that?

[trevix]

Instead of installing a Linux distro in a virtualisation environment why not buy a cheap, second-hand PC laptop and install Linux on that?

What would be the advantage? Using VMware virtualization would be handy in order to move file, copy and paste, etc. Or you think that the virtualization could add problems?

[richmond62]

Virtualisation is always a second-class solution.

Round where I stay I have about 6 old pieces of junk that cost me about €25 each for testing stuff on various types of Linux and Haiku OS (my current fetish).

[speedbump1981]

Or you think that the virtualization could add problems?

If you can get close to matching your client's hardware requirements (OS version, CPU, RAM, etc.) in a Virtual Machine then I'd argue it's worth a shot. You might get lucky and be able to meet their needs without having to take on additional hardware expenses.

Regarding iBeacons and NFC text: those will probably be the features which force you to buy real hardware, in which case I'd recommend first asking if your client has a machine they can loan for testing purposes. The closer you get to matching your client's environment, the better your chances of diagnosing and patching quickly. (Wouldn't be the first time I've had a client ask for something their hardware couldn't support.)

Regarding question #2: If your license includes the Linux Native IDE then I'd also argue it's also worth a shot. If not, you can always try and use a compatibility layer like Wine (run Windows programs on Linux) to bridge the gap with Create Classic 11 for Windows, but that may introduce additional friction.

TLDR: If you've got a few hours to spare, and your virtualizer is free (or already paid for), then you really don't have much to lose other than a few test builds.

I hope that helps

[trevix]

I ended up installing LC 10 on the Ubuntu, without the virtualizer. It runs, but you can tell that it badly needs un update.

I also created, on My Mac, a Linux standalone of my Mac and copied to Ubuntu.
NFC and BLE wil be my last problem, after all. Before that, it seems that I will have to fight with tons of other problems:
- font handling
- rendering (it shows some transparent cards....!!)
- crashes, difficult to pin point
- dialog answer/ask with black text of very dark grey background (I tried in Ubuntu to use the light environement, but this does not change)
- a small video does not want to play
- app freezes
- etc.

I wonder if it is worth to spend many hours on these, with an uncertain final result.

[richmond62]

After many years of 'cross-platform pain' (which left me very CROSS indeed), I have come to a stage where I do my development on Mac, but then 'fool around a bit' with my source stack on Windows and Xubuntu, and make standalones for the respective operating systems 'natively'.

'Develop once' does, generally hold true, but 'deploy everywhere' (where by 'everywhere' one should understand Mac, Win, and Linux) is a bit wobbly.

Obviously this means filling up your spare bedroom with at least 3 computers.

[richmond62]

LC 'Classic' has had it.

So you have a choice:

1. Pay up and move to LiveCode Create.

2. Work with OXT Lite.

3. Work with HyperXtalk.

4. Python, C#, F#, Xojo, . . .

[speedbump1981]

I wonder if it is worth to spend many hours on these, with an uncertain final result.

Yeah, that's the rub when it comes to cross-platform development: each environment has it's own quirks and pitfalls, with some fixes trivial while others are a straight-up quagmire. Oh, the stories I could tell ya, but I'll resist.

Since you mentioned you were asked to build for Ubuntu by someone else, if they're willing to sink some additional cost, then go for it. Or as Richmond suggested, maybe another language is the path forward, but that "uncertain final result" will always be a spectre of the future.

However, if you're still up for some experimentation, maybe try to see how many of the bugs you identified can be solved by utilizing a WINE compatibility layer.

I mention this because of my experience as a participant in Valve's Steam Hardware Beta (2013). Valve certainly hoped Steam OS would push more developers to port their games to native Linux, and some did, but Valve eventually learned that investing in the Proton (WINE) compatibility layer allowed them to take massive swaths of unsupported games and instantly make them work on Linux. In many cases, the games even ran better with Proton than they did natively on Windows, and the developers often didn't have to lift a finger.

For me, Valve's approach improved my overall experience of developing Linux applications with LiveCode. I used Bottles (on Flathub) to install Create Classic 11 for Windows, and many of the issues that plagued the Linux IDE were magically "solved". Though if you do give this approach a shot, please note that you may need to install the "All Fonts" dependency in Bottles for proper font rendering. I've never worked with NFC and BLE, but you might see those work with the right dependency, and Bottles has a wide selection to choose from.

Results may vary, but I do hope you'll give it a shot. I'm happy to help if you need it

I do want to note that Valve has seen so much success with this approach, they invested in an ARM on x86 compatibility layer too! It's never been a better time to be a Linux Gamer!!