[linux-audio-user] ANN: JOST, a simple host for native VST

[Chris Cannam]

On Monday 26 Feb 2007 14:33, Paul Davis wrote:
> if you wanted to make native VST on linux easier, the sensible
> thing to do is to implement VSTGUI on top of X11 and/or one or more
> contemporary toolkits.

My impression was that that was the goal.

The only substantial problem I have with this is the licensing one.
I didn't come to Linux to get away from Windows applications, but I have 
always been glad to be rid of an environment in which the most usual 
way to get hold of binaries is to copy them illegally.  But here the 
author and users of a proprietary application are pushing a plugin API 
for which neither plugins nor hosts can legally be distributed under 
the GPL as binaries -- that is, as useful plugins.  Since most of the 
plugins available for porting to Linux are only available because they 
are GPL'd, the result is a set of plugins that will probably be 
distributed as binaries but that most users will not be using 
legitimately.  I don't like that.  But none of that is Jorgen's fault.

If the licensing problem could be solved, either through pressure on 
Yamaha or by a clean-room reverse engineering effort, then practically 
speaking the native VST effort would only have advantages.  VST is an 
ugly and badly documented API, but it's widely known and more complete 
than any current Linux alternative.  If existing GPL'd hosts could 
provide native VST support, they could also in some cases provide 
better Win32 VST support than they do now, using a LinVST-WinVST bridge 
akin to dssi-vst (since there are various things in VST that can't be 
done using dssi-vst).  Hobbyists are thus encouraged to enter into the 
various Linux development models, and the medium term net result for 
users is good.

If the licensing problem can't be solved, then we have possibly the 
first genuinely credible likelihood of users becoming locked in to 
proprietary audio applications on Linux.  Those of us who like to waste 
our time on free software applications for which there's essentially no 
commercial market can feel bitter, envious and/or resentful about this, 
but it's a bad thing for users as well, and in the long term a very bad 
thing for Linux because it erodes any reason to prefer Linux in the 
first place.


Chris