On Thu, Feb 7, 2013 at 1:54 AM, Louis Gorenfeld <louis.gorenfeld@gmail.com> wrote:

If I understand it correctly, you can compile free VSTs for Linux, you
just can't give away their SDK source code without going through the
form on Steinberg's website (just like with the Mac and Windows
versions). VSTSDK, the (fairly separate) component I had a problem
with, is legitimately open-sourced and Linux-centric improvements can
be made. I'm not seeing a problem here, unless there's something I'm
overlooking (always very possible with me :))

true, except that

* linux-centric improvements require someone to do the work. you may have noticed that such people are

in short supply.

* there is a perception that many (even a majority?) of plugin developers use synthedit or juce, making

VSTGUI appear less and less relevant

* VSTGUI's original X Window implementation was based on Motif which was nobody ever really used

on Linux. A later version (I think) switched to be directly based on X Window itself, which is not

a bad choice, but doesn't make life particularly easy for host developers

* plugin developers still have a tendency to want to do things in windows-y ways, even though both VST

and VSTGUI attempt to convince them not to (GUI threading rules are one example).