TrackIR for Linux

[Dendan]

@gyyuut : don't hold your breath - this thread may be getting thousands of views, but the developers are too ignorant of this business opportunity.
not even an moderator will care : watch this: @steven.andrews ...

[_immakyle_]

My, how the world has changed since the Windows XP/Vista days of early 2008. Incredible history this thread has, and honestly, I'm not the least bit surprised with the course of inaction NaturalPoint has chosen up to this point. The viability for native Linux support back in those days...none.

However, thanks to Valve's contributions and the release of the Steam Deck in 2022, the future for Linux gaming shines brighter each passing day. A whole 1.82% according to August 2023 Steam Hardware and Software Survey. MacOs has a flat, and our eyes are set on pole position.

Marginal market share? Sure...but when I see a dollar on the ground I pick it up.

[jillian.smythe]

Hello _immakyle_,

We appreciate your suggestion to add Linux support. I will pass along this suggestion to our development team.

Thanks for using our product and being engaged in the product's success.

Kind Regards,

[Vantskruv]

Hello @jillian.smythe!

Any news on Linux version of TrackIR?

I am thinking about selling my device, and using a webcam, but that will sadly not work as well.

[jillian.smythe]

Hello Vantskruv,

I have not heard any updates on this from our developers. If they decide to add a Linux version, I'll make sure we update this post (and there would likely be an announcement on our website as well).

Kind Regards,

[Vantskruv]

Thanks for your reply Jillian!

It sounds like it will not happen in the nearest time, or at all.

I will search for other hardware possibilities for the time being.

[nww02]

Hi There,
Long time TrackIR user and advocate. I've recently switched over to Linux because Win11's requirements are too steep and Win10 ran like a dog on my PC.

Linux now has 3% of the Steam gaming market and it's climbing at a phenomenal rate. I, like everyone on this thread, are part of that growing 3%. Sadly, Arma III no longer works with TrackIR, nor does Euro Truck Sim 2 or any of the other games I bought the TIR for.

There are several freeware solutions that are languishing in dependency hell. I implore your developers to look into it. At the moment, the software out there WORKS, but it's getting stale because Linux is moving on since they were made, and the barrier to getting it working is now too high for most people. Steam now officially supports linux, and the prevalence of the steamdeck means it's here to stay.

If it was building the software from scratch, yeah, we could understand your reticence, but please ask them to take the work already done, tidy it up, update the dependencies, and build it (like many in the community have) as a .deb. If your in-house devs can't do it (or you've laid them off because there's nothing to do), then seek out the developer of linuxtrack and bung him some cash to make it for you!

Thanks!

Nick

[jillian.smythe]

Hi nww02,

I've let our development team know that this is a frequent request from our customers. I appreciate you taking your time to voice your thoughts on this, as it gives our team an idea of the kind of demand that exists for creating a Linux version of TrackIR.

Kind Regards,

[nww02]

Hi nww02,
I've let our development team know that this is a frequent request from our customers. I appreciate you taking your time to voice your thoughts on this, as it gives our team an idea of the kind of demand that exists for creating a Linux version of TrackIR.

Kind Regards,

Thank you Jillian,
I know supporting a second OS adds burden, but I urge any devs you may have to look at the linuxtrack freeware drivers out there. People are having to turn to freetrack and other options that involve buying a £50 LED knock-off of the TrackClip Pro.

If the devs are able to reach out to the maker of the free driver and perhaps just fund him to maintain the repo, update the dependencies to QT5 (which others have done in forks), and show that it works in Steam under Linux, that would be awesome, and might even allow people running on Steamdecks to eventually use TrackIR.

I looked back at the early responses, and they seemed to be around "not wanting to make Naturalpoint IP public". I think that cat is very much out of the bag all these years later

Thanks for the response,

Hope you're well, and I keep my fingers crossed I'll be able to use my TrackIR once again very soon.

Nick

[algebra]

Thanks, I hope they can make something in this year, I would even participate beta testing if required.

Hi nww02,

I've let our development team know that this is a frequent request from our customers. I appreciate you taking your time to voice your thoughts on this, as it gives our team an idea of the kind of demand that exists for creating a Linux version of TrackIR.

Kind Regards,