Anti-feature request: Reduce number of supported platforms

My guess is that the Core isn’t very different on different platforms. They have already built on top of a virtual machine environment, so the code that addresses particular platform differences must be mainly in the parts that deal with audio devices and the way that different platforms present them. And you have to do that anyway for the remotes and bridges. So I doubt the proposed change would in fact reduce complexity.

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What would “more velocity” yield? Are there critical features that are missing or underdeveloped?

This is the real issue. I’m sure Roon know exactly where all the work is and make appropriate roadmap decisions based on that, plus impact on user base numbers.

Looking back to when I trialled Roon over 4 years ago, one of the attractions was that I could try it out on hardware I had at the time and it supported (not without issues) my Sonos endpoints. If you remove the ‘easy way in’ it will put off a lot of potential customers. If for example, purchase of a Nucleus was the only game in town I wouldn’t have bothered reading past the front page of the website.

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Stupid me…

Exactly the ability to run it pretty much on anything you have is paramount to its success and growth, underspec or not it hooks you or it doesn’t. Locking down to windows would put of all Mac users and vice versa. Would be interesting to find out what the largest os platform is for Roons userbase.

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This would be a good move but I’d approach it differently. Instead of suggesting OS versions as they do now I’d be very strict around the versions that can be used.

Roon currently state win10 but allow it to be installed on other versions, I’d change the installer so it detects the OS and blocks installs on non win10 platforms. MS offered free upgrades from win7 to win10 so there isn’t much of an excuse to still be using win7/xp etc.

The problem with computer audiophiles is they like to tinker and often think they know more than roon so threads often crop up as “I’ve installed roon as container within a KVM on wibblebox linux and it won’t start”

Support mac, win, linux and QNAP/Synology but block installs on any specific non approved OS versions.

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Many people are inextricably linked their OS.

In a previous life I was a Microsoft based developer , hence logic dictated a Windows PC , Visual Studio etc. So for 20 years I have been a MS junky

I used Apple in 1980 :sunglasses:, in Apple Pascal. Gave up and went PC very early on. Never even dabbled with Linux.

To me a PC is a tool not a status symbol , so my view of Apple is overpriced

Rant over,

If I was forced to change OS just to use a piece of software , the software would go first. However good Roon is it cannot dictate OS to me

With the ability to cross platform develop these days with one code source it seems a bit of a pointless debate. Code it then package for 3 OS job done

My 2 p

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Don’t get me started …
Thank goodness that the Roon team are mature and sensible businessmen!

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Click again and your vote is gone.

The problem sits more often before and not in the computer, no matter which operating system is used. Even if everything is delivered ready installed and securely packaged, the engineer who sets up the networks for it in the house, sets up the router, sets up the speakers properly… is still missing.

The software development comes today very much better without consolidated ideology to a certain manufacturer into the safe future. With the company size and life span, the development speed and the ability to innovate decreases.

If we honestly take stock, it is increasingly bought-in knowledge that keeps Apple, Microsoft, Google and even Spotify the market leaders. If something is to develop really well, it needs spin-offs.

I’m interested to know how many people are running a NUC + ROCK simply because that combo has always struck me as a weird phantom zone between an off-the-rack, plug-and-play Nucleus and a self-built Roon appliance utilising an OS of your choice. There’s no judgement intended, I’m just interested in the community’s hardware preferences.

Windows 11 is out there and you can upgrade for free.

I think Chris meant Windows 7 & 8 and there were a lot of issues there, due to no testing (or so it appeared) from Roon.

People had reasons not to upgrade, often due to other software but there’s a discussion to be had on what should Roon support and should a 2011 Mac or 2008 Windows PC, that is running very old software be supported in the same way.
The answer may well be yes, but it’s good to get a wider view on this.

Still Linux.

You could set up a poll and ask. You might be surprised!

S’funny. To me a ROCK is a much less expensive Nucleus where you trade some elbow grease for some dollars (and a nice fanless case & C4, neitherr of which I need). I happily contribute elbow grease, and I like saving dollars. Once it’s built it is functionally identical. And both are optimal places to run core because they are purpose built.

Funny how perspectives differ :slight_smile:

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No it isn’t. Nucleus has the home automation/control drivers built in, which are not part of the ROCK build. Not everyone needs that though.

For those acquainted with the computers and accustomed to opening, upgrading, building them, experimenting with various OS’s and Linux distros, it’s a trivial matter to build a ROCK or MOCK. For many this is as foreign as it would be to build their own house, it’s easier to buy a working plug and play appliance. Not my preference but I can see the appeal to a segment of the market.

Not sure what you are referring to here. The Nucleus white paper makes no mention of this.

He’s correct - it does have the C4 drivers built in. I referenced in my post just above… but like I said, I have no need. So for me, ROCK is functionally Identical to Nucleus.

Thanks, got it.