Easier way to install Roon (Remote) on Linux: Bottles!

Tinkering
1

I’ve contributed Roon manifest for Bottle so now you can use Bottles for easier installation!
Steps:

  1. Install Bottles from Flathub.
  2. Open it, and press “+” button on the top right, or press that big “Create New Bottle” button.
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  3. Type something for name (just go with Roon for simplicity’s sake), and click “Create”.
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  4. Wait for it to be created.
  5. When it’s created, close the popup window, and press “>” button on your newly created bottle.
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  6. Click “Install” Programs button.
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  7. Scroll down a bit, and select Roon, since that’s what we’re looking for.
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  8. Press “Start Installation”, wait for a while, and press next button when Roon installer ask for it. DO NOT FORGET TO UNCHECK “Start Roon” CHECKBOX and click finish.
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  9. When it’s done, click “Show Programs” to dismiss the popup.
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  10. For HiDPI displays, press vertical “…” button on Roon, click “Change Launch Options,” add -scalefactor=2 (or other number that looks good for your screen) in “Command Arguments” AFTER everything already there, like the screenshot, and click “Save.”
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  11. (Optional) If you want it in your application menu/launcher/etc, press vertical “…” button on Roon, and click “Add Desktop Entry.”
  12. Press play button on Roon or use your application menu/launcher/etc if you followed step 11 and enjoy!
6 Likes
Testing Roon GUI in Linux Mint
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2

Awesome, thanks !! Exactly what I was looking for.
Does it run stable ? Have you noticed any limitations ?

3

It’s stable but for server/playback (remote) run native Linux ones for best experience.

4

I’ve got the server running on a headless Ubuntu server machine, but I needed the remote on my living room PC, which I’m migrating also to Linux and as far as I know there isn’t yet a Roon remote version for Linux.

5

Oops I meant bridge.

6

On my old gen 4 nuc got an error, some problem with the mesa drivers.
Works with DXVK disabled under settings.
There is a newer version soda-experimental_8.0, that one also fails.

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7

That’s likely because your hardware is too old to support Vulkan. In that case, yes you should disable DXVK.

8

Hi, I followed the instructions and Roon is running. I can’t select any options however. After a while a message pops up I have not created any backup, but even that message can’t be closed. Any tips would be appreciated.

Update: I deleted the bottle, added a new one and choose sys-wine-10.0 instead of soda-9.0-1 and now it all seems to work.

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Update 2: and it is broken again. Switching back to soda-9.0-1 did not help.

10

I tried this solution with high hopes on my Steam Deck but couldn’t get it to work. It’s the only machine where I haven’t managed to integrate my Roon system, and yet I’ve managed to force install or hack solutions on much older, obsolete or weirder hardware like a 2012 Kindle Touch, or an early 2000s CRT monitor via a Raspberry Pi..

11

Thanks, this worked perfectly for me!

12

Works for me with Release 1598 on Soda 9.0.

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13

Make sure to use Soda 9 (or Wine 10.16) for Wine runtime.

14

Has anyone managed to make the remote work without the washed-out effect on wayland through bottles (without going through xwayland)?

15

Has anyone had an issue with the Bottle install not allowing them to log in? I can open the app just fine it seems but when I try to login it never redirects back to the roon app so I can’t move forward.

I’m on Fedora 43 (KDE) with Roon installed from the Bottles installer.

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You have to use some other device for the first login.

17

Ah ok, I was able to get it logged in using my phone with the app but now I don’t see any audio devices and I have the RoonBridge app installed on my pc.

18

I suppose roon bridge does not work in your desktop session since it requires an exclusive allocation of your sound device which is in use by your desktop audio.

I use squeezelite on my desktop instead, also fedora 43.
Use this to start as systemd user service (.config/systemd/user/squeezelite.service). It connects squeezelite to pipewire, so it does not conflict with other sources. You have to enable squeezelite in roon.
There is also a script installed with the package, this might work ootb (/usr/lib/systemd/user/squeezelite.service).

My script

[Unit]
Description=Squeezelite headless streaming music client
Documentation=man:squeezelite.service(7)
Wants=sound.target
After=pipewire.service

[Service]
Type=exec
ExecStartPre=/usr/bin/mkdir -p .local/share/squeezelite
ExecStart=/usr/bin/squeezelite -o pipewire -N .local/share/squeezelite/player-name

[Install]
WantedBy=default.target
19

Or you can just use official Roon Bridge for Linux.

20

On which linux distro? On fedora after playing over roon bridge I have no sound from the browser.
Seems to work on cachyos, though.