Roon 2.0 and Linux (Wine) .. is 32bit needed? [answer: no, wine supports 64bit]

[Naadir_Jeewa]

Looks like Roon 2 is using Windows Runtime APIs, which are not implemented in Wine at all as they were originally for UWP apps.

SystemMediaTransportControls Class (Windows.Media) - Windows UWP applications

[Suedkiez (Just a fellow user like you)]

@Suedkiez

wine-staging 7.22 and latest Roon build 1174

I ran wine-staging 7.22 and Roon 2.0 build 1174 in December (see a few posts up), and I think it’s the same for the other Linux users, or else we would have more posts about it.

(At Christmas I switched to macOS so no more recent data for me, but I doubt it changed)

[Suedkiez (Just a fellow user like you)]

@Naadir_Jeewa

Looks like Roon 2 is using Windows Runtime APIs

Lots of people are running Roon 2.0 on Wine

[Naadir_Jeewa]

I meant for the audio playback part, in relation to SystemMediaTransportControls

[Robert_Andersson]

From the Roon 2.0.5 release notes:
“Roon running on the Windows platform now fully supports the native media transport controls which means that playback controls presented by the operating system (including those on enhanced keyboards) now properly control Roon.”

So it appears this change causes Roon to no longer work using Wine.

The hypothesis is that Wine lacks an implementation of Windows.Media.SystemMediaTransportControls and this causes a crash/hang as soon as an audio zone is selected in the Roon Controller.

Roon releases prior to 2.0.5 worked fine.

[DS_DV]

my roon installation does not even see my audio devices … neither on windows nor on linux

[Suedkiez (Just a fellow user like you)]

Ah! But I thought playback on the Linux machine itself always required Roon Bridge in addition to the GUI

[DS_DV]

also tried that - same problem for me it does not recognize playback devices (i have an usb dac and onboard audio)

[Robert_Andersson]

I’m playing (or rather, used to play before this bug happened) to Roon Ready devices on the local network. In my case I have some Bluesound Node devices.

FWIW direct play to audio devices directly connected to my local machine, or to the Roon Core machine, also used to work in releases prior to 2.0.5.

Just need to remember to enable them in Settings → Audio.

[Suedkiez (Just a fellow user like you)]

I never tried to play locally on the Linux machine from the Roon GUI, but all I ever read was “you need the Roon Bridge for Linux installed for local replay”.

E.g.,

Roon control GUI working on Linux using Wine

When using Roon on Wine, or Roon on Bottles, you also have to install Roon Bridge on that computer if you want to play music on the local computer. Here is the link: I used the Easy Installer approach. Then in Roon, go to Settings / Audio and add the Analog endpoint and choose that as your output zone.

[Martin_Webster]

@Suedkiez

I never tried to play locally on the Linux machine from the Roon GUI…

Ditto. I’d simply install Roon Bridge. Now that my MacBook has died, I can only run Roon on a desktop running Ubuntu and Bottles while I wait for a new Linux laptop to arrive.

Currently on latest early access release: B1180 (Roon 2.0.5 => B1169.)

[Bill_Janssen (Wigwam wool socks now on asymmetrical isolation feet!)]

Not being familiar with flatpak or bottles, I found some of the instructions mysterious or missing. I was able to install flatpak on Ubuntu 22.04, then follow Martin’s instructions to install bottles. But then what?

@Martin_Webster

Create a Windows 10 64-bit bottle

OK. How? Turns out you use flatpak to start bottles, with the following magical terminal incantation:

$ flatpak run com.usebottles.bottles

That brings up a window which allows you to finish setting up bottles. Then you have to create a bottle. But there are three flavors of bottle! I chose “Application” (Thanks, Matt!), and called it “Roon-runner”.

@Martin_Webster

add .NET 4.7.2 dependencies

For this, I used Matt’s instructions:

@Matt_Armstrong

Select the “Gear” icon, which should bring up a file selection dialog. Find and select “RoonSetup64.exe”, previously downloaded from Roon’s website.

RoonSetup64.exe no longer seems to exist. I used RoonInstaller64.exe. There is no prompt for dotnet install dependency. But exit the installer (Cancel it) anyway. Continue with Matt’s step 5, but I used dotnet48. It takes a while. I guess, ignore the copious error messages. (“It’s Wine, Jake.”)

OK, now get back to the top level of the bottle (press the back arrow). Run the Roon installer executable. Let it finish. The Roon window will pop up and work. Exit that window.

Now back to Martin’s instructions:

@Martin_Webster

Add the following Launch Option: -scalefactor=1`.

You do this by selecting vertical 3 dots at the top level of the bottle’s “Details” window, then the “Change Launch Options” menu item. Add the option to the Command Line.

Back to Matt:

@Matt_Armstrong

Under “Details & Utilities” → Programs click the “hamburgur” icon, which looks something like “☰”. Then choose “Add Desktop Entry”.

The window is called “Details”, not “Details & Utilities”, but otherwise, OK, but the hamburger is just three dots in a vertical stack. Selected Add Desktop Entry. But no desktop entry. I exited Bottles, then tried to restart it, and found I had something called “Run Roon using Bottles”. I tried it, and got the Roon control window on my Linux desktop.

Success!

I have to say, this is still quite a bit easier than trying to use Wine raw. Hooray Bottles!

[Martin_Webster]

Sorry, my instructions were a little spare on detail. When my new laptop arrives, I’ll document the steps with screenshots.

One thing I don’t like with Bottles is that an app indicator is for Bottles and not the launcher.

I do prefer Flatpak over Snap, but they are a bit hit and miss. For instance, Flatpak Sound Juicer rips a CD, but didn’t write anything to my home folder.

[Bill_Janssen (Wigwam wool socks now on asymmetrical isolation feet!)]

@Martin_Webster

One thing I don’t like with Bottles is that an app indicator is for Bottles and not the launcher.

I don’t even know what that means.

[Martin_Webster]

If you look at the screenshot I posted above, there’s a shortcut for Roon, but an app icon for Bottles, too, which has a bar below indicating that the apps is running.

[Bill_Janssen (Wigwam wool socks now on asymmetrical isolation feet!)]

Ah! I run xfce4, and it shows the Roon icon and the app name “Roon” in the taskbar.

[Gracjan_Deresz]

Help

Installed Net Framework dependency in Bottles.
Roon installed successfully but when trying to run I got this…
Linux Mint 21.1 Cinnamon.

[Martin_Webster]

This means that a referenced DLL is missing. What versions Windows and .NET are you using? Are you using a 64-bit bottle?

[Gracjan_Deresz]

Windows 10 .NET 4.5 as requested by installer.
64 bit version yes

[BlackJack]

@Gracjan_Deresz

.NET 4.5

AFAIK not enough. The Roon on Wine script uses 4.7.2 (and no issue here running current Roon in Wine stable with that .NET 4.7.2).