I wasn’t trying to exaggerate.
My understanding from reading threads here on the forum, and replies from the Roon team, was that the kernel used by Rock was highly modified and striped back…
I only ask, because I have found later 5.13+ Linux kernels (Like those provided in build 21.10 of Ubuntu) to provide improved support for mutli-channel audio and class compliant devices.
Thanks
Can you point me to this information and what devices may be affected? Do you have such a device?
Only my experience with my Motu Mk5 lite.
The Rock reacted differently to my Ubuntu Core.
Particularly this one post:
My experience with the Motu Mk5.
Motu UltraLite-mk5 - #59 by grizaudio
Noise on channel 9-10, using Roon multichannel assignment.
MOTU UltraLite-mk5 and Linux on Raspberry Pi 4: noise on unused channels
I also purchased a fanless NUC from InsideTech and it’s fantastic. I also have no connection to them, but highly recommend them.
The introduction is tedious and not particularly funny.
I understand ROCK was optimized to run on NUC. But how specific can it be? It’s just standard PC architecture isn’t it? Maybe Roon hasn’t tested, or doesn’t recommend them but there must be lots of boxes that would run ROCK without issue.
I’m sticking with my Synology NAS until the need for something more powerful arises. But I’m tempted to install ROCK on a generic, not too old, PC chassis and see how bad it can be.
That joke only works in the first person, though.
Specific enough to be a problem. A core without an Ethernet driver isn’t very useful, for example - perhaps a usb/ Ethernet adapter might work, but which one? Fact is, if you use a NUC on the supported list, Rock is going to work without issue. Anything else is a crapshoot.
How many NIC’s are in use today? Not many, I should think. I get that it might not work with a 10 year old PC that shipped with Windows XP. Is the OS really so lightweight that it only has drivers for one NIC? OK, maybe if you plan on using the HDMI out for multi-channel audio you need specific drivers. You don’t need video, as far as I know.
Anyway, it may be moot, because Amazon says it would ship me a NUC10i7FNH (one of the recommended kits) by next Wednesday. I don’t know where the producer of this little melodrama got his information (and I don’t care to spend the time listening to his explanation).
Claims made over the years:
Roon is dead. Not enough streaming partners.
Tidal is dead. Owner credentials.
Roon is dead. Rival hardware/software based solutions are ‘Roon Killers’.
Nucleus is dead. Cost.
Roon is dead. Company finances.
ROCK is dead. Alternative OS’s are ‘better’ in some way.
Now it’s the NUC. On the above evidence the NUC will be around for a very long time to come! 
Just a heads up. If you want to do multi channel audio from the NUC ROCK via HDMI out, make sure the NUC you got from Amazon is in fact the NUC 10i7FNH and not the NUC 10i7FNHN with “N” at the end as that “N” at the end means no audio codec support so no multichannel audio over HDMI. Another way to know if is the one with no audio codec is that it has no headphone out on the front.
Hello Lee,
Which NUC did you get?
Thanks.
Rob.
Yeah, uninformed speculation about companies and products has become a baffling internet industry this last 15 years. No wonder Tesla can afford to close their PR department…
I just bought my i7 gen 10 so I’ll be happy for a few years
Maybe theYouTube guy was a bit pessimistic, if we can find em in South Africa the rest of civilisation should be easy 
Agreed - a whole slew of machines exist!
Hi Rob.
I got an i7 8650U with 8GB of RAM, and 128GB / 1TB SSDs in a fanless case. The case it’s great - even better than I’d hoped - and the device has worked with zero issues (or indeed attention) for a little over a year now. It sits there silently delivering music to a few endpoints whenever I ask it to.
It required just a little setup, but I enjoyed getting out of my tech comfort zone for a couple of hours. I think it weighed in at about 50% of the cost of the equivalent Nucleus, so worth the saving for me.
Frankly, it’s more computer than I need. I was looking forward to playing with DSP and similar, but have yet to find the time. I’m quite sure that an i3 would be more than adequate for my - and most folks’ - needs.
Hope it helps.
Lee
Getting reliable information via YouTube videos… well, let’s just say it’s an ambitious goal.
Thanks Lee. I assembled a NUC with similar specifications a few years back. It’s not fanless. Whilst I’m reasonably confident I could fit a new case buying a replacement that’s already done appeals.