Lightzone 3.3 for Linux

Dear all

I know there are one or two Linux users on this forum so I thought it might be useful to mention that Lightcrafts have released a free to use beta version of their Lightzone 3.3 RAW converter/image editor for Linux. At the moment, the beta is time limited until the end of January and there seems no clear indication about whether it will ever see a stable release. Nor is there any indication of pricing. This is a screenshot of it running on my Klikit Linux system:




It seems to run quite well, although it is a bit of a resource hog. It's a significant improvement on their last foray into Linux territory though. The download can be had from here:

http://www.lightcrafts.com/linux/

Adrian

Thanks.

Unfortunately, Lightzone (for Windows/Mac) is rather expensive compared to Silkypix, and I expect that the Linux product will be priced the same.

We need a Silkypix for Linux. I wonder if they have any plans. Since there is already a Mac version, it shouldn't be too difficult to do.

G

Silkypix seems to have been bought by an American company, shortcut software which may explain why I haven't received any emails from Silky about updates, recently. Perhaps this tie-up will result in a less japlish interface and a Linux version.

Just for the record....
I tried out C1LE4 yesterday on some high ISO K10D shots. Bleurgh

Silkypix pulled out far more detail, produced a much more natural look. C1 produced what I can only call "mush" - it had over aggressively smoothed the image. Skin had blotchy posterisation as a result. Didn't have time to grab some captures.

So, yes, more Silkypix development would be most gratefully received. (And the pricing has changed now that it's bought - it's more expensive Glad I bought a 3 user license when it was cheaper )
Matt

I don't think so.

The intention is, at the moment, to release LightZone free, but unsupported, to Linux users.

I know Light Crafts are considering how they might produce income from the Linux version but supporting a Linux product is very heavy on resources due to the huge number of variables.

This is a brave move by them. If it is a success, one of two things may happen: disaffected Windows users (for there are many) may migrate to Linux and use it free; or professional users who want to use it but need the assurance of support may buy the Windows or Mac versions.

At the moment, I think the objective is to raise market awareness for what is a very interesting and innovative program.

You don't think what? Lightzone for Linux is currently in Beta, but it is pretty much inevitable that when the program is released in final form, they wil charge for it. Do you know of any instance where people charge for Windows but not for Linux?

G

Several. QT (graphics library at the core of KDE and hence the EEE), for example, was for a long time distributed under a dual license: free to Linux users and at a cost to Windows users. This led to similar knock on licensing for dependent products.

There are other cases which I can't recall right now. The software industry is littered with differential pricing policies. But it doesn't make much difference, Light Crafts don't need a president to price this way.

Certainly, for the moment, their intention is not to charge for the Linux version - and my understanding is that will continue beyond the beta phase. How they will money from it in the future is uncertain.

I'd rather they charged for the Linux version than abandon it but, as I stated earlier, to charge for it demands they support it and that presents a different set of problems.