Fundraiser: Expediting Linux Support for Focusrite Scarlett 4th Gen Devices

[GuntherT]

Your work on this is very impressive, @geoffrey. I'm glad to see the support you received from the community and Focusrite. I hadn't considered their devices in the past because the internal mixing software was not available on Linux (at least not for all models or with a UI as polished and easy to use as yours), but in the event I am shopping for a new audio interface in the future, they will be strongly considered. Thank you.

[Linuxmusician01]

Hi everyone,

Six days ago, we hit our GoFundMe target thanks to a generous pledge for the final devices. Now, I’m thrilled to share something even more extraordinary:

• The final pledge was made by Focusrite themselves!

While I had previously struggled to connect with the engineers or management at Focusrite, news of the overwhelming response to this fundraiser reached the top tiers there. [...]

Fascinating. To me that says that manufacturers probably assume that there's no Linux users for their product without realizing how it is in reality.

Congratulations on what you have achieved!

[Gps]

Linux users have a reputation I fear, that they are not willing to pay for stuff.
I think games are one example which proofs this not to be true.

Then there is probably an issue because Linux does not phone home.
So how many Linux users are there ?

All Focusrite probably needed to see if there is a Linux market.
They not gonna spend money and resources for 10 users, something we all understand.

It still makes me smile when I think of when steam came to Linux.
There were even a lot of Linux devs, being totally stunned.
Wait what ? People are now gaming on Linux ?

I have seen steam deck users asking for a DAW.

The Linux future looks bright.

Big thanks to Geoffrey.

[linux7070]

Hi everyone,

Six days ago, we hit our GoFundMe target thanks to a generous pledge for the final devices. Now, I’m thrilled to share something even more extraordinary:

• The final pledge was made by Focusrite themselves!

While I had previously struggled to connect with the engineers or management at Focusrite, news of the overwhelming response to this fundraiser reached the top tiers there. Given the niche nature of Linux audio, I had kept my expectations in check, but this was beyond what I had imagined.

I just got off a call with them where, beyond providing the hardware, they were inquiring about other ways they could support the development.

Focusrite not only offered to send me any devices I didn't have in my collection but also proposed that for any future product releases, they will do their utmost to send me devices in advance. This means that Linux support could be ready right from the product launch!

Furthermore, they are discussing how their engineering team could better help me to streamline the development process, and eliminate much of the guesswork.

Here's where the brilliance of your support shines: your contributions did more than just fund devices — they catapulted the visibility of this work into the spotlight, catching the attention of Focusrite and reinforcing the value and demand of the Linux community. Your support was instrumental in elevating the profile and urgency of this work, impacting not only this project but potentially shaping future interactions between device manufacturers and the Linux community!

This is monumental for both the Linux community and Focusrite device support, illustrating what we can achieve together. Every dollar, share, and word of encouragement played a role in crafting this success story. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for making it possible!

Best Regards,
Geoffrey.

I had actually emailed Focusrite and linked them to your great work and the Linux community here and said they really should be supportive and send you gear.

Love that they actually listened

The future is great.

[tkonan]

Hey there. I didn't notice any mention of ARM. Would this work port to/compile for ARM OK?

[geoffrey]

Hey there. I didn't notice any mention of ARM. Would this work port to/compile for ARM OK?

I don't see why it wouldn't work; as far as I know there's nothing x86_64-specific about it, but I don't have such a system so can't check myself. Please try it out if you can, and let me know if you have any issues.

[geoffrey]

FYI, Linux 6.8 (released two weeks ago) adds support for the 4th Gen Scarlett Solo, 2i2, and 4i4 and firmware upgrades, and I've released alsa-scarlett-gui 0.4.0 which looks nice and supports all the things! Backports of the driver to previous Linux kernel versions are also available if your distro doesn't yet have 6.8.

iface-4th-gen.png (65.97 KiB) Viewed 570 times

Thanks again!