Linux NATIVE

Future Needs ! 

I have been running two delta 1010lt's on windows 7 for a couple of years with no problem at all. Just using the latest 64 bit driver. For Linux you should try AVLinux, They have it preconfigured to run two cards but i was never able to get it to work right. I spent a few months on it and built a new machine for it but really never got it going. I was using Harrison as the DAW and it was great so i would recommend MixBus if you get your cards working. Originally i wanted to run separate PCs for recording and MIDI/Effects that way i could still run all my windows VST's that i have spent a crapload of money on. But by the time i gave up my new computer was fast enough to do everything with no problems . But Linux has a few apps that are really great ,and they tend to not run so well on windows so I still would like to have both on my desk. I would say get your system running on windows 7 and work on linux on a separate hard drive. That way you are not shut down just in case this takes longer then you think.

+1 Reaper is the only app I need windows for.

If going to Linux meant a computer that was snappy - like a computer SHOULD be in the 21st century - I'd miss Valhalla, and some drum/synth vstis. But it would be easy enough to run those off a separate computer, it would be worth it, IF - it meant a truly great performance increase.

Linux RT kernel patch. 

Interesting thread. I looking forward to see any DAW in Linux. I use Linux at least for one year as main OS for everything except audio and video. Therefor I'm still using my MacPro. But I love my Arch system, damn fast and stable. Ardour is okay, but not my DAW of choice. If Bitwig gets released soon, I'll have a look on Linux on it. Can't be this hard to put a programm to Linux if you have a Mac-Version. Linux will always be the DIY/Nerd OS, if noone releases professional Software on it.

It's actually pretty painful to port something from an OS to another, even though there are compilers for almost every modern programming language. There are a lot of libraries third party apps that need to work on that OS, not to mention it's even harder when there's audio stuff involved.