Starting this thread because of an idea sitting in the back of my mind for a while now.
Plus the post in the Houdini Lounge about the new Windows Pro Server based OS has prompted me to do so.

The idea is a Linux distro specifically for Houdini.

I've been using Houdini for a while now - 2 years, and from my experience using my meager rig running windows, the comments on posts about Linux - That you get much more out of your hardware if you run a Linux based rig using Houdini.

Doing any project at some point ‘requires’ you to put your rig on hold for use while you get renders off for a few hours, as an example. I know you can do things like all but one processor if using Mantra and still browse and so on.

But, I only mention this one possible reason to bring up the point that it sure is helpfull to be able to have 2 rigs when working with Houdini.

I suspect I'm not alone.

My thinking is that when I'm in the market to be able to get another rig - I'm likely to use it for only that - Working in Houdini/getting off Renders.

I wouldn't care if I could browse the net, check Email, use other apps and so on. Because I have my other rig for that.

It's been a long time since I've used a Linux based system and going back again will be like starting over - having forgotten much.

One interesting thing I remember was using Linux from Scratch. Aside from the Linux Kernal, you could make your own ‘distro’ as small or as ‘large’ as you want.

My thinking is that why not put together a ‘distro’ specifically for Houdini.

One meant for specifically running Houdini and Houdini alone.

Not sure what elements of such a build would be necessary, I can only guess a few:

Video drivers.
What type of ‘X’ windows system ( This one might show I don't know what I'm talking about / forgotten )
What type of ‘package/install’ system to use.(Of course going the LFS way I guess sort of determines that by default)

I just wonder if something like this got off the ground and began being used by enough users;

That at some point, even the developers/SideFX might jump on board with ways to optimize such builds to get even more use out of our Hardware with Houdini.

OK, let's get this rolling.

Investigating existing multimedia-oriented distributions [distrowatch.com] like Ubuntu Studio [ubuntustudio.org] may provide some insight about where to optimize.

The premise of tuning a minimalist operating system for a single purpose brings to mind SESI's effort to port to Linux from IRIX in the first place:

With Linux, most of the current software development is driven from the bottom: what happens in the kernel drives what happens with applications. Side Effects thinks, for the high-end graphics market at least, this needs to be a bit different. Houdini is an application, with low-level needs that aren't quite available the way Side Effects wants them.

http://www.linuxjournal.com/article/3522 [www.linuxjournal.com]

Thanks for link Cyzor - good read.

I would suggest KDE Neon. It is Ubuntu based, and it is Qt, which means that your Qt apps will look nice. I prefer it over OpenSuse cause I get used to Ubuntu, it is well supported, almost every app has ppa or deb. Plasma UI looks great, and it is highly customisable.

@SreckoM thanks for the tip. I'll soon start building a cheap machine or blow the dust off my 10yr old dell inspiron to see how it all goes.

You can always install a minimal ubuntu too.

https://mymemorysucks.wordpress.com/2016/10/27/how-to-install-a-minimal-ubuntu-16-10-desktop/ [mymemorysucks.wordpress.com]

CentOS

CentOS was my first choice to try once I get a new box to play with.

But I was wondering what could be “stripped” out of it to just what only Houdini needs.

Couldn't Houdini just be it's own operating system? It's got nearly every feature; and I've dreamed of being able to simply create geometry on the desktop like a regular file, with the network viewer as the folder manager, as well as having the ability to have direct access to mouse and other input device events to trigger geometry cooking or drive any kind of numeric data, as well as not having any restrictions on numeric data—where matrices and vectors can be freely manipulated like any other kind of numeric spreadsheet, and math can purposefully be broken to service the artist's creative needs and desires…

HongMao
Couldn't Houdini just be it's own operating system?

I'd be keen if it revived ancient technology like fast vector UI (look at Eaglemode or even Houdini8), RiscOS style encapsulated applications, OS on a protected ROM with its own memory (no more subdiv-slider fuckups taking down the whole system)… Otherwise waste of effort.

i am on 17.10 with mate, official NVIDIA drivers , on 1950X, I render using all but one core so without multithreading still have 15 cores to render.

Frankly it doesnt really matter which distro, at work we are still on centos 6,tbh feels a lot mature without all the bells and whistles, but at work there is the IT team handling updates etc, so at home i use the latest and the greatest.

this is a great idea, i'm super down! I want Houdini to be the entire operating system one day…

like it runs a linux kernel or whatever, but the entire interface and file structure and everything would be controlled in Houdini, and other programs would launch inside. and the entire program stack could be its own node network context(PROPs?), so you could pipe outputs from one program (like audio, and video, or whatever) directly into any other program. that would be so sweet

And then they could start making Houdini Engine for other operating systems like OSX and Windows and Houdini will control everything mwahahaha