Of course, there are some restrictions to be aware of, so here's the official word from RedShark:

If you're already running Ubuntu, or if you're considering giving it a try (or any other Linux distro), you can now hop on over to the Lightworks site and download the public beta of the powerful NLE. Add to that everything about the OS is completely customizable, and the fact that it is open source (meaning it will always be free and updated often), and you've got an extremely viable alternative to the major operating systems on the market today. Hit the jump for details on the release.Īt this point, you're probably thinking to yourself, 'Linux? What is this guy even talking about?' While I haven't used Ubuntu (the most popular Linux-based OS) in a few years, I can tell you that it's one of the most simple, streamlined, and intuitive operating systems out there.

Now, however, with an NLE that is truly powerful and operating system agnostic, editors will have the choice to work with the OS that suits their needs, not the OS that fits their software solution.

Although most of us aren't currently using Ubuntu, my guess is that's due to the fact that, until now, there haven't been any truly professional or industry-recognized NLEs on that platform. The team over at EditShare haven't missed a beat since then, and now they've released the public beta of the Linux version of Lightworks. We talked a little bit about Lightworks and their plans for the future during NAB a few weeks ago.

Lightworks for linux