How to install Guitar Rig 7 on a Linux system. (tutorial)

Bulevardi

For people having difficulties installing Guitar Rig 7 on Linux, I have it running here on Linux Mint and want to share the way how to install it.
I downloaded the Windows version.

It could be very very handy to have a native Linux install for this software in the future. *tip*

[b][size=150]Installation process for Wine & Yabridge[/size][/b]
(I found several tutorials online, below you find the sources)

[b]Enable support for 32-bit [/b]
sudo dpkg --add-architecture i386

[b]Install the WineHQ keyring[/b]
sudo mkdir -pm755 /etc/apt/keyrings

sudo wget -O /etc/apt/keyrings/winehq-archive.key https://dl.winehq.org/wine-builds/winehq.key

[b]Add the WineHQ repository[/b]
sudo wget -NP /etc/apt/sources.list.d/ https://dl.winehq.org/wine-builds/debian/dists/bookworm/winehq-bookworm.sources

[b]Update your package information [/b]
sudo apt update

[b]Install Wine Staging [/b]
sudo apt install --install-recommends winehq-staging

[b]Install DXVK[/b]
winetricks dxvk

When certain errors occur or dependencies are missing, install the necessary stuff.

[b]Download & Install Yabridge:[/b]
https://github.com/robbert-vdh/yabridge/releases

[b]Extract the archive in the following folder: [/b]
/home/YourName/.local/share

[b]Go to the yabridge installation directory[/b]
.local/share/yabridge

[b]Now Add the folders to Yabridge[/b] in order to sync them afterwards.
Be aware that some VST’s are installed in the ‘Common Files’ directory.

VST3
yabridgectl add "/home/YourName/.wine/drive_c/Program Files/Common Files/VST3"

[b]Now sync the plugins[/b]
yabridgectl sync

The plugin will 'normally' show up after rescanning installed plugins in your DAW.
For me it wasn't that smooth, I had to do multiple attempts.

If it’s not working yet, do an additional wine install via the Software Manager, install the Wine Windows Compatibility Layer, Desktop Files, etc…
Do another sudo apt update, go back to your yabridge folder and do another yabridgectl sync.
Normally it should work after a couple of times.

Sources:
https://interfacinglinux.com/2024/01/22/windows-audio-plugins-on-linux-with-yabridge/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2SteWcWXfTM&t=691s
https://wiki.winehq.org

I compared the installation of other Guitar Simulators yesterday on my Linux system with similar competitors, such as Amplitube 5 and Bias FX 2.

Guitar Rig 7 seemed the smoothest running on my i5 processor. It’s the most lightweight to install with less than 700 MB. Bias FX 2 takes around 1,4 GB of space on your hard drive to install (and crashes your DAW after a while). Amplitube 5 takes 3,5 GB (product manager included), which took pretty long to install and it’s a bit sluggish to run on my computer.

I personally found Amplitube 5 and Bias FX 2 too much options to try (amps, cabs, fx,…) so you could spend endless time to find and perfect your tone. IMHO, they’re too much focused on particular tones for branded amps and fx, while Guitar Rig 7 is much more straight-forward, intuitive and creative, focused on the tone you have in mind regardless of brand or how you create it.
However, Amplitube 5 and Bias FX 2 have a bigger community with a preset sharing platform in their plugin. Bias FX 2 offers more than 50 000 plugins. Such thing is really missing with Guitar Rig 7.

After a first comparing test of all 3 packages, none seemed totally ‘perfect’ to me, but Guitar Rig 7 was the personal winner for the purpose I need it, so I will run some more tests with Guitar Rig 7 demo and probably buy soon.

Bulevardi

(can't seem to "edit" my post above here to change the layout, now it's filled with [b] [/b] stuff… sorry about this)

Bulevardi

For the Pro version...(which I bought) there's no download possible via your account on the website.
It's only possible to download that "Native Access 2" thing, which isn't working on Linux.

It always errors to grant permission to install dependencies...
From the support page it looks general, so I had to install the "NTK Daemon installer":
https://support.native-instruments.com/hc/en-us/articles/13712583860125-Native-Access-Error-Please-grant-permission-to-Native-Access-to-install-dependencies
This runs... but doesn't fix anything at all.

So I installed the Native Access (1) Legacy version:
https://support.native-instruments.com/hc/en-us/articles/360000407909-Native-Access-Legacy-Installers-for-Older-Operating-Systems
This Legacy version runs, but shows my product as "installed" (which wasn't the case yet).
I deleted everything from my hard drive from Native Instruments again, and downloaded the 'demo' version again:
https://www.native-instruments.com/en/download/1ZD23ovBLZ/
It installed correctly. I added via Yabridge, synced... and it opened in my DAW right away as the full pro version.
It didn't ask for my licence number, but when checking the details it apparently was added/registered automatically.
So for future 'updates', I hope things appear in the Legacy application, if that works to do updates at all.
Anyways, the safest way for Linux users is to backup everything.
Certainly the wine folder "/home/username/.wine" where everything is installed.

GoaSkin

Your tutorial isn't helpful to install Guitar Rig 7 because you just explained how to install Yabridge and not how to make a more recent version of Native Access 3 and Guitar Rig working.

It is possible to install and use the latest version of Native Access, following this tutorial on the WINE website:

https://appdb.winehq.org/objectManager.php?sClass=version&iId=41820

But I don't know if there are some further quirks required to get GR7 started. I am still on GR6.

Bulevardi

… you cannot make your own version of Native Access 3.

You can run Native Access 2, but it will block/freeze/keep loading at some point.
I tried several times (last weekend aswel), does not work with me.

The only way to get your licences activated under Linux, is via the older Native Access 1 Legacy, still offered via the support pages.
And yes, my tutorial is about installing Yabridge: you need that to get GR running in your DAW as a plugin.
If you use standalone version, it's not a problem, but in your DAW you need a bridge. LinVST can do the trick too.

Tip for Linux users: if you ever get GR installed: make a back-up of your .wine folder, as you cannot reïnstall GR a second time anymore afterwards (you will run into a broken installation that cannot get fixed, see topic: https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/181564 ).
Then if something goes wrong, you can just replace your whole .wine folder again and activate the licence via the Native Access 1 Legacy. Make sure you back-up that Legacy application too, for in case it's not available anymore in the future.

GoaSkin

You can use the latest version of Native Access 3 with WINE. There is no reason to use the legacy version if you follow the instructions on the WINE HQ app DB.