[HELP NEEDED] Prepare Linux binary distrib of Natron 2.6

[devernay]

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Provide a description of your feature request

We should try to release the Qt5-based Natron 2.6.0 anytime soon (see #827 ).
This requires having macOS, Linux and Windows binary distributions. I'm working on the Mac distrib (Intel and Apple Silicon), @acolwell and @rodlie are working on Windows (MINGW64 probably, since MSVC doesn't seem to be ready), but we need help with the Linux builds:

• Upgrading packages and dependencies from the toolchain (easy, I may even do it as I'm used to it)
• Packaging with Qt5
• Installer (or do we only distribute a zip with no installed?)

Is this a realistically implementable feature?

• My feature is realistically implementable
• My feature is NOT realistically implementable

Can you contribute in creating this feature?

• I am unable, or not willing to contribute to creating this feature
• I am able and willing to contribute to the creation of this feature

Additional details

No response

[rodlie]

I can help with the Qt5 packaging.

Installer (or do we only distribute a zip with no installed?)

We drop the installer and I will provide a "desktop integration" script that copies the desktop/meta/icons where they should be for integrations with launchers and file managers.

[devernay]

Sounds good to me

[bhack]

Can you verify this bug before the release?
#996

[devernay]

Can you verify this bug before the release? #996

Done. This is not a bug. I updated the doc in NatronGitHub/openfx-io@f547e5f

[Beryesa]

Would you consider taking over the flatpak (as an official distribution)?
It'd be packaged once just like win and mac, and work everywhere.
Distributions can otherwise deal with their native packaging themselves as usual.

[rodlie]

Would you consider taking over the flatpak (as an official distribution)?

Anyone can maintain that, it's just a simple repack. If the current maintainer of the flatpak can't then someone else will (probably) step up. Official support means one of the devs need to maintain it, that will probably not happen.

It'd be packaged once just like win and mac, and work everywhere.

Our existing Linux builds works everywhere.

---

Regarding updating the SDK, been busy with other stuff, so I have not done much. Will try to dedicate some time next weekend (I already maintain other SDK's with almost identical depends, so shouldn't take that long).

[Beryesa]

Anyone can maintain that, it's just a simple repack. If the current maintainer of the flatpak can't then someone else will (probably) step up. Official support means one of the devs need to maintain it, that will probably not happen.

I meant as verifying the flatpak if you have interest, but on that topic, it can be directly implemented to the CI process and help with testing as well, which is what they're pushing towards, though the documentation doesn't seem ready yet.

Our existing Linux builds works everywhere.

Sure but some app store integration would be nice, one-click-install shouldn't be underestimated imo (with desktop integration) :D

Regarding updating the SDK, been busy with other stuff, so I have not done much. Will try to dedicate some time next weekend (I already maintain other SDK's with almost identical depends, so shouldn't take that long).

I can help on that part :P
I've quickly put up a PR today, flathub/fr.natron.Natron#39
It works fine in my limited testing but let's see.

[rodlie]

I meant as verifying the flatpak if you have interest, but on that topic, it can be directly implemented to the CI process and help with testing as well, which is what they're pushing towards, though the documentation doesn't seem ready yet.

Sure, I see no problem with verifying the flatpak. What do we need to do?

I can help on that part :P I've quickly put up a PR today, flathub/fr.natron.Natron#39 It works fine in my limited testing but let's see.

With the SDK part I meant the Linux SDK we use in Natron, it was a general reply to this thread.

Thanks for the PR for the flatpak, sadly none of us (in Natron as far as I know) have admin/write access to the repo, only the maintainer of the flatpak.

[Beryesa]

With the SDK part I meant the Linux SDK we use in Natron, it was a general reply to this thread.

Oh, right, GitHub merged them so I thought you were talking about the Freedesktop SDK 😅

Sure, I see no problem with verifying the flatpak. What do we need to do?

It'd be easy to add a .well-known file but since natron.fr is not in use any more, I think you should contact flathub on matrix or open an issue.

As per https://docs.flathub.org/docs/for-app-authors/verification

I'd like to verify my app that someone else already published

The first step is to gain ownership over your app; see Someone else has put my app on Flathub—what do I do?

I have an existing app but I cannot verify it due to wrong application ID

In most cases, the application needs to be resubmitted with the correct application ID. Please read the application ID requirements carefully and then follow the resubmition guide to resubmit it.

The best approach would be resubmitting for a new ID and authenticate/verify with GitHub, but I'd say let's do it for the 2.6 release like a comeback 😁

[Emmett-Brown82]

hi, my name is JC.
Mind me interrupting but i am really really interested in the release of Natron-2.6 shipped with Qt5/6. The official 2.5.0 version has a bug, which i presume to be a memory leak cuz i got a memory access violation after creating and deleting several times a simple PyPanel.
My question: when should we expect a linux based (i am using Rocky 8) Natron 2.6.0 release? If you could provide with instructions on how to build the alpha1 version that would be nice.
I am a pipeline TD from Spain and all i need is Natron not to crash when repeatedly adding and deleting the pypanel.
I am submitting my project to the University next July 2025 and it would be nice to have Natron 2.6 integrated along with Blender and Krita.
Thanks.

[rodlie]

My question: when should we expect a linux based (i am using Rocky 8) Natron 2.6.0 release?

Been busy with other projects, so my Natron contributions has been more or less non-existing.

On a positive note, I have a SDK (plus/minus some depends) needed for Natron 2.6 on Linux done through another project with similar depends (built on the same distro as Natron). It's more or less a matter of adapting the changes. Just to find the time to do it (famous last words).

Btw, does this build work better than the 2.5 release you are using: https://download.openfx.no/software/Natron/Natron-RB-2.5-202409220000-93c6837-Linux-x86_64.tgz ? (still Qt4)

[Emmett-Brown82]

hi @rodlie , no it doesnt. Same behaviour.

Thanks.

[Emmett-Brown82]

Another option for me would be to test in Windows the Natron 2.6.0 version. I just need to confirm that the bug disappears with the new Qt5 PySide2 library.....
Is it possible to build in windows Natron 2.6.0 already? Can u provide instructions?

[rodlie]

https://github.com/acolwell/Natron/releases/tag/nightly

[Emmett-Brown82]

Thanks @rodlie but all i get when i install two of the latest nightly builds is a blank window with natron's frame and the following error dumped by the console:

QOpenGLWidget: Failed to create context
QOpenGLWidget: Failed to create context
composeAndFlush: makeCurrent() failed
composeAndFlush: makeCurrent() failed
composeAndFlush: makeCurrent() failed

Do you know what is happening and if this is normal behaviour and i need to do something else i am missing?

Thanks.

[rodlie]

Been a while since I tested the builds, I now for a fact they worked sometime last year (not much help I know).

Try the oldest? https://github.com/acolwell/Natron/releases/download/nightly/Natron-AJC-RB-2.6-202410311214-8726092-Windows-x86_64.zip

[acolwell]

Last night's build, Natron-AJC-RB-2.6-202501101214-957e5fe-Windows-x86_64.zip, works perfectly fine for me on Windows 10. I'm not seeing any of those error messages.

What version of windows are you using?
What GPU do you have?
Are you using Windows natively or running it in a VM?

[Emmett-Brown82]

hi! @acolwell im running it in windows 11.
I managed to run Natron correctly without the blank window. Cool.
I can now test the PySide2 porting. Cool.
The Problem now: i get pretty much the same behaviour with this nightly build than i did with Natron 2.5.0 official (Qt4).

Dont know now if the problem is something im doing wrong, or that the same bug persists in both versions.
Can i ask, has the PySide2 C++ code been tweaked for this release as well, as it was done with PySide1 for Natron 2.5.0?

I get a crash after closing tab and reopening it again after a few repetitions.

Thanks in advance,
JC

[acolwell]

I'm glad you were able to get the Windows build working.

We don't modify PySide2 in Natron on Windows. We are using the stock msys2 build.

The easiest way to proceed is for you to provide a minimal plugin in #1029 so that I can try to reproduce the bug locally.
We should resume this conversation in that bug now since we've verified it does not appear to be a Linux specific issue.

[Emmett-Brown82]

@acolwell thanks a lot for your time in replying.

Actually, AFAIK, it is a common bug in official release 2.5.0 (Qt4 - PySide 1.2.4) both in windows and linux. Plus, pretty much the same behaviour when testing in windows for that release 2.6.0 alpha from 31st October 2024.

It doesnt look like a bug to a specific OS.

Will shortly provide some plugin to be able to reproduce the behaviour. I am still not sure entirely it s not me who is causing it by misusing the Natron API.

Thanks for your kind replies, both of you!

Best,
JC

[Emmett-Brown82]

Hi, thanks to @acolwell for the effort and the fix of #1029.

I tested it with my own code and it is working ok.

When can we expect a linux release with the fix included?

Thanks to @rodlie for the replies!

Best,
JC

[rodlie]

Ping me on Friday and I will try to find some spare time to finish the SDK stuff.

[Emmett-Brown82]

Hi @rodlie!

as suggested i am pinging you today.

One thing i want to make clear: this bug that @acolwell fixed about the Python PyPanel can be easily cherry picked to the linux Natron 2.5.0 (currently, the official release) and the other platforms currently released.

I wanna make clear that i am not suggesting you rush the release of 2.6.0. It is fairly acceptable to port the fix to Natron 2.5.0 (Qt4/PySide) (all platform versions) since this is a long time carried bug that happened as well in 2.5.0 and most probably in all earlier versions.

I say this, because i am assuming it is easier for you guys to deliver a 2.5.0 version with this fix, than delivering a whole set of improvements in 2.6.0. To me it is unnecessary to have PySide2 instead of PySide1, although it would be obviously appreciated.

Just suggesting easier paths to unload the burden of releasing a new version with a whole new set of features.

Thanks a lot for the effort,
Best,
JC

[rodlie]

I will take a look at the SDK after work today, with a goal of something working by the end of the weekend.

I say this, because i am assuming it is easier for you guys to deliver a 2.5.0 version with this fix, than delivering a whole set of improvements in 2.6.0. To me it is unnecessary to have PySide2 instead of PySide1, although it would be obviously appreciated.

Not really, doing a patch release for 2.5 after this much time will/might introduce new issues since the SDK's have changed.

IMHO we should do a "proper" beta/RC release for 2.6 when the Linux stuff is done.

[Emmett-Brown82]

Glad to hear from you @rodlie.

Having a linux release for 2.6.0 this weekend would be totally awesome!

Thanks for the quick replies.

Best,
JC

[rodlie]

There will be no release this weekend, I will try to do the work needed to be able to do a Linux release for 2.6, will still need testing etc.

If all you need is a Linux build with the fix just backport the commit(s) and run the existing docker build system to create a snapshot build.

[Emmett-Brown82]

Hi @rodlie the thing is, i am not familiar with the docker build system. Plus, i am using Rocky Linux 8 as the Operating System.

All i need is a "proof of concept" Natron release that doesnt crash with python pypanel.

Would it be too much to ask for a nightly build just including this fix in a linux build? My project just needs to show python code working inside Natron. Dont care that much about the fine tuning of the whole set of fixes included nor about Qt4 or Qt5.

There is no rush for this for me, but would be nice to have an alpha or beta version or just the same last build with the fix included.

All i need is Natron not crashing when removing the tab and adding it again several times in a row.

Let me know if i can be of any help in this, hand in hand.

Best,
JC

[rodlie]

Ok, I can probably do a unofficial 2.5 snapshot build for Linux later today.

[Emmett-Brown82]

@rodlie much appreciated! Thanks

[rodlie]

@Emmett-Brown82 try this: https://download.openfx.no/software/Natron/RB-2.5-202501241232-aefaa1c/

[Emmett-Brown82]

@rodlie perfect, works like a charm! Thanks!