OS for compiling in Linux?

[ulrik]

If I want to compile plugins for Linux (I'm on Mac and compiling for Windows using the "Parallels" emulator)
What type of Linux OS is best suited for this?

[d.healey]

@ulrik Linux Mint. Use the oldest version you can, I think I'm using something like version 18.

[ulrik]

@d-healey there are different editions

[toxonic]

@ulrik i think, cinnamon is the default desktop environment and quite clean and easy to use.

[d.healey]

If you're running in a VM use Xfce. Cinnamon is one of the best DEs (I use it daily) but it's a bit more resource heavy.

[bendurso]

@d-healey If I install Linux Mint on a computer, do I also have to use the oldest version possible for greater compatibility of the exported plugin?

[d.healey]

@bendurso yes, I'm on v18 I think, I'll check when I'm home

[d.healey]

@bendurso oh wait do you mean as a user or for compiling?

[bendurso]

@d-healey For compiling :)

[bendurso]

@d-healey Oh, and is that rule only for Linux? I understood that in Windows and macOS, the OS version you use to export the plugin doesn't matter

[d.healey]

@bendurso Yeah just for Linux. Main reason is because of the way Linux shares libraries so you need to use a version of the library that is the same or older than the version a user will have. So using a newer OS will use a newer version of a library which users on older OS versions won't have available.

For standard programs there are solutions to this like flatpak. snap, appimage, but I don't think such a solution exists for plugins.

I just checked and I'm using Linux Mint 18.