Linux ARM64

[Tcaws]

I'm not sure if this is off-topic, but I've just installed this BETA on a Linux ARM64 device, and...

It was easy and straightforward to install, and appears fully functioning

I think I've read that you don't officially support ARM64, but frankly most software out there requires much more of a fight to install on ARM64, and you could easily make something of how easy it is to accommodate the ARM64 community, even if we're 'on our own' with support.

Strictly speaking, it appears fully functional EXCEPT I've so far found two slight differences compared to how SoftMakerNX Beta behaves on my standard Linux device:

• It doesn't invoke the system's built in file-picker, it invokes SoftMaker's inbuilt file-picker instead (like in SoftMaker2024), which is more limited; and

• It can't call the CUPS printer list, it can only print to the default printer

[SuperTech]

Thank you for sharing your experience with the ARM64 build. While ARM64 remains officially unsupported, we appreciate such constructive feedback.

You can try this step: Please click the ribbon command File | Options | Appearance tab, then check the option "Use system file dialogs."

[Tcaws]

Please click the ribbon command File | Options | Appearance tab, then check the option "Use system file dialogs."

I had a look, and sadly that option is greyed out.

Update: since, on my standard x86_64 linux device, SoftMaker 2024 invokes its own, and SoftMaker NX invokes the OS dialogues, I went back to look at that option (which I wasn't previously conscious of) on my standard Linux laptop.

• In SoftMaker 2024, it was greyed out, same as on ARM64; but
  In SoftMakerNX, of course, it wasn't greyed out, it was pre-checked.

All by default, but it means something causes 2024 on x86_64 and NX on ARM to not know how to find the system dialogues, even though one variant, NX on x86_64 knows what to do by default.

As another variant, 2024 version on x86_64 can't find file dialogues, but can find printers...

Doesn't matter, I was more than pleased as even without system dialogues it's basically fully functioning! (I can always print to pdf to print to non-default printers...)

[SuperTech]

Thanks for the detailed feedback. It is good to hear that the beta installs and runs well on your Linux ARM64 device.

From your description, the main application seems to work, and the remaining differences appear to be related to system integration, especially the system file dialogs and printer detection via CUPS. The fact that the option is greyed out suggests that the application currently does not detect system dialogs as available in that ARM64 environment.

Even though ARM64 is still officially unsupported, this is still very helpful feedback.

[Tcaws]

Not sure if you are interested, but you might be. I was curious about exactly how smooth the experience was, so wanted to learn more, and AI told me this:

An ARM64 kernel cannot execute that binary natively. Something is translating it, and if Box64 is what's installed on your system, that's almost certainly what's happening.

The fact that it's quiet is actually a good sign. A lot of the noisy output people associate with Box64 comes from debugging options or from applications that stress parts of the x86 userspace ecosystem that Box64 has to emulate more visibly. If everything is configured cleanly via binfmt_misc, launching the program can feel almost indistinguishable from launching a native executable.

SoftMaker also deserves some credit here. Office suites are fairly demanding applications, and many proprietary x86 Linux programs make assumptions about libraries, filesystem layout, or CPU features that trip up compatibility layers. If TextMaker is just starting, behaving normally, and not emitting obvious warnings, that's a sign it's staying within functionality that Box64 handles well.

...Real-world reports of substantial proprietary desktop applications working smoothly under Box64 on ARM64 are still relatively uncommon, and an office suite is a pretty good stress test of the compatibility layer.

So well done again, I'm loving it!