Perhaps a bit different from the general "what CAD package should I use?" questions. But I was wondering if anyone has any experience using CAD packages under Linux and which companies actually do versions for this OS?

I'm thinking of running Suse 9.1 Professional on my new PC. I can get a Linux version of Matlab, and the utilities you get with Suse are so comprehensive that CAD is the only application I need to finalise before I commit to this change.

Ben

i know unigraphics can be run on Unix, and i assume that means it will run on linux. plm australasia have a training room with a whole bunch of unix setups, so someone must use it here at least.

One problem that I have noticed with Linux and engineering applications is that software companies will usually compile their application on one Linux distribution (typically Red Hat). Other Linux distributions may work with the applicatin but are not fully supported by the company.

I know CATIA is on Unix but I haven't seen any Linux support (http://www-306.ibm.com/software/applications/plm/catiav5/sysreq/index.html). I am pretty sure Solidworks is only Windows based. Not sure about Unigraphics. Let me know what you find out.

Unigraphics was originally Linux based software I believe. I'm sure it would run better and be easier to use than the windows adapted version, which has a lot of wierd quirks.

Nah, UG was around before Linux was conceived. It ran on UNIX first, just like CATIA.

No idea what will work on linux now, but I'll gladly pay $180 for a student copy of SolidWorks (with FEA, CFD, and ADAMS-based dynamics), install it on a windows box, and be off and running. I'll think about linux in 5 years when my friends stop talking about building kernels and cursing video card drivers.

Our school does pretty much all of it's cad work on Sun computers with Unix. We have I-deas (which is pushed on incoming freshmen and is used by the fsae team), and unigraphics on the sun/unix machines. We also have unigraphics and catia on pc's (catia may be on unix also), but it's as if they don't want people to know. I'm told that we have Pro-e on the unix machines also though I've never seen it.

I absolutely hate those sun computers and i-deas software, I can't do anything on them without getting pissed, but I've never used anything else, so I have no perspective whether it's the sun computers, the unix, or the i-deas. Do any other school use unix? I know that anything that can be done on both systems works better on the pc's with windows. I'm not really a computer guy though so it may be a ease of use thing.

I've worked quite a bit in both worlds, and I would have to say that I favor Linux. Once you are comfortable navigating around a Linux O/S and learn most of the important commands, I have found it to be far superior in handeling any heavy, engineering-type software. The problem is that most people don't get past the initial learning curve because they don't spend the time, or think that it is to bothersome to learn. Unfortunately for me, our uni seems to think Linux is a dirty work. We can access a Linux server thought a terminal window....but that's only if you know the right people! I'm currently trying to set up my comptuer to dual-boot, so I can use the Linux apps that I like and still have access to all of the Windowns based software that we run.

Pro-Engineer has an available linux version - if your school has a Windows license they might also have a linux CD lying around somewhere .