VR on ubuntu workstation
Hi, i got steam VR installed but later found out that Oculus does not support linux. Is there a work around for using chimerax VR on latest ubuntu machine with oculus rift s headset? i can get other headset also if it will fit this purpose. thanks in advance, best amith
Hi Amith, We don't support ChimeraX VR on Linux because about 99% of VR in the world is done on Windows. But SteamVR claims to support Linux. The usual way of using SteamVR with Meta Quest headsets on Windows is to run the Oculus PC app and SteamVR works with the Oculus app, but as you note the Oculus app is only for Windows, not Linux. But SteamVR has support for a Quest app called SteamLink where the Quest headset talks directly to SteamVR over wifi without needing the Oculus app. I have often used Quest SteamLink on Windows but never tried on Linux, since as I said we don't support VR on Linux. So I don't know if Linux SteamVR supports Quest SteamLink. The following Reddit thread says Linux SteamVR does not support SteamLink, but it is 1 year old so possibly that has changed. "Steamlink vr is not available on the Linux platform at this time." from https://www.reddit.com/r/SteamVR/comments/1cc7z5z/steamlink_vr_linux/ My best advise is to use Windows if you want to use PC VR. VR is already a morass of glitchy behavior, and if you try to do it on Linux which is an extremely fringe VR platform you will run into many problems. If you are more wedded to Linux than Quest, then you could get really ancient VR equipment like a Valve Index (developed by Valve that created SteamVR), and lighthouse base stations, and is tethered to the computer by a cable. I would not recommend that old VR equipment. Tom
On Apr 24, 2025, at 3:16 PM, amith via ChimeraX-users <chimerax-users@cgl.ucsf.edu> wrote:
Hi,
i got steam VR installed but later found out that Oculus does not support linux. Is there a work around for using chimerax VR on latest ubuntu machine with oculus rift s headset?
i can get other headset also if it will fit this purpose.
thanks in advance,
best amith _______________________________________________ ChimeraX-users mailing list -- chimerax-users@cgl.ucsf.edu To unsubscribe send an email to chimerax-users-leave@cgl.ucsf.edu Archives: https://mail.cgl.ucsf.edu/mailman/archives/list/chimerax-users@cgl.ucsf.edu/
Hi Tom, Thanks so much for the detailed explanation, this really helps clarify the situation. I'll take your advice and stick with Windows for VR to avoid the added VR complications on Linux. Appreciate your honest assessment and the background context — it saved me a lot of time and troubleshooting! Best, Amith
The SteamLink web page says it only supports Windows. The FAQ on this page says explicitly it does not support Linux or Mac. https://help.steampowered.com/en/faqs/view/0E2C-406B-9135-38A4 Tom
On Apr 24, 2025, at 3:30 PM, Tom Goddard via ChimeraX-users <chimerax-users@cgl.ucsf.edu> wrote:
Hi Amith,
We don't support ChimeraX VR on Linux because about 99% of VR in the world is done on Windows. But SteamVR claims to support Linux. The usual way of using SteamVR with Meta Quest headsets on Windows is to run the Oculus PC app and SteamVR works with the Oculus app, but as you note the Oculus app is only for Windows, not Linux. But SteamVR has support for a Quest app called SteamLink where the Quest headset talks directly to SteamVR over wifi without needing the Oculus app. I have often used Quest SteamLink on Windows but never tried on Linux, since as I said we don't support VR on Linux. So I don't know if Linux SteamVR supports Quest SteamLink.
The following Reddit thread says Linux SteamVR does not support SteamLink, but it is 1 year old so possibly that has changed.
"Steamlink vr is not available on the Linux platform at this time." from https://www.reddit.com/r/SteamVR/comments/1cc7z5z/steamlink_vr_linux/
My best advise is to use Windows if you want to use PC VR. VR is already a morass of glitchy behavior, and if you try to do it on Linux which is an extremely fringe VR platform you will run into many problems.
If you are more wedded to Linux than Quest, then you could get really ancient VR equipment like a Valve Index (developed by Valve that created SteamVR), and lighthouse base stations, and is tethered to the computer by a cable. I would not recommend that old VR equipment.
Tom
On Apr 24, 2025, at 3:16 PM, amith via ChimeraX-users <chimerax-users@cgl.ucsf.edu> wrote:
Hi,
i got steam VR installed but later found out that Oculus does not support linux. Is there a work around for using chimerax VR on latest ubuntu machine with oculus rift s headset?
i can get other headset also if it will fit this purpose.
thanks in advance,
best amith _______________________________________________ ChimeraX-users mailing list -- chimerax-users@cgl.ucsf.edu To unsubscribe send an email to chimerax-users-leave@cgl.ucsf.edu Archives: https://mail.cgl.ucsf.edu/mailman/archives/list/chimerax-users@cgl.ucsf.edu/
_______________________________________________ ChimeraX-users mailing list -- chimerax-users@cgl.ucsf.edu To unsubscribe send an email to chimerax-users-leave@cgl.ucsf.edu Archives: https://mail.cgl.ucsf.edu/mailman/archives/list/chimerax-users@cgl.ucsf.edu/
I ran into the exact same issue on Ubuntu with a Rift S — SteamVR installs fine, but without the Oculus PC app (Windows-only) there’s basically no way to get the headset recognized properly on Linux. I went down the same rabbit hole with SteamLink and older threads, and unfortunately it still doesn’t seem to be supported on Linux. In the end, the only reliable solution for me was to set up a small Windows partition just for VR. Once I moved ChimeraX VR to Windows with the Oculus app + SteamVR, everything worked much more smoothly. It saved me a lot of frustration. If VR is important for your workflow, I’d strongly recommend Windows (even dual boot) rather than trying to force it on Linux. Hope that helps!
I ran into the same issue recently on Ubuntu with a Rift S. SteamVR installs, but without the Oculus PC software (Windows-only), the headset just won’t initialize properly on Linux. I also looked into SteamLink and OpenXR options, but support on Linux still seems incomplete or unreliable for this setup. What worked for me in the end was either: Dual-booting Windows just for VR work (most stable solution), or Using a separate Windows machine dedicated to VR tasks. Unfortunately, Rift S is especially tied to the Oculus/Meta software stack, so Linux flexibility is pretty limited there. If you’re open to changing hardware, you’d still likely face driver/runtime limitations on Linux for most modern PC VR headsets. I love Linux for most of my workflow, but for VR I had to concede and use Windows to avoid endless troubleshooting. Hope that helps save you some time!
Thanks for the updated status on using Rift S and probably other Meta VR headsets with Linux. There are a bunch of more recent and more expensive VR headsets not part of the Meta empire that might work well although I have not tried them: Valve Frame, Big Screen Beyond 2, Meganex Superlight 8. The latter two are much lighter than other headsets, have very high resolution, but only work tethered to a PC. All those headsets work with SteamVR and have a better chance of working on Linux than Meta headsets. Tom
On Mar 4, 2026, at 2:55 AM, adamwalkerlk0055--- via ChimeraX-users <chimerax-users@cgl.ucsf.edu> wrote:
I ran into the same issue recently on Ubuntu with a Rift S. SteamVR installs, but without the Oculus PC software (Windows-only), the headset just won’t initialize properly on Linux. I also looked into SteamLink and OpenXR options, but support on Linux still seems incomplete or unreliable for this setup.
What worked for me in the end was either:
Dual-booting Windows just for VR work (most stable solution), or
Using a separate Windows machine dedicated to VR tasks.
Unfortunately, Rift S is especially tied to the Oculus/Meta software stack, so Linux flexibility is pretty limited there. If you’re open to changing hardware, you’d still likely face driver/runtime limitations on Linux for most modern PC VR headsets.
I love Linux for most of my workflow, but for VR I had to concede and use Windows to avoid endless troubleshooting.
Hope that helps save you some time! _______________________________________________ ChimeraX-users mailing list -- chimerax-users@cgl.ucsf.edu To unsubscribe send an email to chimerax-users-leave@cgl.ucsf.edu Archives: https://mail.cgl.ucsf.edu/mailman/archives/list/chimerax-users@cgl.ucsf.edu/
participants (3)
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adamwalkerlk0055＠gmail.com -
arangarajan＠initialtx.com -
Tom Goddard