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Installing Autodesk Maya on Ubuntu is possible, but can be a bit challenging.

Assuming that one already has the required specs and a solid graphics card driver installed, how can it be done?

Andy Chase
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1 Answers1

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Getting the Installer

First you need to download the actual linux rpm files from the autodesk website. Forget trying to bootleg it, Autodesk offers the files here: http://usa.autodesk.com/support/

Getting a License

You should obtain a personal edition license, a student license, or a commercial license. Autodesk also includes the utilities needed to connect to a network license.

You can also rent a license (such as the Maya LE for only $50 a month).

Note that when going through the student license process, you won't be offered a Linux download. Simply prepare to download the Windows version, and you will be given and emailed a key that works with the linux version.

Installing

Basically consists of converting the .rpm files to .deb files, installing the files, obtaining the proper libraries through apt-get and symlinking some files to make Maya happy.

See this script for the basic process: https://gist.github.com/MichaelLawton/32ca5cf6145f0ca4a7ebcdc510d7447d

Some Problems & Solutions

How to disable Alt+Click drag (Note you can use Super also in Maya, but if you are used to alt like me this helps a lot):

How do I disable window move with alt + left mouse button in GNOME Shell?

Fluxbox: https://askubuntu.com/a/392752/226792

Ubuntu Linux Maya doesn't load at all. Running maya at the command prompt displays no output. Maya no gui, Maya hangs at startup, etc.

Try first running it as a super user sudo maya. You should be able to run it as a normal user afterwards.

If you get an error about csh, you need to apt-get install csh first.

You might also try removing your maya directory ~/maya [source]

Ubuntu Linux Maya crashes when loading a file, Maya crashes when rendering. Maya some 3D elements missing, Maya grey starup screen, Maya crashes when making a file, etc.

  1. You need libjpeg62
  2. Remove the symlink /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libGL.so [Source]

Maya does not load Mental Ray, MENTALRAY_DIR not a file

Install the mentalrayForMaya.rpm package with scripts:

fakeroot alien --scripts mentalrayForMaya.rpm && sudo dpkg -i mentalrayForMaya.deb
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Andy Chase
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  • NB any [free] student licensees - [Linux is only supported for commercial](https://twitter.com/AutodeskHelp/status/477182657386651648) :-( – Louis Maddox Feb 02 '15 at 00:26
  • I'm about 2 years late on this post, but I ran the linked script and got output `/usr/autodesk/maya2014-x64/bin/maya.bin: error while loading shared libraries: libtiff.so.3: cannot open shared object file: No such file or directory`. It failed. Any advice? – evamvid Nov 03 '15 at 03:31
  • If you google the second half of your error message there's a few people with similar problems, for example: http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1885911 The general solution is to try to make sure the right libraries are installed and then symlink the libraries to wherever maya expects to find them. – Andy Chase Nov 07 '15 at 04:59
  • thanks! does this process handle minor (patch) upgrades? how much needs to change when a new (major) version of maya comes out? – lofidevops Feb 10 '16 at 07:31
  • This might need some changes, it's been 2 years since I wrote the answer – Andy Chase Mar 14 '16 at 18:47
  • That gist has 404 error now. – Santosh Kumar Jun 10 '18 at 08:55
  • external github link is not working. – Salih Karagoz May 11 '19 at 13:57
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    @SalihKaragoz I replaced the link with another just now – Andy Chase May 12 '19 at 03:53