AeNux

AeNux is a native GTK and Vala-based installer, runner, and configuration utility designed to set up and run Adobe After Effects on Linux systems via Wine.

Features

Installer

• GTK User Interface: A step-by-step wizard interface built with native GTK widgets.
• Dependency Scan: Scans the Downloads directory for After Effects archives (.7z, .zip, .rar) and required system DLLs (msxml3.dll, msxml3r.dll).
• Prefix Configuration: Automates Wine prefix initialization, DLL overrides, Windows version setup (Windows 10 target), dark theme registry configurations, and CSXS CEP extension debug configurations.

Configuration & Plugin Management

• Wine Prefix Utilities: Shortcuts to launch winecfg, regedit, and force-terminate active Wine prefix processes.
• Plugin Installer: Supports copying .aex plugins, extracting .zxp CEP extension folders, and executing Windows .exe installers inside the prefix.

Application Runner

• Wayland Support: Configures Wayland display variables to prevent display server fallback crashes.
• Asynchronous Execution: Launches processes in non-blocking threads to keep the main application interface responsive.

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Prerequisites

AeNux requires the proprietary Microsoft DLL files msxml3.dll and msxml3r.dll. These must be obtained from a licensed Windows installation (usually located in C:\Windows\System32\).

Place both DLL files inside your ~/Downloads directory before launching the installer.

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Build and Installation

1. Install Dependencies

Install the Vala compiler and GTK+ 3 development packages:

Debian / Ubuntu:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install valac libgtk-3-dev

2. Compile and Package

Compile the source code and build the Debian package using the provided script:

./package_deb.sh

This generates an aenux.deb package in the root directory.

3. Install Package

Install the generated package:

sudo dpkg -i aenux.deb

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Usage

• Configuration & Installation: Launch AeNux Config from your application menu or run aenux_config in a terminal.
• Application Runner: Launch AeNux from your application menu or run aenux in a terminal to start After Effects.

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Known Limitations

• Hardware Acceleration: Limited OpenCL support, except on configurations utilizing NVIDIA GPUs.
• UI Rendering: Potential rendering lag or flickering with specific interface plugins (e.g., Flow).
• Memory Overhead: Large compositions or high memory usage may lead to process instability or crashes.

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Troubleshooting

Cleaning Autogenerated Menu Icons

To clean up redundant desktop shortcuts generated by installer plugins, remove the Wine application directory under the user applications path:

rm -rf ~/.local/share/applications/wine/

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Acknowledgments

• MattKC for research regarding After Effects compatibility on Wine (Forum Thread).
• @relativemodder for the original AeGnux script implementation.
• The Wine and GTK projects.

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Support and Contact

• Telegram: @cutefishaep
• GitHub Issues: Bug reporting and feature requests