Toon Boom Harmony Linux Install ^new^ May 2026

A key feature of the Toon Boom Harmony Linux installation is its ability to function as a cross-platform database server. While Harmony officially supports only specific Linux distributions—primarily CentOS or Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)—a Linux-based server can host Harmony Database to support Windows, macOS, and Linux clients simultaneously. Key Linux-Specific Installation Features

Automated Installation Script: Harmony on Linux is distributed as a compressed archive (.tar.gz) containing an installation script. You can run this script interactively (requires the whiptail tool) or via command line parameters to automate the process for studio-wide deployments.

Dedicated Server Daemons: The Linux installer allows you to enable specific daemons during setup:

PROCESS: Enables batch processing, adding the machine to a list for automated rendering tasks.

DATABASE: Configures the machine as a central database server.

LINK: Required if your Linux server must communicate with Windows clients.

WEBCC: Sets up a web-based interface so remote freelancers can check scenes in and out via a browser. Performance Requirements:

Proprietary Drivers: You must disable default video drivers and install proprietary NVIDIA drivers (e.g., GeForce GTX 1060 or better) to ensure proper performance.

File Systems: Toon Boom recommends using ext4 or xfs partition formats for optimal stability.

Wacom Support: While Intuos and Cintiq tablets are supported, Bamboo tablets are explicitly not supported on Linux. Summary of System Requirements (Linux) Recommended OS CentOS/RHEL 7.6 CentOS/RHEL 7.6 Processor Intel Core i5 Intel Core i7, Xeon or better Memory Video Card NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960 NVIDIA GeForce GTX 3070

For full details, you can consult the Harmony 25 Linux Installation Guide from Toon Boom Documentation. If you'd like, let me know: toon boom harmony linux install

Which Linux distribution you are using (e.g., CentOS, Ubuntu, Fedora)

If you are setting up a single workstation or a studio server

Any specific hardware you're worried about (like a specific GPU or tablet) Installing Harmony on GNU/Linux - Toon Boom Documentation

Toon Boom Harmony can be successfully installed on Linux operating systems, provided you use a supported enterprise distribution like Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) or Rocky Linux. Setting up this industry-standard 2D animation software on a Linux workstation allows studios to maximize hardware performance and maintain highly stable pipelines.

Below is a comprehensive guide to completing a Toon Boom Harmony Linux install, covering everything from system prerequisites to post-installation troubleshooting. 🛠 Prerequisites and System Requirements

Before downloading the installer, ensure your machine and operating system meet the rigorous standards demanded by high-end 2D animation. Supported Distributions

Toon Boom officially builds and optimizes Harmony for enterprise-grade Linux systems. While it may be possible to run it on debian-based systems like Ubuntu, doing so is highly unsupported and prone to catastrophic crashes.

Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 (or RHEL 8 depending on your Harmony version) Rocky Linux 9 (or Rocky Linux 8) Hardware Specifications Memory: 32 GB RAM or higher recommended. Monitor: Minimum 1920 x 1080 resolution.

Video Card: Dedicated NVIDIA or AMD graphics card with proper proprietary drivers installed. Drawing Tablet: Wacom Intuos Pro Go to product viewer dialog for this item. Go to product viewer dialog for this item. are heavily recommended for Linux animation workflows. 📦 Step 1: Install System Dependencies

Harmony relies on a variety of system libraries to render the UI, process audio, and execute scripts. You must install these dependencies before launching the Harmony installer. A key feature of the Toon Boom Harmony

Open your terminal and run the following commands to pull in the mandatory packages via your package manager: Installing Harmony on GNU/Linux - Toon Boom Documentation

Installing Toon Boom Harmony on GNU/Linux is primarily supported for Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) 9 and compatible distributions like Rocky Linux 9. While users on other distros like Fedora or Ubuntu may attempt installation, it is officially unsupported and often requires manual library management. Prerequisites & Dependencies

Before running the installer, you must manually install several mandatory dependencies to ensure the application launches correctly. RHEL 9 / Rocky Linux 9 Commands:

sudo dnf install libX11 libXext libXrandr alsa-lib libSM fontconfig libjpeg libpng libXi libxkbcommon libxkbcommon-x11 libglvnd-opengl sudo dnf install chkconfig SDL xcb-util-keysyms xcb-util-renderutil xcb-util-image xcb-util-wm Use code with caution. Copied to clipboard Legacy Systems (CentOS 7):

sudo yum install SDL libX11 libXext libXrandr alsa-lib libvorbis libSM fontconfig libGLU libjpeg libpng libXi tcsh redhat-lsb Use code with caution. Copied to clipboard Installation Steps

The software is distributed as a compressed archive (.tar.gz) containing an installation script.

Extract the Package: Navigate to your download folder and extract the contents.

cd ~/Downloads tar -xvzf ./Harmony[Version]-linux.tar.gz cd Harmony[Version]-linux Use code with caution. Copied to clipboard

Run the Installer: Use sudo to execute the installer script with desired parameters. sudo ./install Use code with caution. Copied to clipboard

Configure Components: In the terminal-based UI, use the Spacebar to select components: APPLICATION: Required for binaries and resources. 🎁 Bonus: Silly but useful aliases Add to ~/

DESKTOP: Creates application shortcuts and file associations (.xstage).

PATH: Adds Harmony to your system's $PATH for terminal access. Common Post-Install Issues

Audio Glitches: Users on unsupported distros (like Fedora) often report the play-head freezing when audio is enabled; this is usually due to incompatible sound libraries.

Full Path Requirement: If you didn't select the "PATH" component during install, the default directory is typically /usr/local/ToonBoomAnimation/harmonyPremium_[version].

Check out this guide on setting up your first scene once you've finished the installation:


🎁 Bonus: Silly but useful aliases

Add to ~/.bashrc:

alias harmony='cd ~/harmony-linux && ./harmony-linux.sh'
alias harmfix='winetricks --force gdiplus && winetricks corefonts'

Step 2: Create Symbolic Links for OpenSSL

Harmony expects OpenSSL 1.0. Ubuntu 22.04+ uses OpenSSL 3.0. Create a compatibility link:

# For Harmony 20/21 (needs libssl.so.1.0.0)
cd /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu
sudo ln -s libssl.so.3 libssl.so.1.0.0
sudo ln -s libcrypto.so.3 libcrypto.so.1.0.0

"License Not Found" Error

This is the most common Linux issue.

  1. Check if your firewall is blocking ports 27000-27009 (standard FlexNet ports).
  2. Ensure the hostname of the license server is resolvable. You may need to edit your /etc/hosts file to map the license server IP to its name.

Step 5: Launch Harmony

From the terminal:

HarmonyPremium

Or look for the launcher script at /opt/ToonBoom/Harmony_20/HarmonyPremium.


Step 4: Post-Install Paths

Add Harmony to your $PATH:

echo 'export PATH=/opt/ToonBoom/Harmony_20/bin:$PATH' >> ~/.bashrc
source ~/.bashrc

Dependencies for Fedora 38+

sudo dnf install -y libX11 libXext libXrender libXi libXrandr \
libXcursor libXinerama mesa-libGLU fontconfig cups-libs \
compat-openssl11 libpng12 libtiff libjpeg-turbo