In the context of the declining quality of Windows, I want to help crack open the path to users switching to Linux and not make Clip Studio Paint that “one app they still need on Windows”.
First off: yes, it works. People have used CSP on Linux, to make actual art. There’s just a bit of setup involved.
The info I have below won’t be a step-by-step for non-technical people. I don’t think it’ll be enough on its own to get you started. I recommend you find a video to actually guide you through the process. But hopefully this info below will help you search for the right step-by-step guides, and also understand what they’re talking about.
I didn’t want this information and links to just be lost in some obscure Discord thread so here are some helpful links.
Info from 2026:
- https://github.com/pomcomic/CSP-on-Linux – (Screenshots are in German)
- Easily Install CLIP STUDIO PAINT on Linux (CachyOS/Arch) – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5CPzvDQ1Nm4
Info from 2024:
My own notes
The gist of it is: as long as Clip Studio Paint doesn’t have a Linux version yet, we rely on community-maintaned tools and knowledge to run Windows applications on Linux.
Bottles is a Linux tool that simplifies managing a bunch of extra settings and installations needed to make a little box (or a “bottle”) for the Windows application to run properly under Linux. A bottle is a container with settings that pretends it’s Windows. And with the right settings, it can make it so the Windows application has everything it needs to run normally.
Based on the links above, people have gotten to CSP to run in Bottles just fine. I’ve even seen some people getting it to run on their Steam Deck.
We use the phrase “in bottles” but after finishing everything, you can set it up so the application feels like running a regular old application. Using Bottles won’t be like having a window running Windows running the app inside a bigger window. You’ll just have the application itself as its own window that you treat as a normal window.
What does Clip Studio Paint look for?
Different people seem to recommend setting the bottle to mimic different versions. Some say to use Windows 7. Some say Windows 8.1. This should be an easy setting to change so just follow whatever guide you’re following. It’s not hard to change or just make a new bottle.
Clip Studio Paint seems to look for Microsoft Edge and EdgeView. That’s presumably what the CLIP STUDIO management app (not CSP itself) uses to display the interface on Windows.
Additionally, these are also these things it needs that should be listed as choices in the Bottles dependency list:
- allfonts
- gecko
- mono
- vcredist2022
Some of these are things the CSP Installer looks for so it’s a good idea to install and add them first attempting to run the CSP Installer.
Some caveats
- The login needs to be done through the CLIP STUDIO PAINT app itself. Not the CLIP STUDIO manager app. There’s a difference because one of them needs to communicate through a browser which doesn’t seem to work properly in a bottle.
- Weird first launch lag. Launching Clip Studio Paint for the first time can have a weird delay but it should only be for the first time.
- Sometimes tablet drivers are pre-installed. Linux has a bunch of different versions (called “distros”). Some of them already have a universal tablet driver pre-installed so you don’t have to do anything extra. But for some of them, you may have to find a tutorial for how to install it.
I’ll be updating this page over time as I have clearer steps or when the situation changes. For now, hopefully having the links and the summary will be usable enough.
Pharan Art and Tech 