Run the original Windows editor from your Linux application menu.
A private Proton runtime, a guided setup, and practical recovery tools.
Get started · Daily use · Compatibility · Troubleshooting · Credits
Important
Tested on the full-size Quad Cortex only. Quad Cortex mini has not been tested; its compatibility is unknown. This is an experimental, offline wrapper for Cortex Control 4.1.0 on x86_64 Bazzite/KDE. Cloud login, downloads and updates are unavailable.
| Desktop integration | Open Cortex Control from KDE's application menu. A second launch can focus the existing window. |
| A private runtime | A local copy of Proton's Wine runtime and a dedicated prefix, independent of Steam's subsequent runtime updates. |
| Repair and recovery | Restore the menu entry, rebuild the installation while retaining previous copies, and check your setup with doctor. |
The original Windows application runs through Wine and DXVK. This project is an independent compatibility launcher; it is not a native Linux port or an open-source replacement for Cortex Control.
- In Steam's Library, enable the Tools filter and install Proton Experimental.
- Obtain the Cortex Control 4.1.0 Windows installer from Neural DSP's downloads page.
Only the exact tested installer/executable hashes are accepted. If 4.1.0 is no longer offered, this version of the launcher cannot install a newer app version. Other Proton builds with the required layout are reported as untested.
Download source ZIP and extract it, or clone the repository:
git clone https://github.com/Mordeton/cortex-control-linux.git
cd cortex-control-linuxFrom the extracted or cloned folder, run as your normal desktop user:
./cortex-control doctor
./install.shOn KDE, a file picker asks for your Windows installer. Proton is detected from Steam's default and additional libraries. Installation copies the runtime and can take a few minutes and several GB of disk space.
Close other QC editor sessions, connect the QC, and open Cortex Control from your application menu. Linux continues to handle USB audio and MIDI.
The host needs Python 3.11+, bwrap, lsof, cp, desktop-file-validate,
and 7z or 7zz. KDE's kdialog provides the file picker; wmctrl enables
window activation. Working host Vulkan and X11/XWayland are required.
doctor checks prerequisites; the installer does not layer system packages.
Explicit paths and existing Wine prefixes
./cortex-control install \
--installer '/path/to/Cortex Control v4.1.0.exe' \
--runtime '/path/to/Proton - Experimental'Use --exe instead of --installer for an already extracted, verified 4.1.0
executable. The application hash is also checked before every launch.
--migrate-prefix /path/to/prefix copies an existing prefix on first install;
its original is preserved.
Run these commands from this folder. After installation, you can also use
~/.local/bin/cortex-control with the same arguments.
| Command | Purpose |
|---|---|
./cortex-control |
Open the editor, or focus its existing window |
./cortex-control run --disconnected |
Open without exposing USB/HID devices |
./cortex-control files |
Open the import/export folder |
./cortex-control doctor |
Inspect the setup without opening the QC HID connection |
./cortex-control repair |
Restore/update launcher and menu integration |
./cortex-control reinstall |
Rebuild from retained verified inputs, copying existing settings |
./cortex-control uninstall |
Remove desktop integration and retain application files and settings |
After uninstall, repair restores the menu entry. Reinstall keeps previous
copies and requires extra disk space. See storage and recovery
for paths, retained configurations and interrupted installations.
| Observed on the tested setup | Still unqualified |
|---|---|
| App rendering and QC connection | Full editing and Save/reload correctness |
| Existing-window activation and normal close | Import/export and backup/restore |
| Linux audio/MIDI alongside editor control | Long sessions, suspend/resume and hotplug |
Testing used a full-size Quad Cortex with CorOS 4.1.1, Cortex Control 4.1.0, and Bazzite/KDE with an NVIDIA RTX 2080 SUPER. Other device models, app versions, GPUs and environments are unqualified. See the complete compatibility record for the exact runtime and evidence boundaries.
For optional QC USB 1/2 headphone playback, see the audio guide. That helper is independent of the editor and is never installed automatically.
Start with ./cortex-control doctor and the troubleshooting guide.
Diagnostics check configuration, files and visible device access; they do not
prove rendering, communication or save correctness. Review personal paths and
device details before sharing a report.
Report a problem with your environment, device model and redacted diagnostics.
This is an independent community project, not affiliated with or endorsed by Neural DSP. Cortex Control and Quad Cortex remain Neural DSP's products and trademarks. Obtain the proprietary app separately and follow its license terms.
This experimental wrapper is provided as is, without warranty, under the MIT license. Use it at your own risk; reliable operation or protection against crashes, data loss or workflow disruption is not guaranteed.
Back up important presets using a supported method before experimenting. Save/reload, import/export and backup/restore remain unqualified. Retained installation copies are not backups of presets on your QC. The original app still exposes device controls: the wrapper is not a device write filter. Firmware updates and factory resets are outside this project's scope.
Run the offline regression suite with:
python3 -m unittest discover -s tests -vTests use synthetic files and mocked Wine/hardware operations, with no QC or proprietary software required. Read contribution guidance before proposing compatibility changes.
- Mordeton — idea, requirements, direction, hardware testing and feedback.
- GPT via OpenAI Codex — implementation, diagnostics, tests and documentation.
Full credits · MIT license for the wrapper
No Windows installer, executable, runtime payload, presets or private device captures are distributed in this repository.