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patchbay from command line

Hello, I'd like to start qjackctl from a bash script. However I seem unable to make it load and activate a patchbay.

I'm doing:

qjackctl -s -p mypreset -a mypatchbay.xml

it starts correctly with mypreset, but mypatchbay doesn't get loaded nor activated. The file is fine, I can load it and activate it correctly from the Patchbay window. Nothing is printed on the command line, and in the Messages window the only relevant thing I see are several

ALSA active patchbay scan...

and

JACK active patchbay scan...

messages. Any thoughts?

$ qjackctl -v
Qt: 4.7.1
QjackCtl: 0.3.7

cheers
renato

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rncbc's picture

What do you mean with "mypatchbay doesn't get loaded nor activated" ? From the messages above from your report (active patchbay scan...) you can be sure that some patchbay is loaded and activated, otherwise those messages wouldn't never get out.

Please, after starting qjackctl like you want, verify that Setup\Options\Connections\Active patchbay persistence option is checked and whether it is the correct file path (nb. you probably wish to specify a complete absolute path on the command line, otherwise it all can vary on the current working directory where qjackctl is launched next time).

Cheers

well, I mean that if I open the Patchbay window once qjackctl has started, another patch is selected from the drop down menu AND the "Activate" button is not pressed. I would like qjackctl to start and "select" the patch I give it on the command line and "press" the Activate button. Is this what the -a switch is supposed to do or have I misunderstood?

I looked at that "Active patchbay persistence", it was unchecked. I checked it (it wasn't first) and selected one of my patchbays from the drop down menu. Now, when I start qjackctl with the command I gave in my first post, the patchbay still doesn't get "activated" as I'd like it to, but in Setup\Options\Connections\Active patchbay persistence the patchbay in the text field is now the one I passed to the -a switch on the command line.

rncbc's picture

You're just confusing things a little bit. Let me explain...

The current active patchbay definition file is the one which is set on the Setup dialog. It is not always the one currently loaded on the Patchbay window. The Patchbay window is the place for you to edit that or any other patchbay profile, not necessarily the one which is activated at any given time. The one loaded by default in there is the last one you loaded last time, no matter you activated it or not. (side-question: have you noticed there's also this drop-down list up there, where you can load a patchbay profile from the list of the most recently loaded ones ?)

Do you get an error message like "Could not load active patchbay definition. Disabled." somewhere? If not then the patchbay file you're trying to load from the command line is being actually activated and going for the run ;)

byee

p.s. again, you'll get deterministic behavior if you specify a complete absolute file path on the command line. (eg. use `pwd`/mypatchbay.xml).

ahhh, now it's clear! thanks.

No, I get no error messages, and yes I'll include the full path in the bash script.

thanks again
renato

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