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is it possible to compile latest source to run on Ubuntu 10.04?

5 April, 2013 - 16:48 — peethagoras

Hi everyone, new bee here with a question, please excuse if it sounds stoopid.

I use Ubuntu 'Lucid Lynx' 10.04 and run Qtractor (version: 0.4.5, build: Feb 5 2010 18:22:45) without many problems, but I was thinking of trying out the latest version: 2013-03-19 - The India Romeo (qtractor-0.5.8.tar.g ).

My question is in two parts: 1: have I picked the correct tar package for Ubuntu, and 2: exactly what steps are required to compile it?

I hope this makes sense to someone.

thanks for the excellent software and best regards

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qtractor
5 April, 2013 - 17:56 — rncbc
rncbc's picture

no matter how, 3 years is too much time, trust me.

consider upgrading your ubuntu to latest LTS at least (is it 12.04?) and from there aim to kxstudio repos at best.

nb. i have no experience whatsoever with ubuntu stuff, believe me, nor have i a clue about their agenda, code-naming and such. what i know is, well, things have changed a lot, way too deeply in 3 years now, trust me again :)

i'm not saying that is not possible, rather that i'm certain you'll save a lot of cold-sweating if you follow the suggestion above ;)

hth.
cheers

6 April, 2013 - 11:06 — peethagoras

thanks a lot for the rapid response. Methinks ye might be right. I have been happy with obuntu 10.04 since its release, but after trying the later version (12.04) I just disliked the desktop and changes made. But having read your reply I have since downloaded Kxstudio, I intend to install intead of old Ubuntu (although I know Kxstudio is based on the Ubuntu version I don't like).

Do you happen to know if the later Qtractor version runs well on Kxstudio?

Thanks again (and i do trust you).

6 April, 2013 - 20:07 — rncbc
rncbc's picture

Do you happen to know if the later Qtractor version runs well on Kxstudio?
latest version runs well better anywhere :)

cheers

7 April, 2013 - 02:20 — peethagoras

slapped kxstudio next to ubuntu 10.04 and tried it out. Firstly, what's that little girl on the desktop theme all about? secondly, I think the whole thing is far too complex. My own system just requires jack running, but kxstudio takes a week to get a sound out. Thirdly, what have they done to qtractor? It seems to have problems finding jack and its all too monochromatic.
I stripped it all out, and went back to making sounds instead of tracing faults.

As for that recording-feedback business, I tried exporting again, and this time it works! The bounced tracks remain untouched. All after a new install: its witchcraft I tell thee.

thanks for replying.

7 April, 2013 - 10:42 — rncbc
rncbc's picture

re. firstly, i am not involved in kxstudio whatsoever so don't sue me but the girl is about hatsune miku, i believe the mascot of the kxstudio release you're trying.

re. secondly. kxstudio provides its own original tools, so to speak, which envolves jack and ladish session management, named after some feminine/girlish names last time i've been told. most importantly, they intend to replace qjackctl in most if not all of ways so i'll leave you there :)

re. thirdly, i suppose default kxstudio color scheme is still a black one ie. even darker than dark. maybe you can change it to your taste, it's a kde4 environment so i guess you only have to go into configure desktop/application appearance/colors and set your preferences (mine is "wonton soup" as you may readily infer from official screenshots)

re. witchcraft, what exactly was or is the problem i'm missing here?

cheers

7 April, 2013 - 16:49 — peethagoras

thanks for the swift response rncbc.

the witchcraft was all about my version of qtractor seeming unable to bounce tracks down via export without leaving bare tracks behind. When I did a fresh install of everything inc Ubuntu lucid, the problem vanished like magic. I had hoped to be able to use one or more tracks to drive effects, and at the same time record the resulting mix on a spare track. I found that when I looped the outs of qtractor to its ins, a tone developed louder and louder. The tone was of course due to positive feedback. I got hold of the latest tarball and made the latest stable version, and tried it out (I am in process thereof as I write) and am pleased to say that the annoying feedback problem has gone away. I can now do what I wanted to re recording on one track while playing about with the others via effects.

Does this seem a sane explanation I wonder?

All said, I am as happy as a feline with a rodent.

The only gripe I have is that those darned buttons (Record, Mute and Solo) are difficult to tell their state, i.e, if they are on or off. But that may well be on account of poor eyesight. I must admit that the button states are flagged at the foot of the page, but it's not possible to see which individual button is active. Perhaps a change in colour as an indicator might be a possiblillity at some future time?

Thanks for all your effort (and no doubt lack of sleep) in the process of making a really nice stable piece of kit. The way it deals with Jack and the connections is excellent.

7 April, 2013 - 18:15 — rncbc
rncbc's picture

re. those darned buttons (Record, Mute and Solo) are difficult to tell their state
most probably, that's a widget style issue; i guess you're using the gtk+ style as it's been the default on ubuntu environments--the gtk+ widget style buttons just doesn't cope with custom background colors as most others do--you can try with plastique, which is still my favorite and sure it shows the native red [R], yellow [M] and cyan [S] colors resp. by running `qtractor -style plastique` from the command line/launcher.

byee

8 April, 2013 - 08:48 — peethagoras

thanks for that info rncbc, i never realised there were terminal commands for qtractor wigets, i shall take a look later today ( presently typing on work pc ).

Speaking of buttons, colours and perhaps themes: it might be of some interest to you that when I was recently playing around with my desktop themes, I was surprised to see that when I next used qtractor, it refused to connect to jack! I cannot understand that one. Luckily - and thanks to clonezilla - I had just previously backed up my disk, and was able to reinstate the working status quo. The problem might have been a theme downloaded from somewhere or other - serves me right for trusting rather than checking.

The funny thing is that if you run qtractor with the message window open, and play around with the themes, many red messages re "xruns" come up, but the thing still works fine. Perhaps there is some system glitch which affects jack. (I don't use rt).

By the way: I complained in an earlier post about positive feedback caused by looping qtractor outs to ins: I opened the mixer window and backed off one of the level controls: and lo! as if by some strange magic spell the feedback-tone is no longer. I can't be sure which control I used but the main point is that I was wrong.

best regards to you

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