[SOLVED] Ubuntu Studio / Ubuntu

What other apps and distros do you use to round out your studio?

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jonetsu
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[SOLVED] Ubuntu Studio / Ubuntu

Post by jonetsu »

I tried Ubuntu Studio then Ubuntu, all current versions. It uses the Xfce DM. They might be good for audio work but is there any way to get those to be developer friendly ? When searching for 'gcc' using the software manager in both only one result is shown, something about virtualjaguar or some crap like that. In any case I use 'apt-get install build-essential' but this is to illustrate that if I need to pick and choose which X11 development headers and libraries I need, such as when compiling emacs from Savannah, there's no way I'll be able to do that easily. And that's only a simple example. I'm used in Linux Mint to use the software manager for everything.

Of course I can use apt and grep statements to produce lists of available software but that's not the idea. The Ubuntu web pages boasts using Ubuntu for development but they skim on basic details and focus on some SnapThing to deliver software to customers.

Is there a way to configure Ubuntu so that it becomes developer friendly ? Basically, to get into the head of the software manager app that Development is also a category of applications, librairies and various other packages. Once this is done - if possible - then I can go on with configuring for audio.

UPDATE

I got LM 19.1 Xfce and installed booting the USB in non-UEFI mode (it was allergic to UEFI). Right after the install I type gcc at the terminal and its there. The software manager returns zillions of packages on a 'gcc' search. But not perfect since GTK+ development headers are hard to find.
Cheers.
Last edited by jonetsu on Wed Jan 30, 2019 1:19 am, edited 1 time in total.
tramp
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Re: Ubuntu Studio / Ubuntu

Post by tramp »

I ain't use ubuntu but debian/sid.
However, the difference in package management is just marginal.
I really ain't get what exactly your problem is. It's indeed easy to install Synaptic and use some of the provided filters to search for the development tools and library's you need for your project.
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sysrqer
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Re: Ubuntu Studio / Ubuntu

Post by sysrqer »

Yeah synaptic does a pretty good job. I assume they don't include these kind of packages in whatever software manager you used because they are not the kind of packages that an inexperienced user would need or want to mess around with. Perhaps they think that if you are a developer then you wouldn't be worried about using a terminal.

On Neon here (ubuntu) and synaptic says there are 1023 packages with gcc in the name or description.

I'm confused about why you had to install a new distro before you tried installing what you wanted from the terminal, you would have had the same result in ubuntu.
jonetsu
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Re: Ubuntu Studio / Ubuntu

Post by jonetsu »

Thanks for the replies. I see there's a difference between the 'software manager' and the 'package manager', the former being at the common user level to simplify things a lot. I've never used Synaptic before so I tried it and it's great. Everything can be found. emacs is now building fine, which is great. I could have used the command line to list all available packages but the idea was to use a UI for more convenience, and Synaptic does the job quite well.
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sysrqer
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Re: Ubuntu Studio / Ubuntu

Post by sysrqer »

I'm not sure if there is a difference between those things but I know Discover in plasma has the same problem and I never really use it except for updating when it tells me it wants to.
jonetsu
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Re: Ubuntu Studio / Ubuntu

Post by jonetsu »

It's still a wonder that in 2019 one can find such a blatant bug in what seems at first a stable and serious desktop manager, that freezes the movement of windows in a toggle manner. Xfce and Ctrl-F1, the default shortcut used to switch to desktop 1, also acts as a window freezer. When enabled it becomes impossible to drag windows around, if only by a few pixels. And this is 2019. Many people are experiencing this recently.

Linux Mint 19.1 Xfce

Eg:

Ctrl-F3, launch firefox, move it around
Ctrl-F1
Ctril-F3, try to move the firefox window (stuck)
Ctril-F1
Ctril-F3, try to move the firefox window (moves freely)

Defining your own shortcuts to switch desktop, like Alt-1, Alt-2, Alt-3 and Alt-4 gets rid of the problem but then, you have to redefine them often as they become lost even though they are still listed in the Window Manager configuration each time a terminal is opened (see other thread about this) and at reboot. Anyone knows if it's possible to script that configuration ? Firing a script to recall the 'lost' shortcut assignments would be better than redefining them.

I'm pursuing Xfce at the moment since 1) I want to update Linux (*) 2) Linux Mint is ditching KDE 3) Trying a smaller DM might give more resources for audio apps.

(*) I also have to update to at least gcc 7 for lsp and clang support for emacs. My very-well-running LM 18.1 KDE runs gcc 5.
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Re: Ubuntu Studio / Ubuntu

Post by jonetsu »

Now on to Kubuntu LTS. Back to KDE. Hopefully the problem preventing using No Script with firefox will not rear up his head. Otherwise, all good.

UPDATE

There's one thing that does not look too good. emacs has taken time to display a new frame. A text editor having difficulty in displaying something. About 400 ms late. Does not look good at all. I've been using emacs for 15 years and never had this problem. I'll see with Bitwig, a full-fledged GUI app....

One thing people mention is that there's a cancer process in KDE called baloo which should be exterminated and totally removed from the disk. A cancer process that can slow down a computer. The term 'cancer' is from them.

I've also disabled all visual gimmickery from KDE. Behaves pleasantly much faster now.
Last edited by jonetsu on Mon Jan 28, 2019 4:53 pm, edited 3 times in total.
jonetsu
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Re: Ubuntu Studio / Ubuntu

Post by jonetsu »

sysrqer wrote:I'm confused about why you had to install a new distro before you tried installing what you wanted from the terminal, you would have had the same result in ubuntu.
Mostly because I do not have a task list like a QA dept. would. I could try one thing although I cannot make a statement regarding rejecting or adopting a distro in one hour or so. It takes so little time to install one and then actually start doing regular things that it's a easy to do so. I actually came up with a nice acoustic guitar riff during one install. If it makes it as a piece, I won't be calling it something like "Distro Dance" though.
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Re: Ubuntu Studio / Ubuntu

Post by jonetsu »

Has the Saga reached an end ? Did he find the Holy Grail ? It certainly looks like now.

Never went so far in the recent distro tries. Everything is good. Desktop is snappy, low latency kernel installed at first try. No desktop shortcut problems, no freezing windows. The system is very responsive, wine-staging and linvst installed just OK, no problem with firefox drop-down menus preventing the use of No Script and Page Shadow, nice default colors and graphics, menu system simple and to the point, gcc is of the right version for work, basic jackd/pulse audio sound works all right, Bitwig installed OK.

Still have to test audio production and install of Mixbus32C but before doing that have to re-install Windows VST and do to that, have to find a possibly optimized way of doing it.

Xubuntu 18.04 LTS
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