T2 Linux

[james0tucson]

I can understand why someone might not want to go there. The audio driver config is complicated enough for the devices where there is explicit ALSA support developed by the manufacturer.

I never did get wireless working on my laptop under linux. Intel had a bunch of 'community' drivers and support docs related to my 802.11 chipset, but after five days I lost faith and installed a network jack in my living room.

I agree this is a royal bithc. On my Toshiba notebook, the Knoppix default brings up the built-in wireless, works with passwored wifi, works in coffee shops, everything, and I consider myself extremely lucky.

I have yet to find a PCI 802.11-g card that will work with Linux. And I've bought sevearl 802.11 cards that were supposed to be a supported chipset according to make and model, only to find they were, for instance, Broadcom. I've been a big linux advocate, evangelist, developer, for years (since 1994!), but my advocacy took a big hit over this whole Wi-Fi thing. I realize it's not the community's fault the vendors are pricks.

[chico.co.uk]

Broadcom nics, yuk, the number of problems i've had with them under various operating systems and various bits of software ...

Anyway, I should have said the idea that people don't buy linux software was only my impression. It goes without saying that people buy database applications for server builds, but *my impression* is that the average desktop linux user likes it because they don't have to fork out for software, so much is freely available.

I'd love to see tracktion under linux, honestly, I'm just not convinced it's commercially viable. I may be completely wrong, so i should hold my hands up to that

I've never actually tried to use linux for audio at all up till now. Where's a good place to start?

[Radek]

We don't have many commercial software for Linux because of smaller installed base. Up to today almost every pc was sold with win preinstalled. Here lies a real power of microsoft - most of their market share is an effect of bundling with premade computers.

I bought some Linux's software (from Mandrake, Mandriva now) and I gladly will buy more if there'll be a product suiting me needs. A Linux version of Traction2 would be one of them. This is so because except my audio/midi works I'm using Linux now for everything else. Rebooting a computer just to be able record some takes is very tedious, tedious enough to consider spending money to having it gone.

This isn't any of LinuxVsWin war, it's just my comfort. If I haven't been using Linux I wouldn't care probably. But as Linux has become part of my today's work it's very natural to wanting my most liked tools to work under it.

Look at the MacOSX. It also has much, much smaller market share than a windows, it's not that unlike Linux yet it has pretty good support from developers for audio/midi aplications.

[mcnelson]

Sorry to go OT, but you should be able to get wireless access working with many cards using NDISWRAPPER and your native windows drivers:

http://ndiswrapper.sourceforge.net/

I have a dedicated Ubuntu machine at home, and if it came down to preference I'd use Linux over windows; if I could have Tracktion working under Linux (with VST support) I'd be there like that*

*that being something very quick indeed, like a Cheetah on steroids, or Concorde.

Apologies for any granny / egg sucking situations. I'll shut up now.

[Father Ham]

I've never actually tried to use linux for audio at all up till now. Where's a good place to start?

I did a search for you.

http://linux-sound.org/
http://www.osnews.com/story.php?news_id=6720&page=1
http://www.djcj.org/LAU/guide/index.php
http://www.linuxdj.com/audio/lad/

Depending on your hardware and distribution, configuring a solid audio workstation can be a real pain. Maybe try a CD distro built for audio:

http://ccrma.stanford.edu/planetccrma/s ... ction.html
http://www.agnula.org/
http://www.ferventsoftware.com/

[bchamp]

I don't see how a Linux port of Tracktion would be worthwhile unless the hardware manufacturers of audio interfaces got onboard with drivers. I don't think we will see MOTU or Presonus releasing Linux drivers anytime soon.

regards

[Father Ham]

I don't see how a Linux port of Tracktion would be worthwhile unless the hardware manufacturers of audio interfaces got onboard with drivers. I don't think we will see MOTU or Presonus releasing Linux drivers anytime soon.

What came first, the chicken or the egg?

Manufacturers that don't play nice can lose business as people switch to supported hardware, or they can open things up to let outside developers design drivers, or release their own.

Already as it is people have chosen specific hardware just so it could work flawlessly in both Linux and Windows. Something like Tracktion would only increase this behavior, and make manufacturers pay attention.

There are plenty of quality audio cards supported, so it isn't a problem.

[Radek]

I don't see how a Linux port of Tracktion would be worthwhile unless the hardware manufacturers of audio interfaces got onboard with drivers. I don't think we will see MOTU or Presonus releasing Linux drivers anytime soon.

regards

It was wortwhile for a Korg and it was wothwile for SOS for making a review of Linux's distro tailored to DAW's work.

MOTU or Presonus aren't the world. I doubt if there is any inherit resistance for a Linux. Everything is a business. With Linux you can do a business, it just matter of "egg and chicken" syndrome. Look again at Mac's OSX - it has very good support for audio/midi yet its marketshare compared to windows is simply poor. Why then Linux shouldn't have a more support? It's just matter of mindshare and of the first one brave enough. Again look at the new Korg's Oasys - it's a computer running a Linux. Korg is serious company and it yet dared to use a Linux for its flagship product. This means technically Linux is good enough and its adoption fot audio/midi is just matter of time. It will be going slowly at first but when it gain momentum...

I remembered the first steps of pc in the home market. The pc/xt was a crap (and it really was) but slowly, steadily it was making a progress. And one day it simply blowed out of market the Amigas, the Ataris, basically everything else!

You see... the Linux is nothing special (a Beos was superior) but as early pces a Linux has one very important thing done right. It's accessible for anyone. You might, I might, everyone might do with a Linux everything anyone want. Freedom sparks a innovation the same way the pces were able to overhelm already established computers from Commodore and Atari.

[rezk]

And dont forget : Receptor runs on linux...

[bchamp]

Linux has one very important thing done right. It's accessible for anyone. Y

I don't think I can agree with this comment. I don't foresee my grandmother using Linux anytime soon

Linux is and always will be for propellerheads. When I'm trying to be creative making music, I don't want to think about kernal rebuilds.

PS> I like Linux, and have used it since the early 90's for SW & HW development but for music, an OSX or XP box does fine.

[Father Ham]

Linux has one very important thing done right. It's accessible for anyone. Y

I don't think I can agree with this comment. I don't foresee my grandmother using Linux anytime soon

Linux is and always will be for propellerheads. When I'm trying to be creative making music, I don't want to think about kernal rebuilds.

To me, his sentence means more about how poor people in countries that don't even have clean water can gather up the parts necessary to build a respectable Personal Computer that can run Linux. While they could install a pirated Windows, we don't count that.

Linux gives them an opportunity to be creative in ways that are equally as powerful as huge operations in the modern world. It has the potential to level the playing field. Creativity sprouts from disgusting environments, and it has the power to wipe the floor with crap produced in Hollywood.

Tracktion would cost money (though it would be cool if they could offer a free version for non-profit use), but it would still contribute to increasing development of other free audio software. So it could help the next Mozart from some hole-in-the-wall country produce something unlike anything we've ever heard, and publish it from his shack in a crumbling village.

[james0tucson]

Linux has one very important thing done right. It's accessible for anyone. Y

I don't think I can agree with this comment. I don't foresee my grandmother using Linux anytime soon

Grandmother mode is where you setup the machine to bring up a web browser that can't be closed, that has the webmail application and the link to the photo album of the grandbabies on a read-only task bar, and that's it.

If you set this up for grandma under windows, or under linux, it's the same thing, except that windows will require maintenance and will cost money, whereas linux will not.

You *cannot* drop ship grandma a case, powersupply, motherboard, RAM, a disk drive, a dvd writer, a video card, a mouse, a keyboard, a fansink, and a wi-fi card, and a windows-XP disc, and expect her to go from there. But the fact is, she might actually have a better chance of success with everything else being equal, and a Knoppix or Ubuntu disk enclosed instead of XP.

It is a myth that Windows is easier to use, or even, easier to install. I've seen plenty of people using kiosk systems running KDE with no problem at all.

[Radek]

Linux has one very important thing done right. It's accessible for anyone. Y

I don't think I can agree with this comment. I don't foresee my grandmother using Linux anytime soon

Linux is and always will be for propellerheads. When I'm trying to be creative making music, I don't want to think about kernal rebuilds.

To me, his sentence means more about how poor people in countries that don't even have clean water can gather up the parts necessary to build a respectable Personal Computer that can run Linux. While they could install a pirated Windows, we don't count that.

I have mean a Linux is "accesible" in a sense everyone (with skill naturally) isn't denied to do anything with it.

Look on many different devices Linux does run, look how many distros it is spawning, look at all the variety it brings.

This is something of an awesome accomplished. Heck look at the Receptor itself, apparently it does use Linux too!
Slowly but surely a Linux is improving and gaining a new grounds.

People likes to making everything white or black. I'm getting sick when I hear how Linux isn't ready for a win replacement (for example). But this is not important. It doesn't have to. Linux's success is about being a tool, a tool "accessible" for everyone. This is what I had mean.

[james0tucson]

Slowly but surely a Linux is improving and gaining a new grounds.

Linux has more users already than OS/2 ever did, and that was considered a viable market not so many years ago.

[Karbon L. Forms]

Jules said...

"I agree it'd be good to see something like this, though I'm afraid the chances of seeing a linux port of tracktion are extremely slim...

The problem is that the work involved in supporting linux is huge, but I'd expect only a tiny handful of sales compared to on the pc/mac.

Out of interest, is there actually any successful paid-for audio software available for linux at all? Or is it all open-source? Seems to me that linux users don't like it when you suggest that they should pay for their apps!"