<p>
- <dfn>Ubuntu Linux</dfn> is the most popular variety of Linux in use on desktop
- and laptop systems. It has the backing of a for-profit corporation
- (Canonical Inc.), a defined philosophy and a huge and
- worldwide user base. As a result, it is a common platform for people
- who want to use Ardour and other tools for music creation and
- pro-audio work.
+ <dfn>Ubuntu Linux</dfn> is the most popular variety of Linux in use on
+ desktop and laptop systems. It has the backing of a for-profit corporation
+ (Canonical Inc.), a defined philosophy and a huge and worldwide user base. As
+ a result, it is a common platform for people who want to use Ardour and other
+ tools for music creation and pro-audio work.
</p>
<h2>High Level Recommendations for Ubuntu Users</h2>
+
<p>
- Currently, installing pro audio applications on vanilla Ubuntu requires
- some configuration, in order for the user to gain realtime privilege
- (read below).
- Ubuntu Studio, which is an official flavor of Ubuntu, and thus shares
- the repositories with Ubuntu, has this already configured.
- Other distributions, such as KXStudio, and Dreamstudio are largely based
- on Ubuntu, and like Ubuntu Studio, has these settings preconfigured, while
- also containing customized versions of Ubuntu packages, which often are
- more up to date.
+ Currently, installing pro audio applications on vanilla Ubuntu requires some
+ configuration, in order for the user to gain realtime privilege (read below).
+ Ubuntu Studio, which is an official flavor of Ubuntu, and thus shares the
+ repositories with Ubuntu, has this already configured. Other distributions,
+ such as KXStudio, and Dreamstudio are largely based on Ubuntu, and like
+ Ubuntu Studio, has these settings pre-configured, while also containing
+ customized versions of Ubuntu packages, which often are more up to date.
</p>
<h2>Installing Ardour</h2>
+
<p>
- There may be unintended differences, and even bugs in Ubuntu native
- packages, as a result of a different building method. For this reason,
- Ardour developers highly recommend you to install the official
-
ready-to-run version of the program that you can get from <a
+ There may be unintended differences, and even bugs in Ubuntu native packages,
+ as a result of a different building method. For this reason, Ardour
+ developers highly recommend installing the official ready-to-run version of
+
the program that can be downloaded from <a
href="https://community.ardour.org/download">ardour.org</a>, as Ubuntu native
- packages are not supported in official Ardour forums or other
- support channels.
+ packages are not supported in the official Ardour forums or other support
+ channels.
</p>
+
<p>
- Follow these steps to install the latest version of Ardour.
- <ol>
- <li>Download the latest release from <a href="https://community.ardour.org/download">
- ardour.org</a>.</li>
- <li><kbd class="mouse">Right+Click</kbd> the downloaded file and choose
- properties.</li>
- <li>Click the Permissions tab and check the option "Allow this file to
- run as a program"</li>
+ Follow these steps to install the latest version of Ardour:
+</p>
+
+<ol>
+ <li>Download the latest release from <a
+ href="https://community.ardour.org/download">ardour.org</a>.</li>
+ <li><kbd class="mouse">Right</kbd>-click the downloaded file and choose
+ properties.</li>
+ <li>Click the Permissions tab and check the option "Allow this file to run as
+ a program".</li>
<li>Close the dialog and double-click the file.</li>
<li>Follow the prompts.</li>
</ol>
-</p>
-<h2>Problems with the interaction between PulseAudio and JACK</h2>
+<h2>Problems with JACK configuration</h2>
+
+<h3>What is the problem?</h3>
-<h3>Background Info</h3>
<p>
- Like many distributions, Ubuntu has decided to use <dfn>PulseAudio</dfn> as the
- default audio system. PulseAudio is a rich and capable system that
- provides excellent services for typical users of Linux on the
- desktop. However, it is not capable of the type of performance that
- tools like Ardour require and in particular does not offer the
- possibility of sending audio between applications that can make the
- Linux audio environment a very interesting one.
+ To function as intended, JACK needs to run with access to two operating
+ system facilities called <dfn>realtime scheduling</dfn> and <dfn>memory locking</dfn>. This means that the user who starts JACK <em>must</em> be
+ allowed access to these facilities. By default, Ubuntu does create a user
+ group that has this permission but—it does not put new users into this
+ group by default. Read more about why <a
+ href="https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Audio/TheAudioGroup">here</a>. Consequently,
+ the user will not have permission to run JACK in the way they should.
</p>
+
+<h3>Symptoms</h3>
+
<p>
- This would not be a problem if it were not for the fact that JACK
- will not run correctly (if at all) if it needs to use the same
- soundcard/audio interface that PulseAudio is using. And since on
- Ubuntu, PulseAudio is configured by default to always use the
- (typically single) audio interface on your computer, this is a bit
- of a problem.
+ A message like <samp>Cannot lock down memory</samp> in the output from JACK
+ as it starts up. This output may be hidden in the Messages window of QJackCtl
+ (aka JACK Control), so one should check there.
</p>
+
+<h3>How to fix</h3>
+
<p>
- The developers of JACK and PulseAudio got together in 2009 and
- agreed upon a mechanism by which PulseAudio and JACK could cooperate
- in their use of a single soundcard. Whether or not PulseAudio is running by
- default, when JACK starts up it sends out a request to use the
- soundcard. If PulseAudio is running, it will give up its use of the
- soundcard to allow JACK to take over (and can optionally be told to
- route its own audio through JACK). When JACK finishes, it sends out
- another message, and PulseAudio can once again use the soundcard
- directly.
+ Make sure the file /etc/security/limits.d/audio.conf exists. If it is named
+ /etc/security/limits.d/audio.conf.disabled, rename it to the former. Run the
+ command:
</p>
-<h3>What is the problem?</h3>
+
+<kbd class="cmd lin">sudo usermod -a -G audio <em>YOUR-LOGIN-NAME</em></kbd>
+
<p>
- The specific issues known at this time for all flavors of Ubuntu
- 12.04 and 12.10 are:
+ Then log out and log in again. On Ubuntu Studio the user is a member of audio
+ group by default, but not on other official flavors.
</p>
- <ul>
- <li>a bug in PulseAudio that causes it not to give up the
- soundcard when JACK asks
- (<a href="https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/pulseaudio/+bug/1163638">LP:
- #1163638</a>,
- fixed in Ubuntu 13.04).</li>
- </ul>
-<h3>Symptoms</h3>
+<h2>Reporting Issues</h2>
+
<p>
- <samp>Cannot start JACK</samp> (though see the next section for other
- causes of this)
+ Given the difficulties in supporting Ubuntu and the limited time and
+ resources of the Ardour team, the <dfn>Ubuntu Studio Project</dfn> has
+ requested that issues and bug reports related to Ubuntu, Ubuntu Studio and
+ other derivatives be directed to them.
</p>
-<h3>How to fix</h3>
+<h3>Contact Information for Ubuntu Studio</h3>
+
<p>
- These bugs do not affect releases from 13.04, and earlier releases
- (12.04 and 12.10) are in the process of being fixed.
+ <a href="http://ubuntustudio.org">The Ubuntu Studio Homepage</a>
</p>
-<h2>Problems with JACK configuration</h2>
-
-<h3>What is the problem?</h3>
- <p>
- To function as intended, JACK needs to run with access to two
- operating system facilities called <dfn>realtime scheduling</dfn> and
- <dfn>memory locking</dfn>. This means that you, the user who starts JACK, must be
- allowed access to these facilities. By default, Ubuntu does create a
- user group that has this permission but — it does not put new
- users into this group by default. Read more about why <a href="https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Audio/TheAudioGroup">here</a>.
- Consequently, you will not have permission to run JACK in the way you should.
- </p>
-<h3>Symptoms</h3>
- <p>
- A message like <samp>Cannot lock down memory</samp> in the output from JACK as
- it starts up. This output may be hidden in the Messages window of
- QJackctrl (aka JACK Control), so you should check there.
- </p>
+<p>
+ <a href="http://ubuntuforums.org/forumdisplay.php?f=335">The Ubuntu Studio
+ Forums.</a>
+</p>
-<h3>How to fix</h3>
- <p>
- Make sure the file /etc/security/limits.d/audio.conf exists. If it is
- named /etc/security/limits.d/audio.conf.disabled, rename it to the former.
- Run the command
- </p>
- <kbd class="cmd lin">sudo usermod -a -G audio
- <em>YOUR-LOGIN-NAME</em></kbd>
- <p>
- Then log out and log in again. On Ubuntu Studio the user is a member of audio
- group by default, but not on other official flavors.
- </p>
+<p>
+ <a href="https://help.ubuntu.com/community/UbuntuStudio/MailLists">Information
+ on the Ubuntu Studio Mailing Lists.</a>
+</p>
-<h2>Reporting Issues</h2>
<p>
- Given the difficulties in supporting Ubuntu and the limited time/resources
- of the Ardour team, the <dfn>Ubuntu Studio Project</dfn> has requested that
- issues and bug reports related to Ubuntu, Ubuntu Studio and other
- derivitives be directed to them.
+ <a href="https://help.ubuntu.com/community/UbuntuStudio/IRC">Information on
+ the Ubuntu Studio IRC channel.</a> #ubuntustudio on irc.freenode.net
</p>
-<h3>Contact Information for Ubuntu Studio</h3>
-<p><a href="http://ubuntustudio.org">The Ubuntu Studio Homepage</a></p>
-<p><a href="http://ubuntuforums.org/forumdisplay.php?f=335">The Ubuntu Studio Forums.</a></p>
-<p><a href="https://help.ubuntu.com/community/UbuntuStudio/MailLists">Information on the Ubuntu Studio Mailing Lists.</a></p>
-<p><a href="https://help.ubuntu.com/community/UbuntuStudio/IRC">Information on the Ubuntu Studio IRC channel.</a> #ubuntustudio on irc.freenode.net</p>
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