Ubuntu Linux 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.) behind it, a defined philosophy and a huge and - worldwide user base.As a result, it is a common platform for people + (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.
@@ -26,36 +24,66 @@ title: Ubuntu Linux -+ If you are really committed to using Ubuntu for pro-audio or music + creation work, you should .... +
+
+ If you not yet committed to using Ubuntu for pro-audio or music + creation work, you should probably consider using a different + distribution that has a demonstrated history of not making life for + users like you more complex than it needs to be. In particular you + might want to consider a distribution such + as AVLinux + or Dreamstudio + that is specifically focused on media creation work. +
+ +It is not possible to know whether the current package of Ardour released by Ubuntu has been correctly built or not. Ubuntu has a history of making packaging errors that lead to crashes, missing functionality and odd behaviour that is not present in the - ready-to-run version of the program that you can get from ardour.org - (or in the packages released by other distributions) + ready-to-run version of the program that you can get from ardour.org (or in the packages + released by other distributions) +
+- If you plan to use Ardour on Ubuntu, you are strongly - recommended to download the ready-to-run version from - ardour.org. Ardour's lead developer (and many of the most active - members of our user community) will not provide support for, and - will not investigate bugs reported for, Ubuntu's own packages of - Ardour. + Ardour starts up and basically runs, but you encounter subtle + problems (for example, with plugin GUIs or with export, or with the + use of certain specific plugins), or are missing functionality, or + run into crashes.
+- If have already installed the Ubuntu package of Ardour and find that - although the program starts up and basically runs, but you are - running into more subtle problems (for example, with plugin GUIs or - with export, or with the use of certain specific plugins), then you - are strongly recommended to download the - ready-to-run version from ardour.org. + Download the ready-to-run version + from ardour.org. Ardour's + lead developer (and many of the most active members of our user + community) will not provide support for, and will not investigate + bugs reported for, Ubuntu's own packages of Ardour. The ardour.org + packages install along side your distribution versions, and do not + interfere or interact in anyway other than sharing your own personal + Ardour settings and configuration choices.
+Like many distributions, Ubuntu has decide to use PulseAudio as the default audio system. PulseAudio is a rich and capable system that @@ -84,61 +112,71 @@ title: Ubuntu Linux another message, and PulseAudio can once again use the soundcard directly.
-- This relatively simple system ought to be the basis for excellent - cooperation between PulseAudio and JACK. Unfortunately, it relies on - everything being correctly configured for it to work, and Ubuntu - have repeatedly failed to get this configuration correct. -
- +The specific issues known at this time (spring 2013) are:
- To function as intended, JACK needs to run with access to two - operating system facilities called "realtime scheduling" and "memory - locking". 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. Consequently, you will not have - permission to run JACK in the way you should. -
- -- A message like "Cannot lock down memory" 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. -
- -
- Run the command sudo usermod -a -G
- audio YOUR-LOGIN-NAME. Then logout and login again.
-
+ To function as intended, JACK needs to run with access to two + operating system facilities called "realtime scheduling" and "memory + locking". 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. Consequently, you will not have + permission to run JACK in the way you should. +
++ A message like "Cannot lock down memory" 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. +
+
+ 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 sudo usermod -a -G
+ audio YOUR-LOGIN-NAME. Then logout and login again.
+ On Ubuntu Studio the user is a member of audio group by default, but not
+ on other flavors. Read more about why here
+
Given the difficulties in supporting Ubuntu and the limited time/resources of the Ardour team, the Ubuntu Studio Project has requested that issues and bug reports related to Ubuntu, Ubuntu Studio and other derivitives be directed to them.
+
Information on the Ubuntu Studio Mailing Lists.
+Information on the Ubuntu Studio IRC channel. #ubuntustudio on irc.freenode.net