- Ubuntu Linux is the most popular variety of Linux in use on desktop + 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.), 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.
-- Unfortunately, Ubuntu has repeatedly caused major headaches for - people who want to use Ardour. These problems have arisen from a - combination of two basic issues: - -
- 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. + 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.
-- 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 + 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 ardour.org (or in the packages - released by other distributions) -
-- 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. -
-- 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. + href="http://ardour.org/download">ardour.org, as Ubuntu native + packages are not supported in official Ardour forums or other + support channels.
-- Like many distributions, Ubuntu has decide to use PulseAudio as the + Like many distributions, Ubuntu has decided to use PulseAudio 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 @@ -112,72 +67,72 @@ 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 for all flavors of Ubuntu + 12.04 and 12.10 are:
-- The specific issues known at this time (spring 2013) are:
-
+ These bugs do not affect the upcoming 13.04 release, and earlier + releases (12.04 and 12.10) are in the process of being fixed.
-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 + 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. + user group that has this permission but — it does not put new + users into this group by default. Read more about why here. + 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 + 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
- Run the command sudo usermod -a -G
- audio YOUR-LOGIN-NAME. Then logout and login again.
+ 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.
+ 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