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HOW TO INSTALL UBUNTU STUDIO 9.10 WITHOUT HAVING THE INSTALL #%$&%# FAIL!:

#121
I recently bought an inexpensive notebook (an acer aspire 5517) to use at the library. It came with Windows 7 Home Premium.

Straight off I installed Ubuntu Desktop 9.10 on it by shrinking one the main Windows partitions (one for Win 7 and one for Vista it seems) with GParted in order to compare the current Ubuntu release to Microsoft's less-than-fully-featured variant of their flagship OS.

A few days of playing with '9.10 flew by and I thought I should activate Windows 7 before I ran out of time. Not being sure how to do this, I downloaded Microsoft's Windows Updates (~230 MB worth) figuring that said updates would include a utility to vet the legitimacy of my Windows 7 HP install.

After downloading and installing the MS updates I re-booted the acer--and discovered that the GRUB2 was so damaged that I could no longer boot into either OS. :eyebrow:

So I fired up the old Prescott and found this which got my new notebook up & running again. :)

RecoveringUbuntuAfterInstallingWindows

Another option:

How to restore the Ubuntu/XP/Vista/7 bootloader (Updated for Ubuntu 9.10)
Invalid Link Removed

Yet another option:

Download the latest version of Super Grub Disk which supports *GRUB2 (*first introduced in Ubuntu 9.10)
Invalid Link Removed

--------

EDIT: The wi-fi card in the 5517 on display at the computer shop worked fine under Ubuntu Netbook Remix 9.10.

However the wi-fi card in the brand-new-in-a-box 5517-5136 I bought didn't work when I tried it at home. Why? Because the unit at the store used an Atheros wi-fi card whereas my 5517-5136 has a Broadcom BCM 4312. :eyebrow:

Lesson learned? When buying a new, ostensibly Windows-only notebook for use with Ubuntu, ALWAYS test the particular machine you're buying with an Ubuntu desktop install CD (or USB 2.0 key) BEFORE leaving the store.
 
#122
Well, I just ran the current release of Ubuntu Studio 10.04 beta as a virtual machine in the latest version of VirtualBox sans Internet (on my new budget notebook) in order to find out if 10.04's install would crash the way Ubuntu Studio 9.10's install did (as covered in this thread's OP).

*drum roll*

No crash! :)

Ubuntu Studio 10.04's installation now includes the option of assigning the JACK daemon (I believe) real time control of the system's memory in order to further combat latency, with the caveat being that in a multi-user environment said control could quickly deplete available RAM leading to system lockups. This shouldn't be a problem in single user setups or on machines which sport plenty of physical RAM.

So far I've only tried the beta versions of Ubuntu 10.04 Desktop (which has been treated to an eye-pleasing makeover) and Ubuntu Studio 10.04 (which looks like ver. 9.10 to me) as virtual machines on a plodding notebook, but they both boot more quickly than Ubuntu/Ubuntu Studio 9.10 do and they seem to be more responsive as well.

When the official 10.04 releases are available at the end of this month I'll vet them on the three DVD drive-equipped machines I own.
 
#123
I've been running 10.04 on my home computer (the one I'm typing this on right now) for a few weeks now without any show-stopper bugs. It's not a revolution in any way -- that it boots faster is the main difference from 9.10. A few applets have been tweaked (meh, I liked the old sound control better), there's an integrated Twitter client (I don't use Twitter), the upgrade manager is a bit smarter (that's good) and the Ubuntu Software Center has been revamped (but I use Synaptic directly).

I don't like the new default themes, mostly because moving the window controls to a place and order (top left of the window, maximize-minimize-close) that's different from every graphical environment out there (including every Linux window manager I know) is a completely moronic idea. Fortunately, the old themes are still there (System -> Preferences -> Appearance), so it's no big issue.

What you're describing about JACK, MIJ-VI, was already possible in older versions: You need to edit the /etc/security/limits.conf file to add the following lines:

Code: 
# RT privileges for the admin group
@admin  -  rtprio  99
@admin  -  nice    -10
@admin  -  memlock unlimited

For extra goodness, you can install a realtime kernel (doing this, with appropriate tweaking, will give you the absolute lowest latency you can get from your sound hardware on any OS ever), but if you're using proprietary drivers for your graphics card, it's possible that it'll stop them from working, so be careful.


Of course, once you're done with this and have succeeded in getting your audio interface to work without xrunning every 10 seconds (sadly, this is no easy feat, even for something as simple as single-track recording), you're left to cope with the someone-please-put-me-out-of-my-misery ergonomics of Ardour and its friends.

To avoid that, my next step is to get WineASIO (http://sourceforge.net/projects/wineasio/) to work on my machine. It allows you to set up JACK as an ASIO source for Windows programs you're running with Wine, meaning that if it works, I can use Reaper from Linux.


And if it doesn't (for example because I'm using a 64-bit machine), I'm planning to build myself a dual boot desktop PC, for gaming purposes, soon, so either way I'll get access to Reaper, VST instruments and proper audio interfaces (my Korg Pandora works fine as a headphone amp and it has a USB out, but I want something with an XLR in so I can use my LMT as a DI). Plus I want to see if I can sneak into the Ohm Studio beta test.
 
#124
Thanks for filling in some key details Wild Cat! :)

BTW. I've been hunting about for a workable how-to re adding PAE to Ubuntu Studio's rt kernel (a la AVLinux) so that 32 bit, 4 GB of RAM maximum PC users can extract every last morsel of memory from their non-64 bit capable hardware.

Do you have any leads on this?

Thank you.

Gary
 
#126
MIJ-VI said:
BTW. I've been hunting about for a workable how-to re adding PAE to Ubuntu Studio's rt kernel (a la AVLinux) so that 32 bit, 4 GB of RAM maximum PC users can extract every last morsel of memory from their non-64 bit capable hardware.

Do you have any leads on this?
Click to expand...


Hmm... I see that Ubuntu offers both a PAE-enabled kernel (the "server" one) and a RT kernel, but not one that uses both. In theory, adding PAE support to a RT kernel is easy, it's just an extra option to check in the options menu when compiling it.

However, it requires you to compile your kernel yourself. While it, in itself, isn't difficult to do (steal the config from a RT kernel, "make menuconfig", check "high memory support -> 64GB", "make dep && make clean && make bzImage && make modules && make modules_install"), it also means you'll have to reconfigure and recompile the kernel every time a new version is released, instead of letting the upgrade manager handle kernel upgrades.

Also, most motherboards for 32-bit CPUs don't support more than 4 GB of RAM, so that means you'd get at most 1 extra gigabyte to work with. Unless you can locate DEB packages for a PAE+RT kernel (or even better, a PPA), or own a motherboard that can, in fact, handle more than 4 GB (most of those come from server hardware and therefore aren't cheap), I don't think it's worth the trouble.


MIJ-VI said:
'Forgot to ask: Which Pandora do you have? The PX5D?

Also, how well does it get along with Ubuntu Studio?
Click to expand...

Yeah, it's a PX5D. Ironically, the best-sounding "clean" setting I got with it is a simple bypass mode: I disabled all effects, amp, cab simulations and EQ, and let my Ibanez SR4005 do all the work.

It has a few really cool presets for dirty, auto-wah'd or just plain weird sounds, though. There's a bitcrusher-type effect that gives my bass almost the same sound as the rhythm "guitars" on the Thunderforce IV Stage 8 music (\m/
 
#127
Wild_Cat said:
Hmm... I see that Ubuntu offers both a PAE-enabled kernel (the "server" one) and a RT kernel, but not one that uses both. In theory, adding PAE support to a RT kernel is easy, it's just an extra option to check in the options menu when compiling it.

However, it requires you to compile your kernel yourself. While it, in itself, isn't difficult to do (steal the config from a RT kernel, "make menuconfig", check "high memory support -> 64GB", "make dep && make clean && make bzImage && make modules && make modules_install"), it also means you'll have to reconfigure and recompile the kernel every time a new version is released, instead of letting the upgrade manager handle kernel upgrades.

Also, most motherboards for 32-bit CPUs don't support more than 4 GB of RAM, so that means you'd get at most 1 extra gigabyte to work with. Unless you can locate DEB packages for a PAE+RT kernel (or even better, a PPA), or own a motherboard that can, in fact, handle more than 4 GB (most of those come from server hardware and therefore aren't cheap), I don't think it's worth the trouble.
Click to expand...

Yeah, doing all that finagling just to extract a marginal increase in usable memory from a 32 bit PC which tops out at 4 GB of RAM isn't worth the hassle--especially when one weighs in the opportunity for kernel mods to destabilize audio app. performance.

Since swap partition reliance will be unavoidable on a 32 bit rig under load, I like this idea:

"...Optimizing Swap performance: Because swap space uses a disk device, this can cause performance issues in any system that uses swap space significantly because the system itself may also be using the same disk device at the same time that it is required for swap operations. One way to reduce this problem is to have swap space on a different physical drive so that the competition for that resource is either reduced or eliminated..."

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/SwapFaq

Since I've got a fast & quiet 40 GB hard drive languishing in my PC parts box, I'm going to set it up with two partitions:

- a large, dedicated swap partition to be shared by two Ubuntu Studio installs (one strictly for audio, the other for general purpose/experimentation), each on their own drive, and;

- a / partition for an emergency OS install loaded with recovery tools (I really should learn how to use some of these).

Yeah, it's a PX5D. Ironically, the best-sounding "clean" setting I got with it is a simple bypass mode: I disabled all effects, amp, cab simulations and EQ, and let my Ibanez SR4005 do all the work.

It has a few really cool presets for dirty, auto-wah'd or just plain weird sounds, though. There's a bitcrusher-type effect that gives my bass almost the same sound as the rhythm "guitars" on the Thunderforce IV Stage 8 music (\m/
Click to expand...


Hmm... This would seem to confirm then, that from a latency standpoint, a good PCI or PCIe audio card, or an IEEE 1394a FireWire 400 audio interface may be a better means of dealing with JACK than a USB-based solution.

I've got the System Monitor applet running in the menu bar to keep an eye on various performance parameters (I disable this and other fluff before running audio apps). While copying a large file from a USB key, the CPU's graph was cresting like a distorted sine wave...
 
#133
So you've finally upgraded to a new DAW and would to donate your old PC to an acquaintance, or to a charity but are concerned that its hard drive(s) may retain enough of your creative work to potentially compromise your copyright?

How to Delete Files Permanently and Securely in Linux
Invalid Link Removed
 
#134
Since the upcoming (April 29th) release of Ubuntu Studio is largely an evolutionary development of ver. 9.10...

Ubuntu Studio 10.04 Beta 2 Lucid Lynx Screencast Install How-to Review


...is a ~16 minute-long walk-through/look-see installation of '10.04 B2 (and brief included applications overview) done on a virtual machine with a wired Internet connection.

Please note: the author of this video states that Ubuntu Studio 10.04 Beta 2 has a real time version of the Linux kernel (like ver. 9.10 does). '10.04 B2 actually has the generic version of the Linux kernel as per an earlier post in this thread.

It is also worth noting that the last time Canonical put out an LTS (Long Term Support, 3 years instead of the usual 18 months) release of Ubuntu/Ubuntu Studio et al (ver. 8.04), within 3 months so many updates had accumulated for 8.04 that a second round of .iso's (ver. 8.04.1) was released.

Since it appears that the initial roll-out of Ubuntu Studio 10.04 LTS will not have a real time kernel, there may be a follow up .iso soon after which does.

'Something to consider before embarking upon a 1.6 GB .iso download on April 29th...
 
#137
Those who are using Ubuntu Studio to create video as well as audio, and who are also thinking about getting new hardware may wish to check out Link Removed (it's kind of like Linux's counterpart to Windows Media Center) as an OS to vet their multi-media creations.

Mythbuntu Linux 10.04 RC Lucid Lynx 32bit Screencast How-to Install Review

An approach here would be to evaluate Mythbuntu on one's current hardware, and if it proves to be a useful compliment to one's creative ambitions, then use that usefulness to justify an investment in truly beefy hardware yielding: a top-notch DAW; a decent home entertainment center; and for that matter, a not-bad gaming rig.

It would be best to segregate Mythbuntu onto a separate hard drive (or partition) as it is likely that its myriad of multimedia features may conflict with some of Ubuntu Studio's functions and/or slow it down.
 
#139
If one opens System-->Preferences-->Startup Applications one will see a default list services (plus those which may have been added as the result of user-installed additional applications) that load into memory each time Ubuntu/Ubuntu Studio 9.10 boots.

Depending upon the hardware one is using some of these are necessary, some aren't.

Un-checking (but not deleting) unneeded items will further conserve resources for more important duties like running audio apps.

Here's a now-dated thread in which the matter is discussed:

Why so many entries in Gnome-Session?
Invalid Link Removed
 

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