Ubuntu Studio - Anybody tried it?

Gerald Pierce · Post by **Gerald Pierce** » 3 Jul 2008 1:36 am

I got ubuntu 8.04 on ebay (about 6 bucks, delivered to my door) and have been tinkering with it off and on for a few days now. I'm not a linux guru but have used various distros on my desktop for about 3 years...it's done all I've really needed without any serious command-line stuff, so I'm ready to try to learn to record with linux.

I think I'll actually get it working after a several more hours of tinkering and web-searching for tips (made a breakthrough tonight...finally figured out how to get jack up and actually running..... I'm tickled!). One task down and a zillion to go. If I've got to learn computer recording processes, I might as well learn some more about linux at the same time.

I'll gladly pass along any info I learn along the way to anyone who's also tinkering with it and would welcome any input from anyone who's tried it. You can't beat the price.
GP

Craig Stenseth · Post by **Craig Stenseth** » 4 Jul 2008 6:46 am

(this might go better in 'Computers')

Keep us updated, Gerald.
I put '64 Studio' on a dual-boot on my laptop with Win XP, haven't done much with it yet. I keep trying different Linux distros, to try to find the 'magic' one that recognizes my sound card, wifi, and video driver. I always get in trouble trying the 'beta' versions and wonder why there are problems.

Joey Ace · Post by **Joey Ace** » 4 Jul 2008 5:15 pm

GP requested I move this to the COMPUTERS section.
OK...

Gerald Pierce · Post by **Gerald Pierce** » 21 Jul 2008 12:50 pm

For anyone wanting to try ubuntustudio, I'd suggest downloading it, or get a dvd copy, install it and immediately do an online update. I'd been fighting minor bugs then decided to update it (only took about 10 hours to update...via a very poor dialup connection). Almost all my problems were eliminated.

I've found fixes for most other problems through the ubuntu forum (most are not the fault of the program, just my lack of general linux knowledge). Even when I tried fixes that didn't work, I haven't screwed up anything I couldn't undo....yet.

I'm able to create drum patterns with the included "Hydrogen" drum program, record audio tracks with ardour and play them back with drums. Now to figure out a few more things.

I spent a lot of hours trying to fix bugs when all I needed to do was update to cure most of them, but I've gotten over my "command-line" phobia and have learned a lot that I really needed to know. And, it didn't really hurt at all.

So far, so good! - GP

Jack Stoner · Post by **Jack Stoner** » 21 Jul 2008 2:06 pm

The Ubuntu Linux download is an ISO file and if you burn an ISO CD there is an option to just load Ubuntu Linux to look at and try, you don't have to "install" it on a hard drive.

http://www.ubuntu.com/

Walter Killam · Post by **Walter Killam** » 25 Jul 2008 11:41 am

Hi Gerald, can you tell us the specs of the machine you are running this on? I am very interested in getting out of the windows business at home, and recording is the final "killer app" that I need to get past!

Gerald Pierce · Post by **Gerald Pierce** » 25 Jul 2008 11:33 pm

The computer I have it installed on is one that I got from an accountant's office when it was replaced. It's a no-name white box system with an AMD Athlon 1500+, 512mb ram (DDR), an M-Audio 24/96 audiophile sound care (the system found the card with no problem). I don't know much about the motherboard. It's marked V333U and has a VIA VT8235 chipset.
I'm using a couple of old hard drives, neither of which is a 7200 rpm unit (10gb for OS and 40gb for music files).
It was just a typical office computer, but it's worked so far. I'll upgrade once I get to the point where I need to.

The version of UBUNTU 8.04 I have doesn't include the Open Office stuff, but I have that on my other computer. Otherwise, it's got everything I need. I'm sure you can always download the Open Office packages if you needed it on the same drive as Ubuntustudio.

I've used it online for updates and browsing and have no problems with it. It comes with Firefox as a browser, which works great.

I'm still a novice, but I'm figuring it out and the price is right.
GP

Wiz Feinberg · Post by **Wiz Feinberg** » 27 Jul 2008 10:13 am

If you are using Ubuntu Linux and are connected to the Internet, please check for updates to both the OS and the installed applications, every week. There are exploits in the wild looking to take over your Linux box and use it to host malware, or phishing web pages. It is a good idea to subscribe to the weekly Secunia newsletter, which lists all vulnerabilities of major software, including Ubuntu Linux.

The DNS cache poisoning vulnerability I have been discussing lately also affects Ubuntu Linux and you should patch as soon as possible.

Will Holtz · Post by **Will Holtz** » 27 Jul 2008 11:45 am

I tried installing Ubuntu Studio right after it first came out. I'm a pretty experienced Linux user -- I've been running Linux systems on and off since 1994. I didn't use the default partition configuration, as I had another OS on the system I didn't want to get rid of. The boot loader got screwed up in the process, and I ended up with an install that wouldn't boot. The last time I messed around with boot loaders, LILO was still the standard, and this system was using GRUB. I didn't feel like taking the time to learn GRUB right then, so I just deleted the partition and forgot about Ubuntu Studio for a while.

Hopefully it has gotten a bit better since then. All my other experiences with Ubuntu (non-studio) have been great.

Dale Gray · Post by **Dale Gray** » 6 Aug 2008 1:38 pm

Tried to download Utunbu 3 times and about 2 hours later Windows stopped loading it.

Gerald Pierce · Post by **Gerald Pierce** » 6 Aug 2008 1:47 pm

I don't know why windows wouldn't let you completely download Ubuntu.....maybe that's just another good reason to abandon windows. I loaded mine from a disk and did the update online with a horribly slow dialup connection....it took a long time but it worked (however, I was using Ubuntu to access the download, not windows). My computer is antiquated by modern standards, but it worked for me.
I still have a lot to learn about it, but so far I'm still pleased with ubuntustudio. - GP

Dale Gray · Post by **Dale Gray** » 6 Aug 2008 1:55 pm

I have high speed cable and still takes forever,but no download yet. I haven't tried a Linus site yet but just might.

Gerald Pierce · Post by **Gerald Pierce** » 6 Aug 2008 10:47 pm

It took me about 10 hours to download the update. My connection was interrupted more than once, so I just came back later and continued the update (I don't think I could get a dialup connection that would last long enough to download it all at once). It just picked up where I left off...took me 3 or 4 sessions to get it all done.

You might want to go to the ubuntustudio site to try another download>

http://ubuntustudio.org/downloads

There's a ton of folks ready to help at the ubuntu forum>

http://ubuntuforums.org/index.php

It will take a very long time to download the whole thing. You might want to get a disk, then do the update.

GP

Dale Gray · Post by **Dale Gray** » 16 Aug 2008 1:34 pm

Got it downloaded on CD but windows cant open it.

Wiz Feinberg · Post by **Wiz Feinberg** » 16 Aug 2008 2:28 pm

Dale Gray wrote:Got it downloaded on CD but windows cant open it.

Windows can't "open it" because Linux is an operating system itself and not a "Windows" program. Linux needs to be launched by booting from a CD containing the ISO image, made into a bootable CD using Nero. Your BIOS must be set to boot from a bootable CD in the CD drive, before the hard disk. If you have downloaded the ISO image without any data errors (the CRC matches the one posted on the Ubuntu download page) and you burned it to a CD made bootable in Nero, you should restart the computer with that CD in the drive and see if Ubuntu begins to load. It uses a device called the LILO bootloader.

If your CD was burned properly and you can boot into Linux, you have the option of either running from the CD, or installing Linux onto a hard drive or partition.

Dale Gray · Post by **Dale Gray** » 16 Aug 2008 7:05 pm

OK, will try that. Thanks Dale Forgot what to click on boot up to get to the bios

Wiz Feinberg · Post by **Wiz Feinberg** » 16 Aug 2008 10:35 pm

Dale Gray wrote:OK, will try that. Thanks Dale Forgot what to click on boot up to get to the bios

BIOS > Boot (Order|Priority|Sequence) > First Boot Device > detected CD drive model (use arrow keys to move devices up or down), Floppy/External Drive, Hard Drive.

Earnest Bovine · Post by **Earnest Bovine** » 16 Aug 2008 11:37 pm

Wiz Feinberg wrote:
Dale Gray wrote:restart the computer with that CD in the drive and see if Ubuntu begins to load. It uses a device called the LILO bootloader.
GRUB, not LILO, is the default nowadays.

Dale Gray · Post by **Dale Gray** » 17 Aug 2008 5:50 am

Pressed delete on boot up and changed boot to CD but it still open with XP if I put a formatted HD drive in would that work?

Earnest Bovine · Post by **Earnest Bovine** » 17 Aug 2008 3:11 pm

Dale Gray wrote:Pressed delete on boot up and changed boot to CD but it still open with XP if I put a formatted HD drive in would that work?

How did you create your bootable Ubuntu CD?

Dale Gray · Post by **Dale Gray** » 17 Aug 2008 4:06 pm

Download from the site listed here.

Earnest Bovine · Post by **Earnest Bovine** » 18 Aug 2008 10:13 am

Dale Gray wrote:Pressed delete on boot up and changed boot to CD but it still open with XP

Dale, which program did you use to burn the iso image to CD?

There are many programs that can do that, but the Ubuntu site suggests InfraRecorder. I am going to try that today, since I have to test a new CD/DVD burner and I might as well install a new Ubuntu to check it out.

Earnest Bovine · Post by **Earnest Bovine** » 18 Aug 2008 9:52 pm

OK, Ubuntu 8.04 is running, hadn't seen Ubuntu since 6.something, and it's better but there is no still no driver for my sound card, everything is silent, and Totem won't play any videos. I think I'd rather practice steel guitar than figure out why so I guess we are done with Linux for 2008.

Dale Gray · Post by **Dale Gray** » 20 Aug 2008 8:38 am

Go to downloads.com and get Wubi.04.1 it runs from windows and will d/l ubuntu and install it. Takes 3hrs on high speed. will get most of your drivers also.

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Ubuntu Studio - Anybody tried it?

Ubuntu Studio - Anybody tried it?

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