[PD] linux install advice please

[katja]

On Thu, Jan 12, 2012 at 1:21 AM, Richie Cyngler <glitchpop at gmail.com> wrote:
>  I'm wondering if JACK is required
> with Ubuntu or Debian installs? (I have grabbed the install info page from
> pd.info as well.) I'd like to make sure I'm as prepared as possible assuming
> terrible web access.


When using a usb mic with Debian, Pd can not handle the different
clocks for ad/da and JACK is needed to solve this. Using other audio
interfaces, Pd can do without JACK.

In Debian, when I first started Pd it said 'tried but could not sync'.
It helped to install gnome-alsa mixer and disable everything which is
not needed, notably 'IEC 958' and 'IEC 958 Default PCM'.

Debian comes by default with ALSA and without pulseaudio. Pulseaudio
is only installed when other software depends on it. Pd uses ALSA. If
you start Pd from the menu or desktop icon, it first calls command
pasuspender. But when pulseaudio is not installed, pasuspender is not
installed either, and Pd can not be started from the menu or desktop
icon until you change it's properties or start Pd from the command
line.

Pd does not share 'default soundcard' with other applications but
claims a soundcard for itself. If you accidentally open a second
instance of Pd (which already happens when you doubleclick a patch in
the file browser), that new instance can not use the same soundcard.

You see there's a couple of tricks. Without internet, Linux users are
handicapped, so if you have the opportunity to inform your
participants it is better when they come to the workshop with Pd
installed and tested.

Katja