[PD] linux best for pd? / "best linux" for Pd? / On a Mac?

[Lorenzo Sutton]

On 30/05/13 22:43, Alexandre Torres Porres wrote:
> Hi there, correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems Pd runs smoother in
> Linux than in any other OS, is that right?
>
> Perhaps some of you have run benchmarks for it with the same machine and
> diferente Operational Systems. I was curious to try myself.

Can't comment extensively on that. I use Pd on Linux, used it on windows 
and once on OSX.

One very big advantage on Linux is the possibility to run Pd with 
hassle-free jack, in turn easy multichannel.
Not only - jack means you can directly record into a DAW (e.g. Ardour), 
again with multiple 'virtual' channels if you want.
>
> Now, is there a "best linux" for Pd? Maybe one that allows you to tweak
> in a little more to have insanely low latencies?
>
> Yeah, the whole point and interest is to try and reach an absurdly
> optimized latency and CPU load.

Not sure about insane values, but I'm happy with debian now. Although I 
do very little live stuff these days. I think Pd-extended development is 
mostly done on debian, but I may be wrong on that.

>
> Now that I got myself a Raspberry Pi (my first linux) I wanna enjoy the
> opportunity/motivation to broaden my linux usage to my regular laptops.
>
> I use macs by the way. Don't know if that is an issue. Like being next
> to an impossible task to install a nice hardcore ("the best one") linux
> distribution in it.
>
> I've seen that recently Linux has been able to work (poorly at least)
> with Thunderbolt. I have an RME Multiface that seems to works well on
> linux. Since newer macbooks lost the PCI slot, all that I'm missing is
> that my thunderbolt to PCI slot  adapter works in Linux. That'd be cool,
> to run it on my macbook air, on linux... but I digress.

Can't comment on those.

Lorenzo.