AVL-MXe 23.1 Small problems and lack of knowledge about Enlightenment

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saxalvarog
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AVL-MXe 23.1 Small problems and lack of knowledge about Enlightenment

Post by saxalvarog »

Hello,
I confess that I was very scared by so many changes: Debian 12, Enlightment, Pipewire (which was really difficult to me understand and try to make work. Lack enough knowledge! I gave up!

Reinstall all my stuff from the scratch, with version 21.3, workin' literally flawlessly, even swapping XFCE for Plasma, which I like much more... Scary...

Hats off again to Mr. Glenn McArthur and everyone involved in the AVL 23.1 project. Guys, you made what was already perfect even better!

But big changes always cause some problems... In my case, small, very small problems... After installing AVL-MXe 23.1, i had:

1) General audio system failure using sysv-init.
After using applications like Ardour, Carla or whatever audio apps, the notebook's audio cards (M-Track Duo and the standard onboard) simply disappeared, even after restarting.
Sometimes they came back normally, others didn't. Easily solved by starting in systemd (sys-v or sys-d, they don't matter to me), working perfectly again.

2) Yadbridge duplicating the VSTs:
Every time I install new plugins and call Yad to sync them, it creates a new subfolder with all the contents of the 1st folder "./vst/yadbridge/" repeated inside it.
"/.vst/yadbridge/vst/yadbridge/vst/yadbrige"... understandable?. This causes plugins to be listed 2, 3, 4 times and increases search time on Ardour, Carla, etc...
Is there any solution to solve this, other than deleting the folders and synchronizing again?

3) The "System Notification Sounds". I can't disable these effects and, after many attempts, I still have no idea how to do this. Could you teach me how to do it, please?

4) How to customize the program menus of the "evry-startr and start modules". Could you teach me how to do it, please?

I've never used Enlightenment before. And so far, I can't find consistent information about configuration details. But, I'm really enjoying it!

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saxalvarog
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Re: Small problems and lack of knowledge about Enlightenment

Post by saxalvarog »

Forgot to mention: I had anoother problems too... The blank/black login screen, solved following instructions to "don't blank/dim" screen configs.
Pipewire don't holding bitrate/quantum configs, by editing and copying all the "pipewire*.conf" to etc/pipewire... Problem with permissions copying my old files to the new installation. But, this is something apart. I've tested all the stuff in the Live-usb environment. Created my user as usual into the Live-Usb. Obviously, my User ID changed and those files become "demo" property. Take some hours to understand... :lol:
The system comes with sysv-init by default for some reason... And it allways worked fine for me in this way.
But after all, using system-d, instead sysv-init, solved all those small "problemitos". Mr. McArthur told, in another post, that Enlightenmet is developed with system-d in sight... Maybe, thats the reason why it works almost flawlessly in a few steps.
Thank you all!

saxalvarog
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Re: Small problems and lack of knowledge about Enlightenment

Post by saxalvarog »

Uh... To compile Ardour 8.4... Got to install a lot of dev libs and other things. Had a tuto, listing all the stuff. Lost it... Started the compilation and, at each fault, "sudo apt-get install "blahblahblah-dev"... Lots of boooooring work. I deserve, i'm laaaaazy! :lol:

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GMaq
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Re: AVL-MXe 23.1 Small problems and lack of knowledge about Enlightenment

Post by GMaq »

@saxalvarog

Hello,

Yes it has taken a full release of AV Linux 23.1 out in the wild to scare out some bugs... I agree that there are pitifully few resources for Enlightenment aside from a Wiki here and there.. I am working on a 23.2 ISO to alleviate some of these bugs. The backlight dimming issue has been a real pain in the ass!

To your points..

The Live Environment is designed to use sysvinit by the MX and antiX developers but Enlightenment is very much geared to systemd, in future releases I will make it clear that once installed systemd is strongly suggested, systemd is not an option for the Live environment at this point in time..

The PipeWire metadata tool was not designed to be persistent, it is simply a per-session time-of-use tool, it assumes under normal conditions the User will change from default for special multimedia work and otherwise will most likely prefer the defaults. If you want to permanently change the PipeWire settings the 'System Editor' in the Accessories menu will give you access the the main PipeWire config files:

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Modern style menus are not a strong point of Enlightenment however you can try installing "mx-menu-editor" and seeing if that does what you need..

YADbridge is just a simple frontend for yabridge commands, the developer of yabridge itself @robbert-vdh is here sometimes and perhaps he can answer your question about yabridge and the duplicates. Are you using the "Sync Plugins (Clean)" option when you sync?

saxalvarog
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Re: AVL-MXe 23.1 Small problems and lack of knowledge about Enlightenment

Post by saxalvarog »

Thank you for your kindness in responding and discussing my points, Sir.

So, I followed the tips and tricks you suggested and I didn't have any more problems. Exception to the sound cards disappearing and the login screen going dark. Only by booting into system-d these 2 issues was definitively solved.

About Yadbridge: Yes, I used the "sync/clean" option. The duplicate plugins still there. But now, after installing everything I need, I won't have to worry about untill installation of some new stuff.
Sooner or later, a definitive solution will appear. I will try to explain the situation to @robbert-vdh, as you suggest.

About the menus, I'll try mx-menu-editor. I updated Musescore and Ardour. Now I have 2 items that don't work in the "multimedia" menu.
On the other hand, I have both updated programs in the "others" menu.
It's not the end of the world, but I don't like it... Old man's quirks! :lol:
As I said, I never used the "E". I think it's just about taking the time to learn where are the paths to the "little text files that make things work".

I've noticed that Enlightemnent is one of the oldest graphical environments in the Linux world. Is it true?
If it is, I'm sad to see that it is so little used, so little known and that there is so little information about it.
It's so light, so pretty and simple to use... If you aren't an quirky old man, off course! Quirky and repetitive! :lol: :lol:
I'm really enjoying "E". Anyway, untill now, all the real problems have been solved and the whole system works like a charm!

Back to the Pipewire thing... A user said in the forum posts, that he would like to "take his eyes off" or something like that...
So, I had that desire too. There is a lot of talk here and there about "Pipewire is the future"...
I was curious and tried a lot to make it work in previous versions of AVL... I couldn't...

But, with AVL-23.1, Pipewire became so integrated with Jack, Alsa and Pulseaudio that I ask myself:
Where the hell is this shit? I don't need to do anything else? IIs it now ready to use?
Apart from the bitrate/quantum issue, the answer is: Yes, yesssssss! Just launch the apps and... All the stuff works easely!

About connections and management of audio sources, QPWGraph is a simple to use patchbay, very similar to Cadence/Catarina/Ladish from KXStudio, as i can remember.
But, integrated into one thing and, despite doing the same work, it is easier to use than Jack's patchbay (in my opinion and usage needs).

I use my "home-without-studio-room" (I don't have a studio room, in the full sense of the expression) basically for musical pre-productions. I record little audio here.
When I need to record something with better quality, without bleedings, birds, traffic or another undesired noises, I use my cousin's home studio (he's a drummer), a few blocks from my house or a more professional studio.

So, to me, the whole thing comes down to a 2-channel USB interface, a condenser microphone, my saxophone, a singer and/or announcer (is the term correct? To designate a person who speaks commercial texts... announcer... That's it really?),a MIDI keyboard controller,
which I play very well (Hahaha... it's not true... I'm a terrible keyboard player, I can only play by recording note by note, step by step),
dozens of VSts and LV2 instruments (the AVL Drum kits are great! Impossible and unfair not to mention!) and effects, Carla, to connect the VSTs to play, rehearse and produce songs and soundtracks and obviously, Ardour, to sequence and record all these things.
I have few and simple needs to do my work.

Which, in anyway, diminishes the power and importance of your work and your product, the intrinsic quality of the software embedded in the system, in addition to the system itself.
All these factors make AVL, in my humble opinion, a complete tool, of a high professional level, with the proven ability to be the heart of any music (or video/photo/image) studio, for any need and application, from true professionals, to those who just want a "little program to play at home", ready to use and without complicated settings.

And the main thing: the possibility of choice, the possibility of being free, of being here, talking and learning directly from the creator, developer and maintainer of this wonderful tool.
Be proud of your work and product, always, always and always, Mr. McArthur. AVL is transformative, liberating, an open door to new realitties beyond corporatism and lack of opportunities in the music industry, in all of its means and aspects.

Live long and prosper, may the Force always be with you!

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Re: AVL-MXe 23.1 Small problems and lack of knowledge about Enlightenment

Post by GMaq »

@saxalvarog

I really appreciate your kind words, people have been a lot more verbal about their dislikes of the new AV Linux than their likes so it's nice to know I'm not a complete failure (just a really big one).. :D Thank you also for doing some reading and research and asking for help with specific questions instead of just going "this isn't like it used to be... it's complete garbage!!" and then complaining somewhere else, I can't fix what I don't know about..

When I build the AV Linux ISO's everything included must be in a Debian package format, including the official Ardour bundle and AppImages like Musescore 4. If you upgrade these applications from another source (ie you build your own Ardour or download the latest Musescore AppImage from it's site) then you are correct they will not appear in the Dock and you will have to add them manually... If you right click on the Icon Dock (called an iBar) you will see the 'iBar' menu option appear and then you can add Program launchers to the iBar with the "+ Contents" menu item.

saxalvarog
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Re: AVL-MXe 23.1 Small problems and lack of knowledge about Enlightenment

Post by saxalvarog »

Greetings directly from the extreme south of Brazil!

Yes, yes Master!
I did these procedures. But, in a very "random" way, the program launchers remains in the desired menus or goes to the "Other" folder.

I found some tips, dated 2011, for the E17 version of Enlightenment, at this link: https://vaipui.wordpress.com/2011/08/25/enlightenment/

These are silly details, but information is always valid. Sometimes even "nonsense" opens the way to a revelation...

The mx-menu-editor didn't help... Or maybe, i didn't know how to make it helps me! :oops:

But, briefly:
"this isn't what it used to be...it's complete garbage!!" :lol: :lol: :lol: Just kidding, just kidding!

Unfortunately, there are a large number of people who wake up thinking: Who am I going to bother today?
Don't get upset with these people, it's doesn't worth.

Kind regards and... Well, I don't know what time zone you are...

So, rephrasing the farewell greeting:

Kind regards and have a great day/morning/afternoon/evening!
:D

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