Patchance (JACK Patchbay) first pre-release

[retnev]

Regarding the Qjackctl suggestion. That thing is an abomination. I program jack directly rather than to use that abomination that never worked reliably for me. Nothing against you suggesting it. I just had underwhelming experience with it and
it is just too limited for my jack routings and I had to write my own interface jack connection scripts as qjackctl has no clue with the same interface and refuse to even connect given the correct string.
My script on the other hand works flawlessly and I can set up other jack necessities also which is not possible in the abomination.

Otherwise

It would be nice to have patchance working as it at least boots up compared to patchage which has been choking on a "font is too large" error for three releases of clean Debian(MX) installs.
So patchage is a dead end and the developer is not going to fix it.

Below a screenshot.
My midi selection is blanked out.
Midi is not routed through jack and i did not set up jack/alsa like that.

There seems to be an alsa/patchance midi problem.
It is weird as my standalone midi software can connect to midi hardware, so non jack midi is definitely working.
Alsa Midi is also not rerouted through jack as mentioned.

It seems that patchage might do something clever with Midi that patchance doesnt, maybe configures alsa files.
That is all I can think of.

midimissing.jpg (243.04 KiB) Viewed 4782 times

[houston4444]

@retnev

I don't understand how you can say you've checked the "Provide ALSA MIDI ports" checkbox, it is disabled. Read the tooltip (with the mouse cursor hover the checkbox), your python3-pyalsa is probably too old. You have to find the way to use a newer version.

[retnev]

I used to be able to, and there was no midi either.
I then reinstalled patchance several times to make sure it is done right and as a result now it is not even an option.
Both cases did not have midi and in the first case I checked the box and still no midi.

Do you understand now ?

[houston4444]

I used to be able to, and there was no midi either.
I then reinstalled patchance several times to make sure it is done right and as a result now it is not even an option.
Both cases did not have midi and in the first case I checked the box and still no midi.

Do you understand now ?

Ok, it is really strange. I suppose that your system is based on Debian Bookworm, so I think the python3-pyalsa package should make it works (on bullseye the package is too old). Are you sure it is still installed ? If it is installed, maybe patchance could give some logs in the terminal (but maybe not unfortunately).

[alex stone]

I used to be able to, and there was no midi either.
I then reinstalled patchance several times to make sure it is done right and as a result now it is not even an option.
Both cases did not have midi and in the first case I checked the box and still no midi.

Do you understand now ?

Ok, it is really strange. I suppose that your system is based on Debian Bookworm, so I think the python3-pyalsa package should make it works (on bullseye the package is too old). Are you sure it is still installed ? If it is installed, maybe patchance could give some logs in the terminal (but maybe not unfortunately).

I'm on AVL-MXDE here (based on Debian bullseye). I've just built the latest patchance git with no problems. (except for the python3-pyalsa module, which, as you say is too old)

But, start a2jmidid before starting patchance, and routing isn't a problem. (and I'd be quite happy to continue this way, without all the visible alsa midi ports i never use clogging up the canvas)

[houston4444]

But, start a2jmidid before starting patchance, and routing isn't a problem. (and I'd be quite happy to continue this way, without all the visible alsa midi ports i never use clogging up the canvas)

Some users have good reasons to use ALSA MIDI, it can be used to capture signals before the JACK latency, and A2J bridge has a little DSP consumption. But as I said, the most common is to use the bridge, that's why ALSA MIDI is disabled by default in Patchance.

[retnev]

Ok, it is really strange. I suppose that your system is based on Debian Bookworm, so I think the python3-pyalsa package should make it works (on bullseye the package is too old). Are you sure it is still installed ? If it is installed, maybe patchance could give some logs in the terminal (but maybe not unfortunately).

Here is the latest version, for my distro which you see is installed.

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sudo apt install  python3-pyalsa
[sudo] password for user1: 
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree... Done
Reading state information... Done
python3-pyalsa is already the newest version (1.1.6-2+b4).
The following packages were automatically installed and are no longer required:
  fonts-roboto-fontface fonts-roboto-unhinted gdebi-core gir1.2-vte-2.91 gvfs-bin libenca0
  libvorbisidec1
Use 'sudo apt autoremove' to remove them.
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 218 not upgraded.

[houston4444]

Here is the latest version, for my distro which you see is installed.

Yes, and I can see it is too old. You have to install it from another place.
Maybe:
python3 -m pip install pyalsa
could work.

else, the source code of the lib is here: https://github.com/alsa-project/alsa-python.

[retnev]

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# python3 -m pip install pyalsa
Requirement already satisfied: pyalsa in /usr/lib/python3/dist-packages (1.1.6)

So I guess I have to do the dreaded Python source installs .... which usually do not have robust dependency checks and there is always some vague crap to be installed/performed after successful install. Slow scripting language and irresponsible implementation.

I cannot believe that in this modern age of programming, we still consider development languages that has no consistent error checking and dependency tests. The entire Python/SystemD/"Trolltech" abomination will end Linux for sure, where system D is the most dangerous trojan Horse I have seen since being a Unix user back in the day.
To me this is such a bad step backwards.
Anyway this has nothing to do with patchance which is obviously great software, but the evil threesome is starting to ruin Linux.
The last 3 years, whatever problem I got in system administration was directly related to these three, but Mostly to systemD, then the unruly Python nonsense. Luckily I am largely rid of systemD and as a result the majority of trouble disappeared. If only I can shake the snake, but unfortunately the lure of ease of development with Python is drawing developers and throwing robustness under the buss as it is a slow buggy non-robust language.

I will attempt the Python source conundrum and deal with the snake as I done a miliion times, but it will most likely fail spectacularly as it almost always does.
It would be great if developers dont take the python ease of development lure, and rather develop applications using decent well tested and robust general languages.

Right of the bat the source install throws this.

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usr/lib/python3.9/distutils/dist.py:259: UserWarning: 'licence' distribution option is deprecated; use 'license'

and terminates.
It seems to have something to do with this. Jeez Python is buggy past the definition of Bug.

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libxml2-2.9.10 python fails to build from source with Python 3.9

This is because PyType_HasFeature is no longer a parenthesized macro but an inline declaration, and parentheses in if statements are no longer optional.

Attaching 2 patches that fix the issue:

pyxml2-3.9a.txt pyxml2-3.9b.txt

I will go read up what the freekin diapered snake wants now.

Thanks for the help, will dig and ask if I find no solution.

[houston4444]

In the source code root directory, personally I just have to run

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python3 setup.py build
sudo python3 setup.py install

and all is ok.

If it does not work for you, maybe you can add Librazik repositories which provide an up to date pyalsa for Bullseye. Or simply install the debian package for bookworm (at your own risks of course).

Your rage against python Qt and SystemD doesn't interest me at all. I don't know systemd enough to talk about. But, what you say about Python and Trolltech (which is named Qt for a long time now), says me your are blaming something you don't know at all. The same way that you name QJackCtl an abomination because of a bad experience, forgetting that a lot of users use it, and its dev makes it for free. That's exactly what we call reactionary views, no matter what the subject is.

[retnev]

Truth is unfortunately uncomfortable and therefore no-one want you to speak it.
Remember I also developed software for some of the largest companies out there.
Trolltech was the company who went bust for good reason imo, because of QT.
However young Frankenstein wandered off to populate unhappy computers globally.
I sure can see a dead fish. And if it rots I cant unsmell it never mind how much I am asked to.

I have nothing against your software application. It is great software.

There is however a huge problem with the threesome I mention and you rely on some of them.
Just look how much additional info you have to add just to get the snake going ! Surely you must see that the entire python thing is divergent and largely inconsistent.
Remember the majority of the planet followed the absolute advice that hydrogenated fats are good for them and gave up butter for margarine.That caused a LOT of heart attacks and arteriosclerosis as they found out now.

Linux is going basically through the same thing now, but the masses just keep on eating the margarine that is fed to them.

[retnev]

In the source code root directory, personally I just have to run

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python3 setup.py build
sudo python3 setup.py install

That compiled, but patchance now just boots up flashes interface and crashes.

[houston4444]

In the source code root directory, personally I just have to run

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python3 setup.py build
sudo python3 setup.py install

That compiled, but patchance now just boots up flashes interface and crashes.

Mmmmh, no logs?

[Axel-Erfurt]

I suppose that your system is based on Debian Bookworm ...

usr/lib/python3.9/distutils/dist.py:259: UserWarning: 'licence' distribution option is deprecated; use 'license'

libxml2-2.9.10 python fails to build from source with Python 3.9

Debian Bookworm should have python 3.11

[retnev]

Axel,
Here is the system and python versions just for the record.

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$ cat /etc/*release*
NAME="MX"
VERSION="21.3_ahs (Wildflower)"
ID="mx"
VERSION_ID="21.3"
PRETTY_NAME="MX 21.3_ahs (Wildflower)"
ANSI_COLOR="0;34"
HOME_URL="https://mxlinux.org"
BUG_REPORT_URL="https://mxlinux.org"
PRETTY_NAME="MX 21.3 Wildflower"
DISTRIB_ID=MX
DISTRIB_RELEASE=21.3
DISTRIB_CODENAME="Wildflower"
DISTRIB_DESCRIPTION="MX 21.3 Wildflower"
PRETTY_NAME="Debian GNU/Linux 11 (bullseye)"
NAME="Debian GNU/Linux"
VERSION_ID="11"
VERSION="11 (bullseye)"
VERSION_CODENAME=bullseye
ID=debian
HOME_URL="https://www.debian.org/"
SUPPORT_URL="https://www.debian.org/support"
BUG_REPORT_URL="https://bugs.debian.org/"

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$  python3 -VV
Python 3.9.2 (default, Feb 28 2021, 17:03:44) 
[GCC 10.2.1 20210110]

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$ python2 -VV
Python 2.7.18

Python2 is still the default Python.

At this stage I dont know really where the problem lies.

If I may ask: What is the issue with pyalsa being too old ?
Why cant patchance not work with an older pyalsa version ?
Maybe this requirement of patchance is removable ?

I speak under correction but I can remember that patchage do not care about minor pyalsa version differences.
This came about when I actually did have an alsa-midi problem and that comment was made by the developer as I can remember.
Patchage never has these midi issues, but has the darn "font too big" issue that is unresolvable.
If this is true, then generally it means that patchance should have a removable sensitivity to these version differences.