Ubuntu Studio 'workflows'

[steevc]

I'm having an interesting discussion with Scott Lavender of the Ubuntu Studio project over on G+

https://plus.google.com/100313956509426 ... 53vgozPPDm

I did admit that I haven't used Studio. It's been on my to-do list for a while to install it and KX Studio.

From his blog post I found the wiki about what sort of workflows they should cover

https://wiki.ubuntu.com/UbuntuStudio/Workflows

A non-technical user will come to Linux wanting to do a specific task, e.g. record their guitar, and the system should make that an easy process without them having to worry about which apps they need to use together. We should still have the option to do it all from scratch, but there's a big market of non-geeks out there.

[studio32]

I see two broad types for workflows on Linuxaudio

1) Grab a DAW like Ardour and use LV2 plugins
2) Use a session manager like NSM and start each standalone app in a session

(you can combine these 2 of course)

Writing all those workflows down is a waste of time for a large part. But the fact that you want something like this, says basically a lot about how cumbersome it can be to use Linuxaudio. If you want to do something like this, make a screencast (people are visual) about an certain application or audio task (Ardour, Musescore, Audacity / mixing, burning CD, ...)

[studio32]

So they need such a screencast script in Ubuntu Studio and this thread can be closed

[steevc]

I don't think these workflows are obvious to everyone. A non-techie user may have someone suggest using Linux to record their music. They may have used something like Audacity or another simple recording app or maybe just a hardware system. They may not realise that you can link in effects or a drum machine. There ought to be ways to help them discover what is possible.

Videos can be very useful. Perhaps the distro should link to some to help them get started. Most people don't read manuals and certainly won't go looking for a mailing list.

There are certain apps and processes that I have only learnt about by hanging around here, but then I like to read up on whatever I am playing with. It has taken a lot of reading and some demos by friends to get as far as I have. Others would give up.

Is it feasible to have a 'wizard' that checks for common hardware and sets up Jack for the user? Then Ardour can be intimidating to the newbie. Could it be given a cut-down UI? I liked the look of Jokosher a few years back, but development seemed to stop.

These are just my opinions. Not trying to start any sort of flame war

[zerlgi]

There ought to be ways to help them discover what is possible.

Videos can be very useful. Perhaps the distro should link to some to help them get started. Most people don't read manuals and certainly won't go looking for a mailing list.


Is it feasible to have a 'wizard' that checks for common hardware and sets up Jack for the user? Then Ardour can be intimidating to the newbie. Could it be given a cut-down UI? I liked the look of Jokosher a few years back, but development seemed to stop.

These are just my opinions. Not trying to start any sort of flame war

+1

[studio32]

The concept of non-daw (and other non-things) is meant to make things simple. Read the manuals and you'll see if it is useful for newbies too. Also busses and sends etc. are likely more easy with non-daw and non-mixer.

http://non.tuxfamily.org/