To Linux or not to Linux

[Wyatt]

I am keeping XP and Audition for now, and just added another gig of RAM, and a
second hard drive to this computer, (athlon 64 X2 4200), so it will serve me for as
long as I can keep from filling it up with audio files..

Wyatt

[folderol]

Something worth keeping in mind is 'wine'. It is continuing to improve and can run more and more Windows apps under linux. It is not an emulator but provides equivalent 'hooks' so a program thinks it's running under Windows.

Currently I think there are still 64 v 32 bit clashes, but I'm confident these will be resolved.

[Oren]

Staying at the hostel tonight was an Australian Linux consultant who is here in Victoria attending an international conference of Linux developers. Formerly a Red Hat proponent, he now actively promotes the various Ubuntu distributions. Fascinating fellow. No idea what he was talking about, but fascinating, nonetheless 

[folderol]

You know you are making progress when you find you can understand one word in ten

[Oren]

Will,

The on-line "course" offered on the Linux.org site seems comprehensive and well written. I'm working my way through the whole thing, then over to Ubuntu to their distribution-specific instructionals. There's a huge gap in my education - time to fill it, apparently. Meantime, that beautiful new computer sits there, brooding...

I like these peoples' attitude: anybody can do it, and anybody can improve upon it.

Oren.

[Oren]

I used the free time when Moon was servicing our site to find out about command lines and the terminal window. Still haven't managed to locate Jack, and Jack needs to be adjusted in order to bring Ardour on-line.

A special Ubuntu version of Audacity is recommended by the developers of my Ultimate Edition operating system, but where to find it and how to download it is not clear as yet.

It is becoming apparent that in order to be successful working with a Linux-based operating system, the user had better learn about the basics of computing and become more actively involved in the details of the craft. A shallow understanding of the "nuts and bolts" of the situation will lead to a decidedly shallow experience when deploying Linux, but the opportunity for digging in and owning the program is enormous.

[kara]

Here's a link for audacity on ubuntu : https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Audacity

if you click on the link 'Installing software' it's explained how to get the package

And here there is a tutorial on jack for ubuntu : https://help.ubuntu.com/community/UbuntuStudioPreparation

hope this helps

k

[folderol]

I was wondering how you were getting on with this. I was a bit alarmed that you were having problems sorting out Jack, but I guess I've got too used to dedicated music distros.

The link that kara put up looks very good. It's even useful for non Ubuntu setups

[Oren]

Kara, Will,

I was plowing my way through the process unaided, and found that tenacity and a willingness to read would eventually lead to the successful deployment of a Linux operating system. Even without the aid of my troop of in-house geniuses, ever so willing to lend a hand

Thanks for the re-direction. I'll peruse these tidbits and put them to work.


Will,

I worked with the live CD of 64 Studio, and it is a most straightforward distribution. We had originally slated it for this computer, but for some reason beyond the ken of my builder, 64 Studio had issues with this particular combination of hardware. I may install it on my old Athlon machine once I'm completely weaned from XP Pro.

Regardless, this is a very worthwhile experience, and I can see a time when windoze is no longer a part of my reperatoire.

Oren.

[Wyatt]

4GB of RAM is the maximum memory that the 32bit copy of XP can handle. There is however a 2GB limit each application can have in the virtual address space.

k

I have just added a second 250 gig hard drive and a second gig of RAM to my computer.. (running XP).

I have put Audition all by itself on the second drive. It seems just as slow as before.  ??

Wyatt

[Oren]

Wyatt,

I recently assisted my wife in choosing a new laptop, and we went with HP, after doing some research. Hewlett Packard includes a massive package of proprietary software on its computers, along with the windoze operating system. The combination is set up in such a way that the HP software will be the default choice for all tasks, and windoze and HP conspire to rule your computing experience. So says my trusty I.T. guy, Andrew DuToit.

His call, if you want enhanced performance and use important accessory software: windoze and HP software on one drive (like a big operating system), and everything else on another drive. In your case, Audition on the first drive (as part of that"operating system") and your song data on the second drive, may be a more efficient arrangement.
And resist the urge to start nuking HP programs - the "package" must be used as a whole.

Trial and error, friend  ,

Oren.

[Wyatt]

Oren,

Thank you for the advice..

+1 on the HP +Windoze tip..I actually did that once..

.."streamlined" my wifes desktop, much to my regret..eliminating
some really useless and annoying proggies that were part of the
ripoff of a "package".

If only I had known then what I know now, I would have had a machine built for me
specifically for audio.

His call, if you want enhanced performance and use important accessory software: windoze and HP software on one drive (like a big operating system), and everything else on another drive. In your case, Audition on the first drive (as part of that"operating system") and your song data on the second drive, may be a more efficient arrangement.

hmm..ok disregard the question I just deleted..hehe..it didn't come in for a landing right away. 

I get it now..thanks a lot,

Wyatt

[folderol]

If it's not getting too unwieldy, it might be worth considering a 3rd drive for nothing but audio data. That should give you less disk head-seek per file and improve access times overall as well as (to some extent) insulating you from OS/disk failures.

On the downside, I seem to remember that most windows programs are extremely reluctant to let you save stuff where you want it to go

Disclaimer:

I've not used windows for a long time so might be hopelessly out of date!

[Wyatt]

Wyatt,

His call, if you want enhanced performance and use important accessory software: windoze and HP software on one drive (like a big operating system), and everything else on another drive. In your case, Audition on the first drive (as part of that"operating system") and your song data on the second drive, may be a more efficient arrangement.

Trial and error, friend  ,

Oren.

OK, hehe..I know trial and error..they're cousins of manual labor.   

Anyway..so I removed my audio programs,moved everything else from the first drive to the second drive, defragged along the way, reinstalled, and configured Audition..it only took six hours..and everything works like a snap!

Thanks.

Wyatt

[Oren]

Wyatt,

Everything sounds premium about your new set-up.

A gentleman named Kano once said: "perserverance furthers". You and your computer are living proof.

Couldn't happen to a nicer Okie....

Oren.