Dyne:bolic - learning to use a "pure" open-source O/S

[Oren]

I finally feel able to work with Linux to the point where Dyne:bolic - http://dynebolic.org/ - is becoming accessible.

This thread is to document my efforts to organize this highly customizable music-specific Linux operating system into a form that suits my preferences in digital music production.
So far, I have burned a CD of the downloaded .iso file, and succeeded in implementing all the basic audio chores while running Dyne:bolic from the cd/dvd drive. Web surfing and e-mail also work.

Theoretically, once the O/S is tweaked, I'll be able to carry around an SD card or flash memory USB stick with the complete O/S, all my audio files, and peripheral software loaded thereon. Just plug it into any 32-bit computer, and take over the whole machine, do my work, unplug, and move on.
 All without disturbing the existing hard-drive contents. Yikes!

[folderol]

Brave man!

I'll look forward to reading how you get on

[kara]

Bookmarked this topic, I'm very interested how you get on with this !

k

[Oren]

The folks who cultivate "Dyne:bolic", but need a more current package of software to run newer 64-bit computers, have released version 911 of "Pure:dyne" - http://puredyne.org/
I downloaded, checked for software integrity (md5sum), burned a DVD, and it ran my 64-bit Athlon 6000 computer - right from the DVD-drive. Oddly, the release comes with some very cool open-source music tools, but not Ardour. The "Dyne" crew has, however, made arrangements with Canonical Ltd to access their repositories with Synaptic package manager, so Ardour can be included after the O/S is loaded onto your hard-drive. Plus a new "live" Pure:dyne DVD or USB stick can be created with your own mix of favourite software, for mobile use.

[Oren]

Pure:dyne is now the installed operating system on both my 64-bit dual-core Athlon6000 computer and my 32-bit dual-core Pentium4 computer.
Ubuntu is no longer in the picture, although Pure:dyne uses the Canonical repository, and the folks at Dyne:bolic used the Ubuntu operating system as a model for their Pure:dyne release.
Pure:dyne is sufficiently similar to Ubuntu to allow me to make the transition easily...

The plan is to deploy Dyne:bolic as my "live" operating system that can be taken anywhere on a CD or USB stick, while Pure:dyne does the "at home" chores.

[impablomations]

I thought a canonical suppository repository was something priests used when they had trouble with their cassocks?   

Seriously though, this looks interesting, i'm still contemplating trying out Linux on my old 2.8ghz P4.

Still a bit wary of having to learn a new OS since I've been so windows based since the 286 days.  Do you think this pure:dyne would be suitable for someone who is pretty technical minded but never used linux?  I just don't fancy starting on a more basic version, then having to relearn a newer one at a later date.

[folderol]

Impressive.

Now, time to give it a real shakedown. How about some tortuous jack interconnectivity, with a bit of MIDI and Zyn. thrown in for good measure

@Paul, You should be able to get perfectly good results with that machine, also being a 'live' distro you don't have to touch anything on the hard drive just to get the feel of it.

[impablomations]

Oh does that mean I could run it from a USB memory stick, and just use HD for storing any files created?

[Oren]

Now, time to give it a real shakedown. How about some tortuous jack interconnectivity, with a bit of MIDI and Zyn. thrown in for good measure

Jack - http://jackaudio.org/ - performs as reliably and predictably as it did in Ubuntu Studio. Interconnectivity is solid and all the Jack-aware application combinations I`ve thrown at it jive very synergistically.
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Because I work almost exclusively in digital audio - very little MIDI or sequencing other than Hydrogen - latency is not as much of an issue for me as it  appears to be for those who are more synthesizer oriented. I just leave Jack running at 256 frames, which produces a latency of 11.6 milliseconds. At this setting, even the old consumer soundcards in my computers do a lovely job of keeping up with recording, mixing, and processing digital audio.  Because I like to keep things mellow and low-key, I`m taking the opportunity with Dyne:bolic and Pure:dyne to see just how low-tech I can go, and still produce quality audio...

[Oren]

Still a bit wary of having to learn a new OS since I've been so windows based since the 286 days.  Do you think this pure:dyne would be suitable for someone who is pretty technical minded but never used linux?  I just don't fancy starting on a more basic version, then having to relearn a newer one at a later date.

It ain`t easy, Paul, but accessible.
Forget what we were taught about Windows, do your homework, avoid shortcuts, relax, and persevere. Done deal...

[Oren]

Oh does that mean I could run it from a USB memory stick, and just use HD for storing any files created?

Begin by running it (I would suggest Puredyne rather than Dyne:bolic) from a DVD, and storing your files on a USB memory stick. Once your feet are wet, proceed to installing the system - O/S and file storage system - on a USB stick, if you want to take the whole shebang with you in your pocket. Cool, eh?

[Oren]

Puredyne is the unexpected gem that's resulted from this little exercise.  

Dyne:bolic is a fascinating concept, and seems to run older hardware very well, but tends to bog down when introduced to newer equipment. And the grass-roots Linux skills it requires to customize it to your tastes in working with MIDI and digital audio, makes using it a very labour-intensive experience for those of us who are accustomed to the graphical user interface typical of Windows or Mac.

Puredyne, on the other hand, being based on Ubuntu, feels much more accessible. Unlike Ubuntu, Puredyne dispenses with much of the eye-candy and non-essential toys, and uses older, more stable versions of each of its component software tools. And, like Dyne:bolic, it can be loaded on a USB stick (with file storage to save your projects, right on the stick), or run "live" from the DVD.

I'll keep the Dyne:bolic disc handy for those times when I want to do some audio production on an old computer. but Puredyne is my new operating system - both on my home computers, and for mobile use if I want to travel and work "on the road".
I recommend Puredyne both for Linux users who want a versatile audio/video/graphics operating system, and to Windows or Mac victims who want to explore the potentials of open-source software.
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Ideally, any forum member who elects to try Puredyne, should post their comments here. Any difficulties you may encounter, I'm happy to assist with - and posts detailing your interesting discoveries would benefit us all.

[Oren]

Aymeric Mansoux, one of the very accomplished developers of Puredyne

- http://pzwart.wdka.nl/networked-media/2010/01/02/aymeric-mansoux/
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...and Dan Stowell...

- http://www.mcld.co.uk/

[kara]

I has a look at the possibility of making your own puredyne USB key
Boy, this looks really complicated....

k

[Oren]

I has a look at the possibility of making your own puredyne USB key
Boy, this looks really complicated....

I'll give it a try one day - just need to buy a USB flash drive big enough for the O/S and a few project files...
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Meanwhile, I went ahead and produced an audio project with only the tiny built-in audio card that comes with my 32-bit computer (I removed the M-Audio Delta66 card) - just to see what Puredyne can do with an ordinary laptop or desktop, with no special audio hardware installed. The project was done with Ardour's 32-bit floating point bit depth, at a 44.1KHz sample rate. The mixdown was rendered to 32-bit wave file to transfer it to Audacity where I did the mastering.

Guitars and vocals recorded through my Digitech RP150 guitar processor, connected via its USB port.

Jack, Ardour, Hydrogen, and Audacity performed as they would with the Delta66 card, with the exception that I had to adjust the latency to 256 frames to avoid too many x-runs. All plugins performed normally.

Attached is a bit of the result: two stereo guitars, two stereo drum tracks, a monaural vocal(distortion intended), and a stereo synth track (the "wind") from a soft-synth plugin called "WHYsynth"...