Linux software

[themadhippy]

I'll be quick coz Bryson is around with his bloody dancing locks However it is theatre related.

I've given microshaft the boot and gone over to Linux.However in doing so I've lost a few things like turbocad and Ld calculator and wondered if anyone could recommend suitable replacments and any other useful software, similar to stuff like cool edit pro,capture or even desk emulators would be usefull.Might have to get my head around wine installations

[Freddie]

I'll be quick coz Bryson is around with his bloody dancing locks

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I wouldn't say that if I were you, that's just tempting fate. Bryson seems clever enough to write a script that scans for the words "I know it's not theatre related" and "Dancing Locks" and automatically close it. Failing that, you've probably insulted his lovely locks enough to warrant a warn point or 100.

 

Anyway, on to business. I feel that a some PC emulation software may be the only way to go, especially given the "Specialist" (oo-er, missus) nature of the software.

[Modge]

freshmeat.net might help - I did a quick search for CAD and got results. Whether they're any good I don't know of course. On the subject of PC "emulatotion" WINE (Wine Is Not an Emulator) has worked for me on dual boot systems (were I had a windows installation to point it at on the same system). I really can't remember much about it having not daul booted for some time, but I seem to recall it works on a system with just Linux on, though it needs to get the windows system files from some where, as I recall.

[Bryson]

I'll be quick coz Bryson is around with his bloody dancing locks

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I wouldn't say that if I were you, that's just tempting fate. Bryson seems clever enough to write a script that scans for the words "I know it's not theatre related" and "Dancing Locks" and automatically close it. Failing that, you've probably insulted his lovely locks enough to warrant a warn point or 100.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I'm glad I seem that clever. I'm not....

 

Seriously though folks....I reckon you can have this one...for now.

[peter]

Moderation:Posts questioning moderation policy have been moved to the Issues forum.

[Mr.Si]

If you want an audio program that is completely free, and Folks, it is completely multiplatform too (Win,Linux,Mac). then download Audacity HERE

 

I have just downloaded it and I love it already!

It is a fully functional multitrck recorder (as many tracks as your puter can handle) that can support VST pluggins if needs be as well.

 

Total Cubase/Logic replacement!

[J Pearce]

Except it doesn't support the GUI of any VSTs so using some can be a bit hit and miss.

 

Good bit of software though, I used it until I got cubasis and wavelab with my soundcard.

[themadhippy]

Audacity looks interesting,found one virtual console that looks like it could be usefull .With cad package theres a few to chose from so I might try and get wine and turbocad to talk to each other,Got to relearn how to instal the software first. :P

Bring on them dancing locks and fight ya cowards :blink:

[JCoster]

Yeah, I'd recommend Audacity... I've used it on both Windows and a Linux distro... I can't remember which one though... It was a Live-CD though and had it preinstalled to the original download.

[gordonjcp]

I'll be quick coz Bryson is around with his bloody dancing locks ;) However it is theatre related.   

I've  given microshaft the boot and gone over to Linux.However in doing so I've lost a few things like turbocad and Ld calculator and wondered if  anyone could recommend suitable replacments and any other useful software, similar to stuff like cool edit pro,capture or even desk emulators would be usefull.Might have to get my head around wine installations

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Hi there,

A mate of mine who's a regular on here posted me a link to this. Just thought I'd offer my 2p worth, having used Linux at home and (mostly) at work for the past six or seven years...

 

First off, if there are programs that you must use that are only for Windows, you may still need to keep a copy about. A lot of stuff can be run under Wine, but some things just will never work well. I'm thinking particularly of things like Cubase VST, etc.

 

For audio editing, Audacity is pretty similar to Cool Edit Pro, and if you want something a bit more heavyweight look at Ardour. Ardour is designed to be more-or-less based on Mackie HDR kit - not having used one I can't tell you how close it is, but one of the stated aims of the Ardour project is to be able to complete all the Mackie tutorials on it. For sequencing and audio recording, Rosegarden is pretty good.

 

Good Linux CAD packages are thin on the ground, unfortunately. What there is does seem to be written for specific applications. However, thanks to the principle of Open-Source software, you can download the source code (the actual human-readable stuff that gets turned into the program the computer runs) and alter it to suit your needs. It's not as difficult as it sounds, but don't expect to have a world-beating theatre-specific CAD package in an afternoon. Don't forget - if it ain't broke, modify it.

 

It's been a couple of years since I played with it, but I did have ETC Expression Offline working well in Wine. It had an odd tendency to lose its mouse pointer if you dragged a control and went off the bottom edge of the window (or something). This may be fixed now, I'll try it if you want. It didn't need any special setting up - sometimes Wine needs a bit of fettling to get it to load things in the right order.

 

If you want any help with this stuff, please just ask. You might also want to google for Linux user groups in your area.

[tuxlux]

I've  given microshaft the boot and gone over to Linux.However in doing so I've lost a few things like turbocad and Ld calculator and wondered if  anyone could recommend suitable replacments and any other useful software, similar to stuff like cool edit pro,capture or even desk emulators would be usefull.Might have to get my head around wine installations

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

On the audio side, you may be better going for http://ccrma.stanford.edu/planetccrma/software/ which basically installs a low latency kernel, jack and other packages including rosegarden/muse (sequencers.)

Audiacity is quite good for free, and I've been quite impressed too by jack, which enables you to virtual patch/route as many channels as your hardware can support.

I think it may be possible to run from cd, if thats what you've been doing with ubuntu.

 

I couldn't find much on the lighting side really, there's the odd bit of control software, but nothing as polished as the major desk emulators. Cad wise there's the generic CAD packages e.g. list at http://www.tech-edv.co.at/lunix/CADlinks.html, and for LX there's

http://www.develop.openlx.org.uk/designerScreen.png is currently in progress but not complete yet.

[themadhippy]

cheers everyone.. Still trying to get me head around installing software and getting it to run :blink: managed to install LD calculator under wine (I think) but buggered if I can get it to run.

The work in progress looks interesting,is that going to be open source?

Pity there isn't a free isis emulator (hint hint ADB) considering its a linux based program

[gordonjcp]

cheers everyone.. Still trying to get me head around installing software and getting it to run  :unsure: managed to install LD calculator  under wine  (I think)  but buggered if I can get it to run. 

The work in progress looks interesting,is that going to be open source? 

Pity there isn't a free isis emulator  (hint hint ADB)  considering its a linux based program

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I had a look at LD calculator, and couldn't get it to run either. It might be worth talking to the author and asking about a Linux version. If it's written in Delphi then it will just be a straight swap onto Kylix, more-or-less. If it's written in Visual BASIC then it will be a bit more work... It doesn't look like *that* difficult a thing to write. Even if the original author doesn't want to do the work themselves, I'm sure someone out there will.

 

I tried Expression Offline again, and it works well under Wine. The only thing was, like I thought, if you drag the mouse pointer off a control then it stays active and the mouse pointer disappears. Weird. Not unworkable though.

 

If you have any specific software that you want to try under Wine and can't get it to work, then you could try posting on the Wine forum.

 

Here's where my lack of lighting knowledge comes into play - what's an isis, and how hard would it be to emulate?

[gareth]

Just a reminder, people - can we please keep this topic to the subject of theatre-related software? This isn't a computer forum, it's a technical theatre one, as has been mentioned many times over the last few months. Bryson might be away over in Germany at the moment, but "die tanzenden Verriegelungen" are still only a click away ..... :unsure:

[tuxlux]

cheers everyone.. Still trying to get me head around installing software and getting it to run  :unsure: managed to install LD calculator  under wine  (I think)  but buggered if I can get it to run. 

The work in progress looks interesting,is that going to be open source? 

Pity there isn't a free isis emulator  (hint hint ADB)  considering its a linux based program

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Here's where my lack of lighting knowledge comes into play - what's an isis, and how hard would it be to emulate?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

isis is tablet based wifi linked controller.

Isis at adb

wholehog III is linux based too I believe. I think reasoning is probably more commercial than technical. Part of the delays with the lighting designer is with licensing issues. Should eventually work on mac,linux,windows and be fully opensource. Part of ithe effort is in building the libraries of fixtures.