New Operating System

[Humblesoul]

Hey guys,thinking of switching my OS.Does anybody here know about Linux or use it?Is it even compatible with scope?

Thanks

[netguyjoel]

Not yet...you MIGHT see it, after a Mac OSX release (if S|C is even still doing one).

[Terrac]

Hey I use linux, but not for the scope system. Unfortunately the luna/scope/pulsar series of cards are not supported under linux.

according to this message the audio driver for linux died about 1999
http://lalists.stanford.edu/lad/2001/Nov/0114.html

but the internet says all sorts of things.

no, you can't run device drivers in WINE

[at0m]

Running Debian "testing" on all my machines, Scope's been boxed for over a year due to renovation works at our house. Moving next weekend, then start setting up the studio again... It will have the only XP machine - the Scope host.

If you're gonna switch OS, may I ask why?

Many people I know think they're getting a "free Windows-like OS" with Linux, not realising it's a totally different concept requiring a different workflow. If you plan on going Linux, cudos to you, and get ready for days of web searching and reading manuals. If it weren't for Scope I'd never look back, but it's taken a while for me to get the hang of "linux". You need to be willing to crawl and learn to walk again before you start running.

Another misconception is that the mouse is the one and foremost interface for a computer, which often leads to cold showers for those switching to Linux. Many things are just so much easier from the console, and when you learn how to use a keyboard, options are legio. Think of stuff you do daily and takes 10-15 clicks while intermediately eye-scanning through dropdown, popup and I don't know what other menus. On the console, you'd group that sequence of instructions in a script which can now be called by other events (scheduler, single command, click a link to it) skipping all the GUI bloat and, why not, run it on a headless (no monitors) server. On another note, KDE and Gnome are providing frontends for these console tools (wifi configuration, mounting disks etc.), but nothing beats the console. They just couldn't stuff all the options available on the console into a UI, so you end up making little scripts (remember .bat files?) doing all the work for you. No need to know all command line applications and their options, just when writing the script it takes a moment of informing yourself - after you don't need to remember eh.

So, before you switch, keep in mind you'll be spending at least a year solving riddles before getting productive. Countrary to Linux, OS-X will work OOTB, but it'd still be a new OS to get used to. Things are simply done differently on each OS.

Linux distributions often offer versions which run directly from CD/DVD, trying 2-3 different ones can give you an idea on the differences, driver support etc. 64studio is a Debian-based distribution aimed at media production, Ubuntu Studio is Ubuntu-based. "-based" here means that they are Debian/Ubuntu but bundled with different software packages and compiled with slight different options, like realtime kernels (near absolute system priority for apps/devices that shouldn't be interrupted).

I don't advise getting Linux as your main music production OS, but I will sure keep my current Debian systems in the farm, euh basement, living room and bedroom, and have one with a proper audio interface next to the Scope machine to control the others and their applications...

[Humblesoul]

For right now i have it installed on a spare laptop to check it out.I thought maybe i could find a better OS than windows not sure though.In the mean time i am building a new main frame for my Scope setup.Intell all the way with recommendations from Garyb.

Thanks

[garyb]

no, you really can't find a better os than windows(or osx) for your audio apps, unless you run all custom code...

[netguyjoel]

As usual...Garyb & I agree. I use Linux on this laptop..and another computer in the house. But for audio apps & Scope. For now, stick with MS. & I won't use the word "soon", but a 64 bit driver is being developed. Bringing an OSX driver is taxing enough. Linux...that will be a stretch.

Ardour does not come close to anything available today on an XP/Win7 platform. Notice I left out the word Vista?

Ubuntu, Debian, Red Hat, etc etc are great for certain things, if you can tackle the learning curve...otherwise..Scope on MS