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Introduction of JackLab May 05

Realtime-kernel, VST Support and lots of new software: A music distribution for SUSE® Linux

Recently there is a place to go for musicians and producers who want to use SuSE Linux, the website http:/www.jacklab.net. " JackLab" is a non-commercial private initiative, supervised by volunteers, who take care of the communication between SuSE users and rpm packagers, wanting to compile independant updates/upgrades for SuSE Linux and application programmers who are generally developing media and music software for SuSE Linux.

STATUS QUO

A lot of things happened in the range of music software in recent times. The audio sequencer "Ardour" will soon be released in its final version, the midi-sequencer Rosegarden-4 is ready. Each new version means more stability and features, soon reaching the standards of the windows and Mac world.

Target

JackLab's principal aim is to watch current software, package it as simple to install SuSE rpm, test it, talk about it and, in future, offer tutorials. Negotiatons about a distribution of these upgrades e.g. with cd-roms in magazines, have started. JackLab supports musicians by trying to find out the most user-friendly way. 1-click setups working for non-geek users, simple administration by APT or optionally YAST. Furthermore, the optimizing of the kernel, the audio drivers, and the setting of proper rights is explored, which is not trivial concerning realtime audio processes controlled by Jack.

Problems

It is impossible at the moment to start Ardour as realtime audio-process under Jack with a standard SuSE Linux 9.2, because the normal user does not have the rights needed. The standard kernel of SuSE does not support the available audio/midi sequencer MusE 0.7, it breaks off when starting, because inside the kernel the access to the real-time clock is deactivated. If you want to use MusE, a new compile of the kernel is necessary.

Wishes

The most heard wish of musicians is VST support under Linux. Thinking of the user here, means leaving the path of pure open-source. There are hundreds of partly high-class freeware VST plug-ins and it would be stupid not to use them. Another wish is a sampler, which can read and edit professional AKAI, gigasamplers and EMU formats, and the possibilty of lossless converting of existing sound libraries.

Update

The first packages compatible with SuSE 9.2 contain current versions of Ardour and Rosegarden-4. Furthermore we are working on the VST interface for rosegarden and MusE. Applications like the professional Linux sampler and a good choice of software synthesizers and the mastering tool "ReZound" make it a sensational offer. In the future they will be extended with video-adapting and p-rsoftware.

Exclusion

We don't want you to cherish the illusion that Linux can replace a Mac or Windows DAW completely. But Audio with Linux is fast-pacing and today a level is reached where a Linux DAW with its open concept can be an enrichment and complement for an existing production environment. Even for the amateur or beginner it can be a big opportunity to use a environment oriented to professional standards.

Prospects

JackLab is "work in progress" and contains many "abstracts", a complete update database is to be expected midyear 2005. Yet there are new updates every month, which can easily be installed with Yast or APT, with test reports and help if something isn't quite trivial. If SuSE/Novell cannot make up its mind to publish an audio distribution of its own, JackLab will close the gap. So, SuSE Linux will have an extension for audio/media similar to Planet CCRMA for Fedora, Thac for Mandrake and Agnula for Debian. But until then there will be many kernels to compile...