Brainstrorming for Ubuntu Studio 13.04 (Blueprints)

[Len Ovens]

On Sat, October 20, 2012 12:28 pm, Kaj Ailomaa wrote:

> Some of the things that we would like to do in the future (not in any
> special order):
>
> * Write a comprehensive user documentation dealing with all of the various
> multimedia workflows - audio, graphics, video, photography and publishing
> (underway)
> * Write developer documentation (underway)
> * Test system tweaks that improve performance for various workflows and
> finding best ways to implement them (ongoing)
> * Develop a gui control application to adjust Ubuntu Studio system
> settings (replacement for the outdated ubuntustudio-controls)
> * Develop a workflow orientated panel
> * Improve/update Ubuntu Studio artwork
> * Research each of the workflows (audio, graphics, video, photography,
> publishing), and make sure we have a relevant list of applications
> included on the live DVD (ongoing).

For the audio workflow (as if we didn't have enough :) we have been asked
to add LMMS. I would suggest adding it right away so that we have ample
time to make sure it will work live. Adding it with the extra software
icon seems problematical. It seems all the repos it or it's depends need
are not enabled by default. This may effect if the ISO will build too.

I think we need a mixer for standard audio cards, the xfce4-mixer we have
now is not as nice as alsamixer in a terminal from my POV. pavucontrol is
the standard desktop mixer for pulse but it doesn't lend itself to card
level control in a recording situation, inputs in particular. It also
doesn't touch card levels at all in some cases. This would be a mixer for
the mixer menu not for the volume icon. I happen to like qasmixer. It
would be nice to start it with a wrapper that points it at whatever the
device is jack is using or hm:0 if jackd has yet to be run. (this can be
switched from within the app as well) Any other mixer app that is better
would be fine too.

I don't know if it's possible or makes sense even, but it seems we spend
some time helping people set the right sound interface for jack. It would
be nice if on first login a dialog asked which card is your recording
interface? and preset jack. Maybe as a part of -controls.

We seem to be right in the middle, we have "hey it would be nice to make
some music with my computer, someone lent me this keyboard for a week",
those who know exactly what they want and those from win/osx who want a
replacement for whatever they are used to. So SW that is easy for the
newby who has never done music at all with any computer (maybe doesn't
play anything either). The expected things for those used to Linux audio
and something to help those switching from another OS. We handle the
middle one just fine I think. The other two harder. LMMS is suggested as
something that makes music simple for anyone. Also being based on some
windows SW may help as a transition place... though it doesn't play well
with other apps and moving on to other apps means starting over pretty
much. I think documentation focused on the someone moving from some of the
other workflows to the workflows we have or are available may be a good
idea.

As you can see I am not near as good at stating things in one line as ailo.

>
> - For reference, here are the blueprints for 12.10
> http://blueprints.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+spec/topic-quantal-flavor-ubuntustudio.
>
>
> / Kaj Ailomaa
>
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-- 
Len Ovens
www.OvenWerks.net