Need help installing audio part of Tkbiff (SOLVED)

[deshlab]

Hi,
I './configure make install
ed tkbiff (email checker/preview) from
http://expect.nist.gov/tkbiff/ (download is http://expect.nist.gov/tkbiff/tkbiff.tar.gz, 751kb) without errors or problems in executing the basic function of the program.

I can however not get the audio part to work: the audio test from the instructions in INSTALL fails and the program runs without any sound or error notification about that.
this is what the audio test (first thing after installation) gives

Code: Select all

#tkbiff_audio yeah
yeah: not found in audio path (:~/audio:/usr/local/tkbiff-3.20/lib/audio).  Either give full path or set environment variable AUDIOPATH.  tkbiff may also be reconfigured to change default path.  AUDIOSUFFIX may also be set to define optional extensions (currently :.au).

I suspect there is a failure when the ./configure writes the "system wide default" path for the audio files or is that path supposed to look like that (audio:)?
I tried to change the default path in the configuration file (.tkbiff, after installation) but that does not change anything about the error.

any ideas?

[Flash]

Tried installing ALSA first?

[deshlab]

thanks Flash - no, haven't tried that. I thought alsa was essentially a soundcard driver?

I have no problem with sound in general and can play the specific files (here the yeah-sound) without problem clicking them in rox. play.tcl is the run action (for .au files)

the link you posted looks a bit more complex, I'll try it as soon as I can find time.

I just speculated that maybe the path in the configuration was screwed up and I might fix the problem cleaning that up.

[MU]

Linux is case-sensitive.

So not:
tkbiff_audio yeah
but
tkbiff_audio Yeah

On my system it did not install to /usr/local.
But apart from that, in the source-folder, there is no
/lib/audio
just
/audio

So create a folder /lib , and move /audio there.
Then tkbiff_audio plays Yeah.au with gxine.

To use another program, edit
/usr/local/bin/play


Mark

[deshlab]

Linux is case-sensitive.

uh, I make this mistake a lot - not this time though, I tried the command several times, and by accident posted a version above where I had it wrong. I tried it with "Yeah" too, same error with different spelling.

there is no /lib/audio just /audio

that confused me too.

So create a folder /lib , and move /audio there.

thanks, tried that. same error. it is working on your system?

I installed it for the second time now, but nothing changed about the error or the path it mentioned.

[MU]

Do you have the folder
/usr/local/tkbiff-3.20/lib/audio
?
For me it works, with
/mnt/hda11/_installfiles/tkbiff/tkbiff-3.20/tkbiff_audio Yeah

This is where I extracted and compiled it.
I created
/mnt/hda11/_installfiles/tkbiff/tkbiff-3.20/lib/audio
manually.

You also can edit tkbiff_audio to add a folder manually.

[deshlab]

thanks for your patience!

it improved with the third install - although I can not see changes from the last, all folders seem to be where and how they were before. I moved audio into lib again and now when I run the tkbiff_audio it pops up gxine indeed.

it does not play a sound then though and gxine does not autoclose or give an error message

instead of editing /usr/local/bin/play (I'm not sure how to call up another program for .au) I tested tkbiff_audio with a .wav file, since /usr/local/bin/play defines wav to be played by wavplay. But I think I messed that up as well, since again gxine(?) pops up without doing anything.

I'll give it up for tonight - and maybe read up about .au playback tomorrow. Thanks again, MU!

[GuestToo]

xbiff2 1.9 email checker, written in Tcl/Tk

[MU]

Please try GuestToos Dotpup.
But it seems to play a "bell" only.

For your version, edit in leafpad the file tkbiff

In line 3081, replace

Code: Select all

    if {[catch "exec $cmd -v $volume -state $audio(state) $sound" msg]} {

with

Code: Select all

    if {[catch "exec play.tcl $sound" msg]} {

Or mabe

Code: Select all

    if {[catch "exec play.tcl $sound.au" msg]} {

But first try, if play.tcl works. Type in a console-window:
play.tcl /usr/local/tkbiff-3.20/lib/audio/Yeah.au

On one computer it works, on another I get a "sampling error".
So it depends on your sound-drivers.

Mark

[GuestToo]

But it seems to play a "bell" only

you can configure it to play an audio file
for example, if you have a file called youve_got_mail.wav in /usr/share/audio/, you could put this in New Mail Actions

wavplay youve_got_mail.wav

or you could make it popup an xmessage window

or both ... it could run a script

[deshlab]

xbiff2 1.9 email checker, written in Tcl/Tk

Thanks G2, I tried the available dotpups of course, before going through this effort. xbiff2 works ok, but doesn't seem to offer mail preview functions though and that's what I need.
I also tried eremove, which installed without problem but doesn't check automatically and requires too much interaction.

But first try, if play.tcl works. Type in a console-window:
play.tcl /usr/local/tkbiff-3.20/lib/audio/Yeah.au

That works without hassle, as I already wrote somewhere above. Clicking the file in rox or entering your line in console plays the sound - no gxine or anything (visible), just the sound. I have no sampling errors or other problems there.

If I drop one of the au files directly onto gxine they play fine as well, by the way. is play.tcl using gxine (with supressed gui) to playback the files when I click them in rox?

the current setup launches gxine without sound when I try tkbiff_audio or run tkbiff itself (and receive an email) - what I want would be the play.tcl effect - no gxine, just a sound. Would that require editing play.tcl, play, or tkbiff_audio and tkbiff or the .tkbiff config file?

I tried both edits suggested by MU (one at a time, restarting in between), both don't change anything about the no-sound-gxine-popup.

I could also retry making tkbiff play a .wav file instead of the .au file? This should work from editing the .tkbiff (line 97) to play a file (newmail.wav) I dropped in the audio directory. I tried it before, but tkbiff still started gxine (instead of wavplay) and did not play a thing then.

Thanks again for your help, people - I am almost ready to just use the program without the sound now - it's still very useful.

-

Another (small?) question unrelated to the sound issue: I start tkbiff through script:

Code: Select all

tkbiff -flags -for -my -account -verbose

is it possible to add a command to then set the tkbiff window to top layer (=always on top)? I'm using jwm.

Sorry for bothering,
dshlb

[MU]

I think you confuse "play.tcl" with "play".

My last message dealt with a modification to use "play.tcl".
I described, how to modifiy the "tkbiff"-script to force it to use "play.tcl" instead of "play".
"play.tcl" uses a smack-library to play files.

You can modify tkbiff_audio the same way, the corresponding line is in the end of it.

Be shure to edit
/usr/local/bin/tkbiff
and not the file in your sourcefolder.

Concerning your second question:
I don't think, jwm supports that (always on top).
You would need Icewm or fluxbox.

Mark

[deshlab]

I think you confuse "play.tcl" with "play".

you're sort of right, I am really not sure how they (inter)act. I assumed both were used to call up certain "playback engines" for certain types of audio files. Is this only right for "play" (so play.tcl plays everything with smack) or not right at all?

I had followed your modification instructions nevertheless and still ended up with the gxine popups. I'll try modifying tkbiff_audio this way, when I have booted back into puppy and see how that works out.

I don't think, jwm supports that (always on top).
You would need Icewm or fluxbox.

not sure if I get you right there. jwm supports windows always on top, I can set the window to use the top layer manually by rightclicking the windowframe.
but you are saying it is not possible to do that via a script command? e.g.

Code: Select all

jwm set window "tkbiff" layer=top

(this is no actual command, just my very limited understanding of how it might look)

[MU]

I assumed both were used to call up certain "playback engines" for certain types of audio files. Is this only right for "play" (so play.tcl plays everything with smack)

correct.

I had followed your modification instructions nevertheless and still ended up with the gxine popups.

That's strange, I actually have no idea why it won't work.

I'll try modifying tkbiff_audio this way, when I have booted back into puppy and see how that works out.

Ok, please post the result.

but you are saying it is not possible to do that via a script command?

Yes. I think jwm does not support the NetWM-specifications needed for that.
But you can try using the config-file /root/.jwmrc

Something like

Code: Select all

	<Group>
		<Class>tkbiff</Class>
		<Option>layer 3</Option>
	</Group>

type "man jwm" for details.

But I don't know if "tkbiff" for class is correct.
Will try it, but that might take a while.

Mark

[MU]

add this to /root/.jwmrc , after the menu-definitions:

Code: Select all

	<Group>
		<Name>tkbiff*</Name>
		<Option>layer:12</Option>
	</Group>

Mark

[MU]

I just see, tkbiff creates another script "/root/.tkbiff"
There the Unix-comand to play sound is in line 503.

You might replace that one too.
On my system / pop3-account tkbiff is damned slow, so I can't test it correctly.

Mark

[deshlab]

add this to /root/.jwmrc , after the menu-definitions: [...]

that's exactly what I wanted. works great - thanks a lot!
I even managed to put it on the second desktop by default as well - thanks to your link to the manual.
I'm looking into the tkbiff_audio issue next.

edit: ok, looks good, I replaced line 195 in tk_audio with your first suggestion and get the play.tcl effect - "Yeah!"
I'll next try it with tkbiff itself again.

strange thing: I was not sure whether to replace line 195 or 166 in tkbiff_audio - when I replaced 166 with your suggestion, it first played the sound, then openend the gxine popup.

edit2: It works now. I replaced the tkbiff file I had meddled with before with my backup and changed line 3081 with your first suggestion again . then I opened .tkbiff and found that I had already replaced the line you mentioned there earlier(possibly because I thought you wanted me to do that) - I rereplaced that with the original line and now the whole thing works.

Best part is: in the included audio files is a barking sound so I can even have a setting to let the program bark whenever a forum post notification arrives!

Thank you again MU - just awesome!

ps: I wonder if I should make the best out of the whole issue and create a dotpup? not sure if I'm up to that...