XOPuppy 2.2 using Audacity

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WhyNot?
Posts: 15
Joined: Sat 13 Oct 2012, 03:04

XOPuppy 2.2 using Audacity

#1 Post by WhyNot? »

Hello, I've got images of several flavors for the X01, from Intrepid to Puppy Precise.

While some of these are outdated to the point of being unsustainable (outdated archives, user forums closed, etc.), Puppy for the X0 has current functional repositories since I've recently installed Audacity on 2 machines I own, the X01 and X01.5 OLPC versions.

With the same software on both, Puppy 2.2.

Bear with me, please, my inquiry will soon follow ;-)

Having installed Audacity on both of these outdated but useful machines, I've taken to recording from internet archived audio material. Meaning that I'm recording for several hours at a time using the X01 for that purpose, with XOPuppy 2.2 installed while implementing my new Audacity application.

This is fairly easy and manageable since the SD I'm using as a boot platform has 64 gigs of space, Audacity reports 30 plus hours of recording space available even tho that SD is heavily loaded with audio material already.

So I'll take this opportunity to give credit to the providers of these fine software support platforms, and for giving we users the choice of many useful repository applications! As always, for that support, Thanks ;-)

Now to the problem ;-)

While my old X01 seems perfectly capable of recording at least 9.5 hours of continuous audio (longest I've tried), the X01.5 hasn't been capable of more than 8.5 minutes before stalling entirely, I'm then required to stop the program which is visually inoperable at that point.

Puppy provides an error message that the application is unresponsive, asking whether I'd like to close Audacity which then follows.

Several tries, several configurations/options employed with the same results, nada for success.

My first concern was addressed on a local user forum (thanks Mavrothal!), it was pointed out that the temporary file used by Audacity would have to be moved to a location outside of the .SFS image generated on startup.

That's because the puppy-manufactured file image isn't large enough to contain an additional several hundred megabytes of temporary file space produced/required by Audacity during the recording process.

That was resolved, in fact, before I ever tried recording by simply changing the settings under the Audacity "directories" selection.

The remainder of my settings have been identical, haven't required further change, have worked fine on the X01 but have NOT recorded at all well using my X01.5, with the same Puppy 2.2 platform.

Having installed Audacity from the "quickpet" menu on both machines. SD cards for the X01 and X01.5 are the same manufacturer but different sizes.

I've used the XOPup 2.2/X01 combination successfully on 2 different SD cards, actually, the first was a 30 gig by the same manufacturer I'm using now, no issues with the 60 gig I'm currently using. Even tho the 30 gig has a one G swap partition on it, which is recognized by Puppy during the boot cycle.

While the 60 gig is using the XOPuppy 2.2 default swap file (256megs?).

SOLUTIONS?

On the plus side, the X01.5 is a faster machine with more RAM, should easily pound the X01 for this particular use, simple audio recording should NOT be a problem with proper setup.

So my possible issues seem to be: 1) Audacity isn't as compatible with the 1.5 X0? Possible due to application/hardware differences, tho I've already reviewed the alsamixer settings 2) I've missed something simple in the settings for the X01.5 machine.

This should be fairly easy to figure out, I would suppose, and I've given it some effort but haven't yet solved it obviously. I will certainly share the info. if I'm able to resolve this.

My next proposed course of action will be to check the Puppy image settings on both devices (think the X01 is using a 2 gig temp. file at startup, not sure about the X01.5) for differences, then if no resolution, try another flavor, maybe Puppy Precise.

HOWEVER, if any of you've encountered this problem before and would like to discuss/advise my current misunderstandings, please feel free to do so ;-)

Thanks in advance for whatever support you can spare!

WhyNot?
Posts: 15
Joined: Sat 13 Oct 2012, 03:04

Resolved! Patience pays off :-)

#2 Post by WhyNot? »

Posting my own reply, oh well 8)

This won't solve every possible issue for all users but as described in my original post "something simple in the setup that I've overlooked" turned out to be the solution to recording audio from the X01.5.

The problem turned out to be a combination of 2 variables I hadn't considered.

While trying to record from the X01.5 I was using a non-local drive for purposes of setting up a temp. file for Audacity. Suppose that should have keyed my interest when trying to solve the problem.

While attempting to create my recording on that secondary drive I'd for some reason be thwarted by a software/application lockup, Audacity would simply freeze without providing any error message. BUT, if I'd investigated the non-local drive I would have found that no temporary file had been created, due to user write privileges, as it turns out. That drive/directory was protected and removing that protected attribute CHMOD solved the issue entirely ;-)

I did mentioned there had been 2 variables, right?

2nd (more annoying, less easily solved) problem was with the audio cable, which for some reason performed flawlessly with the X01, in fact that cable did so with the same SD card X0Puppy 2.2 loaded on 2 different machines, both X01s.

And I'm now stuck wondering why, especially since the replacement cable is several feet longer. I at first thought there could be some mili-amp/voltage problem but the longer cable disallows that concern.

Regardless, when looking at the tracks I'd recorded on the X01.5 (once it was fully operational) I noticed some static and reduced volume on one of the 2 stereo tracks. Again, just to be clear, that issue had not been apparently while recording from X01 hardware.

Oh Well. Lessons learned, right?

Want a positive followup? Another Puppy derivative for the X01/X01.5 was useful in my investigation, I installed Puppy Precise 5.5 for comparative purposes (in case X0Puppy didn't work out, some software/driver issue).

Once I updated the repositories for the Precise flavor of Puppy, I installed Audacious and dependencies from the Ubuntu support sites and it turns out that Precise is quite impressive "out of the box" (Mavrothal again!)

Recorded several hours of audio this afternoon on that system 8) One recommendation, USB mouse support isn't fully functional, at least not my trusty HP micro.

Again, much thanks to X0Pupp, OLPC, and operators of this and other support sites, including the archives I've recently accessed. Several years after production, these machines are still useful and resilient!

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mikeb
Posts: 11297
Joined: Thu 23 Nov 2006, 13:56

#3 Post by mikeb »

audio noise can often be the product of the psu wiring too... might be worth juggling with mains sockets.
Computers are very noisy and one little loop can injects bad interference.

Eg I use a usb speaker and if its powered independently its noisy..if from a usb socket on the machine its silent.

Just thought I would pop into your slightly lonely thread. :)

mike

WhyNot?
Posts: 15
Joined: Sat 13 Oct 2012, 03:04

Audacity recording, Cable socket issue?

#4 Post by WhyNot? »

Comparatively, that cable was just fine on 2 other machines, no distortion or noise.

So that question on the machine I was trying to use (X01.5) is still up for grabs since I haven't opened the case to check wiring conditions. And flexing the cable at either end, twisting it a bit, didn't seem to generate problems pro or con to solve the issue.

BUT as stated in the solution, my newer/longer/gold-plate cable doesn't have those issues, although several ft. longer. By the way, I didn't state in my original thread that I'm recording from the microphone port on these machines.

I've tried a direct software channel, using Firefox/Chromium to stream to the application directly, but neither of those machines are quite hardy enough to manage 2 concurrently operating software applications without "chatter" and distortion being introduced into the recording.

Thanks for the comments, tho. Yes, I'll get around to opening the chasis to check the wiring, not today, maybe next weekend 8)

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mikeb
Posts: 11297
Joined: Thu 23 Nov 2006, 13:56

#5 Post by mikeb »

Some shielded cabled is abysmally ...erm...shielded.
using Firefox/Chromium to stream to the application directly
that will be abysmally inefficient...browsers are poor data stream handlers..could you use something better...anything would be better.

mike

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mikeb
Posts: 11297
Joined: Thu 23 Nov 2006, 13:56

#6 Post by mikeb »

forum bug...

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