Firepod and Ubuntu Studio... Help please, before I quit! :)

[Julián Fernández]

Hi guys... My first post here.

I installed Ubuntu (via Wubi) a couple of days ago and I was fascinated from day one... Everything seem to be good.
The problems started when I tried to install my Presonus Firepod... I tried every guide I found on this forums but I can't make it work...

The last guide I use was this one:

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?p=2833020

Right now this is the error I'm getting when I try to use Jack:

`default' server already active
00:51:24.332 JACK was stopped with exit status=1.

BTW, Jack won't let me choose the number of inputs and outputs of my FP... That must be wrong, right?

I need help, pleaseeeeeeee I don't wanna go back to Windows!

[Julián Fernández]

anyone?

[vivichrist]

tried using hw:0 instead of (default) ?

[Stochastic]

I have my firepod up and running fine, hopefully I can help you do the same.

First, we'll try to narrow down where things are going wrong for you.
What happens when you run the following command from the terminal (after a fresh reboot of the computer while the firepod is on and plugged in):

jackd -R -dfreebob

Also, what's the output of this command:

uname -r

[Julián Fernández]

THANKS A TON!

After jackd -R -dfreebob i get this:

jackd 0.109.2
Copyright 2001-2005 Paul Davis and others.
jackd comes with ABSOLUTELY NO WARRANTY
This is free software, and you are welcome to redistribute it
under certain conditions; see the file COPYING for details

JACK compiled with System V SHM support.
cannot use real-time scheduling (FIFO at priority 10) [for thread -1210530128, from thread -1210530128] (1: Operation not permitted)
cannot create engine

uname -r:

2.6.24-19-rt

BTW, When I updated to Ubuntu Studio (through Synaptic), after downloading an error occur... something like this:
E: ubuntustudio-audio: dependency problems - leaving unconfigured

What should I do about it?

Thanks again!

[Stochastic]

Okay it looks like you have run into the raw firewire permissions error.

First, let's try to get your ubuntustudio-audio package installed properly. Go to the terminal and make sure apt-get has finished installing all the packages you have previously asked it to:

sudo apt-get install -f

Then once it's finished, manually configure the ubuntustudio-audio package (the last command may have done this already, but it won't hurt to do it again for safety's sake)

sudo dpkg -reconfigure ubuntustudio-audio

Now go ahead and try the jackd -r -dfreebob again, if you get the same "operation not permitted" error then do the one of the two following operations:

1) GUI method (easier for beginners)
-Open System->Administration->Ubuntu Studio Controls
-Check the box marked "Enable raw1394"
-(optional step) while you're there it's advisable to turn on memlock and adjust it to about 90% or so (mine's @ 95%)
-Click apply
-Click close

2) Command Line method (helps gain better understanding of the process, and makes sure things are done properly)
-Open a terminal and do

sudo gedit /etc/udev/rules.d/40-permissions.rules

-Find the lines that read something similar to:

KERNEL=="raw1394",                      GROUP="disk"
KERNEL=="dv1394*",                      GROUP="disk"
KERNEL=="video1394*",                   GROUP="video"

-Change it to:

KERNEL=="raw1394",                      GROUP="audio"
KERNEL=="dv1394*",                      GROUP="audio"
KERNEL=="video1394*",                   GROUP="video"

-Save the file, and exit gedit


Now you should be able to get jackd running. If you still get an error when you execute 'jackd -r -dfreebob', please post that error. If it's the same permissions error, then try rebooting (I don't think a reboot is required but it may be to refresh the udev rules).

If you do have jackd running from command line, then try getting it running via qjackctl (aka. jack control); if that gives you an error then you need to adjust your settings in qjackctl's settings window.

Hopefully this all helps; post back with how far you get.

[Julián Fernández]

Thanks for your help man!

When I tried "sudo apt-get install -f"

I got this:

july@july-desktop:~$ sudo apt-get install -f
Leyendo lista de paquetes... Hecho
Creando árbol de dependencias
Leyendo la información de estado... Hecho
0 actualizados, 0 se instalarán, 0 para eliminar y 0 no actualizados.
2 no instalados del todo o eliminados.
Se utilizarán 0B de espacio de disco adicional después de desempaquetar.
Configurando timidity (2.13.2-19ubuntu1) ...
* Starting TiMidity++ ALSA midi emulation... ALSA lib confmisc.c:768parse_card) cannot find card '0'
ALSA lib conf.c:3513_snd_config_evaluate) function snd_func_card_driver returned error: No such file or directory
ALSA lib confmisc.c:392snd_func_concat) error evaluating strings
ALSA lib conf.c:3513_snd_config_evaluate) function snd_func_concat returned error: No such file or directory
ALSA lib confmisc.c:1251snd_func_refer) error evaluating name
ALSA lib conf.c:3513_snd_config_evaluate) function snd_func_refer returned error: No such file or directory
ALSA lib conf.c:3985snd_config_expand) Evaluate error: No such file or directory
ALSA lib pcm.c:2145snd_pcm_open_noupdate) Unknown PCM default
[fail]
invoke-rc.d: initscript timidity, action "start" failed.
dpkg: error al procesar timidity (--configure):
el subproceso post-installation script devolvió el código de salida de error 1
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)

I don't have problems reinstalling the whole system... tell me if it's gonna make things easier...
BTW, I already changed the KERNEL=="raw1394" and "dv1394*" to group audio (following an earlier tutorial...)

Thanks again!
Cheers!

[markbuntu]

This timidity thing is a bug with sound cards that have built in midi. It has been reported in launchpad.

It will not otherwise cause problems with an UbuntuStudio install, everything else will install and work just fine. Remove Timidity with synaptic and UbuntuStudio desktop which it depends on. This has nothing to do with your jack problem.

[Julián Fernández]

Mark, I tried what you suggested...

Uninstalling the UbuntuStudio desktop caused the same error when I installed Ubuntustudio (E: ubuntustudio-audio: dependency problems - leaving unconfigured)... I removed Timidity but still can't make the Pod work... I still get the same error (cannot use real-time scheduling (FIFO at priority 10)...)

Thanks guys!

Can't wait to see it working!

[Stochastic]

Well this timidity bug shouldn't affect a fresh install - so that might fix things. I'd also say you should do the apt-get install -f without your firepod plugged in (allow timidity to configure itself without it worrying about any firepod) - you may even want to remove other soundcards if that's feasible. Out of curiosity, can you get jack started if you do

sudo jackd -R -dfreebob

all the other programs that use jack will also need sudo privileges so this isn't a secure way to go about working.