Timidity installation from package manager fails

[yolhurt]

Could anyone tell me if they're able to install Timidity++ 2.15.0 (software midi synthesizer) from the package manager? When I try to do so, all the dependencies get installed but installation of Timidity itself fails. I've tried installing Timidity from a Slackware package found elsewhere but that doesn't work either.

[yolhurt]

I should have mentioned that this is with S15Pup64-22.12+2.

[yolhurt]

Just to add that so far I've found the package manager on this distro to be poor compared to the ones I've used on other Puppies. Almost nothing I've tried to install has worked first time and everything seems to take ages. I've just tried to install Audacity, which took about 40 minutes (:0) including dependencies, and at the end it still give me a list of 17 "missing shared libraries" before the package manager froze.

[rcrsn51]

I have an older Timidity 2.13.1 package that was built for the Bullseye Starter Kit but works OK in S15Pup64. If you are interested, I will post a download link.

[yolhurt]

Thanks! Yes, please post the link and I'll give it a try.

I have already tried a few other Timidity packages (found on pkgs.org, etc) and although they have installed, I still can't get Timidity to work (despite having downloaded all the dependencies from the PPM). I'm having a similar issue with Audacity, which I can at least get to start, but audio playback doesn't function within the program.

[rcrsn51]

Download the package from Fred's repo with wget:

Code: Select all

wget --no-check-cert https://github.com/doglinux/bulldog/raw/master/amd64/timidity-old_2.13.1_amd64.deb

Left-click-install it.

The package also contains a soundfont file in /usr/share/timidity.

[yolhurt]

That has worked, thanks! I can now get midi files to play from the command line.

On my old Slacko Puppy I had the run action for midi files set to: "rxvt -geometry 768x640 -e timidity -int "$1" ...which gave a kind of gui in a console. However, I can't get this to work in S15Pup. When I left-click a midi file the console just seems to open and close immediately. Any idea how I can get that working?

[geo_c]

Just to add that so far I've found the package manager on this distro to be poor compared to the ones I've used on other Puppies. Almost nothing I've tried to install has worked first time and everything seems to take ages. I've just tried to install Audacity, which took about 40 minutes (:0) including dependencies, and at the end it still give me a list of 17 "missing shared libraries" before the package manager froze.

I've been running an install of SC-15Pup, and though it's a very fast system, the slackware repos are slim indeed. I was really disappointed at not finding Xfe file manager in the repos, or in an online search for a slackware package. It looks like if I want to use Xfe in SC15 I'll need to compile, unless there's a .pet package hiding somewhere on the forum.

[geo_c]

Oh, and for what's it worth. I installed timidity on fossapup so I could play midi files from the terminal, in particular from Ranger file manager. It took some fiddling with the configuration and location of the soundfonts, etc. It was a bit of a pain but works well.

[rcrsn51]

On my old Slacko Puppy I had the run action for midi files set to: "rxvt -geometry 768x640 -e timidity -int "$1" ...which gave a kind of gui in a console. However, I can't get this to work in S15Pup. When I left-click a midi file the console just seems to open and close immediately. Any idea how I can get that working?

When I run that command from a terminal, I get "Interface `n' is not compiled in". So you would need a more complete version of timidity than mine.

Here is a little work-around.

Make the following executable script named "midi-play" and put it in /usr/local/bin.

Code: Select all

#!/bin/sh
timidity -Ow -o- "$1" 2>/dev/null | aplay -f cd

Set the run action to: rxvt -e midi-play "$1"

[yolhurt]

Here is a little work-around.

Make the following executable script named "midi-play" and put it in /usr/local/bin.

Code: Select all

#!/bin/sh
timidity -Ow -o- "$1" 2>/dev/null | aplay -f cd

Set the run action to: rxvt -e midi-play "$1"

Cheers, that works, although it doesn't display the notes like the other version of Timidity did. Also, when I open a midi file there's a distorted sound at the beginning for some reason.

[rcrsn51]

I tried to compile a "full" version of timidity that would work with your run action. I got it working correctly in bionic64 where it made the window with the notes playing.

But I could not get it to compile in s15pup64. Maybe that's why it's not in the slackware repo.

[geo_c]

I tried to compile a "full" version of timidity that would work with your run action. I got it working correctly in bionic64 where it made the window with the notes playing.

But I could not get it to compile in s15pup64. Maybe that's why it's not in the slackware repo.

I have found that the gui portion of timidity is very weak and buggy, or maybe wonky is a better word. But in other words, it ain't great or even good, barely usuable actually. Timidity is a solid cli backend for midi playback. The gui interface seems like an orphan project.

Since the slackware repos are pretty sparsely populated, I was wondering what would be necessary to compile, like a dev.sfs, but that's probably a question for the SC15 thread.

[rcrsn51]

Update: I found the 2.15.0 version of the timidity source code and got it to compile in S15Pup64. But on my machine, it would not automatically play to the default ALSA device. I needed to explicitly state the ALSA device with "-o front". Find your device with "aplay -L". YMMV.

My run action is: rxvt -e timidity -int -o front "$1"

Download the PET package here.

In this package, the timidity binary is now in /usr/bin instead of /usr/local/bin.

[yolhurt]

Update: I found the 2.15.0 version of the timidity source code and got it to compile in S15Pup64. But on my machine, it would not automatically play to the default ALSA device. I needed to explicitly state the ALSA device with "-o front". Find your device with "aplay -L". YMMV.

My run action is: rxvt -e timidity -int -o front "$1"

Download the PET package here.

In this package, the timidity binary is now in /usr/bin instead of /usr/local/bin.

Thanks for this. I changed "front" to "default" and now the gui with the notes appears. However, with this version I can't get Timidity to play anything. If I enter "timidity x.mid" into the console it outputs this:

Requested buffer size 32768, fragment size 8192
ALSA pcm 'default' set buffer size 33868, period size 3760 bytes
Playing x.mid
MIDI file: x.mid
Format: 1 Tracks: 2 Divisions: 480
Sequence: Acoustic Guitar (Tablature)
Track name: Acoustic Guitar (Tablature)
Playing time: ~38 seconds
Notes cut: 0
Notes lost totally: 0

...but the midi file doesn't play.

[rcrsn51]

I tried two more machines and "-o default" never worked. Try "-o front". It worked for me.

Or run "aplay -L" and find the device that looks like the default.

I don't know why the version of ALSA in S15Pup64 works this way.

[yolhurt]

I tried two more machines and "-o default" never worked. Try "-o front". It worked for me.

Or run "aplay -L" and find the device that looks like the default.

I don't know why the version of ALSA in S15Pup64 works this way.

With "-o front" it says in the gui: "can't open pcm device 'front'" ...then... "couldn't open ALSA pcm device (`s').

With "-o default" everything looks like it should in the gui (with all the channels appearing, track name, time, etc) but there's no sound.

In a couple of other Timidity packages I've tried the console gave me the same output as the one in my previous post but also without any sound. The only Timidity package I've tried that has produced sound is the one from Fred's repo.

This is the output from "aplay -L":

Code: Select all

null
    Discard all samples (playback) or generate zero samples (capture)
default:CARD=PCH
    HDA Intel PCH, ALC269VC Analog
    Default Audio Device
sysdefault:CARD=PCH
    HDA Intel PCH, ALC269VC Analog
    Default Audio Device
front:CARD=PCH,DEV=0
    HDA Intel PCH, ALC269VC Analog
    Front output / input
surround21:CARD=PCH,DEV=0
    HDA Intel PCH, ALC269VC Analog
    2.1 Surround output to Front and Subwoofer speakers
surround40:CARD=PCH,DEV=0
    HDA Intel PCH, ALC269VC Analog
    4.0 Surround output to Front and Rear speakers
surround41:CARD=PCH,DEV=0
    HDA Intel PCH, ALC269VC Analog
    4.1 Surround output to Front, Rear and Subwoofer speakers
surround50:CARD=PCH,DEV=0
    HDA Intel PCH, ALC269VC Analog
    5.0 Surround output to Front, Center and Rear speakers
surround51:CARD=PCH,DEV=0
    HDA Intel PCH, ALC269VC Analog
    5.1 Surround output to Front, Center, Rear and Subwoofer speakers
surround71:CARD=PCH,DEV=0
    HDA Intel PCH, ALC269VC Analog
    7.1 Surround output to Front, Center, Side, Rear and Woofer speakers
hdmi:CARD=PCH,DEV=0
    HDA Intel PCH, HDMI 0
    HDMI Audio Output
hdmi:CARD=PCH,DEV=1
    HDA Intel PCH, HDMI 1
    HDMI Audio Output
hdmi:CARD=PCH,DEV=2
    HDA Intel PCH, HDMI 2
    HDMI Audio Output

[rcrsn51]

Try some of the "surroundxx" choices.

The "midi-play" method should also work here.

[yolhurt]

Try some of the "surroundxx" choices.

The "midi-play" method should also work here.

With the "surround" ones it does the same as with "front".

What's the midi-play method?

[rcrsn51]

What's the midi-play method?

It's the script I gave you on page 1 that you said worked.

[yolhurt]

Oops, yes sorry, I named the file something different after copying and pasting the script code which is why it didn't ring a bell on first reading.

I've just tested it and that method does work with the TiMidity++-2.15.0-x86_64.pet (and doesn't produce the distorted sound at the beginning like the other one did).

It's not a big issue if I can't get the gui working on this Puppy but it was a nice little feature to have when playing midi files.

[rcrsn51]

As a test, I compiled v2.15.0 in the Bullseye Starter Kit and it worked correctly with the gui - no need to specify the ALSA device.

There is something different about the ALSA in S15Pup64.

[yolhurt]

I've recently installed the midi-based Windows program Synthesia in Wine on S15Pup64. I had the same program installed on Slacko 5.7 and it worked fine. In the old Slacko, when I went to the music output settings of this program, I could see Timidity ports 0-3. However, I can't see these when using the program in S15Pup64 (with none of the Timidity pets I've tried).

Does anyone know how I can set up midi in S15Pup64 so I can get it to work from within programs? In Slacko 5.7 all I did was install the 2 pets from this old post and that was it.
I'm looking for something that just works so it doesn't have to be specifically Timidity.

[rcrsn51]

I have compiled another Timidity using Pizzasgood's recipe. Put it where you have the current version. Use "which timidity" to find it.

I have included Pizzagood's timidity_server startup script that goes in /etc/init.d.
It runs the command: timidity -iA -B2,8 -Os -EFreverb=0

But we already know that there is a problem with Timidity and ALSA in S15Pup64 so this may not work.

Have you tried Timidity in a different Puppy, like Fossa64?

[yolhurt]

I have compiled another Timidity using Pizzasgood's recipe. Put it where you have the current version. Use "which timidity" to find it.

I have included Pizzagood's timidity_server startup script that goes in /etc/init.d.
It runs the command: timidity -iA -B2,8 -Os -EFreverb=0

But we already know that there is a problem with Timidity and ALSA in S15Pup64 so this may not work.

Have you tried Timidity in a different Puppy, like Fossa64?

Thanks again for your help. I've just tried the new Timidity you compiled with the server startup script and the Timidity ports do now appear in the audio output settings of Synthesia. Unfortunately, when I play a midi file within the program there is no sound.

The only other Puppies I've tried Timidity in are the (pretty old) Slacko 5.6 and 5.7. I've recently abandoned those and am in the process of trying to get everything I had working (and still find useful) on my old setup in the newly released S15Pup64, which I chose to be the single Pup I'd use from now on, if possible.

[OscarTalks]

Does anyone know how I can set up midi in S15Pup64 so I can get it to work from within programs? In Slacko 5.7 all I did was install the 2 pets from this old post and that was it.
I'm looking for something that just works so it doesn't have to be specifically Timidity.

Are you just looking for something to play midi files?
My Audacious audio player which I compiled in S15Pup64 will do that out of the box.
It uses libfluidsynth rather than timidity
The only thing is that the included soundfont is very small and basic just to get you up and running. You need to add your own bigger soundfont to produce better quality sound.
http://smokey01.com/OscarTalks/audaciou ... 4-s15p.pet

[rcrsn51]

Unfortunately, when I play a midi file within the program there is no sound.

I'm not surprised. If you start the server from the command line, it refers to using the 'default' ALSA device. But that gets you the same problem as with the regular timidity playback in S15Pup64, unless you pipe the output through stdout. That's how the script midi-play works.

which I chose to be the single Pup I'd use from now on, if possible.

The whole point of frugal installs is the ability to have multiple Puppies for various tasks.

Are you just looking for something to play midi files?

@OscarTalks Have you read the whole thread?

[OscarTalks]

Apologies if I am misunderstanding, not sure if there are other tasks relating to midi which the OP requires, from reading the thread I am a little unclear. The mention of "from within programs" and "doesn't have to be timidity" made me want to ask for clarification.

[rcrsn51]

@yolhurt
Try playing a midi file like this:

timidity -o hw xxx.mid

If that works, open your /etc/init.d/timidity_server file and change line 25 to:

timidity -iA -o hw ${TIMIDITY_OPTS} &

Restart the server and test in Synthesia.

[yolhurt]

@yolhurt
Try playing a midi file like this:

timidity -o hw xxx.mid

When I try this immediately after moving the Timidity compiled using Pizzasgood's recipe to usr/bin, the midi file does play, although at the beginning of the console output there are these 2 lines:

timidity: /lib64/libncurses.so.6: no version information available (required by timidity)
timidity: /lib64/libtinfo.so.6: no version information available (required by timidity)

However, when I reboot the computer and try the same thing again, the midi file doesn't play and the console just outputs those 2 lines with "Couldn't open output device" at the end.

I've tested the above a couple of times by going back to a pupsave saved before updating the Timidity in usr/bin, and the same thing happens.

If that works, open your /etc/init.d/timidity_server file and change line 25 to:

timidity -iA -o hw ${TIMIDITY_OPTS} &

Restart the server and test in Synthesia.

The good news is that after changing line 25 in the timidity_server file, midi files do now play in Synthesia! Thanks for that, I was starting to think it just wouldn't work in S15Pup64.