Slackermedia Handbook

abcde

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abcde A Better CD Encoder (abcde) is a simple shell script meant for quick and simple CD ripping. Install Install abcde from . It has several optional dependencies, depending upon what formats you want to be able to rip to; for instance, if you intend to rip to

aj

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AJ-Snapshot Aj-snapshot is the simplest-possible connection logger for ALSA and JACK. Strengths [Weaknesses] Simple Aj-snapshot is one command. It takes a snapshot of your session, and that's all it does. No new window to open, no complex configuration file required.

app

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Application Catalogue One of the most powerful aspects of using open source software is the proliferation of software. There is no comparison in the closed source world because making lots of small, couture, personal applications just doesn't pay like big monolithic flagships do. So there can be no practical catalogue of all the useful open source applications; there are too many.

appendix

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Appendices This is information that didn't quite fit in as a “dependency” or as a specific tool of Slackermedia, but is important to understand. These appendices are not considered optional; you should read these! “Give YOUR brain to 'Bob'!

ardour

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Ardour Ardour is a professional-grade, meat-and-potatoes digital audio workstation: it features all the must-have features that you would expect from a pro DAW, and is actively adding more in a quick but stable manner. It is written by one of the most well-respected audio engineers in the Linux world, and is one of the go-to applications for Linux musicians and audio producers every where.

audacity

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Audacity Audacity is a time-honoured and widely used free software audio editor, used by a staggering number of audio hobbyists and professionals alike. Whether you are primarily an audio artist or not, you probably should have Audacity installed on your computer; it's just that useful.

audiotrouble

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Troubleshooting Linux Audio TL;DR * Check hardware * Turn all audio on and up in alsamixer * Turn all audio on and up in kmix * Verify Pulse Audio settings with pavucontrol * Turn all audio on and up in application When sound doesn't work on you Linux machine, don't panic. On any operating system, there are at least four separate volume controls for sound:

backup

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Backing Up with Rdiff-Backup TL;DR 1. Format a big drive as UDF. 2. Install rdiff-backup 3. rdiff-backup --exclude-globbing-filename $HOME/.excludes $HOME /path/to/drive 4. Automate that command with cron There are several good backup applications aimed at local and network backups. Some are geared toward sys admins managing entire VFX houses, others are geared toward the advanced home user, and still others are aimed at regular, humble, everyday artists like us. No matter the audien…

bitwig

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blender

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Blender Blender is a powerful application that can be used for 3d modeling, graphics, motion graphics, compositing, special effects, game design, and quite a lot more. It is very actively developed, with new features arriving often. Blender is not just in use by movie studios, tv stations, and independent artists around the world, but by the Blender Foundation itself, which produces short films on a regular basis, adding features to the application based directly upon artist needs. Blender is b…

bombono

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Bombono If you are looking for an easy and intuitive method of creating DVDs with interactive menus, install Bombono from . Bombono features a friendly and intuitive graphical interface that allows you to generate your own DVD menus (or autoplay scripts that skip the menus, if you prefer), and burn discs that will be playable in stand-alone disc players.

calf

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Calf Studio Gear Whether you want to drown your vocals in reverb or just need to put a gate on your Master Out, the Calf collection of sonic toys and tools probably has what you need. Plug some sound into this, and prepare to be amazed. Strengths [Weaknesses]

colour

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Colourspace As with nearly everything else in technology, managing your colourspace is only important if you actually put it to good use. Among those who do not understand technology but nevertheless insist upon having only “the best”, there is an all too common belief that no professional artist can work without the widest gamut and most stringent colourspace management. This is similar to insisting that real artists only use very specific brand-name computers and software; the focus is placed…

darktable

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Darktable Darktable is a powerful photo proofing and organising application, with a wide range of filter-based non-destructive digital darkroom tools. It is an ideal tool for professional or avid hobbyist photographers. Strengths [Weaknesses] Photo Management

dep

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Building Slackermedia You should have at this point a fully functional Slackware system. You can use this system as you would any computer for any other task, but the goal for this handbook is to build upon the base install to create a multimedia studio.

digikam

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Digikam Strengths [Weaknesses] Photo Management Digital photography has left most people with thousands of photos that they never look at because they cannot begin to organise them all. Digikam is a powerful and flexible organisational environment with the ability to proof and process the best of your shots.

docbook

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Docbook Docbook is a typesetting and layout tool for authors. Specifically, it is an XML schema intended to produce both print and electronic copies of text. Combined with any one of many powerful xml processors available, it achieves the goal of letting an author write once and publish to anything. It is widely used in technical documentation (such as the first few editions of Slackermedia itself), but also for works of fiction, academia, and more.

dotdesktop

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.desktop Files The easiest way to launch applications on Linux is frequently to just type the name of the application. It's fast, efficient, and immediate. However, it is often seen as unglamourous and overly technical, so many users want icons that they can point to and click on, imagining that that icon is really the application that they have just launched. The fact of the matter is that on

drives

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Hard Drives and Linux Linux does hard drives astonishingly well. So well, in fact, that most hard drive rescue services default to Linux because its toolset is so rich. TL;DR If you do not want to go into hard drive forensics for a living, you may be most interested in:

dvd

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DVD Playback When you buy a DVD from the store, you are not buying the license to decode the contents of the DVD. The ability to decode the contents of purchased and encrypted DVDs is embedded in DVD players, and privately licensed to operating system vendors.

evolvotron

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Evolvotron Evolvotron is interactive generative art software that evolves images, textures, and patterns through an iterative process of random mutation and user-selected evolution. Beware! This is part of Slackermedia's Fringe Collection. This application is not a

fabla

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Fabla Fabla is an LV2 plugin for building banks of samples and triggering them with on-screen buttons or from a MIDI controller. Strengths [Weaknesses] Familiar If you have ever sat down at an Alesis HR-16 or Akai MPC, then know how to use Fabla. Even if you haven't, there's not much of a learning curve.

ffmpeg

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Ffmpeg HOWTO Ffmpeg is the backbone of many video-related applications from players to editors (and is in fact even both of these things in itself). For the most flexible video and audio system possible, Ffmpeg should be installed directly from the latest source code with as many codec options turned on as possible. Find the code at

ffmpeg2theora

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ffmpeg2theora Ffmpeg2theora is not a part of ffmpeg, but an independent frontend for converting any format that ffmpeg can read into the free Ogg Vorbis audio and Ogg Theora video codecs. Strengths [Weaknesses] Easy ffmpeg2theora is straightforward and takes some of the guesswork out of media conversion

ffmpeginstall

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Ffmpeg Install TL;DR Download and install Slackermedia's ffmpeg and ffmpeg-related packages from Ffmpeg, in addition to being a powerful multimedia application set, is an ubiquitous backend for video and audio applications across all platforms.

filters

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Audio Effects & Filters Open source creativity is very prolific; this section contains a small sample of the applications available for a modular studio, and is only curated by a tool's stability and reliability. With JACK, all applications can be channeled through a single system, whether the application was designed as a stand-alone application or as a plugin. This blurs the line between what it means to be a stand-alone application or a plugin, and that's a powerful level of flexibility tha…

font

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Fonts Fonts are vital to creativity and good design. Slackware comes packaged with a respectable variety of fonts, including the Red Hat set of Liberation Fonts to act as drop-in replacements for fonts like Helvetica and Times, which are useful but a little bland. There are a number of sources for more fanciful free fonts available; all you have to do is find them, and then install them.

fonts

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Reset the Root Password on Slackware If you've installed Slackware and forgotten the root password, it's easy to reset. In fact, passwords on any OS are easy to reset as long as you have physical access to the computer and install media. Slackware is no exception.

fountain

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Fountain Fountain is a markdown format which enables an author to write in a plain text editor (like Emacs or Kate, and to render a properly formatted screenplay later. Strengths [Weaknesses] Convenient With no special software required, you can write screenplays anywhere and on anything without worrying about having to re-format it later.

giada

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Giada Loop Machine Giada is a loop machine designed for live performance and loop-based improv. It can trigger samples in a variety of ways, allowing you to build stacks of sounds into unique compositions. Strengths [Weaknesses] Unique Giada has a unique vision of how samples and sounds can be stitched together. Its dedication to being a great and fully-featured loop machine means you can be creative and inventive.

gimp

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GIMP Plugins GIMP, the famous image manipulation programme, is installed by default with a standard Slackware install. What many people do not realise is that GIMP is astoundingly extensible, with a rich plugin structure spanning from native plugins, Python scripting, and everyday hacks.

handbrake

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HandBrake HandBrake is a commandline and GUI DVD ripper that will read DVDs and blu-ray and convert them to some other format, like Ogg Theora, webm, xvid, x264, and others. It is one of the many invaluable tools for the video editor, who can typically expect to receive video from every imaginable source.

houdini

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Houdini Houdini is a closed source 3d animation application developed by SideFX. It installs on Slackware the same way as on Red Hat. Download the installer from the Houdini website. They offer a variety builds, including daily builds with the latest fixes.

hydrogen

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Hydrogen Hydrogen is a drum machine for your computer with all the features of a traditional drum machine and probably quite a few more. Strengths [Weaknesses] Familiar If you have used classic hardware drum machines, or any software based on that model, you will have no trouble settling into Hydrogen.

inkscape

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Inkscape Inkscape is a rich and robust vector illustration programme. It can create and edit svg and eps (among others) files, and is both powerful and intuitive. Strengths [Weaknesses] Powerful Inkscape is a professional-grade illustration programme for vector-based imaging, and can be used for layout and graphic design. It has been used for icon design, game assets, printed matter, and much more.

install

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The Installer Upon first boot of the install disc, you'll be presented with an option to choose what kernel you'd like to use. The kernel is the part of the operating system that scans the hardware in, and attached to, a computer so that drivers may be loaded, which enables you to interact with that computer. Once all of the drivers are loaded, the

intro

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Introduction Slackermedia is a book and Linux configuration guide. After reading, comprehending, and implementing the lessons in Slackermedia the book, a user will have a customized Slackware Linux distribution for multimedia production. The idea is based in part upon the *

jack

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JACK TL;DR You should install Jack2 if you intend to use audio or video creation applications on Linux. If you have any experience with traditional professional audio hardware (synthesizers, effects, mixers) or even professional networking gear (routers, switches, vlans), then you are accustomed to the notion that signals must be routed from one place, through a filter of some sort, to a target, and then perhaps through another filter, and then a final destination.

jackapps

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Since the JACK audio system runs as a server, it is ideally suited for smaller client applications which can plug into it, and combine one another's features to create a modular studio setup much like one would have in the physical world. There are several small (and sometimes not-so-small) sound applications that expect to be used as clients of the JACK server.

nuke

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Nuke Nuke is a closed source application developed by the Foundry. It installs on Slackware the same way as on Red Hat or Ubuntu. Download the installer. Run the installer. The --target option is mandatory: $ su # mkdir /opt/nuke # ./Nuke-linux-x86-release-64.run --target /opt/mari

obs

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OBS Studio Open Broadcast Studio is a video mixer for live broadcast. Strengths [Weaknesses] Intuitive Even if you have no broadcast experience, OBS makes it as easy as basic page layout to invent great video. Powerful OBS processes video in realtime, so you see exactly what your audience sees.

opencl

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OpenCL OpenCL is an open framework that enables a computer to recruit all manner of other computational devices (such as a GPU and additional CPUs) to distribute a workload. Depending on the hardware you have available, OpenCL can speed up graphics processing by orders of magnitude.

opencolorio

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OpenColorIO OpenColorIO is Sony Imagework's open source colour management framework geared toward professional visual effects and film work. It has not been universally adopted by Linux, so it works well for the applications that tap into it, and is otherwise ignored.

parecord

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parecord The parecord (“Pulse Audio record”) command is a tool that lets you record anything passing through your system's sound system. You can use it to record streaming music, Internet radio interviews, sound effects, and anything else your computer is playing at any given moment. If you can hear it through your computer speakers, you can record it.

patchage

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Patchage Patchage is a patch bay for sound devices. Broadly speaking, either Patchage or QJackCtl are essential if you are using JACK; they are [two popular, but not the only] front-ends of the jackd process. Strengths [Weaknesses] Intuitive Patchage is a click-and-drag interface that mimics the intuitive act of plugging one device's output cable into another device's input port. It doesn't take an experienced sound engineer to understand that to hear a synth sound, you have to plug the synt…

path

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Understanding and Setting the PATH UNIX uses the term “path” for two related concepts: * The location of a file or directory on a hard drive. These are called File Paths, or more broadly a URI (yes, it is directly related to a URL on the Internet).

pixelstruct

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ffmpeg fonts Pixelstruct Pixelstruct is a tool for building visualized 3D scenes, reconstructed from photographs. In other words, it creates “photo tours” of real world locations based on a series of photographs. It uses the opensource structure-from-motion system

pkg

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Understanding How Applications are Managed Forget [most] everything you knew about software installation from traditional desktops. This increasingly holds true regardless of OS, since other operating systems are moving toward managed installation like Linux has had for a decade, and everyone is moving toward contained installers.

planter

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Planter Planter is a project directory generator. Its sole purpose is to encourage and assist with good file management. Strengths [Weaknesses] Simple Planter is an unglamourous and quick way to create a project folder where you will keep all of your artistic assets being used in a specific project. That's all it does; there is no learning curve or special tricks.

pre

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Pre-Installation The first step in creating Slackermedia is to install Slackware and configure it for your machine. It is strongly advised that a user be familiar with GNU, Linux, BSD, or UNIX before attempting to build a Slackermedia system. However, it is hardly unheard of (and in fact, arguably best) for someone to start their Linux journey with Slackware. This chapter guides you through the install process and highlights potential points of confusion.

projectm

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ProjectM ProjectM is generative art software that uses OpenGL to create random-ish visuals, which can be altered with sound. In other words, it's a music visualiser. Combined with the ProM LV2 plugin, you can easily control ProjectM through JACK. Beware! This is part of Slackermedia's

qjackctl

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QJackCtl QJackCtl is the way that most people experience JACK for the first time, and for some people, it's the only way they experience JACK. Broadly speaking, either Patchage or QJackCtl are essential if you are using JACK; they are [two popular, but not the only] front-ends of the

qtractor

2021-06-03T19:48:47+00:00

Qtractor Qtractor is a professional-grade, meat-and-potatoes digital audio workstation: it features all the must-have features that you would expect from a pro DAW, excellent MIDI sequencing framework, and is actively developed in a sensible and stable fashion. It is written by the developer of

quickstart

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Quickstart You should read the handbook. But if you just need a refresher, or you're very confident in your abilities to build your own digital studio, here is the quickstart guide! * Install Slackware. * Download the Slackermedia queue file and let it install all the basic multimedia applications and libraries.

quotes

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Quotes Labrie outlined some of the infrastructure upgrades that Weta was undertaking to accommodate the next film as well as some of the lessons learned from The Fellowship of the Ring. “We’re making pretty significant steps into Linux-based workstations. They now appear to be becoming stable enough to be a viable alternative in both the 2D and 3D space. The problem with Linux is that it’s an open source system, so if you are …

render

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Render Farming Rendering in Blender can take a long time, depending on resolution and complexity. With the rise in popularity of homebrewed and small studio 3d art, there are countless Internet-based render services available, and depending on your requirements, that might make sense for you. As always, it makes sense to support services that support open source, and one of the best supporters of open source rendering is

rescue

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System Rescue One of the many reasons for using Linux is to protect yourself against loss of data and system data. Obviously nothing can insure you 100% against either of these, but on Linux there is the advantage of having control over the system to the point that if it is possible to recover a downed system, you are able to recover at least your data.

rosegarden

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Rosegarden Rosegarden is a sequencer of everything audio-related. Rosegarden makes it easy for you to compose music using audio tracks, soft synths, MIDI, effects, and more. Strengths [Weaknesses] Full-Featured Rosegarden knows exactly what it wants to be, and is focused and excellent at being a sequencer/DAW. It has no more and no fewer features than needed to be exactly that.

sampler

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Linux Sampler The Linux Sampler is a stand-alone sampler as well as a DSSI, LV2, and Linux-native VST plugin. It uses the popular GigaStudio sample format, traditionally used in many of the de facto soft sampler applications. It is in the process of integrating the

samplv1

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Samplv1 Samplv1 is a stand-alone and LV2 sample trigger. It can take any sound and manipulate it in ways you probably never thought possible. Strengths [Weaknesses] Flexible Samplv1 isn't just a sample trigger, it's a synthesizer that uses samples as its basis. Take any sample you have and load it into Samplv1 to manipulate every aspect of the sound.

screencapture

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Screen Capture Whether you need to capture what's happening on your screen for a performance, a tutorial, or for live broadcast, there are several ways to record the Linux screen. FFmpeg Ffmpeg is a versatile video engine. You should have installed it when setting up Slackermedia; if not, read the section on how to do a proper Slackermedia

screenplay

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screenplay-tools ---------- screenplay-tools is a powerful set of helper scripts developed by Slackermedia to aid: * The screenwriter in formatting and printing a screenplay written in screenwriter-mode in emacs * The Assistant Director or Producer in getting important scheduling-related

screenwriter

2021-06-03T19:48:48+00:00

Screenwriter One of the most universal and simple solutions for writing screenplays is Screenwriter, a fork of Screenplay-Mode by Vance L. Simpson. Screenwriter is a plugin for the famous GNU Emacs text editor (or in Emacs terminology, it is a [major] “mode”

scribus

2021-06-03T19:48:45+00:00

Scribus Scribus is a page layout and complete publishing solution. Strengths [Weaknesses] Professional Scribus is a serious and professional solution for publications. It is the publishing tool for newstand magazine Linux Voice, online magazine GIMP Magazine, several independent CD booklets, published advertisements, and more. It delivers in both theory and practise.

seq24

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Seq24 Seq24 is a loop-based MIDI sequencer. The Alesis MMT-8 or the Akai MPC series sequencers drove digital synths for years and produced amazing works, and in many ways Seq24 is the software version of those. It allows the user to create self-contained MIDI patterns, which can be triggered together or alone to produce a complete song.

sidebar

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Handbook * Introduction * Quickstart * Pre-Install * Installation * User Setup * Linux Audio * Audio Troubleshooting * Package Management * SlackBuilds * Dependencies * Colourspace * JACK * Studio Sound Tweaks * Ffmpeg * Low Latency Kernel * DVD Playback * Workflow * Applications & Quickstarts * Abcde * Aj-snapshot * Ardour * Audacity * Audio Effects & Filters * Blender * Bombono * Calf * Darktable * DigiKam * Docbook * Evol…

slackbuilds

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SlackBuilds One of the hallmarks of Slackware is its SlackBuild system, a powerful yet easy-to-understand (and, incidentally, easy-to-learn, if you are interested) method of scripting how an application is built. The SlackBuild system enables the user to script exactly how applications are compiled so that the same SlackBuild can be used on a variety of computers (useful in a production studio with multiple installs). SlackBuilds result in

slackers

2021-06-03T19:48:47+00:00

Slacker Sites The Slackware ecosystem is not a centralised entity like those you might be used to with other operating systems. Its life is far more akin to the early frontier days of the Internet than modern homogenised corporate franchises. That can be a little confusing at first, and a little lonely, since most of the really loud noise on the Internet and in computer stores and magazines point to stuff that doesn't apply to you as a Slackware Linux user.

snowmix

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Snowmix

sooper

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Sooper Looper SooperLooper is a live looping sampler capable of immediate loop recording, overdubbing, multiplying, reversing and more. It allows for multiple simultaneous multi-channel loops limited only by your computer's available memory. Strengths [Weaknesses]

sound

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Studio Sound Tweaks TL;DR For full sound integration of JACK and non-JACK applications, you need to perform one of three configuration mods: either use an , use , or be lazy and just during the time you have JACK running. Also, there's a bug in Firefox.

soundfonts

2021-06-03T19:48:47+00:00

Soundfonts Strengths [Weaknesses] Small Gigasample collections are extremely high quality samples, intentionally sparing nothing to save on file size. Soundfonts, generally speaking, are small in size, using compressed formats for storage and using a few shorcuts to save on space.

sox

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SoX SoX is an audio converter and mixer. It's a handy command for quick conversion tasks, and possibly for scripted audio editing. SoX reads and rewrites audio data. Whether it stores the rewritten audio data is up to you. There are use cases in which you don't need to store the converted data, for instance when you're sending the output directly to your speakers for playback, or directly to another command through a UNIX pipe.

sphinx

2021-06-03T19:48:47+00:00

Sphinx Sphinx is a Python-based typesetting and layout tool for authors. Specifically, it is a ReST (Re-Structured Text) markdown schema intended to produce both print and electronic copies of text. It is widely used in technical documentation (it's the basis for the popular

start

2021-06-03T19:48:48+00:00

Slackermedia Handbook Slackermedia is documentation providing the information you need to create a full multimedia studio running on Slackware Linux. Its philosophy is to use only the best and most stable multimedia content creation tools that Linux has to offer. This not a beta testing exercise or a development platform; unproven technology need not apply. This is building a studio so you can forget about the tools and get down to creating cool stuff.

styleguide

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mono * application names * commands * filename ** bold ** * gui elements: labels, tabs, buttons, window_titles caps * LILO - by example

synfig

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Synfig Synfig Studio is a vector-based 2d animation programme. It is used in production by the Morevna studio and many others. Strengths [Weaknesses] Versatile Synfig animates; it can animate in a cut-out style, it can do motion graphics, titling, and even basic rotoscoping.

synths

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Soft Synths Software synthesizers (“soft synths”) revolutionised electronic music making, allowing artists to stop depending upon heavy and very expensive gear but still make amazing sounds. The open source soft synths, for their creativity and variety, and no- or low- cost, will revolutionise