(old)Puppy Linux Discussion Forum

precord 8.03 works in macpup (based on lucid 5.2., Not with Slacko 5.3.3.

what should be the reason ?

Nevertheless, i thing that a recording tool must be present on any computer.

I have definitively trashed Slacko 5.3.3. Previous versions were safer.

Pelo, could you check the post here:

http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewto ... 486#650486

That post was really about problems with flash, nevertheless your problem in Slacko may also be something to do with the wrong sound module or modules being detected and loaded by Slacko. I'm just curious if you could try these commands from that link post whilst in Slacko and then try Precord there again. Easiest way to set up Precord, after trying the commands from that link, is to press the Mixer button in Precord big GUI and make sure you have the Capture control turned high in Retrovol and have your Mic selected and Mic boost selected and also select and turn up PCM and the Master volume. All going well, the alsa VU rxvt display will verify that your Mic is working (or not). Glad to hear things are fine in your Lucid (Macpup) installation at least though.

On my old machine at home, Wary actually gave the least problems with alsa sound, but Slacko worked well for me after running the commands given in the above link. I imagine it all depends on your machine's hardware and most people probably have alsa sound detected correctly by Slacko and working without issue.

I actually used Slacko-5.3.3 for most of the development work in the most recent Precord release, and I'm using Slacko at the moment and Precord is working fine on my machine. I also have Lucid 5.2.8 and Wary 5.3 on this same machine, and I use them all pretty much equally and also for testing Precord.

EDIT: I forgot to suggest you first try simply re-initialising alsa on your Slacko system by running the command alsaconf from a console. Precord is, I'm sure you understand, just a frontend for controlling primarily the alsa sound processes arecord and aplay as well as ffmpeg. Precord won't work if your soundcard isn't being detected correctly such that the underlying alsa system is working. And the mixer controls also have to be set up correctly before recording.

Slacko-5.3.3 does come with the program mhWaveEdit (under submenu Multimedia) which can Record audio (click on its Play menu to find Record...). That has a nice active VU meter which may help you verify if your underlying sound system is functioning.

Precord Version 8.0.4 released. Download from first post in this thread.

Tested on Slacko-5.3.3, Lupu-5.2.8 and Wary 5.3 (I'm currently downloading Precise to try it there too - should be fine...)

No further features planned for the moment. Just bug fixing this one. Been significant changes with this "final" so all testing and bug reports appreciated. No bugs known as yet... NOTE WELL:

Definitely remove all traces of previous precord versions before installing this. Once you remove previous installation using petget package manager you must also delete the hidden config file /root/.precord or the new precord won't start. This version has new variables which aren't in the previous config file. If ever precord fails to start just delete that config directory and the new config directory will auto rebuild next time you run precord after which all should be fine...

Version 8.0.5 released: More logical drag and drop facility:
File entry takes precedence over Directory entry on filepath decision. Tidied up some of the code. NOTE WELL:

Definitely remove all traces of previous precord versions before installing this. Once you remove previous installation using petget package manager you must also delete the hidden config file /root/.precord or the new precord won't start. This version has new variables which aren't in the previous config file. If ever precord fails to start just delete that config directory and the new config directory will auto rebuild next time you run precord after which all should be fine...

Racy 5.3 comes with Precord preinstalled, so removing it before installing a newer version isn't really an option. Apparently the newer version installed over the older one without any problem. I played around with it a bit last night. Good job!

mcewanw wrote:...Version 8.0.2 released.
# Changes: Now Internationalised.
Please test, and upload translations to this thread....

tested in puppy precise 5.3.93
fixed helpsetup using version 8.0.5-->8.0.6

Attached /usr/bin/precord-8.0.6 and
german translation which is far away from being perfect

@L18L: thanks for that. I hadn't tested that the gettexts all worked. I had already almost completed version 8.0.6 (for other reasons) so I modified the helptext so that it can now be internationalised too.

The main problem actually was that I had failed to escape a few single quotes, which was mucking up gettext operation. I have therefore modified the help text slightly to fix that. I also split the printf statements into smaller parts of around ten lines each as an aid to the translators. Hope your earlier translation is easy to modify for the new precord version.

Version 8.0.6: Rearranged the small GUI such that the rec/play buttons come first. That way the small GUI can be dragged part way off the right hand side of the screen and still be operatable.
Fixed helpsetup for internationalisation (thanks L18L for the pointer).

To take up the least real estate possible, when in small GUI mode you can now drag precord off the right hand screen edge so only rec, pause and stop buttons are visible. Only occupies around 100pixels wide that way. I often right click its menu bar and put precord as Layer Top, when browsing or using it to record skype conversations. Hence my wish to minimise the screen realestate needed for operation. For example, note that Precord is simply the three buttons at the very top right of the screen capture at the foot of this post:

NOTE WELL:

To be sure the new version will start, prior to installation you should definitely delete any pre-existing hidden config file /root/.precord (glad it ran okay for you anyway Flash). This version has new variables which aren't in the config file of some earlier versions. If ever precord fails to start just delete that config directory and the new config directory will auto rebuild next time you run precord after which all should be fine...

mcewanw wrote:... I also split the printf statements into smaller parts of around ten lines each as an aid to the translators. ...

try to delete each "printf " after the first one
and the help is displayed in its entire length

L18L wrote:

mcewanw wrote:... I also split the printf statements into smaller parts of around ten lines each as an aid to the translators. ...

try to delete each "printf " after the first one
and the help is displayed in its entire length :wink:

Yes. I know that! :-)

I split it in purpose per the offiicial guidelines of gnu.org gettext documentation/manual, section 4.3 Preparing Translatable Strings

Please refer to: http://www.gnu.org/software/gettext/man ... ranslators

gnu.org wrote: Translatable strings should be limited to one paragraph; don't let a single message be longer than ten lines. The reason is that when the translatable string changes, the translator is faced with the task of updating the entire translated string. Maybe only a single word will have changed in the English string, but the translator doesn't see that (with the current translation tools), therefore she has to proofread the entire message.

Many GNU programs have a ‘--help’ output that extends over several screen pages. It is a courtesy towards the translators to split such a message into several ones of five to ten lines each.

EDIT: @L18L: Please note that version 8.0.7 is released. It includes a change to STOP RECORD button functionality so also includes one small change to a gettext string also (the STOP RECORD label).

Download at first post.

# Changes:
Version 8.0.7: Record stop button opens mixer/vu if not recording.
Useful in small GUI (which has no mixer button per se) since adjusting mixer so crucial to good recordings.
Version 8.0.6: Rearranged the small GUI such that the rec/play buttons come first. That way the small GUI can be dragged part way off the right hand side of the screen and still be operatable.
Fixed helpsetup for internationalisation.

NOTE WELL:

To be sure the newest version will start, prior to installation you should definitely delete any pre-existing hidden config file /root/.precord (glad it ran okay for you anyway Flash). This version has new variables which aren't in the config file of some earlier versions. If ever precord fails to start just delete that config directory and the new config directory will auto rebuild next time you run precord after which all should be fine...

mcewanw wrote:...
EDIT: @L18L: Please note that version 8.0.7 is released. It includes a change to STOP RECORD button functionality so also includes one small change to a gettext string also (the STOP RECORD label).

Every change is handled by momanager, no problem.

May be this code snippet can explain better howto display the entire precord setup help, and fix it

L18L wrote:

mcewanw wrote:...
May be this code snippet can explain better howto display the entire precord setup help, and fix it :wink:

Code: Select all

sed -i 's#"printf "##' /usr/bin/precord

Hahaha touché

But what do you expect when I am coding whilst in full care of a screaming 8 month baby boy... I admit, I didn't look at the help to check it, bad me, just quickly looked at the pot. I'll release 8.0.8 tomorrow then... sigh. It's one in the morning here - long past my bedtime.

mcewanw wrote: touché.

Sorry
Here to help

# Changes:
Version 8.0.8: Version 8.0.8: Fixed pause date-stamped record. Fixed help text.

Version 8.0.7: Record stop button opens mixer/vu if not recording.
Useful in small GUI (which has no mixer button per se) since adjusting mixer so crucial to good recordings.
Version 8.0.6: Rearranged the small GUI such that the rec/play buttons come first. That way the small GUI can be dragged part way off the right hand side of the screen and still be operatable.
Fixed helpsetup for internationalisation.

NOTE WELL:

To be sure the newest version will start, prior to installation you should definitely delete any pre-existing hidden config file /root/.precord (glad it ran okay for you anyway Flash). This version has new variables which aren't in the config file of some earlier versions. If ever precord fails to start just delete that config directory and the new config directory will auto rebuild next time you run precord after which all should be fine...

Version 8.0.5: More logical drag and drop facility:
File entry takes precedence over Directory entry on filepath decision. Tidied up some of the code.

# Changes:
Version 8.0.9: Uses ffmpeg for ogg recording if oggenc is not available. For example, oggenc (from vorbis-tools) is not provided in Slacko-5.3.3 by default so Precord could not record ogg audio format by default there until now. Wary-5.3 includes oggenc by default anyway. I tested in Wary by temporarily renaming the oggenc binary so that Precord automatically then used ffmpeg instead to encode ogg.

This version needs some testing to see if all is well and to compare ffmpeg against oggenc as the ogg encoder.

Also removed vorbis-tools from dependencies list.
-----
Some known issues with the underlying ogg encoders:

Ogg quality mode (ogg_q) should provide output file bitrates from approximately 45kbps (q=N1) up to 500kbps (q=10) with stereo mode selected. However, oggenc in Wary-5.3 does not interpret q=N1 correctly and produces bit rate 128kbps instead of 45kbps.

Ogg managed bitrate mode (ogg_mm) correctly provides up to 320kbps (when in stereo mode) using either oggenc or ffmpeg in Wary-5.3. However, the ffmpeg provided in slacko-5.3.3 could not handle 256kbps or 320kbps.

The lowest bit rate the encoders provide in ogg_mm mode should be 45kbps, but the lowest oggenc in Wary-5.3 can go is 64kbps. Precord has therefore been coded such that 64kbps is the lowest bit rate requested from oggenc in this mode and 45kbps the lowest if ffmpeg is the underlying ogg encoder instead.

# Changes:
Version 8.1.0: Fixed bug that Duration setting wasn't working if recording ogg under ffmpeg (was okay with oggenc). Tidied some code.
Version 8.0.9: Uses ffmpeg for ogg recording if oggenc is not available. For example, oggenc (from vorbis-tools) is not provided in Slacko-5.3.3 by default so Precord could not record ogg audio format by default there until now. This version needs some testing to see if all is well and to compare ffmpeg against oggenc as the ogg encoder. Also removed vorbis-tools from dependencies list. Some known issues with ogg recording, caused by the underlying encoders, are outlined here: http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewto ... 037#655037

You can find more about ogg vorbis here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vorbis

Precord mp3, wav, ogg, aac, and flac audio recorder and player with pause controls and auto config saving

# Changes:

# Version 8.1.1: Running from commandline now working.
# includes AAC audio (bit rate and quality modes) and flac lossless
# Fixed scheduling record via Pscheduler.

changes in above post.

To the one person who downloaded this when I first uploaded it, sorry, but I noticed a small error, fixed it, and reloaded it again quickly inbetween times...

Precord mp3, wav, ogg, acc(faac), and flac recorder and player with pause controls and auto config saving

Tested as fully working on Slacko-5.3.3. Also tested on Puppy Precise version 5.3.95.1 as working well for all codecs provided by the ffmpeg supplied there (but libfaac is not provided in Precise).

[Also tested on Slacko 5.4 beta, but Slacko beta's arecord VU display is not displaying correctly].

NOTE: aac audio could be recorded in Puppy Precise if I changed the aac encoder line to -acodec aac -strict experimental. However, that inbuilt ffmpeg encoder doesn't respond to audio quality parameters, as determined in tests, and also documented on the web. I am therefore sticking with ffmpeg enabled libfaac as a requirement for aac recording.

# Changes:

# Version 8.1.2: Running from commandline now working.
# includes AAC audio (bit rate and quality modes) and flac lossless
# Fixed scheduling record via Pscheduler.

NOTE WELL:

To be sure the newest version will start, prior to installation you should definitely delete any pre-existing hidden config file /root/.precord. This version has new variables which aren't in the config file of some earlier versions. If ever precord fails to start just delete that config directory and the new config directory will auto rebuild next time you run precord after which all should be fine...