ComposersDesktop
Dead Link to linux build guide
All reference to Linux builds is either obscure or missing, No help whatsoever. What exists is unintelligible requiring an advanced knowledge of linux. Has anybody actually managed and published a compiled (Ubuntu) version of this. Wine or any of the other 'methods' do not work or are too complex for the average user. This will rise up and bite us in the ass when the great Windows apocalypse happens next year. Please do something about this don't just ignore it, Thanks
ix=/usr/local make loading cache ./config.cache checking for a BSD compatible install... /usr/bin/install -c checking whether build environment is sane... yes checking whether make sets ${MAKE}... yes checking for working aclocal-1.4... missing checking for working autoconf... found checking for working automake-1.4... missing checking for working autoheader... found checking for working makeinfo... missing checking for gcc... gcc checking whether the C compiler (gcc ) works... no configure: error: installation or configuration problem: C compiler cannot create executables. This is what I get. I'm surprised it even attempts to run being nearly twenty years old!
Any ideas? Thanks
CMake Error at CMakeLists.txt:2 (cmake_minimum_required): Compatibility with CMake < 3.5 has been removed from CMake.
Update the VERSION argument
Or, add -DCMAKE_POLICY_VERSION_MINIMUM=3.5 to try configuring anyway.
Configuring incomplete, errors occurred!
What version of GCC was this intended to compile on? Is there not a more modern version of the source code available? I want to make music, not recompile my kernel. Thanks for such an interesting app but I have abandoned Windows and all the expensive alternatives to find complete indifference to linux and linux users problems. Anyway I shall struggle on regards, rewardless and relentless
Convinced that the linux source code for libaaio is a dud. It throws up errors no matter what I try. Any chance of a new file for this. Thanks
What build does this relate to?
Libaaio has been built and used for a handful of CDP programs for decades, on both Linux and Mac OS X; nothing has changed.
It is important to build and install it first, i.e.before running Cmake. The install step ensures such things as the header file gets copied to the expected place (i.e. in /usr/local/include) , so that the “find_library” command in the CMakeLists files can pick it up. In some cases that step does fail (as CMake will report after running on the top-level CMakeList.txt), and I have had to modify the makefile by hand to add it. I don’t recall having to do that on Linux however,
If make is putting up an error running the compiler, that suggests that for whatever reason, the C and C++ compilers are not fully installed. This is certanly anomalous for Linux, as the system depends on gcc for so many aspects. it would be worth checking that the directories involved have the expected read/write permissions.
Given it is a third-party utility, I have hitherto been reluctant to, so to speak, absorb it into the main build by creating a CMakeLists.txt for it. I have noticed that one of the forks of CDP8 has done just that, so maybe it is time?
I agree that for new users Linux can seem impenetrable. After so many years I am myself still far from being an expert. But we can’t provide a complete tutorial on how building software in linux works. There are already books and online resources for all that. But the .configure;make;make install sequence is something all Linux users have to get used to, despite the increasing use of build tools such as CMake.
RD
On 23 Aug 2025, at 10:37, convinced-prog @.***> wrote:
convinced-prog left a comment (ComposersDesktop/CDP8#16) ix=/usr/local make loading cache ./config.cache checking for a BSD compatible install... /usr/bin/install -c checking whether build environment is sane... yes checking whether make sets ${MAKE}... yes checking for working aclocal-1.4... missing checking for working autoconf... found checking for working automake-1.4... missing checking for working autoheader... found checking for working makeinfo... missing checking for gcc... gcc checking whether the C compiler (gcc ) works... no configure: error: installation or configuration problem: C compiler cannot create executables. This is what I get. I'm surprised it even attempts to run being nearly twenty years old! Any ideas? Thanks — Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub, or unsubscribe. You are receiving this because you are subscribed to this thread.Message ID: @.***>
Yes, the min version fo CMake clearly needs to keep up with developments. Now raised to 3.5.0 in git. Maybe even that is too low now? RD.
On 23 Aug 2025, at 11:07, convinced-prog @.***> wrote:
convinced-prog left a comment (ComposersDesktop/CDP8#16) CMake Error at CMakeLists.txt:2 (cmake_minimum_required): Compatibility with CMake < 3.5 has been removed from CMake. Update the VERSION argument value. Or, use the ... syntax to tell CMake that the project requires at least but has been updated to work with policies introduced by or earlier. Or, add -DCMAKE_POLICY_VERSION_MINIMUM=3.5 to try configuring anyway. Configuring incomplete, errors occurred! What version of GCC was this intended to compile on? Is there not a more modern version of the source code available? I want to make music, not recompile my kernel. Thanks for such an interesting app but I have abandoned Windows and all the expensive alternatives to find complete indifference to linux and linux users problems. Anyway I shall struggle on regards, rewardless and relentless — Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub, or unsubscribe. You are receiving this because you are subscribed to this thread.Message ID: @.***>
I got most of the way through a build on Debian bookworm using the instructions in the repo last night, but yeah, given that you're buliding for Linux, a bash script that works on Ubuntu LTS or Fedora would solve a bunch of users' problem, and getting CDP into the Arch User Repository, if it's not already there, would be even better.
Thanks for your response. I've wasted too much time on this.Every time I run it I get a different error. I've spent hours on blogs etc and I'm none the wiser. something needs a serious update as newer versions of utilities etc seem to make it more complex and the rabbit hole gets deeper. I escaped Windows with it's never ending 'up-dating' and configuration problems. Linux was a breath of fresh air but I don't like all this compiling nonsense. I live in hope?
On Sun, Aug 24, 2025 at 8:32 PM M. Edward (Ed) Borasky < @.***> wrote:
znmeb left a comment (ComposersDesktop/CDP8#16) https://github.com/ComposersDesktop/CDP8/issues/16#issuecomment-3218324320
I got most of the way through a build on Debian bookworm using the instructions in the repo last night, but yeah, given that you're buliding for Linux, a bash script that works on Ubuntu LTS or Fedora would solve a bunch of users' problem, and getting CDP into the Arch User Repository, if it's not already there, would be even better.
— Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub https://github.com/ComposersDesktop/CDP8/issues/16#issuecomment-3218324320, or unsubscribe https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AULPN2OH7OUYLB3PD3HXFNT3PIHMBAVCNFSM6AAAAACEOFKDO2VHI2DSMVQWIX3LMV43OSLTON2WKQ3PNVWWK3TUHMZTEMJYGMZDIMZSGA . You are receiving this because you commented.Message ID: @.***>
Thanks for your response. I've wasted too much time on this.Every time I run it I get a different error. I've spent hours on blogs etc and I'm none the wiser. something needs a serious update as newer versions of utilities etc seem to make it more complex and the rabbit hole gets deeper. I escaped Windows with it's never ending 'up-dating' and configuration problems. Linux was a breath of fresh air but I don't like all this compiling nonsense. I live in hope? …
Which distro are you on? If there are dependencies from Fedora 42, Ubuntu 24.04, Debian 13 or Arch Linux. I could contribute bash scripts to install CDP8. I run just about everything in either Ubuntu 24.04 or Debian containers because nearly all the third party software I use mostly has build instruction for Ubuntu LTS only. But Arch has the most recent comprehensive collection of other audio software. The only gotcha with Arch is that I don't think it's fully supported on the Raspberry Pi.
Hi I am usually more adventurous than most and I am using Ubuntu 25.10. I know it is still a 'development' build but so far it has worked seamlessly and a real gem thus far. Everything I try (so far) is fine. Maybe this has something to do with it. Thanks for your help as I get my teeth into something and I can't let go. Pity this has become an obstacle to my progress,sort of, and I get so frustrated. My main objective is contemporary sound generation, I use modular synthesis and 'alternative' sound generators. When I spotted this program it stopped me in my tracks. The companion interface is working perfectly. Thanks again.
On Mon, Aug 25, 2025 at 6:04 PM M. Edward (Ed) Borasky < @.***> wrote:
znmeb left a comment (ComposersDesktop/CDP8#16) https://github.com/ComposersDesktop/CDP8/issues/16#issuecomment-3221039454
Thanks for your response. I've wasted too much time on this.Every time I run it I get a different error. I've spent hours on blogs etc and I'm none the wiser. something needs a serious update as newer versions of utilities etc seem to make it more complex and the rabbit hole gets deeper. I escaped Windows with it's never ending 'up-dating' and configuration problems. Linux was a breath of fresh air but I don't like all this compiling nonsense. I live in hope? … <#m_5477015673789063052_>
Which distro are you on? If there are dependencies from Fedora 42, Ubuntu 24.04, Debian 13 or Arch Linux. I could contribute bash scripts to install CDP8. I run just about everything in either Ubuntu 24.04 or Debian containers because nearly all the third party software I use mostly has build instruction for Ubuntu LTS only. But Arch has the most recent comprehensive collection of other audio software. The only gotcha with Arch is that I don't think it's fully supported on the Raspberry Pi.
— Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub https://github.com/ComposersDesktop/CDP8/issues/16#issuecomment-3221039454, or unsubscribe https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AULPN2JGP5IYMVG42DHKCWT3PM6ZFAVCNFSM6AAAAACEOFKDO2VHI2DSMVQWIX3LMV43OSLTON2WKQ3PNVWWK3TUHMZTEMRRGAZTSNBVGQ . You are receiving this because you commented.Message ID: @.***>
I did a few tests with 25.10 and the new GCC compiler choked on a bunch of C code that older GCCs don't even whinge about. So a lot of projects are going to need to put in extensive work sooner or later. This is a kind of "tradition" with Canonical; the release before an LTS release goes way out on a bunch of limbs giving the communities six months to catch up.
I run Universal Blue Bluefin - it's Fedora Silverblue with a few extra COPRs, the non-free NVIDIA drivers, and a container-centric workflow. So I can just as easily run an Arch Linux or Fedora Rawhide or Ubuntu "Questing" Distrobox container as I can my standard GNOME desktop. For CDP8 I think I'll start with a "Dockerfile" and build an image.
Interesting. We haven’t had that problem on the Mac (yet), and our latest bulld on Linux went through without such problems. It may be that we need to add some “std=C89” (or whichever it is, writing from memory) here and there. The question is: where. It would be great not to have to modify the sources for all platforms just to appease Linux gcc.
Maybe post just one example of a new choke, so we can get a bit of an idea of it?
RD.
On 26 Aug 2025, at 17:30, M. Edward (Ed) Borasky @.***> wrote:
znmeb left a comment (ComposersDesktop/CDP8#16) I did a few tests with 25.10 and the new GCC compiler choked on a bunch of C code that older GCCs don't even whinge about. So a lot of projects are going to need to put in extensive work sooner or later. This is a kind of "tradition" with Canonical; the release before an LTS release goes way out on a bunch of limbs giving the communities six months to catch up. I run Universal Blue Bluefin - it's Fedora Silverblue with a few extra COPRs, the non-free NVIDIA drivers, and a container-centric workflow. So I can just as easily run an Arch Linux or Fedora Rawhide or Ubuntu "Questing" Distrobox container as I can my standard GNOME desktop. For CDP8 I think I'll start with a "Dockerfile" and build an image. — Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub, or unsubscribe. You are receiving this because you commented.Message ID: @.***>
Hello again Yes I think it's the compiler. Gnome is playing up now and I've installed so many 'solutions' I don't know what distro I'm using. Would trying an older compiler work do you think or would it make things worse. Oh well I will try again and show you the results. Thanks
On Tue, Aug 26, 2025 at 5:53 PM Richard W Dobson @.***> wrote:
richarddobson left a comment (ComposersDesktop/CDP8#16) https://github.com/ComposersDesktop/CDP8/issues/16#issuecomment-3224989421 Interesting. We haven’t had that problem on the Mac (yet), and our latest bulld on Linux went through without such problems. It may be that we need to add some “std=C89” (or whichever it is, writing from memory) here and there. The question is: where. It would be great not to have to modify the sources for all platforms just to appease Linux gcc.
Maybe post just one example of a new choke, so we can get a bit of an idea of it?
RD.
On 26 Aug 2025, at 17:30, M. Edward (Ed) Borasky @.***> wrote:
znmeb left a comment (ComposersDesktop/CDP8#16) I did a few tests with 25.10 and the new GCC compiler choked on a bunch of C code that older GCCs don't even whinge about. So a lot of projects are going to need to put in extensive work sooner or later. This is a kind of "tradition" with Canonical; the release before an LTS release goes way out on a bunch of limbs giving the communities six months to catch up. I run Universal Blue Bluefin - it's Fedora Silverblue with a few extra COPRs, the non-free NVIDIA drivers, and a container-centric workflow. So I can just as easily run an Arch Linux or Fedora Rawhide or Ubuntu "Questing" Distrobox container as I can my standard GNOME desktop. For CDP8 I think I'll start with a "Dockerfile" and build an image. — Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub, or unsubscribe. You are receiving this because you commented.Message ID: @.***>
— Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub https://github.com/ComposersDesktop/CDP8/issues/16#issuecomment-3224989421, or unsubscribe https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AULPN2LRSGHQIXMUX4WGAIL3PSGKBAVCNFSM6AAAAACEOFKDO2VHI2DSMVQWIX3LMV43OSLTON2WKQ3PNVWWK3TUHMZTEMRUHE4DSNBSGE . You are receiving this because you commented.Message ID: @.***>
Not much point in my pretending otherwise: most of what you describe here is new to me, as a very non-expert on all things Linux. I will worry about pulling anything into our own CDP8 repository I don't understand - including any consequences for Mac and PC. I have a vanilla Ubuntu Linux system (dual-booted with Windows 11), and that is pretty much it Linux-wise The main thing for me is that the core code builds on all platforms with, ideally, no platform-dependent code beyond necessary header files. I like the idea of a Linux-specialised fork of CDP; there are some other forks focussed on the Mac, and working out which bits of each to “pull”, if any, is going to take some time. RD.
On 26 Aug 2025, at 17:30, M. Edward (Ed) Borasky @.***> wrote:
znmeb left a comment (ComposersDesktop/CDP8#16) I did a few tests with 25.10 and the new GCC compiler choked on a bunch of C code that older GCCs don't even whinge about. So a lot of projects are going to need to put in extensive work sooner or later. This is a kind of "tradition" with Canonical; the release before an LTS release goes way out on a bunch of limbs giving the communities six months to catch up. I run Universal Blue Bluefin - it's Fedora Silverblue with a few extra COPRs, the non-free NVIDIA drivers, and a container-centric workflow. So I can just as easily run an Arch Linux or Fedora Rawhide or Ubuntu "Questing" Distrobox container as I can my standard GNOME desktop. For CDP8 I think I'll start with a "Dockerfile" and build an image. — Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub, or unsubscribe. You are receiving this because you commented.Message ID: @.***>
Thanks. I've all the time in the world, as long as I can sleep at night or take up gardening or fishing. Will CDP8 compile in another compiler, ie GNUmake? All the best.
Absolutely. It is (by modern standards) vanilla C code ( and a small amount of old-style C++), which literally all standards-compliant compilers should handle. Our own development was initially entirely using bash scripts and individual Makefiles. CMake is simply the modern way to manage it all, in a portable way.
Most of the time, “CC” by default maps to clang, but setting it to “gcc" still, ~ i think~, invokes the older compiler. The library formats etc are different, so a lib built with gcc does not link to a source built with clang.
In some of the program directories git still has some of my old individual Makefiles for different platforms (look for “Makefile.linux”). Crucially, that includes the sfsys and cdp2k libraries. RD.
On 27 Aug 2025, at 09:41, convinced-prog @.***> wrote:
convinced-prog left a comment (ComposersDesktop/CDP8#16) Thanks. I've all the time in the world, as long as I can sleep at night or take up gardening or fishing. Will CDP8 compile in another compiler, ie GNUmake? All the best. — Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub, or unsubscribe. You are receiving this because you commented.Message ID: @.***>
Not much point in my pretending otherwise: most of what you describe here is new to me, as a very non-expert on all things Linux. I will worry about pulling anything into our own CDP8 repository I don't understand - including any consequences for Mac and PC. I have a vanilla Ubuntu Linux system (dual-booted with Windows 11), and that is pretty much it Linux-wise The main thing for me is that the core code builds on all platforms with, ideally, no platform-dependent code beyond necessary header files. I like the idea of a Linux-specialised fork of CDP; there are some other forks focussed on the Mac, and working out which bits of each to “pull”, if any, is going to take some time. RD. …
Yeah, I've been looking at this for a few days and I'm running into things that the usual web searches don't find. I've done a lot of Linux builds from source over the past 20+ years, and my main computers are both Linux.
I think the best approach is a container-based one; that will run on any recent Linux machine that can run Docker, which includes the Raspberry Pi (64-bit OS). That's what I'm working on, but I don't know how much longer it will take. I doubt if I will need to change the source; it should just be a matter of telling cmake how to deal with the source.
Working Dockerfile is now at https://github.com/AlgoCompSynth/CDP8/blob/main/container-image/Dockerfile. I'll translate this to a bash script that runs on Ubuntu 24.04 LTS and add a README tomorrow. I'm going to test this on my Raspberry Pi 5 too, which runs Debian 12 "bookworm".
P.S.: It's possible to automate this all with GitHub Actions and publish a released container image or even .deb and .rpm packages. I'm not planning to do that, however. My workflow is based on building Distrobox containers, which can export binary executables and desktop applications to the Linux host system. It's a bit like a Flatpak or an Appimage, except you can export multiple applications from a single container.
All reference to Linux builds is either obscure or missing, No help whatsoever. What exists is unintelligible requiring an advanced knowledge of linux.
I have an advanced knowledge of linux and I have posted my build guide for GNU/Linux here in case it helps someone.
https://github.com/ComposersDesktop/CDP8/issues/18#issuecomment-3243121212
The Dockerfile that has also been linked here is probably also very helpful for people who have Docker. My script is more like a method that is designed to run outside of Docker and be more adaptable to any GNU/Linux distro in general by just editing the commands slightly to line up with distro variations on an as-needed basis.
All reference to Linux builds is either obscure or missing, No help whatsoever. What exists is unintelligible requiring an advanced knowledge of linux.
I have an advanced knowledge of linux and I have posted my build guide for GNU/Linux here in case it helps someone.
The Dockerfile that has also been linked here is probably also very helpful for people who have Docker. My script is more like a method that is designed to run outside of Docker and be more adaptable to any GNU/Linux distro in general by just editing the commands slightly to line up with distro variations on an as-needed basis.
Yeah, I'm in the process of converting it to plain bash.
This is an exciting project and should be available to all, even dodos like myself. My thanks to all that have responded.