(Solved) Problem with QLC 4.12.0 and projects created with previous versions

[andres robles]

Hi,
Qlc + 4.12.0_amd64 qt5?
ubuntustudio 18.04
intel atom n2840 4G ram (2 cores 2,60ghz + gpu intel) SSD

Case of use:
4.12 in my first simple tests worked perfectly, add a fixture, connect usb-dmx enttecc mk2 pro clone (512 in 512 out) and everything worked perfectly, even with the improvement that my clone usb-dmx finally works with software. ... what happiness....

Today install it 4.12 on the "tour of bars" PC and try to load the projects that I usually use with music groups, theater at local level .. I say try because projects that in 4.11.2 and earlier are loaded in 1-2s now it takes a lot longer, do not congest it but more than 1 minute, when it seems that loaded, any change play / stop, move a slider in cv, or switch between tabs, 4.12. seems to freeze and responds after a few minutes .... reinstall 4.11.2 and everything works great with very fast charges and practically "realtime" .....

I do not know if this hardware was not enough .... (in theory should better use the 2 cores), This same Hardware has worked perfectly with QLC + moving a few lights while simultaneously desktops launches simple videomapping with MapMap (3-4 small textures simultaneously with videos optimized for those sizes and without compression without any kind of problem or delays or excessive temperatures ... (only with linux))

I do not know if I install the correct version for ubuntustudio 18.04 and there is the problem ...

I do not know if projects created with 4.11 or earlier are no longer compatible ... (yes, 4.10.5b back no)

I do not know if the fixtures created with previous versions can be the problem .....

I just know that "for this hardware and these projects" I had to return to 4.11.2 that everything works as expected and very fast, it hurts that my enttec clone is useless again and I have to continue using art-net ... (in some places a usb / dmx simplifies things a lot) ....

If it is necessary to contribute some document (projects, custom fixtures or console log) to find any possible error, tell me and share ...

PD: I hope you understand something of what I say, (in Spanish it is clear what I write) if not, I will blame google translator as usual .....

[mcallegari]

Is it possible to see this evil project ?

[andres robles]

Yes, it happens with several projects

[mcallegari]

Just quickly tested with QLC+ 5. Loads immediately as expected.
I also have a MIDI input and USB DMX output connected and they don't make a difference on startup.

You need to find the cause excluding piece by piece.
I'd start with the inputs/outputs and then audio if used. External resources, etc.
Other question: does Ubuntu studio use a real time kernel ? Cause one big change of 4.12.0 is multithread, which makes usage of semaphores. If that mechanism doesn't work perfectly, you definitely might end up in weird results like the one you're seeing.

[andres robles]

Yes, ubuntustudio uses kernel rt and I have it configured to be able to use audio plugins in Midas M32 and record multitrack with ardour 5 ... So it is a very aggressive RT to reduce the latency in the audio ....
In any case I always use O.S with kernel rt (avlinux, kxstudio ubuntustudio ....) and it always worked great even with the "just feeling" sensation that external controllers like akay apcmini work more instantly ....

With 4.11.2 and earlier the load difference between "connected devices and external controller" to "nothing connected only load project" is marginal, loads and works practically the same,

In 4.12 starting a project from 0 everything seems to work correctly and fast, I do not know from which moment I would start to fail .....

Only loading projects from previous versions becomes slow until the point of being unusable ....

I will install again 4.12 and test from the console to see if it throws an error message or clarifies what is happening ... I will also investigate if I can somehow make the RT kernel also prioritize QLC processes ....

If I find the answer to this "error" I will communicate it ....

It happens with different projects no matter the size ..... If finally I have to build the project from scratch in 4.12 to make it work I have no problem, they are small projects mostly .....
I will also try to build from 0 to see if the error occurs in a particular change

[andres robles]

Also try this same project on QLC5 alpha2
(I had this old appimage) in an intel i5 7600 nvidia gtx1050ti and kxstudio 14.04 QT4? kernel RT ....
Load the project immediately and behave super fast ......

[andres robles]

New Test
i5 (4 core) kxstudio 14.04 (kde plasma and kernel rt) and QLC 4.12.0 QT4 amd64.SSD, gtx1050ti. Nvidia driver

Works perfectly, loads very fast projects of other versions without difference between connected devices or complex or simple projects.
Everything works very fast and it seems to be totally stable

Even with open qjack blocking memory for it and ardor with complex multitrack projects with fx and Jamin inserted for mastering (all this uses all available hardware resources for the sound to work in real time) simultaneously launches mapmap with complex projects and QLC 4.12 with old projects immediately and very quickly ....

The hardware is fast enough to perform all those processes.
Then the problem that occurs with the ATOM ubuntustudio portable 18.04 QT5
I do not know if it's because of:

qt5?

Hardware?

ubuntu 18.04?

XFCE?

All the above together, whatever it is I will try to discover it .. (maybe that same hardware with a linux 14.04 RT QLC 4.12.0 qt4 works perfectly, as with the i5 .. (well, not the same))

The worst that can happen is that this ATOM is left with the version 4.11.2 that works great, only that the clone of enttec rx / tx will remain in its box for a while longer.
I'll try to make 4.12 work in this Intel Atom.

Thank you for the clarifications, the quick attention, and the effort in trying to understand the problem. QLC + is a wonderful software in any version.
Thank you

[andres robles]

And finally I got it ....
try everything, kernel rt, normal kernel, with connected devices, without them, with the pc in the sun, in the shadow ...... QLC 4.12 in any condition was unbearably slow with projects already created with previous versions .... .

Looking for information, I read somewhere that ubuntu brings qt 5.9 ..... but I do not know which libraries are not updated, or do not work, or do not know what happens ....
So download the .deb from OBS for xubuntu 18.04 qt4, the installer told me that all the dependencies are satisfied (like the qt5 version that works badly on this pc) was installed without problems, and works great, starts fast and loads projects as usual, it does not matter the kernel, the peripherals connected ... It only seems that ubuntustudio 18.04 needs to update some qt5 library to work properly ....
With qt4 versions it seems to work correctly and fast ....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhNBC2m ... e=youtu.be

[mcallegari]

Hey Andres, I forgot to tell you that plugins of 4.11.2 and 4.12.0 should be binary compatible on Windows.
So you may try 4.11.2 + DMX USB plugin taken from 4.12.0. It should work

[andres robles]

Hey Andres, I forgot to tell you that plugins of 4.11.2 and 4.12.0 should be binary compatible on Windows.
So you may try 4.11.2 + DMX USB plugin taken from 4.12.0. It should work

This is really interesting, at the moment 4.12 qt4 seems to work correctly in 18.04 ....

Anyway it's great news, I will not only test the USB / DMX plug-in with 4.11.2,
I have QLC + installations for some years in 32 bit systems (4.10.5b). Working in a disco ....

Thank you very much for the information Massimo.