I am retiring this thread, and I highly encourage someone to package this software for use in Ubuntu. As I am finished with this thread, also finished should be this software, and I hope in the coming weeks there will be a package for 3.0.2 in the case people prefer this software Debianized.
In later versions of Ubuntu,
aptfunctions in place ofapt-getwhere applicable.
Introduction
The version of PulseAudio EQ which Ubuntu has by default sucks. I mean, it sucks, good and proper. There are several disadvantages I've found with it compared to the older EQ users had been installing via PPA before the "Official" PA EQ came into the fold;
- It does not work immediately after installation
- To prevent from needing to invoke modules manually,
default.paneeds to be modified - When removed after making it become invoked automatically, it breaks PA until previous changes are reverted
- When functional, it cannot cope with multiple audio sources (at least for me)
-
qpaeqdoes not come with presets (why the hell not?!) - The end-user needs to select it after invocation every. Single. Time.
That's some pretty strong bat crap going on there, and makes using Ubuntu more of a pain than it has to be. So let's get the one which works instead.
Why even get it?
An equalizer is intended to make your aural experience better by providing more options for listening environments, device, genre or general sound curve preferences. A lot of users coming from Windows might be familiar with an equalizer in VLC Media Player or WinAmp, which is where a lot of the presets bundled with the older PA EQ are inspired from. Using a software EQ means you trade off the use of a hardware EQ for CPU cycles, but since most people who use Windows are already familiar with some form of software audio enhancement, that shouldn't be such a big deal except for users of the most anemic of CPUs.
How to install
Getting it
At present, users of Bionic and less, up to Xenial can follow these directions without additional steps to follow. If you're on Xenial, then the webupd8 PPA provided below will just work and you won't need to specify version. Past Xenial, version is required. If using anything later you will need to follow some additional steps. Regardless, the below will work for everyone.
If you're using an older version of Ubuntu, that's fine; this PPA supports down to Precise, and the package exists for Ubuntu versions down to Trusty (technically Oneiric but who uses that anymore?)
Special information for Groovy Gorilla
Instead of reading the below and downloading everything, I've compiled all of the dependencies this software relies upon. You can download that archive from here. Once obtained, extract to a separate directory and perform the following after
cd'ing to it.
In
x-terminal-emulator:sudo apt install ./*.debThis is everything you need, so you can skip directly to Adding the repository and getting that out of the way. Until someone bulds the later versions of this, it's all you've got.
Somebody please put this software out of its misery!
Even more packages, this time five of them. Later on I'll modify my care package to include the seven you need for this to work, but it's just getting more and more broken with every passing Ubuntu release. Nonetheless, since there is no Debian package for the later release available from the Arch User Repository in Arch Linux land Ubuntu users must settle for more of this. Hooray.
- Ubuntu – Details of package libffi7 in focal
- Ubuntu – Details of package python-cairo in focal
- Ubuntu – Details of package python-gi in focal
- Ubuntu – Details of package python-gobject in focal
- Ubuntu – Details of package python-gobject-2 in focal
Download those five, plus the two below, and the collation of packages for Eoan. Once all of that mess is installed — twenty-five in all — the equalizer will install correctly.
At this time, webupd8's repository for Focal Fossa can be used for equalizer source. The content below the boxes and boxes of hotfixes for older Ubuntu builds is updated to reflect this.
More layers of dependency
20.04 LTS requires the installation of two more packages before installing the rest of the stuff for Eoan. From the Ubuntu Package Archive:
- Ubuntu – Details of package python-gtk2 in bionic
- Ubuntu – Details of package python-glade2 in bionic
Why packages for Xenial? Canonical decided to drop package support for Eoan. Due to this, an alternative had to be sought, and these exist in the Ubuntu Package Archive.
Once those are installed, the rest of the installation should go smoothly. Else, you can extract the Eoan care package provided below first, then put these two packages in along with it and follow instructions provided for Eoan to install them all at once —
aptwill figure out the rest.
Canonical decided to break everything, so instead of telling you lot to edit URLs or fixing up this box with URLs which work, just grab the care package linked above and use that.
Welcome to dependency hell; enjoy your stay!
All aboard the pain train! Anyone starting with a fresh copy of 19.10 have to install a ton of packages as dependencies forpython-gnome2andpython-pyorbit. Before installing them, you have to install these:
python-pyorbit
- Common depends
- Depends
python-gnome2
- Pre-depends
- Common depends
- Depends
Get all of that, and install it. Start with pre-depend
multiarch-support, then do all of the common depends, then do all of the depends. Afterward, you can follow the advice provided below this box, which will let you install the final dependencies legacy PA EQ needs.
Dependency installation
You will need to download the following packages as these might had been removed during the upgrade process to Disco Dingo or are simply non-existent on your fresh installation:Download the version compliant for your system architecture and from your preferred source, and use
gdebi-gtkto install. You can also usedpkgorapt-getin command line, justcdto the path where you saved them, then you'll need to execute the following:
x-terminal-emulator:sudo apt-get install python-pyorbit_2.24.0-7.2_*.deb sudo apt-get install python-gconf_2.28.1+dfsg-1.2_*.deb sudo apt-get install python-gnome2_2.28.1+dfsg-1.2_*.deb
For
dpkg, it would bedpkg -iinstead ofapt-get install.
To do the
apt-getcommand for installing them all at once with regex magic:
x-terminal-emulator:sudo apt-get install python-*_*.debIf you used
dpkg, The instance ofapt-getis necessary to complete installation as usingdpkgwill produce errors whichapt-getcan resolve. As follows:
x-terminal-emulator:sudo apt-get install -fWhen finished, you can carry on.
Adding the repository
Perform the following;
x-terminal-emulator:sudo add-apt-repository -n ppa:nilarimogard/webupd8
-nis required to not update automatically.
Currently this software from the webupd8 repository is available for Focal Fossa. If reading this in the future, you may have to edit the repository list to include software for Focal Fossa. To do so:
sudo nano /etc/apt/sources.list.d/nilarimogard-ubuntu-webupd8-eoan.listThen replace every instance of whatever
$LSB_RELEASEis withfocaland save pressing O while holding Ctrl. Afterward, you can update repository information as described below.
To install the equalizer, after following the above instructions, perform the following:
x-terminal-emulator:sudo apt update sudo apt-get install pulseaudio-equalizer=2.7.0.2-5~webupd8~xenial0
Installation issues on Xenial
If the above fails and you're not up to Xenial (why wouldn't you be?), try using the package name shown without version specified:
x-terminal-emulator:sudo apt-get install pulseaudio-equalizer
Keeping it working
Since a "later version" using FFT exists, apt-get will want to stand firmly in your way about keeping it. There is only one command you need to perform for fixing this. (If I am wrong, I will later append onto this with new information):
x-terminal-emulator:sudo apt-mark hold pulseaudio-equalizer
With that done, you can move onto configuring and purposing it.
Using it
Open pulseaudio-equalizer-gtk and choose to enable the equalizer, pick a preset, then choose to keep and apply changes.
Issues
Problems at boot
In some scenarios, Pulseaudio might not work at all with this enabled. While there isn't a fix I can figure, a workaround would be to append this into your autostart, or if you don't reboot often to perform manually:
x-terminal-emulator:# Remove ANY instance of PulseAudio configuration files rm -rf ~/*pulse* ~/.config/*pulse* # Kill and reload PA pulseaudio -q pulseaudio & # ! You may not have to, but if you Hold [Ctrl] and press C to break operation # it should restore access to terminal, should you be locked out after invocation.
When finished, open pulseaudio-equalizer-gtk and re-apply specified changes, and reconfigure your audio devices to previous specifications.
Removal
If you find after many hours of tweaking the above isn't worth it, removal is pretty easy;
x-terminal-emulator:sudo apt-mark unhold pulseaudio-equalizer sudo apt-get remove --purge pulseaudio-equalizer
And to be done with the webupd8 PPA altogether if you have no other use for it and had not upgraded any packages using it;
x-terminal-emulator:sudo rm -rf /etc/apt/sources.list.d/nilarimogard* sudo apt-get update
Caveats
- As always, holding back updates and locking down packages can lead to security risks and the distinct possibility of dependency hell.
- As mentioned previously this will use some of your processor so if your CPU is weaksauce you may want to caution using enhancements like this.
- You are using this information as-is without express warranty. If you goof and gaffe, it isn't my fault (stupid).
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