Welcome to QStudio64 - a Linux Mint-based A/V system for creative people!
QStudio64 is an unofficial community release designed for those interested in Linux Mint and multimedia production.
Following previous releases, we’re excited to bring QStudio64 together with the outstanding KXStudio Repositories for professional audio and video productions!
Rather than being a standalone distribution, QStudio64 is more of a modified Linux Mint setup. It integrates the KXStudio Repositories and includes our own improvements to offer Linux Mint users (especially fans of the MATE desktop) a simple, stable way to explore the world of music, video, and graphics art production on GNU/Linux!
QStudio64 relies on open-source software and embraces its philosophy. All software provided is free to use and share!
Attention: The system includes some proprietary codecs and closed-source software, such as the Bitwig Studio.
As a Long-Term Support (LTS) version, QStudio64 will receive updates until 2027!
For more information about the KXStudio Project, visit the official website or review their documentation.
For the latest updates on QStudio64, check out our project blog.
Before you start, please read the official Linux Mint 21.1 Release Notes.
To try QStudio64, burn the ISO file to a DVD or use a USB/SD card with the "usb-image-writer" (found in Accessories/Zubehör) to create a bootable live system from the DVD or USB.
Once booted into the live system, install QStudio64 to your hard disk by clicking the INSTALL-RELEASE button in the Control Center (Steuerzentrale), or use it directly as a live system from the USB.
The default login credentials for the live system are:
Recommendation: A clean, offline installation is advised.
Note: It is not recommended to choose home-folder encryption during installation due to a known installer bug, which can result in an incomplete installation.
For both performance and security, it’s better to choose LUKS encryption for full partitions. Benchmarks show that home directory encryption is often slower than full disk encryption.
Additionally, due to a regression introduced by systemd, encrypted home directories are no longer unmounted upon logout in Mint 20 and newer releases. For more details, see the related bug report: Bug Report.
Note: Ignore the message about a missing UEFI partition if you are installing on a non-UEFI (CSM/BIOS) system.
Wait until the installation is complete, then reboot to start QStudio64.
QStudio64 supports UEFI with or without Secure Boot. For UEFI installations:
The installer will automatically detect other operating systems and guide you through the installation process. Advanced users may:
/.If UEFI mode causes issues, switch to CSM-BIOS mode and disable UEFI in the BIOS.
Start the installer from the live system. By default, the keyboard layout is set to English; select your preferred layout if needed.
Ensure at least 20GB of free space (or an old partition that can be deleted), as QStudio64 will install approximately 17GB of data on your hard disk.
By default, QStudio64 uses a swap file. If you prefer to set up a swap partition:
/ and start the installation.Note: If using a swap partition instead of a swap file, check and edit
/etc/fstab and /etc/initramfs-tools/conf.d/resume to set the correct UUID for
your swap partition.
Select your preferred keyboard layout, language, and timezone. Set a username and password, then wait until the installation process completes.
Reboot to start QStudio64.
While QStudio64 comes with a lot of pre-configured software, follow these easy steps to fine-tune your system:
QStudio64 defaults to English, but language packs for German, French, and Spanish are pre-installed. You can install additional language packs over the internet.
To change the language after installation, go to the Control Center (Steuerzentrale) in the Start Menu:
/System/Control Center/Languages/System/Steuerzentrale/SprachenTo change the keyboard layout, go to Control Center/Keyboard (Tastatur). Restart your
computer to apply the changes.
Note: For a persistent language change on a USB/SD live system, burn the QStudio64 image onto a USB or SD card with a persistence volume of at least 2GB to save settings.
Update your system using either:
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgradeReboot after updating.
If you encounter errors like "corrupted apt" in Mintupdate or issues with mirror-switching and sources.lists lock, use the following commands in the terminal:
sudo apt-get clean
sudo apt-get check
sudo dpkg --configure -a
sudo apt-get -f install
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get dist-upgrade
If the problem persists, enter:
sudo rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*
sudo mkdir /var/lib/apt/lists/partial
sudo rm /var/cache/apt/*
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get upgrade
If issues continue, try:
apt-cache policy | grep 700
cat /etc/apt/preferences.d/official-*
Reboot your system afterward.
Add your user to the audio group by running:
sudo adduser yourusername audio
Then reboot the system.
Check the Driver Manager for available drivers for your hardware that might not have been recognized automatically. After installing any drivers, reboot the system.
To configure your soundcards:
Note that many USB soundcards lack a software mixer, so use hardware controls or software volume buttons.
If you want to make your USB soundcard the primary soundcard in ALSA, modify the
alsa-base.conf file in /etc/modprobe.d. To edit, open a terminal and run:
xed admin:///etc/modprobe.d/alsa-base.conf
Example configuration:
options snd_usb_audio index=0
options snd_hda_intel index=1
options snd_hda_intel index=2 # HDMI
options snd_aloop index=3
To identify your soundcard chipset and kernel modules, use:
cat /proc/asound/cards
Example output:
0 [Intel ]: HDA-Intel - HDA Intel
HDA Intel at 0xf0500000 irq 22
1 [Headset ]: USB-Audio - Logitech USB Headset
Logitech USB Headset at usb-0000:00:1d.0-1, full speed
List of Kernel Modules:
cat /proc/asound/modules
0 snd_hda_intel
1 snd_usb_audio
Restart the system after making changes.
Note: Some chipsets may set HDMI audio as the default soundcard. If needed, configure
alsa.base.conf accordingly.
Cadence is the recommended tool to configure and control the Jack Server for professional audio. Configure your soundcard(s) in Cadence and select your preferred soundcard (Alsa). For more information, refer to the Cadence Documentation.
Recommended configurations and bridge modes with Cadence include:
To run an ICECAST web radio server, check the manuals in home/README/Tweaks.
Follow these steps to troubleshoot sound issues:
cat /proc/asound/cards
alsamixer.Note: Some chipsets set the HDMI channel as the main output. If no sound is heard in
QStudio64, check and configure alsa-base.conf as outlined in Step 5. Follow Step 5 to set a
USB soundcard as the default sound interface.
It is recommended to disable standby or suspend mode in energy settings (located in the Control Center).
Bluetooth audio is not officially supported in QStudio64. Advanced users may install:
sudo apt install bluez-alsa-utils
This package enables Bluetooth audio without PulseAudio. See further information:
To set up Bluetooth quickly, install PulseAudio:
sudo apt-get install pulseaudio libcanberra-pulse pulseaudio-module-bluetooth pulseaudio-module-jack
Note: Installing PulseAudio resets sound settings to Linux Mint defaults.
sudo apt install bluez-alsa-utils libasound2-plugin-bluezConnect, Pair and trust with the blueman-applet in taskbar! Notice the MAC-Adress of your bluetooth device!
Create a hidden file .asoundrc in /home with the content:
defaults.bluealsa.service "org.bluealsa"
defaults.bluealsa.device "XX:XX:XX:XX:XX:XX"
defaults.bluealsa.profile "a2dp"
defaults.bluealsa.delay 10000and fill in the mac-adress of your bluetooth device!
Choose "bluealsa -Bluetooth Audio Hub" as audiodevice and "bluealsa" as mixer in player (e.g. vlc, audacious)
Enjoy the sound! :)
-> After using bluetooth you have to delete (or rename) .asoundrc to get audio working!*
-> IF you face problems to connect or error-messages just reboot the system and try again!
It works!!!
Here is a little workaround to create two On/Off-"Button"-script-files to start or end the bluez-alsa
connection with .asoundrc (after you configured and tested it successfully):
Just create 2 files with:
#!/bin/bash
cd /home/YOURUSERNAME/
mv .asoundrcOFF .asoundrc->this script is to start bluetooth asoundrc!
and in another file:
#!/bin/bash
cd /home/YOURUSERNAME/
mv .asoundrc .asoundrcOFF-> this script is to rename .asoundrc and deactivate it!
(-> replace YOURUSERNAME with your given username)
You can give titles like "BT-ON" "BT-OFF" and own buttonicons. ;)
-> Be sure to make the files executable!
-> Execute in terminal to start and stop bt-audio
-> ATTENTION: If .asoundrc is not deleted/disabled after bluetooth-session you will hear no
sound!
more infos:
https://github.com/arkq/bluez-alsa
https://github.com/arkq/bluez-alsa/wiki
To get bluetooth really fast working (re-)install Pulseaudio:
sudo apt-get install pulseaudio libcanberra-pulse pulseaudio-module-bluetooth pulseaudio-module-jackNOTE: While installing pulseaudio you reset to Linux Mint default sound settings! (NOT recommended!)
Many modern and Class-A sound interfaces, such as the Focusrite Scarlett series, work as plug-and-play with QStudio64. A list of compatible interfaces is available at the ALSA Project website. Class-compliant interfaces generally work well.
To achieve the best sound with low latency, it is recommended to configure JackAudio Server with Cadence as an auto-login service. Refer to the Cadence documentation and Jack Configuration Guide for setup details.
Note: For PulseAudio, install it via Synaptic or the terminal if needed.
For more Linux audio resources and tutorials, see:
Detailed sound configuration manuals are available in the README folder.
QStudio64 version 21.1 includes Bitwig Studio 4.*
It is recommended to use the latest version from bitwig.com. A CPU that supports the SSE 4.1 instruction set is required.
Create an account on bitwig.com and register with your license key. Download and install the latest version. After installation, start the program, activate the license, and enjoy the full 8-track or Bitwig Studio version.
If you do not have a license key, you may use Bitwig Studio in demo mode (saving/exporting is disabled).
Select either the ALSA or JACK audio driver. To use JACK, configure your soundcards with Cadence (ALSA driver) before starting the sound server.
If Mixxx freezes, crashes, or behaves unexpectedly with NVIDIA graphics cards:
For more troubleshooting, refer to the Mixxx Troubleshooting Guide.
Installing the proprietary NVIDIA driver (nonfree) via the Driver Manager is recommended. To switch back to the open-source nouveau driver, use:
sudo apt purge nvidia* && sudo reboot
Check the Linux Mint Release Notes for more information.
Repository links may change. Check the KXStudio Repositories page for the latest links and instructions.
QStudio64 features the lightweight MATE desktop, designed for full customization. To switch to a different desktop environment (DE), install Cinnamon, KDE, or XFCE-meta via Software Center or Synaptic.
Recommended: Choose one DE and avoid switching, as QStudio64 is optimized for MATE.
After changing the system language post-installation, the MDM login screen may still show the original
keyboard layout. If this affects login, edit the keyboard layout in /etc/default/keyboard:
XKBLAYOUT="de"
Use CTRL-ALT-F1 to log in via terminal, then run:
setupcon
Reboot to apply the new layout. To verify, use:
cat /etc/default/keyboard
This issue only arises if you change the language after installation. For more on this issue, see:
If you want to hide the grub menu at boot, modify /etc/default/grub with the following
settings:
GRUB_DEFAULT=0
GRUB_HIDDEN_TIMEOUT=5
GRUB_HIDDEN_TIMEOUT_QUIET=true
GRUB_TIMEOUT=0
GRUB_DISTRIBUTOR=`lsb_release -i -s 2> /dev/null || echo Debian`
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash"
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX=""
GRUB_DISABLE_OS_PROBER=true
Note: Setting GRUB_HIDDEN_TIMEOUT to 0-10 will hide the grub menu. This is
not recommended for dual-boot systems. Press ESC or ENTER during boot to show
the menu again (set GRUB_HIDDEN_TIMEOUT between 3-10).
Apply changes with the command:
sudo update-grub
To enable automatic login, replace STUDIO in the USER setting with your actual
username.
QStudio64 includes the Brave browser, known for speed, privacy, and security.
Note: After changing your password, enter the previous password in the passphrase prompt when starting Brave for the first time.
Since Firefox 52, sound depends on PulseAudio:
QStudio64 is optimized for ALSA and Jack. For sound in Firefox, Tor Browser, or Chromium, install PulseAudio:
sudo apt-get install pulseaudio libcanberra-pulse pulseaudio-module-bluetooth pulseaudio-module-jack
Using PulseAudio may disrupt low-latency audio work on ALSA and Jack. Alternatively, Palemoon Browser supports ALSA-based Linux systems.
Opera: Download and install from opera.com
Vivaldi: Download from vivaldi.com. For video support, follow instructions displayed in the terminal for missing codecs.
To reset the keyring passphrase, enter the following commands (replace "USER" with your username):
rm /home/USER/.local/share/keyrings/login.keyring
rm /home/USER/.local/share/keyrings/user.keystore
After a password change, enter your previous password in Brave’s keyring prompt, or reset the keyrings if unknown.
If QStudio64 uses an existing swap partition, create a resume file with the swap UUID after installation:
swapon --show
df -h
ls -l /dev/disk/by-uuid
echo 'RESUME=UUID=YOURUUIDNUMBER' | sudo tee -a /etc/initramfs-tools/conf.d/resume
sudo update-grub
sudo update-initramfs -u -k all
For a new swap partition, follow the steps provided, including partition resizing with GParted and
updating /etc/fstab and initramfs.
If you encounter issues with initramfs, uninstall remastersys and its dependencies with:
sudo apt autopurge
sudo apt autoremove
sudo apt autoclean
sudo apt clean
sudo update-initramfs -u -k all
Run resolvectl status to view details about the DNS servers currently in use.
To verify DNS functionality, use these commands:
cat /etc/resolv.conf
ping google.com
If you encounter DNS or internet connection issues, try the following commands:
sudo rm /etc/resolv.conf
sudo ln -s /run/systemd/resolve/stub-resolv.conf /etc/resolv.conf
If issues persist, try restarting the network services:
sudo systemctl restart NetworkManager
sudo systemctl restart systemd-networkd
sudo systemctl restart systemd-resolved
Options: start, restart, stop, enable, disable
We recommend using Timeshift or the Backup Tool to secure stable configurations. With Remastersys, you
can create .iso backup files for USB drives.
If the operating system info is missing in Cadence, add the following entry
to/etc/lsb-release:
DISTRIB_DESCRIPTION="QStudio64-21.1-SE"
After updating, run:
sudo update-initramfs -u -k all
Reboot the system to apply changes.
Backdoor via APT
Canonical initially promised that Snap would not replace APT, but some APT packages install Snap as a
dependency and connect to Canonical's store without user consent.
Linux Mint 20
The Snap Store is disabled by default in Linux Mint 20 due to concerns about APT replacement. For more
information, see the Linux
Mint user guide.
To re-enable and install the Snap Store:
sudo cp /etc/apt/preferences.d/nosnap.pref /etc/apt/preferences.d/nosnap.pref.bak
sudo rm /etc/apt/preferences.d/nosnap.pref
sudo apt update
sudo apt install snapd
To uninstall Snap and restore previous settings:
sudo cp /etc/apt/preferences.d/nosnap.pref.bak /etc/apt/preferences.d/nosnap.pref
To install RiseupVPN via Snap:
sudo apt install snapd gnome-software-plugin-snap
Then, search for RiseupVPN in the Software Center or run:
sudo snap install --classic riseup-vpn
More information can be found at riseup.net.
QStudio64-21.1 will receive updates until April 2027. If desired, you can upgrade to a newer Linux Mint version using the Update Manager. This will preserve apps and settings.
Note: Backup your personal data and create a Timeshift snapshot before proceeding. For stability, we recommend staying with Linux Mint 21.1 unless necessary.
For known issues and the latest updates, please check our project blog at http://qstudio64.tumblr.com/.
Have fun and be creative!
c.h.a.l.e.e. 31/03/2023
BIG THANKS TO:
Consider donating to support the project!
No warranties! This project is free to use and share under GPL 2/3.0.
Rev.beta9_2 SE