OLA Debian / Ubuntu

Packages are hosted at http://apt.openlighting.org

Edit sources.list

Add the relevant line to your /etc/apt/sources.list file

Debian

deb   http://apt.openlighting.org/debian  squeeze main

Ubuntu Precise

deb   http://apt.openlighting.org/ubuntu  precise main

Ubuntu Natty

deb   http://apt.openlighting.org/ubuntu  natty main

Install

apt-get update
apt-get install ola ola-python

Usage

Since ola-0.8.23, you can choose to start olad at boot. The question is asked the first time you install ola. If you chose 'No', you can change it with:

sudo dpkg-reconfigure ola

Since you choose 'Yes', the init script will be active and you will get the advantages below. Take care, if you start olad manually in a terminal, you will loose these advantages.

• Control the olad process with:

sudo /etc/init.d/ola start
sudo /etc/init.d/ola stop
sudo /etc/init.d/ola restart

• olad is started by the 'olad' system user (automatically created and added to groups dialout and plugdev).

So olad is ready to use USB devices (thanks to udev rules).

• conf files are in /var/lib/ola/conf/ and owned by 'olad'.

To configure the plugins, you need to add yourself to the olad group. For example:

sudo adduser renzo olad

then logout and login again (you need to do it only once).

You are now able to edit the conf files, for example:

gedit /var/lib/ola/conf/ola-artnet.conf

• You can try my bash script to set the plugins easily

(but uncomment the second line to use debian path): http://www.imaginux.com/ccount/click.php?id=155

Check the conf path with:

sh ola_conf_plugins.sh
---
settings path is:
/var/lib/ola/conf
---

If you want to use ftdidmx plugin (for opendmx and so), you need to do:

sh ola_conf_plugins.sh disable all
sh ola_conf_plugins.sh enable ftdi

• Read the olad logs with:

cat /var/log/syslog | grep olad

if you want to see the 20 last lines (including system messages like usb ones):

cat /var/log/syslog | tail -n20

See Also

Notes on Building Debian Packages