GNU/Linux: Best method for OS update

Elektron Software Transfer
#1

Hi GNU/Linux users,

with the song mode update a lot of users will update their OS. So, which method to updating the OS on your Elektron devices have you tested? What works best for you, and what is the ‘safest’ method?
For my limit research I found at least 3 possible routes:

  1. running Transfer under wine
    Pro: official Elektron app, Con: wine can make apps bugs
  2. running Elektroid
    Pro: FOSS, frequent updates, Con: unofficial app
  3. using elk-herd in the browser
    Con: not open source (?), has not been updated for a while

I am looking forward to your insights.

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#2

:gulp:

:zombie:

an insight I caught on here yesterday was that the ALSA midi command can serve the update just fine too !

1 Like
#3

This thread covers the amidi usage.

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#4

Elektroid implements the same OS upgrade protocol as Transfer. The advantage is that it does not require setting up the machine for an upgrade.

No idea about how to set up Wine but I guess it will be much more complicated.

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#5

I use the amidi cli command here

3 Likes
#6

I can confirm that using amidi for Elektron system upgrades has always worked flawlessly for me.

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#7

Thank you very much for pointing out the route via ALSA MIDI. I just tried to back-up my project using amidi and it worked.
@dasine Thanks for the confirmation. Now I am confident enough to try it out myself.

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#8

Putting my ST into OS update mode and running
amidi --port='hw:2,0,0' --send='Syntakt_OS1.10.syx'
did the trick.

#9

I’ve used all three methods with no problems.

2 Likes
#10

just using Elektroid.
it just works.

PS. did 1.00 to 1.01 upgrade from VirtualBox runnig MacOS guest, with USB passthrough.
because i’m too lazy to reboot to real MacOS.
(i’m using Ubuntu on Mac Mini)

3 Likes
#11

So you have a Mac Mini running Linux and then a macOS virtual machine guest on top of that? Did I get that right? If so, that’s hilarious and I love it

#12

exactly.
it’s handy for quite a lot of things.
(not for running audio software though – virtual machine performance is too poor for that, at least on late 2012 Mac Mini)

1 Like
#13

You don’t need special software to update or send/receive sysex on Linux. With the Digitone connected, via USB, to your Linux computer, at the command-line:

  1. Stop any running sequencer connections between Digitone and the computer (that may stop the transfer from happening)
    if pgrep aseqdump; then pkill aseqdump; fi

  2. Find the port number of the Digitone:
    amidi -l | grep Elektron | sed 's/IO *//' | sed 's/ * Elek.*MIDI 1//'

  3. Go to Settings/System/OS_Upgrade on the Digitone. Once it tells you it’s waiting for the update transfer, move onto step 4.

  4. Run the command:
    amidi -p hw:2,0,0 -s Digitone_and_Digitone_Keys_OS1.40.syx
    … replacing the hw:2,0,0 with the port number from step 2.

I have used this method (turned it into a script) to transfer many sysex files and to upgrade the OS of my Digitone and Digitakt several times. Never had any problems.

4 Likes
Elektroid, a GNU/Linux transfer application for Elektron devices
#14

Yep, the only special software you need is alsa-utils. It’s just a sysex file

1 Like
#15

i’ve done amidi before but somehow forgot that method and used simplesysexxer for ubuntu and it worked great! cheers

1 Like
#16

just did simple sysexxer and seems to be fine, i’ve done amidi before as well with no problems… i almost downloaded an app for ios for 5$ but skipped it

#17

I used Elektroid to update my Digitone Keys to 1.40.

I also used amidi to send the update file directly.

Find the MIDI device of your Elektron box:

amidi -l

Send the update;

amidi -p hw:x.y.z -s update.syx
3 Likes
#18

Basically, any method works perfectly under Linux, with far fewer problems than macOS users seem to have!