a2jmidid doesn't handle midi interfaces with two or more identical port names correctly and fails to expose them

[Reinaert Albrecht]

This issue has been solved in 2019 in a2jmidid: https://github.com/jackaudio/a2jmidid/pull/5

It's been described in various places: https://linuxmusicians.com/viewtopic.php?t=24822

Could you please include this in the packages? It basically boils down to this four letter change in port.c:
119c119
< "%s [%d] (%s): [%d] %s",
---
> "%s [%d] (%s): %s",

Kind regards,

Reinaert

[Erich Eickmeyer (eeickmeyer)]

It would be better to get this into Debian first then we could sync it to Ubuntu (this package isn't packaged specifically in Ubuntu, hence no -0ubuntuX suffix). Per https://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/pkgreport.cgi?repeatmerged=no&src=a2jmidid, this hasn't been reported there, so please report this there and report back with the bug number.

(this is an upstream bug in Debian)

[Reinaert Albrecht (rtega)]

Ok, I filed a bug report with Debian. Hope it gets through.

[Reinaert Albrecht (rtega)]

Filed as bug 1067662 in https://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=1067662

[Erich Eickmeyer (eeickmeyer)]

In the interest of time (Ubuntu Beta freeze is in one week), I've decided to work on it here. I'll SRU it in previous supported versions.

[Erich Eickmeyer (eeickmeyer)]

Reinaert,

The patch has been uploaded to Noble (future 24.04). Can you come up with a simple, step-by-step procedure for testing in previous versions and be willing to do the tests when the SRU team accepts? I have the feeling these are fairly hardware-specific requirements and not just anyone will be able to test. I, for one, will be unable to test as I don't have any two MIDI hardware that is identical.

[Reinaert Albrecht (rtega)]

Hi, thanks! You need a device that exposes two separate midi ports in ALSA and apparently a post 5.11 kernel as ALSA changed the way they name the ports in that case. The only device that I know of that exposes two ports is my M-Audio Keystation 88 MK3. I'm on 22.04 so I can only test on that one. Since it's a simple change I guess it would be OK in all other releases as well.

[Erich Eickmeyer (eeickmeyer)]

Right, but the SRU team would require a test in 23.10 for the fix there. Any chance you could partition and do a test install there when the time comes? Either way, I don't have that device, so I'll have to rely on you to write up the test case step-by-step here so I can write up a proper SRU document in the bug description (see https://wiki.ubuntu.com/StableReleaseUpdates), otherwise it will not get fixed in either 23.10 or 22.04 (it must be fixed in the development release, followed the next supported release down, and so on).

[Reinaert Albrecht (rtega)]

Ok, there is also this reply to consider from the developers of a2jmidid:
https://github.com/jackaudio/a2jmidid/issues/25#issuecomment-2019233806

Maybe we should hold back?

[Erich Eickmeyer (eeickmeyer)]

On Monday, March 25, 2024 11:42:55 PM PDT you wrote:
> Ok, there is also this reply to consider from the developers of a2jmidid:
> https://github.com/jackaudio/a2jmidid/issues/25#issuecomment-2019233806
>
> Maybe we should hold back?
>
> ** Bug watch added: github.com/jackaudio/a2jmidid/issues #25
> https://github.com/jackaudio/a2jmidid/issues/25
>
> > "%s [%d] (%s): %s",
>
> Kind regards,
>
> Reinaert
>
> To manage notifications about this bug go to:
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/a2jmidid/+bug/2058799/+subscriptio
> ns

There's one little caviat there:

> Unless Ubuntu wants to pull in the fix manually...

Which I have. Package is in our proposed pocket now awaiting migration. I've
also been preparing a Stable Release Update for it.

Regarding "breaking existing scripts", the naysayer in question has been known
to use outdated methods (refers to ideas stemming back to 2008, so 16 years
ago and only recently came back after a 10 year hiatus), so rather than break
people's ability to use hardware, certain people should be more flexible and
adapt their scripts to use newer methods.

--
Erich Eickmeyer
Ubuntu MOTU
Project Leader - Ubuntu Studio
Technical Lead - Edubuntu

[Reinaert Albrecht (rtega)]

That's alright with me.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

This bug was fixed in the package a2jmidid - 9-3ubuntu1

---------------
a2jmidid (9-3ubuntu1) noble; urgency=medium

  * Patch: add port id to port name to avoid collision (LP: #2058799)
    - (Closes: #1067662)

 -- Erich Eickmeyer <email address hidden> Mon, 25 Mar 2024 09:38:40 -0700