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gitshow instructions/reference

I highly recommend you open this README.md file in a markdown editor so you can see the formatted content (images, links, etc). See the next section for recommended markdown editors:

Recommended tools

  1. For viewing the readme & the score in markdown: MacDown (OSX), Typora (Linux, Windows).
  2. For editing javascript: Visual Studio Code Insiders https://code.visualstudio.com/insiders/ (It includes an integrated terminal, which is handy for committing changes to git).

From the admin

These instructions are from Michael P, and include participation rules, useful git commands, and some recommended free software. Please refrain from editing this document, thanks.

We've tested these instructions to take about 1 hour to follow for the first time. That said, if you need help or encounter problems with anything in this process, open a new issue in the main gitshow issue thread and tag @michaelpalumbo in your post.

First-time participants, do this first:

  1. Sign up for a free account with VCV Rack. https://vcvrack.com/ This is necessary to acquire the free 'prototype' plugin, which we use for developing code.
  2. Download and install VCV rack. https://vcvrack.com/
  3. Open the VCV Rack Plugin Manager and add the following free plugins:
    • VCV Prototype
    • VCV Recorder
    • Befaco

the gitshow process

Gitshow runs sessions twice per month, and each session lasts ~2 weeks. You are assigned a different repository at the start of a new session.

Play with the past...

Using git you can access or edit previous versions of other people's contributions to the repo. Even something as simple as viewing the commit history lets you get some understanding of what another creator was thinking when they stored a new change to a file. Run this in a terminal window:

git log --name-status

You'll see something like this (with different data):

commit a4c1e970ef67d71094315444e6b2aa835dd3b69c Author: michaelpalumbo [email protected] Date: Thu Nov 14 09:57:10 2019 -0500

wave shaper can now control the buffer size

M module1.js

commit ae2c89248e869de5f6f73768537e5641b080cb20 Author: michaelpalumbo [email protected] Date: Thu Nov 14 09:52:00 2019 -0500

i'm trying to make a vari-delay by writing input values to an array. but after playing with the buffersize I realized i could make a waveshaper or some kind of crusher

M README.md M module1.js

....and play with the future!

What you say about your changes (and how often you commit them) helps participants in subsequent sessions to understand your process. It also foregrounds your rough drafts and as-yet unfinished ideas, so that they might be taken up as inspiration by someone else. We'll touch on how to commit changes in section 3.4. And I'll add more info on how to work with git in depth later this week.

activity during a gitshow session (~2 weeks)

  1. Clone/pull your assigned repository.

    A repo will contain at one of the each of the following:

    • a score (score#.md)
    • a module (module#.js)
    • a modular patch (patch#.vcv)
    • a recording (recording#.wav)

    # corresponds to the gitshow repo number, i.e. gitshow3 should have recording3.wav

  2. Your first engagement should be with the score, so open it with a markdown editor (see recommended tools) so you can view the content. It may or may not contain instructions for the module and/or play the patch file in a certain way. After playing the score, listen to recording#.wav. Then, proceed to step 3.

  3. Begin to modify the code!

    1. With the patch#.vcv file open, locate the VCV module called Prototype in the patch. Prototype

    2. important: while the prototype module will have the module#.js loaded, it needs to be pointed to the absolute path on your system (otherwise it won't watch for changes you make in the text editor). So, click on the module#.js file name in the black screen on Prototype, and locate module#.js in the /gitshow# folder on your computer.

    3. Once the prototype module is pointed at the correct path to module#.js on your filesystem, when you save changes to the code, vcv rack will reload it in the patch, so you should hear results right away. I recommend using a scope module to view your signal(s).

    4. Please remember to commit changes you make to the git repository (code, score, recording, patch). Early and often. It's a good idea to keep a terminal window open while you work:

      git add .
git commit -m "describe what you changed. or describe what you're trying to do but isn't working."

  4. You can modify the patch around the module: connect/disconnect cables, add modules available in the vcv plugin browser (right-click the dark-grey background of VCV Rack), or remove modules. Remember to save and then

  5. Edit a new version of the score, making any changes you want. For the score, consider that a markdown file can embed images, tables etc. See the file markdown_examples.md for help with markdown.

  6. Make a short recording of your patch using the Record module:

    record

    1. There is a limitation with the VCV record module, which won't work between sessions or when the path of the patch is changed (i.e. with git). The workaround we found was to remove the record module from patch#.vcv, and then add it again from the module browser.
    2. Connect signals to either mono or stereo inputs of the record module, and when ready to record, press the grey button. Save the file in the /gitshow# folder as recording#.wav. Click YES when asked if you want to overwrite the file.
    3. Record a short performance of your patch and save it as recording#.wav. This recording could be entirely generative output, or an improvisation, or a performance of your score.
    4. Please limit the file size to no more than 20MB.

  7. IMPORTANT: please do not rename the files in the repo (keep score#.md, module#.js, patch#.vcv, recording#.wav). If a save dialog asks if you want to overwite a file, click yes. With this in mind, its a good habit to commit changes to repo frequently.

  8. You can repeat steps 3-7 in any order as you see fit, just remember to commit changes to the git repo as often as you can.

  9. When you're done, make your last commit, and then tag your commit with your the phase and session number, and a short description:

    1. Commands:

      git add .
git commit -m "commit message"
git tag -a 2.sessionNumber -m "short description"

    Always prefix your tag with 2. as that is the phase of the research project and helps Michael keep things organized, thanks! If you need to add any changes after tagging:

    1. Make the changes, save them

    2. Add and commit them

    3. Tag the last commit, but add a '.' followed by a revision number to the tag:

      git tag -a 2.sessionNumber.revisionNumber -m "short description"

  10. Push your changes to GitHub.

activity at the end of a gitshow session

We'll meet in the dispersion lab for a group improvisation, at 12pm on the last Thursday of a session -- Michael will be in touch to inform you of the date. Steps 9 and 10 must be completed before the improvisation meetup.

new as of session 4: For the improvisation, we will be committing the changes made to the VCV patch.

Steps to get ready for a gitshow improvisation:

  1. ensure you have completed steps 9 & 10 above!

  2. create a new branch, call it '2.#.improvisation' (where # is the session number, same as in step 9)

git checkout -b 2.#.improvisation

i.e. for the session 4 improvisation, you'd do

git checkout -b 2.4.improvisation

So now, all of your changes to the vcv rack patch (and possibly the module code!) will be committed to this new branch.

  1. Ideally, have a terminal window open next to VCV rack, and when you encounter an interesting patch during the jam, save the patch and write a commit:
git commit -am "write something about the patch or maybe something about the jam"

  1. Once the improvisation is over, commit the last of your changes

  2. Push the new branch to github.com

git push -u origin 2.#.improvisation
  1. switch back to the master branch of the repository
git checkout master

Shortly after this date, I'll reassign the repositories for the next session.

git commands

work in progress. if you want more help with this, tag me in a post in the primary gitshow problems/questions thread and ask what you'd like to know how to do.

We use a tagging system to keep track of significant commits, typically those made at the end of each session. To view the tags made thus far, run:

git tag

palumboStarship:gitshow1 mp$ git tag

1

2.2

cycle1

cycle2

comparing versions (todo)

Using a tool like mergely.com you can even compare two versions and easily merge lines from an old version into one of yours.

M module1.js

commit ae2c89248e869de5f6f73768537e5641b080cb20 Author: michaelpalumbo [email protected] Date: Thu Nov 14 09:52:00 2019 -0500

i'm trying to make a vari-delay by writing input values to an array. but after playing with the buffersize I realized i could make a waveshaper or some kind of crusher

M README.md M module1.js

....and play with the future!

What you say about your changes (and how often you commit them) helps participants in subsequent sessions to understand your process. It also foregrounds your rough drafts and as-yet unfinished ideas, so that they might be taken up as inspiration by someone else. We'll touch on how to commit changes in section 3.4. And I'll add more info on how to work with git in depth later this week.

activity during a gitshow session (~2 weeks)

  1. Clone/pull your assigned repository.

    A repo will contain at one of the each of the following:

    • a score (score#.md)
    • a module (module#.js)
    • a modular patch (patch#.vcv)
    • a recording (recording#.wav)

    # corresponds to the gitshow repo number, i.e. gitshow3 should have recording3.wav

  2. Your first engagement should be with the score, so open it with a markdown editor (see recommended tools) so you can view the content. It may or may not contain instructions for the module and/or play the patch file in a certain way. After playing the score, listen to recording#.wav. Then, proceed to step 3.

  3. Begin to modify the code!

    1. With the patch#.vcv file open, locate the VCV module called Prototype in the patch. Prototype

    2. important: while the prototype module will have the module#.js loaded, it needs to be pointed to the absolute path on your system (otherwise it won't watch for changes you make in the text editor). So, click on the module#.js file name in the black screen on Prototype, and locate module#.js in the /gitshow# folder on your computer.

    3. Once the prototype module is pointed at the correct path to module#.js on your filesystem, when you save changes to the code, vcv rack will reload it in the patch, so you should hear results right away. I recommend using a scope module to view your signal(s).

    4. Please remember to commit changes you make to the git repository (code, score, recording, patch). Early and often. It's a good idea to keep a terminal window open while you work:

      git add .
git commit -m "describe what you changed. or describe what you're trying to do but isn't working."

  4. You can modify the patch around the module: connect/disconnect cables, add modules available in the vcv plugin browser (right-click the dark-grey background of VCV Rack), or remove modules. Remember to save and then

  5. Edit a new version of the score, making any changes you want. For the score, consider that a markdown file can embed images, tables etc. See the file markdown_examples.md for help with markdown.

  6. Make a short recording of your patch using the Record module:

    record

    1. There is a limitation with the VCV record module, which won't work between sessions or when the path of the patch is changed (i.e. with git). The workaround we found was to remove the record module from patch#.vcv, and then add it again from the module browser.
    2. Connect signals to either mono or stereo inputs of the record module, and when ready to record, press the grey button. Save the file in the /gitshow# folder as recording#.wav. Click YES when asked if you want to overwrite the file.
    3. Record a short performance of your patch and save it as recording#.wav. This recording could be entirely generative output, or an improvisation, or a performance of your score.
    4. Please limit the file size to no more than 20MB.

  7. IMPORTANT: please do not rename the files in the repo (keep score#.md, module#.js, patch#.vcv, recording#.wav). If a save dialog asks if you want to overwite a file, click yes. With this in mind, its a good habit to commit changes to repo frequently.

  8. You can repeat steps 3-7 in any order as you see fit, just remember to commit changes to the git repo as often as you can.

  9. When you're done, make your last commit, and then tag your commit with your the phase and session number, and a short description:

    1. Commands:

      git add .
git commit -m "commit message"
git tag -a 2.sessionNumber -m "short description"

    Always prefix your tag with 2. as that is the phase of the research project and helps Michael keep things organized, thanks! If you need to add any changes after tagging:

    1. Make the changes, save them

    2. Add and commit them

    3. Tag the last commit, but add a '.' followed by a revision number to the tag:

      git tag -a 2.sessionNumber.revisionNumber -m "short description"

  10. Push your changes to GitHub.

activity at the end of a gitshow session

We'll meet in the dispersion lab for a group improvisation, at 12pm on the last Thursday of a session -- Michael will be in touch to inform you of the date. Steps 9 and 10 must be completed before the improvisation meetup.

new as of session 4: For the improvisation, we will be committing the changes made to the VCV patch.

Steps to get ready for a gitshow improvisation:

  1. ensure you have completed steps 9 & 10 above!

  2. create a new branch, call it '2.#.improvisation' (where # is the session number, same as in step 9)

git checkout -b 2.#.improvisation

i.e. for the session 4 improvisation, you'd do

git checkout -b 2.4.improvisation

So now, all of your changes to the vcv rack patch (and possibly the module code!) will be committed to this new branch.

  1. Ideally, have a terminal window open next to VCV rack, and when you encounter an interesting patch during the jam, save the patch and write a commit:
git commit -am "write something about the patch or maybe something about the jam"

  1. Once the improvisation is over, commit the last of your changes

  2. Push the new branch to github.com

git push -u origin 2.#.improvisation
  1. switch back to the master branch of the repository
git checkout master

Shortly after this date, I'll reassign the repositories for the next session.

git commands

work in progress. if you want more help with this, tag me in a post in the primary gitshow problems/questions thread and ask what you'd like to know how to do.

We use a tagging system to keep track of significant commits, typically those made at the end of each session. To view the tags made thus far, run:

git tag

palumboStarship:gitshow1 mp$ git tag

1

2.2

cycle1

cycle2

comparing versions (todo)

Using a tool like mergely.com you can even compare two versions and easily merge lines from an old version into one of yours.