Jack routes audio between programs within your computer, but we need JackTrip to direct audio between multiple different computers. Download jacktrip-1.1-osx.zip, located in the Assets drop-down menu, from the developers' GitHub repository. Although this may seem like a weird place to download files from, these Stanford researchers use GitHub to keep track of and update their work, and this is a safe download.
You'll notice that the zip file contains INSTALL.txt - this is basically a more techincal version of this guide. Feel free to use it if you prefer.
Open up Terminal (which you can reach from Launchpad by opening Other → Terminal). We'll be running code just like any other program on your computer does, but without the easy-to-use graphic interface that we're used to computer programs having - i.e. we'll have to type (or copy and paste) code instead of clicking buttons. It's worth getting familiar with Terminal:
- bash is what's known as a command-line interpreter. Basically, instead of the graphical user interface (GUI) that non-programmers are used to, this is a program that manages a text-based interface.
- MacBook-Air-19 is the name of the device I'm using.
- LucyR$ is the directory I'm currently in. Think of it as where I am currently positioned within my computer's library.
Enter the following lines of code one at a time. Their functions are explained below.
cd Downloads/jacktrip/bin
sudo cp jacktrip /usr/local/bin/
sudo chmod 755 /usr/local/bin/jacktrip
- The "cd" in the first command stands for change directory. This command relocates you to the binary folder within the JackTrip folder. Make sure you're formatting your directory commands to exactly match the syntax of the folders within your computer (capitalize Downloads, etc).
- "sudo" in the second line means "as an administrator." In normal English, then, the second command means "with administrator privileges, copy jacktrip into the folder I want." You're making a copy of the executable file in a place that your computer expects to find it so that this runs properly. You'll have to enter your password, but this is fine; you need to give administrator privileges briefly to allow Terminal to make a copy of this file.
- The third line of code modifies permissions on the jacktrip file so you'll be able to run it properly.
Other useful commands to know:
ls
lists the contents of the current directory.cd
without any additional arguments will redirect you to the home directory.pwd
shows you the "present working directory" (the full path of the directory you're in).
Open Terminal again (⌘T for a new tab, ⌘N for a new window) to make sure your changes went through. Type jacktrip
and hit enter (doesn't matter which directory you're in) to run the program. You'll then see a lot of text describing how to make JackTrip work:
Because JackTrip is command-line, we'll need to pass arguments to the program (typing in commands) to tell the program what we want it to do. If we're ready to join a server, continue on to the Running JackTrip guide.