Re: ob-lilypond.el doesn't generate midi files

[Michael Maurer]

On Fri, 27 Aug 2021 at 21:55, Nick Dokos <ndokos@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Michael Maurer <maurer.michael@gmail.com> writes:
>
> > On Thu, 26 Aug 2021 at 21:54, Nick Dokos <ndokos@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> >>
> >> Michael Maurer <maurer.michael@gmail.com> writes:
> >>
> >> > On Thu, 26 Aug 2021 at 15:03, Jonathan Gregory <jgrg@autistici.org> 
> >> > wrote:
> >> >>
> >> >> Hi
> >> >>
> >> >> On 26 Aug 2021, Michael Maurer wrote:
> >> >>
> >> >> > I've installed lilypond and customized ob-lilypond to use the
> >> >> > appropriate helper programs, but although it generates & shows
> >> >> > pdfs just fine, generating a midi file it does not. I execute
> >> >> > tangle on the codeblock, and all I get is "No midi file
> >> >> > generated so can't play!". org-version 9.4.6 emacs 27.2 Win 10
> >> >>
> >> >> Can you also send a MWE of the code you're using to generate the
> >> >> score?
> >> >>
> >> >
> >> > I used a test file I copied over from Frescobaldi
> >> >
> >> > #+begin_src lilypond :file test.pdf
> >> > \version "2.18.2"
> >> > \score {
> >> > \drums {
> >> >   \time 2/4
> >> >   sn16 sn8 sn16 sn8 sn8:32 ~
> >> >   sn8 sn8 sn4:32 ~
> >> >   sn4 sn8 sn16 sn16
> >> >   sn4 r4
> >> > }
> >> >   \layout { }
> >> >   \midi { }
> >> > }
> >> > #+end_src
> >> >
> >> > In Frescobaldi this gets me both midi-output and pdf. In Emacs with
> >> > org it does say "Midi output to test.midi", but then there's that "no
> >> > midi file generated" message.
> >> >
> >>
> >> What happens if you save the contents of the source block into a file
> >> and run lilypond on the file from the command line?
> >>
> >
> > Both pdf and midi files get generated. Btw, ob-lilypond does generate
> > the midi file as well, it just doesn't want to play it/recognize it.
> > Maybe it's related to what helper app I've configured to open it? (but
> > why that doesn't make sense, it's vlc btw).
> >
> >
>
> Oh, I thought that it did not generate a midi file at all. So you are
> saying that the midi file *is* produced and you *can* play it from the
> command line with vlc, correct?
>
> If that's the case, check the value of the variable
> `org-babel-lilypond-midi-command' and see what happens when you invoke
> that command on the midi file. In my case, the command is `xdg-open'
> (I'm using Gnome on Fedora 33) and it opens Banshee to play it which
> fails because of missing codecs. I installed the missing codecs and
> `xdg-open foo.midi' sends the file to Banshee which can play it fine.
>
> Also check if `org-babel-lilypond-arrange-mode' is t or nil: behavior
> is very different depending on that.

So out of curiosity I changed the entry for midi-player to random
gibberish, and the same message pops up, "no midi file generated so
can't play". Toggling arrange-mode has no effect. I can play the
generated midi-file from the command line using vlc just fine.