Q BIT 1.0.0 — Linux (VST3 + LV2, x86_64)
Pulsar Modular — https://www.pulsarmodular.com/
=====================================================

Q BIT 1.0.0 for Linux is the same plug-in as on macOS and Windows, built
for Linux and tested in Ardour 9, Mixbus 11 and REAPER 7: the bit crusher
with the Time Hold - Linear, SP-1200, M.93 and ZX Spectrum 128 converters,
and a hold that grabs a slice of your track and sustains it, free or in
time with your DAW.

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
-------------------
- x86_64 Linux with glibc 2.34 or newer. That covers:
    Ubuntu 22.04+ (and Ubuntu Studio), Debian 12+, Linux Mint 21+,
    Pop!_OS 22.04+, Fedora 35+, openSUSE Leap 15.6+, RHEL/Alma/Rocky 9+,
    Arch / CachyOS / Manjaro.
  NOT supported: Ubuntu 20.04, Debian 11 (glibc 2.31) and older.
  Check yours:  getconf GNU_LIBC_VERSION
- libfreetype, libfontconfig, libcurl (present on every desktop install).
- Internet access to activate (and, periodically, to renew) the licence.

INSTALL — pick ONE method
-------------------------
A) DEB PACKAGE (Ubuntu / Debian / Mint / Pop!_OS):
     sudo apt install ./q-bit_1.0.0-1_amd64.deb
   Installs the LV2 system-wide (/usr/lib/lv2), links the VST3 into every
   user's ~/.vst3, and copies the factory presets and the user guides to
   ~/.local/share/Pulsar Modular/Q BIT (your own and edited presets are
   kept). That covers the accounts that exist at install time: an account
   added later gets them with
       sudo dpkg-reconfigure q-bit
   and can use the LV2 until then.
   Remove later with:  sudo apt remove q-bit

B) TARBALL (any supported distro, no root):
     tar xzf q-bit-1.0.0-linux-x86_64.tar.gz
     cd q-bit-1.0.0-linux-x86_64
     ./install.sh
   Installs into ~/.vst3, ~/.lv2 and ~/.local/share (or $XDG_DATA_HOME).
   Remove later with:  ./uninstall.sh   (from the same folder; presets kept)

!! USE ONE METHOD ONLY. Two copies of the LV2 (~/.lv2 + /usr/lib/lv2) make
   Ardour and Mixbus crash. The installers detect this: install.sh refuses to
   run while the .deb is installed, and the .deb warns about a tarball copy in
   ~/.lv2 or ~/.vst3 (it never touches it).

Verify the files (optional), in the folder that holds them and SHA256SUMS:
     sha256sum -c --ignore-missing SHA256SUMS

Then RE-SCAN plug-ins in your DAW (REAPER / Bitwig / Carla). Ardour and
Mixbus scan LV2 at start-up: restart them. Category: Distortion (VST3
Fx|Distortion, LV2 DistortionPlugin).

LICENCE
-------
Q BIT is free, but like every Pulsar Modular plug-in it needs a licence:
you get the key from pulsarmodular.com. Until it is activated the plug-in
plays a soft noise INSTEAD of your audio and the licence window opens by
itself - that is intentional, not a fault.
To activate: the licence window (or the plug-in's menu, top right >
License Status): paste your licence key and click Activate; the audio
returns at once. Activate ONCE: the licence is per user and computer and
covers every host and both formats (VST3 and LV2) on this computer.
Deactivate (same window) frees this computer's seat; Account opens your
licences on pulsarmodular.com.
The licence is stored per user in ~/.config/Pulsar Modular/Licensing (shared
by all Pulsar Modular products on the computer) and is tied to this
installation (/etc/machine-id). Reinstalling Linux or cloning the system
creates a new machine ID and therefore counts as a new computer: deactivate
BEFORE you reinstall. If the plug-in suddenly reports "unlicensed" on a
computer where it was activated, please contact us instead of re-activating
(activations are limited).
The licence agreement is LICENSE.txt (in the tarball;
/usr/share/doc/q-bit/ for the .deb).

WHICH FORMAT
------------
- REAPER:  use the VST3 (REAPER cannot automate the LV2 parameters of JUCE
           plug-ins).
- Ardour / Mixbus:  both work.
- Bitwig Studio:  VST3 (Bitwig has no LV2 host).
- Mono tracks: use the VST3. The LV2 is stereo only.

NOTES
-----
- The user guides are included (English, German, Japanese; Print and Dark):
  the plug-in's menu > Manuals opens them in your PDF viewer. Chapter 7 is
  about Linux.
- The window can be made as small as 50 % of its design size and as large
  as 200 %; the panel keeps its shape.
- HiDPI / 4K: both formats follow the DAW's own UI scale (Ardour/Mixbus:
  Preferences > Appearance > GUI and Font scaling; REAPER: its UI scale), and
  the window never opens larger than the screen.
- Crackles at small buffer sizes are usually missing realtime privileges,
  not the plug-in:
    sudo usermod -aG audio $USER
    printf '@audio - rtprio 95\n@audio - memlock unlimited\n' | \
      sudo tee /etc/security/limits.d/99-audio-rt.conf
  then log out/in. On laptops also use the 'performance' power profile
  (powerprofilesctl set performance) for low-latency sessions.
- Presets live in ~/.local/share/Pulsar Modular/Q BIT/Presets (or
  $XDG_DATA_HOME/...), the user guides next to them in "User Guides".
  Settings live in ~/.config/Pulsar Modular/Q BIT.
- Deleting a preset or folder in the browser moves it to the desktop trash
  (~/.local/share/Trash); restore it from your file manager.
- Presets and settings stay after apt remove/purge and after uninstall.sh.

SUPPORT
-------
https://www.pulsarmodular.com/ - please include the DAW and its version, the
distro (and `getconf GNU_LIBC_VERSION`), the plug-in format, and the steps
that show the problem.
