add first post about strudel and reduce noise in hugo config
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---
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title: "Content Placeholder"
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title: "Mastering Strudel: A Reproducible Development Environment with Nix"
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genres:
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- Development
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tags:
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- strudel
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- nix
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- development
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- live-coding
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date: 2025-09-27T12:00:00+02:00
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draft: false
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build:
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render: never
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list: never
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publishResources: false
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render: always
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list: always
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publishResources: true
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---
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# Mastering Strudel: A Reproducible Development Environment with Nix
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Strudel is a fascinating JavaScript-based live coding environment that brings the power of TidalCycles to the web. As developers and musicians exploring algorithmic music composition, we've discovered that setting up a proper development environment is crucial for productive work. In this post, we'll dive deep into our Nix-based setup that makes Strudel development reproducible, reliable, and collaborative.
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## Why Nix for Strudel Development?
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Traditional development environments often suffer from the "works on my machine" syndrome. Dependencies drift, versions conflict, and onboarding new contributors becomes a chore. Nix solves these problems by providing declarative, reproducible environments.
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Our Strudel development setup uses:
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- **Nix Flakes** for pinned, reproducible dependencies
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- **Git submodules** to track the official Strudel repository
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- **Makefile** for convenient command shortcuts
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- **Comprehensive guidelines** for AI-assisted development
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## Getting Started: The Complete Setup
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### Prerequisites
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Before diving in, ensure you have:
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- [Nix](https://nixos.org/download.html) package manager (version 2.4+)
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- Git for version control
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### Step-by-Step Setup
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1. **Clone the repository**:
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```bash
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git clone <your-strudel-dev-repo-url>
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cd strudel
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```
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2. **Initialize git submodules**:
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```bash
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make submodules-init submodules-update
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```
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This pulls in the official Strudel codebase as a submodule in the `src/` directory.
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3. **Enter the development environment**:
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```bash
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make shell
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```
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This launches a Nix shell with Node.js 20, pnpm, and git pre-configured.
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4. **Install dependencies**:
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```bash
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make install
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```
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This runs `pnpm install` within the Nix environment, ensuring consistent package versions.
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5. **Start the development server**:
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```bash
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make dev
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```
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The Strudel REPL will be available at `http://localhost:5173`.
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## Understanding the Project Structure
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```
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strudel/
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├── src/ # Strudel codebase (git submodule)
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├── AGENTS.md # Guidelines for AI assistants
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├── Makefile # Development shortcuts
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├── flake.nix # Nix development environment
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├── flake.lock # Nix flake lockfile
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└── README.md # This file
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```
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The `src/` directory contains the actual Strudel monorepo as a git submodule. This approach ensures we always work with a specific, tested version of Strudel while keeping our development environment separate.
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## Workflow Mastery with Makefile
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Our Makefile provides a clean interface for all development tasks:
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```bash
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make help # Show all available targets
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make update # Initialize and update git submodules
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make install # Install dependencies
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make dev # Start development server
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make build # Build the project
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make test # Run tests
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make lint # Run linter
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make format # Format code
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make check # Run all checks
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make clean # Clean build artifacts
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make shell # Enter Nix development shell
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```
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Every command automatically runs within the Nix environment, ensuring consistency across different machines and operating systems.
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## Git Submodules: The Right Way
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Working with git submodules can be tricky, but we've established best practices:
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### Common Pitfalls and Solutions
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**Problem**: `git status` shows submodule changes after installing dependencies.
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**Solution**: Dependencies like `node_modules/` are properly ignored in the submodule's `.gitignore`. However, some files may have permission changes during installation (like executable scripts). To handle this:
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```bash
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# Check what changed
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cd src && git status
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# Discard unintended changes
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git submodule foreach git checkout -- .
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# Reset submodule to clean state
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git submodule update --init --recursive
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```
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**Key Principle**: Treat submodules as read-only for local changes. If you need to modify Strudel itself, commit changes to the upstream repository first.
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## AI-Assisted Development: Guidelines for Success
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Our `AGENTS.md` document provides comprehensive guidelines for AI assistants working with Strudel. Here are the critical points:
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### Strudel is NOT JavaScript
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Despite being built with JavaScript, Strudel uses its own pattern-based syntax:
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```javascript
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// ✅ CORRECT - Direct pattern composition
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$: sound("bd*4")
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$: sound("~ sd ~ sd")
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$: sound("hh*8").gain(0.3)
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// ❌ WRONG - JavaScript-style approach
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const kick = sound("bd*4");
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const snare = sound("~ sd ~ sd");
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```
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### Essential Syntax Patterns
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**Parallel Patterns**: Use multiple `$:` lines for simultaneous playback
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**Muting**: Prefix with `_` to silence patterns during live performance
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**Mini-notation**: `"bd ~ sd ~"` for rhythmic patterns
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**Scale-based Composition**: Use `n("0 2 4 6").scale("C:minor")` instead of manual note names
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### Sound Sources and Effects
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```javascript
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// Drum samples
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$: sound("bd sd hh oh")
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// Synthesizers with scales
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$: n("0 2 4 6").scale("C:minor").sound("sawtooth")
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// Live effects
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$: sound("bd*4").lpf(sine.range(200, 2000).slow(8))
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```
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### Live Performance Best Practices
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- Each `$:` line is independently controllable
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- Use `_$:` to mute sections during performance
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- Include modulation for evolving sounds
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- Keep patterns readable for live modification
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## Nix Flake Configuration Deep Dive
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Our `flake.nix` provides a robust development environment:
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```nix
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{
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description = "Strudel development environment";
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inputs = {
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nixpkgs.url = "github:NixOS/nixpkgs/nixos-25.05";
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flake-utils.url = "github:numtide/flake-utils";
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};
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outputs = { self, nixpkgs, flake-utils }:
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flake-utils.lib.eachDefaultSystem (system:
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let
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pkgs = nixpkgs.legacyPackages.${system};
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in
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{
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devShells.default = pkgs.mkShell {
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buildInputs = with pkgs; [
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nodejs_20
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pnpm
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git
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];
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shellHook = ''
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echo "Strudel development environment loaded"
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echo "Node.js: $(node --version)"
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echo "pnpm: $(pnpm --version)"
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'';
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};
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});
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}
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```
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This configuration:
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- Pins Nixpkgs to version 25.05 for reproducibility
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- Provides Node.js 20 and pnpm for package management
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- Includes git for version control operations
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- Shows version information on shell entry
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## Contributing and Best Practices
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When contributing to Strudel development:
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- Follow the guidelines in `AGENTS.md` for AI-assisted work
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- Use lowercase commit messages
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- Ensure all changes pass `make check`
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- Test thoroughly before submitting
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## Troubleshooting Common Issues
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### Submodule Problems
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```bash
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make update # Reinitialize submodules
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```
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### Dependency Issues
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```bash
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make clean && make install # Fresh dependency installation
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```
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### Nix Issues
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Ensure Nix is installed and up-to-date. On Linux:
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```bash
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sh <(curl -L https://nixos.org/nix/install) --daemon
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```
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## The Power of Reproducible Environments
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This Nix-based setup eliminates common development headaches:
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- **Zero configuration drift**: Everyone gets identical environments
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- **Easy onboarding**: New contributors can start coding immediately
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- **Version pinning**: Dependencies are locked to specific versions
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- **Cross-platform compatibility**: Works on Linux, macOS, and Windows (via WSL)
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## Live Coding with Strudel: A Glimpse
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Once set up, you can start creating algorithmic music immediately:
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```javascript
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// Basic beat
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$: sound("bd*4").gain(0.8)
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$: sound("~ sd ~ sd").gain(0.7)
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$: sound("hh*8").gain(0.3)
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// Melodic elements
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$: n("0 ~ 2 ~ 4 ~ 6 ~").scale("C2:minor").sound("sawtooth").lpf(1200)
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$: n("~ 0 ~ 2 ~ 4 ~ 6").scale("C4:minor").sound("piano").room(0.6)
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// Live effects
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_$: sound("bd*4").lpf(sine.range(200, 2000).slow(8)) // muted filter sweep
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```
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## Conclusion
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Setting up a proper development environment for Strudel isn't just about getting code to run—it's about creating a sustainable, collaborative workflow that scales. Our Nix-based approach, combined with careful submodule management and comprehensive guidelines, provides a solid foundation for both individual exploration and team development.
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Whether you're a seasoned live coder or just starting your algorithmic music journey, this environment ensures you can focus on what matters most: creating amazing sounds.
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The Strudel community welcomes contributors at all levels. Check out the [official Strudel website](https://strudel.cc/) and [workshop](https://strudel.cc/workshop/) to learn more, and join us in pushing the boundaries of live coding music!
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---
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*This post is part of our series on reproducible development environments. Stay tuned for more insights into modern software development practices.*
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||||
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ hugo_cache = '/home/tengo/tmp'
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authorwebsite = 'https://www.librete.ch'
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#avatar = '/path/to/avatar'
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contact = 'mailto:hello@librete.ch'
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bio = 'IT-Architekt & Spezialist für Open Source Transformation'
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bio = 'IT-Architect & Specialist for Free and Open Source Transformation'
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subtitle = 'Thoughts on Open Source, Software Engineering & Technology'
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#logo = '/path/to/logo'
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#favicon = '/path/to/favicon'
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