SuperCollider for the Remote Server

SuperCollider is per default built with Qt and X for GUI elements and the ScIde. This can be a problem when running it on a remote server without a persistent SSH connection and starting it as a system service. However, for service reasons a version with full GUI support is a useful tool. One solution is to compile and install both versions and make them selectable via symbolic links:

  1. build and standard-install a full version of SuperCollider

  2. build a headless version of SuperCollider (without system install)

  3. replace the following binaries in /usr/bin with symbolic links to the headless version

    • scsynth

    • sclang

    • supernova

  4. create scripts for changing the symlink targets

This allows you to redirect the symlinks to the GUI version for development and testing whereas they point to the headless version otherwise.

Compiling a Headless SC

The SC Linux build instructions are very detailed: https://github.com/supercollider/supercollider/blob/develop/README_LINUX.md Compiling it without all graphical components is straightforward. Simply add the flags NO_X11=ON and -DSC_QT=OFF for building a headless version of SuperCollider.