diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index dfbfbba..472a8aa 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -13,14 +13,14 @@ if (WIN32) # windows 11 x86_64
     set_target_properties(RtAudio::rtaudio PROPERTIES
         IMPORTED_LOCATION "${RtAudio_ROOT}/bin/rtaudio.dll"
         IMPORTED_IMPLIB "${RtAudio_ROOT}/lib/rtaudio.lib"
-        INTERFACE_INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES "${RtAudio_ROOT}/include/rtaudio"
+        INTERFACE_INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES "${RtAudio_ROOT}/include"
     )
     
     add_library(RtMidi::rtmidi SHARED IMPORTED)
     set_target_properties(RtMidi::rtmidi PROPERTIES
         IMPORTED_LOCATION "${RtMidi_ROOT}/bin/rtmidi.dll"
         IMPORTED_IMPLIB "${RtMidi_ROOT}/lib/rtmidi.lib"
-        INTERFACE_INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES "${RtMidi_ROOT}/include/rtmidi"
+        INTERFACE_INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES "${RtMidi_ROOT}/include"
     )
 
     add_library(yaml-cpp SHARED IMPORTED)
@@ -31,14 +31,13 @@ if (WIN32) # windows 11 x86_64
     )
     
 else() # debian 12 x86_64
-    #find_package(PkgConfig REQUIRED)
-    #pkg_check_modules(RTAUDIO REQUIRED rtaudio)
-    #pkg_check_modules(RTMIDI REQUIRED rtmidi)
-    #pkg_check_modules(YAMLCPP REQUIRED yaml-cpp)
 
-    find_package(rtaudio)
-    find_package(rtmidi)
-    find_package(yaml-cpp)
+    find_package(RtAudio REQUIRED)
+    find_package(RtMidi REQUIRED)
+    find_package(yaml-cpp REQUIRED)
+
+    get_target_property(RTMIDI_INCLUDES RtMidi::rtmidi INTERFACE_INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES)
+    message(STATUS "RtMidi includes: ${RTMIDI_INCLUDES}")
 
 endif()
 
@@ -95,20 +94,17 @@ target_include_directories(metabolus PRIVATE
     ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/src/ui/widgets
 )
 
+# some extra cross platform business
 if (WIN32)
-
     target_compile_options(metabolus PUBLIC "/Zc:__cplusplus")
-
-    target_link_libraries(metabolus
-        PRIVATE
-            RtAudio::rtaudio
-            RtMidi::rtmidi
-            yaml-cpp
-            Qt6::Widgets
-    )
-
-else() 
-    target_include_directories(metabolus PRIVATE ${RTAUDIO_INCLUDE_DIRS} ${RTMIDI_INCLUDE_DIRS} ${YAMLCPP_INCLUDE_DIRS})
-    target_link_libraries(metabolus PRIVATE Qt6::Widgets ${RTAUDIO_LIBRARIES} ${RTMIDI_LIBRARIES} ${YAMLCPP_LIBARIES})
+else()
     target_compile_options(metabolus PRIVATE ${RTAUDIO_CFLAGS_OTHER})
 endif()
+
+target_link_libraries(metabolus
+    PRIVATE
+        RtAudio::rtaudio
+        RtMidi::rtmidi
+        yaml-cpp
+        Qt6::Widgets
+)
diff --git a/scripts/build.sh b/scripts/build.sh
index f9cb0f1..2df08c2 100755
--- a/scripts/build.sh
+++ b/scripts/build.sh
@@ -1,4 +1,16 @@
 
-cmake -S . -B build -G Ninja \
-    -DCMAKE_PREFIX_PATH=build/lib
+PROJECT_ROOT=${PWD}
+BUILD_DIR=${PROJECT_ROOT}/build
+LIB_ROOT=${BUILD_DIR}/lib
+
+# libraries
+RTAUDIO_ROOT=${LIB_ROOT}/rtaudio
+RTMIDI_ROOT=${LIB_ROOT}/rtmidi
+YAMLCPP_ROOT=${LIB_ROOT}/yaml-cpp
+
+cmake -S . -B ${BUILD_DIR} -G Ninja \
+    -DRtAudio_DIR="${RTAUDIO_ROOT}/share/rtaudio" \
+    -DRtMidi_DIR="${RTMIDI_ROOT}/share/rtmidi" \
+    -Dyaml-cpp_DIR="${YAMLCPP_ROOT}/lib/cmake/yaml-cpp" 
+
 cmake --build build
diff --git a/scripts/install_dependencies.sh b/scripts/install_dependencies.sh
index c4dd991..e4b99c2 100755
--- a/scripts/install_dependencies.sh
+++ b/scripts/install_dependencies.sh
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ mkdir ${BUILD_LIB_DIR}/rtmidi -p
 cd ${PROJECT_ROOT}/lib/rtmidi
 cmake -S . -B build -G Ninja \
     -DRTMIDI_BUILD_SHARED_LIBS=ON \
+    -DRTMIDI_API_ALSA=ON \
     -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release
 cmake --build build
 cmake --install build --prefix ${BUILD_LIB_DIR}/rtmidi
diff --git a/src/MidiController.cpp b/src/MidiController.cpp
index e2aee4e..9cccfcd 100644
--- a/src/MidiController.cpp
+++ b/src/MidiController.cpp
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 
 MidiController::MidiController(NoteQueue& queue) : noteQueue_(queue) {
     try {
-        midiIn_ = std::make_unique<RtMidiIn>();
+        midiIn_ = std::make_unique<RtMidiIn>(RtMidi::LINUX_ALSA);
         midiIn_->ignoreTypes(false, false, false);
     } catch (RtMidiError& e) {
         std::cout << "RtMidi init failed: " << e.getMessage() << std::endl;
@@ -18,14 +18,23 @@ MidiController::~MidiController() {
     close();
 }
 
-// this dont work too well but whatever
+// open the first for thats successful
 bool MidiController::openDefaultPort() {
     if (!midiIn_) return false;
     if (midiIn_->getPortCount() == 0) {
         std::cout << "No MIDI input ports available" << std::endl;
         return false;
     }
-    return openPort(0);
+
+    uint32_t portCount = midiIn_->getPortCount();
+    std::cout << "Available MidiIn ports: " << portCount << std::endl;
+    for (int i = 0; i < portCount; i++) {
+        std::cout << "#" << i << " : " << midiIn_->getPortName(i) << std::endl;
+
+        if(openPort(i)) return true;
+    }
+
+    return false;
 }
 
 bool MidiController::openPort(unsigned int index) {
@@ -37,6 +46,7 @@ bool MidiController::openPort(unsigned int index) {
         std::cout << "Opened MIDI port: " << midiIn_->getPortName(index) << std::endl;
         return true;
     } catch (RtMidiError& e) {
+        std::cout << "Midi Port error" << std::endl;
         std::cerr << e.getMessage() << std::endl;
         return false;
     }
diff --git a/src/MidiController.h b/src/MidiController.h
index dccad7e..11d7b78 100644
--- a/src/MidiController.h
+++ b/src/MidiController.h
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 
 #pragma once
 
-#include <RtMidi.h>
+#include <rtmidi/RtMidi.h>
 #include <memory>
 #include "NoteQueue.h"
 #include <unordered_set>
diff --git a/src/ui/MainWindow.cpp b/src/ui/MainWindow.cpp
index 4867b8e..7fcb343 100644
--- a/src/ui/MainWindow.cpp
+++ b/src/ui/MainWindow.cpp
@@ -115,7 +115,8 @@ MainWindow::MainWindow(QWidget *parent) :
 
     // midi
 #ifndef _WIN32
-    midi_.openPort(1); // TODO: error check
+    //midi_.openDefaultPort(); // TODO: error check
+    midi_.openPort(1);
 #endif
 
 }