Baslinux mailing list

[sindi keesan <keesan AT sdf.lonestar.org>]

> > I may give up on this computer and wait for the return of our spare
> > working 450MHz computer - an architect friends needed something to run XP
> > on - she has to use a data acquisition board for which only XP software
> > was written, to analyze various test walls with air conditioning (in a
> > heated garage).
>
> a data logger whose software was only written for XP? ... i find that
> hard to believe since all XP is - is windows 2000 in 'playskool'
> clothing... granted that it has better compatibility with win98
> software but if thats the dataloggers reason for needing XP then it
> would run on 98 as well... ohh and also... if that is the reason; it
> will run on windows 95B (OSR2) too... just install ie6 directx8 and
> the usb update (all available from microsoft) and you just turned
> win95 into win98....

I passed along this information, thanks.
Do you have a way to use a Win98SE install disk to upgrade Win98FE? 
Someone just asked how to upgrade FE to SE, they could only find 3.1/95 to 
98SE upgrades (which I told them would work with FE too).  We are trying 
to help someone get her Win98SE to work with the 'upgraded' university 
mail program.  They insist you need 2000.  We may switch her to BL3.



> the soundblasters gameport and midi port are electrically seperate...
> they just share pins on the same port... think of it like putting two
> serial ports on the same port.... they are seperate ports as far as
> the computer/software is concerned but the pins are all in the same
> connector... installing 'gameport' just lets you use a joystick...

I know it is not just a kernel or module problem since DOS also plays 
silently, but this is helpful to know.

> > > shouldnt need to set the volume all the way to max just to hear
> > > anything... check your speakers... make sure nothing is being shorted
> > > out...
> >
> > The speakers worked fine with SB16 card.  Maybe the ESS card has a bad
> > onboard amp.  I have a twin to it but the line in is physically broken.
>
> or a weak onboard amp.... the SB16 has a 4watt amp on its 'speaker
> out' connector... even the line level connector on newer sb16s has
> more oomph than the average card... try a different set of speakers...

I have noticed that all SB16 cards are loud.  I will try a different 
computer with free ISA slots since these speakers are small and sound 
okay.  Someone is bringing us a 400MHz Compaq soon.  Or the ES1370 and 
ES1371 PCI cards if I can fix the IDE controller problem on this computer 
with a controller card.

> > > http://timidity.sourceforge.net/
> >
> > That won't get me external midi playing, and I don't need it if I have
> > AWE.
>
> but it'll work if you have neither...
You mean with SBlive cards?

> > > playmidi -r is for realtime note display...
> >
> > I know.  Why would it segfault?  That leads me to believe there is some
> > motherboard incompatibility with linux and sound.
>
> sounds more to me like a bad compile or memory problems... if it
> doesnt segfault without using -r then its not sound thats the
> problem... its graphics...

IBM 9" mono greyscale VGA monitor - would color work better?
Same software works elsewhere, has to be hardware.  memtest was happy.
Standard S3 video but I could try a different video card, thanks.
Why would FM synthesis not work on two SB cards in linux, but works in 
DOS?  I may need CTCM/CTCU, but the computer I was going to copy it from 
(hard drive that was working with AWE64) no longer finds its IDE drives. 
I can try a completely jumpered SB Pro card.

First we need to dig and plant the garden.

> >   playmidi -4 is for 'four
> > > operator' fm synthesis patches (OPL3 chips only) playmidi -f is the
> > > default 'two operator' fm synth patches (OPL2 chips)...
> >
> > Thanks, they both sound like a kazoo to me.  Should the first sound
> > better?
>
> playmidi -4 should sound slightly better... the problem is that when
> using 4-op there are less channels to use so some notes -will- be
> dropped...
>
> btw, the FM synthesis chips were never intended to play general
> midi... ill upload some files later to show you what the OPL3 is
> really capable of...
Thanks.

> >   playmidi -e
> > > should send note data out of a SB16s midi/joystick port tho i dont
> > > give any guarantees on that... (make sure the MPU-401 is set-up...
> > > thats the external port)
> >
> > How would I 'set it up'?
> > Do I need to specify io -
> > insmod sb ..... mpu_io=330?
>
> its a seperate module; mpu401.o

That should help!  I will try it on the computer where AWE works.

> > > > DOS programs play FM synthesized midi.  In DOS or linux if I try to play
>
> forgot about one.... goto www.cubic.org/player download it and the
> 'gus patches'... regardless of what soundcard you have you will get
> wavetable midi...
>
> > > > midi on an external device it looks like something is happening but I hear
> > > > nothing.
> > >
> > > make sure that in whatever midi program you are using that the data is
> > > being sent to the 'MPU-401'
> >
> > How would I do that in DOS?  I think I should start with a computer that
> > does not segfault with playmidi -r.  I have four DOS programs that should
> > play to external midi device now.  That is the only sort of midi they
> > play, and there is no sound.
>
> did ctcm set the port up properly? (look at the blaster string) are
> the dos programs sending data to the right port? is your keyboard
> general midi? or is it just a piano?

I don't have CTCM on that computer yet.  I should move over my working AWE 
computer (I hope it works - just replaced the motherboard when the old IDE 
controller stopped working as did the controller card) and try that (with 
mpu401.o) on the Yamaha Clavinova piano.  Does the piano use general midi 
format?

The DOS programs (all four) are supposed to be sending to the MIDI port, 
that is the only MIDI format that handle.  I may need ctcm to specify port 
address (330 or 300).
> > We don't but could maybe improvise something.  I put three other cables
> > together to make a midi extension cable (one or more were for apple
> > monitors).  That might work.  The piano is elsehwere, can't look now.
The extension cable is not DIN but gameport-shaped.

> > However there is no way to turn off 'local echo'.  This is an electronic
> > piano from 1986, an early Yamaha Clavinova.  If I plug in the headphones
> > no sound comes out the large speakers - would that help?

> no... plugging in headphones doesnt turn off the internal synth....
> turning off local echo would turn the keyboard into a silent
> controller.... see if there is -some- way to direct the midi to the
> midi out port without the keyboard itself making noise... but not by

No other controls - brightness or volume.  I use brightness to turn down 
the bass when using the built-in speakers (they are bass reflex and sound 
too boomy) and to turn up the bass when using headphones.

> plugging in headphones or turning the volume down.... because that
> cable trick would act as an external loopback.... to see if the ports
> work... sorta like a serial port loopback plug... the midi data would
> go out the 'out' port silently then come back in the 'in' port causing
> the keyboard to make noise thinking it was getting midi data from
> somewhere else...

We would need to take apart the black box to rebuild it.

> also... if this keyboard is not 'general midi' compatible you arent
> going to get any sound from a computer because its not sending correct
> data for the keyboard... there are 0 track (1 track) and 16 track midi
> files.... you may need something to do translation to one format or
> the other to get the keyboard to work...

Do you know if Yamaha Clavinova is GM compatible?
1986 model.
For piano I probably only need 1 track.

> >

> > Actually DOS FM synthesis works, linux FM synthesis does not, playmidi -r
> > segfaults, and DOS and linux playmidi -e play silently.  Someone returned
> > our other spare 200MHz computer because serial and PS/2 ports don't work -
> > irrelevant to this purpose.
>
> but those ports use interrupts.... if they arent working right then
> you might have some IRQ hiccups... even if you disable the serial
> ports and mouse ps2 port the keyboard ps2 port is still working...

We have had dead serial ports lots of times before, that got hit by 
lightning with modem attached.  You just disable them onboard and plug in 
an I/O card and they work fine.  Keyboard uses the larger DIN plug.

> > We have Windows 98 on a computer - I could try playing external midi with
> > it.
>
> choose 'external device' or mpu-401 (i cant remember exactly what it
> says) in the multimedia control panel and put a check in the box for
> 'use preferred devices only' to make sure it uses the external port...

Thanks.  Finally, a use for the Win98 (FE>SE) laptop that appears to have 
dead PCMCIA slots so cannot be used with 32-bit wireless card.  I will try 
this first before trying to get DOS and linux to play to the piano.


> > The 233MHz cpu probably does not like 75MHz bus speeds, but memtest is now
> > happy with 3x66MHz.  It was designed for 3.5x.
>
> why not use 3.5 then?

We got the 233MHz from a dead board.
This board came with 133MHz cpu and only goes to 3.0 so we tried 3.0 x 75.

> > > > My partner wants people to know that you can fix clogged nozzles in Epson
> > > > Stylus and C80 printers by forcing air through with a syringe.  These are
> > > > built into the printer, not the cartridge, so there are lots of free
> > > > printers around.  Ghostscript supports the former, as does netpbm in mono.
> > >
> > > wiping the print head with a cottonball dipped in alcohol works too...
> >
> > Internal printhead?  Some of the nozzles have clogged again now.  I will
> > suggest he use alcohol.
>
> just wipe them till they look new.... no stuck-on ink-gunk.... be

The nozzles are buried inside the printer.  He would have to disassemble 
it.

> prepared to use more than one cotton ball depending on how gummed up
> they are... also be prepared to wear the ink for a while (it doesnt
> wash off too well)
It sticks to formica well too.  Best to work at a stainless steel sink.

> > We are still printing with Win98 and I hate it -
> > every photo I have to uncheck 'fill page' in two boxes, then change 94% to
> > 100%, standard to maximum, change all the margins, speed to quality, and
> > it keeps reverting to defaults between photos.
>
> windows seems to have cases of amnesia like this... might be the
> registry... there is a dos mode program that comes with win98 that can
> check the registry for errors... cant remember what its called tho...
> what software are you using to print the photos?

Win98SE, the driver we installed from CD.  When I click on the file to be 
printed and choose print, it takes us to Photo something or other.
Same program we used to download photos from a Yahoo toy camera.

> there -is- a windows port of the gimp.... might want to look into it...
Thanks, that sounds less annoying.

> also... goto www.annoyances.org and download a program called 'ie-off'
> ... they will warn you that changes in windows may make the now quite
> old ie-off not work properly but it still does.... it will 'gut'
> internet explorer out of the shell... makes 98 much nicer to work
> with...

Or we could install SW10.2, which has the driver for this printer, if we 
can get the thing to stop clogging.  Or take the memory card to K-Mart and 
pay them 25 cents per print to give copies of photos to people without 
computers (we know two).

> also since windows 98 has reached the end of its lifespan goto
> www.windizupdate.com (thats not a typo/mispelling on my part... its a
> real site) with firefox (not internet explorer)... install the plugin
> and you can get security updates and various fixes for win98 and 95..
> updates microsoft doesnt care to keep up with... works with other
> windows versions too...

We know several people still trying to use it and will let them know.
Nice to know there is a site that is NOT IE compatible.

> > > > Did Creative make any PCI SB16 cards?
> > >
> > > yes but they used ESS chips... so technically they werent SB16
> > > cards... they were only sb16 compatible and that was only if the
> > > creative dos drivers were installed...
> >
> > Do you mean first install the DOS drivers before you use them in linux?  I
> > have to do this anyway to play AWE (ctcu/ctcm).
>
> have you ever installed a 'vesa tsr' to get a video card to work as

UNIVESA, to get 256 colors

> something more than a standard vga in dos? the sb16pci drivers are the
> same idea.... they provide a function in dos using virtual interrupts
> and various other tricks... remember... linux is its own OS... its not
> a shell for dos(like win3.1 and to a lesser extent 9x/me)... the
> functionality a vesa tsr or soundcard driver would provide to dos apps
> wont do anything for linux.... and in fact... may cause problems...
> the less that is in config.sys and autoexec.bat the better for
> linux...

> now.... ctcm/ctcu is different... what these programs do is search for
> a creative labs PnP soundcard and set it up... basically its a
> software version of hardware jumpers... just what PnP was intended to
> be... no emulation layer is installed... in fact... ctcm/ctcu dont
> even stay in memory.. they run... do their thing.. and leave...
> leaving the card in a usable state... just as if the card had hardware
> jumperes...

I have some 3COM ethernet cards for which you run a DOS program that 
leaves the ports and IRQs etc set permanently, rather than needing to run 
it each time you boot.  I wish SB had done this for pnp cards when they 
got too cheap to include jumpers.

> look for the linux isapnp tools.... using those you wont even need
> ctcm/ctcu....

I tried using isapnp tools and it was much more complicated.  I boot with 
loadlin anyway because I still use DOS half the time (to go online more 
quickly to my unix-type shell account, and for wordprocessing, and a 
database program which exists in linux version but backspace does not 
work).

> as far as the sb16pci goes... there are oss modules for linux that
> support this card using its -real- chipset... not a software emulation
> of another chipset...

Thanks again, Sam.

Homework for the next rainy day:

1.  Win98SE laptop with the Yamaha piano as external device or mpu-401.
2.  If it does not work, investigate GM for 1986 Clavinova (do I need a 
program to convert to 1-track for the piano).
3.  If it does work, copy CTCU/CTCM to DOS, then external midi.
Or use the SBPro without pnp.  Does 8-bit midi sound worse than 16-bit?
4.  If DOS plays to the piano, insmod mpu401.o - do I need to specify the 
io=0x300 or 0x330 for mpu401.o?  Or mpu_io=0x300 for sb.o?
5.  Change to a color VGA monitor for playmidi -r.

Thanks again, Sam

Sindi