[sdiy] Another new hard to find part....

[Scott Gravenhorst]

"Roy J. Tellason" <rtellason at blazenet.net> wrote:
>On Wednesday 07 July 2004 01:27 pm, Scott Gravenhorst wrote:
>> One big problem I have with Linux is that the support for video systems is
>> sparse compared to M$.  I have 3 boxes that I use as Linux servers, but
>> they won't support the GUI in anything more than the basic SVGA mode, which
>> denies me the full resolution of the video cards.  Three other boxes I have
>> run Windows, and again the video systems aren't supported in full if I
>> wanted to run Linux. To run Linux with the GUI, I'd yet again have to go
>> out and buy either another box, or at least another video system.  What's
>> the point of the free software when I can't use it on the 6 freaking
>> computers I already own?
>
>I don't know what video hardware you have there,  but those cards are the 
>problem,  not the box  and certainly not linux,  which has more DIY support 
>for more different kinds of hardware than anything I've seen.  What brand are 
>they?  I probably want to stay away from them...
>
>> I also don't want to tink around with a kernel that I am not qualified to
>> tink with and could likely break it.
>
>It's not a kernel issue.  Or were you referring to the realtime stuff?  Not a 
>big deal.

To someone who is proficient in C++.  I'm proficient in "soldering iron".  And
I am seriously unqualified to wade through thousands of lines of mysterious
kernel code to identify latency problems.  With soldering, I can reflow, solder
suck, or whatever to fix whatever I screw up.

>
>> As long as I can build analog DIY things, that is better for me than to
>> upgrade what computers I have to run software that I can't modify and
>> therefore am stuck with what others have written and what others believe
>> are good features.  With hardware bits and pieces, I can build whatever I
>> want and need.
>
>Agreed.  Though I'm well on my way there with regard to the computers here.
>
>> And this doesn't touch on the fact that all softsynths depend on the mouse
>> and virtual controls which I find cheesey, quite frankly.  There is
>> something to be said for the tactile nature of a knob.
>
>You'll get absolutely no argument from me on that.  It's a damn shame that 
>this stuff is getting scarcer all the time,  and more expensive too.  Good 
>thing I don't have a problem scrounging parts.  :-)
>
>> "Roy J. Tellason" <rtellason at blazenet.net> wrote:
>> >On Wednesday 07 July 2004 12:37 pm, Scott Gravenhorst wrote:
>> >> Richard Wentk <richard at skydancer.com> wrote:
>> >> >At 17:35 07/07/2004 +0200, Ingo Debus wrote:
>> >> >>Am Dienstag, 06.07.04 um 19:08 Uhr schrieb Richard Wentk:
>> >> >
>> >> >Meanwhile if there were a DIY open source softsynth - something like
>> >> > Csound but with a more intelligent internal design and better
>> >> > interface - a project like that would run and run. Csound is already
>> >> > 25+ years old.
>> >>
>> >> Good question.  The infinite "if".  As you say, Csound is 25+ years old.
>> >> Where is this utopian open source software?
>> >
>> >Your references further along to windoze and m$ lead me to believe that
>> > you haven't looked...
>> >
>> >> The possibility has been here for 25 years.  Why isn't it being done in
>> >> a DIY realm?  Every free softsynth I've tried has sucked for one reason
>> >> or another.
>> >>
>> >> Personally, I think that these things need to start from scratch with an
>> >> operating system that is specifically designed for music generation in
>> >> real time.  Windows is a piece of sh!t.
>> >
>> >You'll certainly get no argument from me on that!
>> >
>> >> Linux is good, but also a general purpose OS.
>> >
>> >So?  It's also quite adaptable to specific uses.
>> >
>> >> This doesn't even touch on the fact that all of this runs on a general
>> >> purpose CPU, not one designed to function as a synth.
>> >
>> >What are you looking for,  an OS that runs on a DSP?
>> >
>> >> So I'm back making circuits that do music and don't crash and need a
>> >> reboot because of some stupid memory leak, poorly written driver or any
>> >> of the other tens of thousands of bugs in every version of Windoze that
>> >> Microsoft admits to and declares no intention of fixing.
>> >
>> >I have *one* box here that runs m$,  and that's only 98,  and it's mostly
>> > used by my grandkids to play games on,  and not much else.
>> >
>> >I'm typing this on a linux workstation,  which has the "mail folders"
>> > living on a server.  I'm still getting things together with regard to nfs
>> > and networking in general.  Your post comes to me (and my reply to you
>> > goes out) through yet another linux box,  that one being my
>> > firewall/router,  that I built out of an old 386dx40!  And it all words
>> > just fine,  and transparently.
>> >
>> >If your concern is bloat,  then there are lightweight versions of things
>> > like window managers and such out there.
>> >
>> >If your concern is too much junk in the OS,  then leave out what you don't
>> >want/need,  but be prepared to spend a little time understanding what
>> > you're doing,  and don't expect to accomplish this with distros that hold
>> > your hand and use package managers.
>> >
>> >If your concern is realtime response,  there are enhancements to the basic
>> >kernel that accomodate this need -- they're in use right now as a way of
>> >running CNC machines,  which require some fairly good realtime response, a
>> >"crash" on one of those (or missed steps,  or whatever) can have
>> > consequences a whole lot worse than something sounding bad!
>> >
>> >Log on to freshmeat.net sometime.  If you register you'll then have the
>> >ability to tell it to ignore stuff that doesn't interst you.  Check in
>> > from day to day,  and see what all is going on -- it's a LOT,  actually.
>>
>> ---------------------------------------------------------
>> - Where merit is not rewarded, excellence fades.
>> - Hydrogen is pointless without solar.
>> - What good are laws that only lawyers understand?
>> - The media's credibility should always be questioned.
>> - The only good terrorist is a dead terrorist.
>> - Governments do nothing well, save collect taxes.
>>
>> -- Scott Gravenhorst | LegoManiac / Lego Trains / RIS 1.5
>> -- Linux Rex         | RedWebMail by RedStarWare
>> -- FatMan: home1.gte.net/res0658s/FatMan/
>> -- NonFatMan: home1.gte.net/res0658s/electronics/
>> -- Autodidactic Master of Arcane and Hidden Knowledge.
>

---------------------------------------------------------
- Where merit is not rewarded, excellence fades.
- Hydrogen is pointless without solar.
- What good are laws that only lawyers understand?
- The media's credibility should always be questioned.
- The only good terrorist is a dead terrorist.
- Governments do nothing well, save collect taxes.

-- Scott Gravenhorst | LegoManiac / Lego Trains / RIS 1.5
-- Linux Rex         | RedWebMail by RedStarWare
-- FatMan: home1.gte.net/res0658s/FatMan/
-- NonFatMan: home1.gte.net/res0658s/electronics/
-- Autodidactic Master of Arcane and Hidden Knowledge.