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Path: utzoo!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!ucsd!qualcom.qualcomm.com!maui.qualcomm.com!rdippold
From: rdippold@maui.qualcomm.com (Ron Dippold)
Newsgroups: comp.misc,comp.unix.sysv386,rec.games.video
Subject: Re: SoundBlaster device drivers for 386 unix
Message-ID: <1991Mar11.190908.18492@qualcomm.com>
Date: 11 Mar 91 19:09:08 GMT
References: <1991Mar11.073225.820@ice9.uucp>
Sender: news@qualcomm.com
Distribution: na
Organization: Qualcomm, Inc., San Diego, CA
Lines: 25

In article <1991Mar11.073225.820@ice9.uucp> bgh@ice9.uucp (barry hannigan) writes:
>i was given a demo of a SoundBlaster card yesterday and before i shell for $200
>id like to get a couple of questions answered.

Well, first, you probably shouldn't pay much more than $150 for it, that's the
general discount price for mail order and Soft Warehouse.


>1. how does the card interface to the system? 
>   will making it work under unix involve writing a device driver? 
>   what interrupts are available for use?

It uses ports and interrupts.  You can move the ports around (standard location
is 220H), and the interrupt you can use with it are 7,5,4, and 2 (or 3?  I 
forget).  You can set up the PC to DMA data into the ports, so you can start
it playing and go off to do something else.  You will probably need some sort
of driver to make it work under UNIX.

>2. in general, are they worth the money. the game which prompted this all was 
>   LINKS, a golf simulation.

If you like games, they are worth every penny.  You can't go back to Wing
Commander without the SoundBlaster once you've heard it.  A huge number of the
new games support as well.  Your money also gets you a MIDI port (admittedly
nonstandard) and a game port.