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From: brians@eecs.cs.pdx.edu (Brian Smith)
Newsgroups: comp.music
Subject: Re: SoundBlaster under UNIX [was Re: doing midi on a Unix box]
Message-ID: <2810@pdxgate.UUCP>
Date: 5 Jun 91 18:22:24 GMT
References: <16262@helios.TAMU.EDU> <283D0BEF.6122@marob.uucp> <10869@chorus.fr>
Sender: news@pdxgate.UUCP
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mir@opera.chorus.fr (Adam Mirowski) writes:
>In article <283D0BEF.6122@marob.uucp>, fredg@marob.uucp (Fred Goldrich) writes:
>>
>> 	I am running a 486 machine with a SoundBlaster board.  When I boot
>> it up under DOS, the SB works flawlessly.  However, I usually run Interactive
>> UNIX on it -- does anyone know how I can access the SB in that mode?  (And
>> preferably not under VP/ix.)

If you install the VP/ix configuration package, you can install the SB as a
DDA.  Unfortunately, this only works for the FM chips, which aren't really
that spiffy.  If you can't figure out how to do this, send me email.

>I have sourced CT-VOICE.DRV and also have the source for
>a simpler driver that plays straight 8-bit data (I don't
>have the SDK).

>As the driver used both interrupts, I/O and DMA, you would
>probably need a couple of weeks to create a UNIX device
>driver.
Yep, I just wrote one.  The hardest part was getting any documentation.  I
finally had to spend many $'s buying manuals from AT&T.  The SoundBlaster
manuals, while not really complete or grammatical sufficed.  The DSP stuff
was easy, the FM chips were more complicated.  I don't have the C/MS chips.

You can get the driver in comp.sources.misc, I just posted it there.  It
also includes some user apps to play and record samples.  CMF files are
really buggered, so I only included a program which mostly interprets them.
I don't think that CMF files are important anyway.  It is mainly there to
show how to drive the FM chips.  Axel-f plays OK.  There is no support
for the "midi" port on the SB.  I don't have the equipment to test it.

Brian

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