OSS 4.0 - how to get MIDI working

[marcdw]

Just installed 4.0 on Solaris 10. I can't figure out how to get MIDI working via
external MIDI device.

KDE won't show any MIDI devices in its setup.
I'd rather use hardware MIDI than stuff like timidity.

I do remember that with older 3.9x versions trying to use MIDI would lockup
the system.

Also, the package includes no documentation (READMEs) as in the
previous versions. Manpages yes but some, like midiloop and midimix are
actually empty. Also no sndkit stuff.

$ uname -a
SunOS Solar10E 5.10 Generic_Patch_118844-30 i86pc i386 i86pc

Marc

P.S. Ach, almost forgot,
Nvidia nForce2
In the BIOS/CMOS MIDI is set to IRQ 5, Interrupt 330

[dev]

Just installed 4.0 on Solaris 10. I can't figure out how to get MIDI working via
external MIDI device.

KDE won't show any MIDI devices in its setup.
I'd rather use hardware MIDI than stuff like timidity.

I do remember that with older 3.9x versions trying to use MIDI would lockup
the system.

Also, the package includes no documentation (READMEs) as in the
previous versions. Manpages yes but some, like midiloop and midimix are
actually empty. Also no sndkit stuff.

$ uname -a
SunOS Solar10E 5.10 Generic_Patch_118844-30 i86pc i386 i86pc

Marc

P.S. Ach, almost forgot,
Nvidia nForce2
In the BIOS/CMOS MIDI is set to IRQ 5, Interrupt 330

Use timidity to play MIDI. The midi port supported in the Nforce2 is the Hardware midi port - do you have a midi keyboard or synth?.


regards
Dev

[marcdw]

Use timidity to play MIDI. The midi port supported in the Nforce2 is the Hardware midi port - do you have a midi keyboard or synth?.

Since I have a hardware midi port I'd like to use that instead of timidity.
There's a Korg synth module hooked up to the port for playback.

I noticed there's no soundconf utility or something similar with OSS 4.0.
Is it no longer possible to make changes/tweak things as before?

BTW, I now get nice loud sound with this release of OSS. No major problems
though I had the OS reboot on me twice when making a change in KDE's
sound configuration. I guess it didn't like being told to use /dev/dsp3.

Marc

Oh, forgot to mention I'm using beta 156.

[marcdw]

Okay, I need to revisit this MIDI thing. I have hardware MIDI and would like to
be able to use it. Sound via an external MIDI synth module.
None of this Timidity stuff.

In the past up to the present (v4.0 b158) MIDI just doesn't seem to be there or
usable. With 3.9x MIDI was always set to some I/O settings that weren't mine
and I couldn't seem to change anything. I tried, via soundconf, to setup a separate
MPU401 but...
With 4.0b15x there seems to be no configuration stuff so I have to go with what
I'm given. Not sure what the ossusb module is for or why it's loaded.

The problem seems that anytime I do anything regarding MIDI I get a lockup or
a reboot. With 3.9x any attempt at using ossmplay would lock up the machine.
Today, using KDE, I see that no MIDI devices are listed in the sound setup.
Using the arts server utility I try to assign MIDI ports. Choosing Add it shows
/dev/midi by default. Choosing that or anything else such as /dev/midi00 would
reboot the machine.

I just don't understand why getting MIDI to work is such a difficult thing.
As old as MIDI, and OSS, is you'd think enabling MIDI would be a no-brainer.
Guess there's more to it, eh?

Solaris 10 x86
OSS v4.0-158
nForce2 MCP
MIDI is IRQ 5, Interrupt 330h

Marc