Getting Started
---------------

0) Requires the following software :

	LASH - http://lash.nongnu.org
	JACK - http://jackit.sf.net
	WINE - http://www.winehq.org
	VST SDK (see next step)
		
   These packages are required, you will not be able to build
   the FST system without them (and their devel packages).

1) Download Steinberg's VST SDK, currently available here : 

	http://ygrabit.steinberg.de/~ygrabit/public_html/index.html

   or possibly here instead :

	http://www.steinberg.de/324+M54a708de802.html

   It's been known to move about in the past. Also, you must agree 
   to Steinberg's non-free licensing terms - that's how it is, sorry.

   Note that you'll select the SDK version after reading the Steinberg 
   license. Download version 2.3.

2) Unzip the SDK package into the FST directory.

3) Type 'make'. If everything works correctly this should create an 
   executable file named fst and a shared library named fst.exe.so.

4) To run your VST plugins :

	Start your JACK server.
	Start LASH (lashd).
	Enter the FST directory and run this command :

		./fst /path/to/someplugin.dll

	If your plugin zombifies at start-up try running it with the -r option :

        	./fst -r /path/to/someplugin.dll
	
	Set up the JACK audio/MIDI inputs and outputs (with QJackCtl, 
	jack_connect, Patchage, etc).
   
5) Optional: To build Ardour 0.99.x with FST support :
   
   Copy the SC* files from the Ardour directory into your Ardour build 
   path, then compile Ardour with these options :

	scons VST=1 VSTPATH=/path/to/compiled/fst

Further notes
------------

According to the original README this software "... interprets transport info 
correctly". [JACK transport or ... ?]

Lars Luthman advises that you can set JACK_START_SERVER and LASH_START_SERVER in 
your environment to eliminate the need to manually start JACK and LASH before 
running the fst program (or any other JACK/LASH application).

Ismael Valladolid Torres notes that the fst.exe.so shared object library must be in 
the same dir as fst. FST currently does not include a 'make install' step, so you 
must either run the fst binary from the fst-x.x directory or copy the binary and the 
fst.exe.so library to a common place in your PATH, e.g. /usr/local/bin/.

If your plugin zombifies at start-up try running it with the -r option :

	./fst -r /path/to/someplugin.dll

Torben Hohn has written that there appears to be a bug in WINE that prevents 
simultaneous startup of fst instances when a LASH project is restored. The problem
can be avoided by having a persistent wineserver running, so just start 'wineserver -p' 
before reloading a LASH project.

[Any other flags or switches ?]

Please report problems, solutions, comments, criticisms, and anything else related 
to FST on the Linux Audio Users mail list.

License
-------

FST is licensed under the GNU General Public License version 2. See file 'COPYING' 
for details.


Authors/Contributors
----------------------

Torben Hohn, Paul Davis, Kjetil Matheussen, Joe Button, and some other guy (sorry, 
no time to find your name now, it's in the source somewhere).

This document was written originally by Torben Hohn. 
It was revised on 15 June 2006 by DLP.