[Agnula-Users] Re: [linux-audio-dev] Request to audio related LiveCD packagers

[Jens M Andreasen]

On ons, 2004-05-05 at 10:05, Andrea Glorioso wrote:
> >>>>> "Tom" == Tom Kerswill <tomkerswill at f2s.com> writes:
> 
>     > As a musician and user of the software, I think that it is more
>     > important to get maximum useability and practicallity out of the
>     > software. At the moment most musicians are paying for Microsoft
>     > Windows software, because there is not an alternative that
>     > supports their hardware. That's the most pressing problem.  If
>     > there are free alternatives in development, then use them, but
>     > if there is no alternative, then it is most important to support
>     > a wide range of equipment and reach as many potential users as
>     > possible.
> 
> Tom,  please notice that this  is a matter  of distribution.  The fact
> that A/DeMuDi doesn't come  with  the firmware  doesn't mean the  user
> can't simply  download  the firmware  itself (not  that I particularly
> like this solution).

Scenario "Meeting with the Producer"
------------------------------------

The producer shows up at his favourite café with a laptop, and together
we borrow a USB keyboard from the nearby music-store. Installing Linux
on his harddisk is out of the question, but the live-CD boots nicely
into the familiar X Window System. 

- Wow, fantastic! I had no idea this was possible. 
- Now please show me whatever it was you had on your mind.

- Just a minute, there is no sound yet ...

There is no sound and there will never be, because his soundcard (listed
as "Linux compatible") needs initialisation by firmware. The USB
keyboard, as it happens also a common brand, needs firmware
initialisation too ...

- That's really an "impressive" little system you've got yourself there!
- If you wan't to, you can borrow my Windows install CD?

- Ehrmm ... yes, I know, but really, ehrmm ... How to explain ... 
- It worked at home! 
- Promise!!
- We could try to fix it by connecting to the Internet, yes?

- ???


End of session with free software.

> 
> Of course  this can't be  done on the Live CD  until you install it on
> the hard disk (if you  feel like doing it) but  then again I very much
> doubt  you can do serious low-latency  work directly from CD - anybody
> correct me if I'm wrong.

Once your setup is up and running, you won't need the CD very much
anymore. Softsynths, sequencers and samplers lives on the heap. 

Data for configuration and saving your work, would probably live on a
diskette or a USB drive.

/jens

> bye,
> 
> --
> Andrea Glorioso                      andrea.glorioso at agnula.org
> AGNULA Technical Manager                 http://www.agnula.org/
> M: +39 333 820 5723                     F: +39 (0)51 930 31 133
>       "Libre Audio, Libre Video, Libre Software: AGNULA"