[linux-audio-user] Nasty MIDI bug (System Crash)

[Jos Laake]

Hi y'all,

I've found a really nasty MIDI bug, and I'm not sure who it
belongs to, so I'm posting it here.  Here's what I've got:

I'm running - CCRMA Kernel (Version 2.4.26-1)
             - ALSA         (Version 1.0.4-1)
             - JACK         (Version 0.98.1)
             - Qjackctl     (Version 0.2.8)


The soundcard I'm invoking is an ESS Maestro-1 using the
'snd-es1968' ALSA driver.

So, I finally found my midi cable, and I hooked it up between
my Roland Digital Piano HP 5600 and the soundcard.  Fired up
JACK via 'qjackctl'.  Everything working thus far.  Fired up
Hydrogen.  Then I selected the MIDI tab in 'Qjackctl' and
went to add a connection between Hydrogen and the MIDI input
and... *BAM*  My system froze, I mean completely froze up,
no mouse, no keyboard, no ctl-alt-delete, no luck.  I had to
"hit the red button" to get it back.

I did some other testing, and it seems it doesn't matter what
I try to connect the input to.  As soon as I connect it, the
system freezes tighter than rusted lug nuts.

The simplest test that will reproduce it is to start up
'qjackctl' and connect the ESS card's MIDI input to its
MIDI output.  As soon as I click on connect, it freezes.

So... Heeeelp!  Any ideas?  Kinda sounds like an ALSA driver
problem to me. (snd-es1968)  My other card doesn't do MIDI,
so I don't have a way to narrow it down any further.  I'm
really not much of a driver writer, so I'm tossing this one
out here to see if anybody knows what's up with this thang?

Eagerly awaiting any responses...

Peace,
~Jos~