[linux-audio-user] suggestions for USB/serial/PCMCIA MIDI interfaces ?

[Emiliano Grilli]

lunedì, 04 ottobre 2004 alle 19:39:57, Pedro Lopez-Cabanillas ha scritto:
> On Monday 04 October 2004, Emiliano Grilli wrote:
> > > > I have no direct experience of devices that require firmware, but I
> > > > recall a thread earlier this year on the agnula-user mailing list
> > > > discussing the opportunity of distributing the firmwares, and if
> > > > those firmwares were "proprietary software" or not...
> > >
> > > Can you please give me a pointer to that thread?
> >
> > http://lists.agnula.org/pipermail/users/2004-June/002045.html
> > http://lists.agnula.org/pipermail/users/2004-July/002335.html
> 
> Thanks. But they are talking about the alsa-firmware package. That
> collection  includes firmware for several PCI and PCMCIA devices, and
> also for Tascam USB devices. This is not what we are talking here. There
> are not firmwares in alsa-firmware package for the Midisport devices, for
> instance.
> 
> > > > As far as I can tell, agnula/demudi still doesn't distribute those
> > > > firmwares.
> 
> They don't distribute the proprietary files from alsa-firmware, but they 
> distribute the ezusbmidi package, a GPL firmware for Midisport1x1, 2x2, UNO 
> and Steinberg USB-2-MIDI devices. See:
> 
> http://apt.agnula.org/pool/main/e/ezusbmidi/
> 
> You can use the Midisport2x2 in agnula/demudi, with only GPL software and
> firmware. RMS shall bless your audio workstation with this setup.
> 
> > > redistributed without the permission of their owners. It is
> > > proprietary software. There are no sources. I wash my hands. But if
> > > you don't mind to
> > > burn your soul in the hell, it is the only way to use some USB MIDI
> > > devices on Linux.
> >
> > That's why I would avoid them and buy the models that "just work" out of
> > the box, if I have the possibility to choose.
> 
> You have two choices for Midisport1x1, 2x2, UNO and USB-2-MIDI: 1. The
> GPL firmware written by Lars, and known as "ezusbmidi". There are easy 
> to install precompiled packages in agnula/demudi, CCRMA and Mandrake (and
> I hope that more distros will include it in the future).
> 2. The proprietary firmware, that you can extract from the windows drivers 
> using the extractor in http://usb-midi-fw.sourceforge.net/
> For other USB devices (4x4, 8x8...) you only have the second option. 
> 
> Regards,
> Pedro

Pedro, 

thanks for clarifying that, as I said I've no direct experience with these
devices, so excuse me for misunderstanding. Now I know that not all
"firmware" based devices force you to deal with windows drivers and the
consequently arising problems of redistribution. I should have read your
messages with more attention.

Best regards,
-- 
Emiliano Grilli
Linux user #209089 
http://www.emillo.net