[linux-audio-user] Midi Usb interface

[Pedro Lopez-Cabanillas]

On Wednesday 08 June 2005 18:01, Clemens Ladisch wrote:
> All M-Audio interfaces except the 2x4 need the firmware loader from
> <http://usb-midi-fw.sf.net/> (which seems to be included with
> PlanetCCRMA).

Noooooooooo. Please don't contribute to the users confusion in this matter :-(

Planet CCRMA includes the EZUSBMIDI firmware package: A GPL firmware written 
by Lars Dölle. It works with Midisport 1x1 and 2x2. It is open source and can 
be redistributed under the GPL license. Several more distributors are 
including it. 

Your firmware extractor and loader, located at http://usb-midi-fw.sf.net, is  
very useful and fills a hole allowing the Midisport 4x4 and 8x8 (and other 
devices) to be used with Linux. And everybody thanks you for your work, and 
you know that I'm glad to contribute to the project. But there is the license 
problem that forbids us to redistribute the proprietary firmwares. Planet 
CCRMA can't build a RPM with it to allow the users to setup their devices 
with no pain. 

There are big advantages using open source. This is one.

You can argue that your extractor/loader is very easy to use, and that is 
true, but you still need to compile a tool, run it and install the results by  
yourself. This solution can't be included in a live Linux CD. For instance, a  
Knoppix based music studio on CD should choose the GPL firmware.

Regards,
Pedro