2 VoxWare v3.5-alpha5 release notes
3 ---------------------------------
5 IMPORTANT! This version of the driver is compatible only with Linux versions
6 1.3.33 and later. It may work with earlier ones as a loadable
9 Also this is an ALPHA test version which has not been tested
10 with all cards. At least AEDSP16 support will not work. PAS16
11 and PSS supports have not been tested. /dev/dsp and /dev/audio
12 playback with standard GUS sounds scrambled. 16 bit mode of
15 Please read the SOUND-HOWTO (available from sunsite.unc.edu and other Linux ftp
16 sites). It contains much more information than this file.
18 *****************************************************************
19 * NEW! VoxWare home page is http://personal.eunet.fi/pp/voxware *
20 * The file Readme.cards contains card specific instructions *
21 * about configuring various cards. *
22 *****************************************************************
24 There are some programming information (little bit old) in the
26 (ftp://nic.funet.fi/pub/OS/Linux/ALPHA/sound/snd-sdk-doc-0.1.ps.gz).
27 Believe me: The file is really there. The directory is just hidden and
28 you have to cd into it before the file is visible. Note: This directory
29 was accidently removed some time ago but it's now back.
31 I have got many patches from various persons during last year. Some of
32 them are still on my mailbox and they should be included in versions
33 after v3.0 (I will not add aditional features before v3.0 is ready).
35 ====================================================
36 - THIS VERSION ____REQUIRES____ Linux 1.3.33 OR LATER.
37 ====================================================
39 - THIS VERSION MAY NOT WORK WITH Linux VERSIONS RELEASED
40 AFTER end of Nov 1995. If this version doesn't compile with
41 your kernel version, please use the sound driver version
42 included in your kernel.
44 You will need the snd-util-3.0.tar.gz and snd-data-0.1.tar.Z
45 packages to use this driver. They should be in the same
46 ftp site or BBS from where you got this driver. For
47 example at nic.funet.fi:pub/OS/Linux/*.
49 If you are looking for the installation instructions, please
55 Gravis Ultrasound (GUS)
57 GUS with the 16 bit sampling daughtercard
59 Windows Sound System compatible soundcards
60 ECHO-PSS (cards based on the PSS architecture by Analog Devices.
61 Including Orchid SW32, Cardinal DSP16 among others).
62 (NOTE! WSS mode may not work (DMA channel setup problem)).
63 MediaTriX AudioTriX Pro (OPL4 and the optional effect daughtercard
64 require special initialization. There is a program (setfx) in
65 the snd-util-3.0.tar.gz package which does it).
66 Ensoniq SoundScape (works but needs some improvements)
67 MV Jazz16 based soundcards (ProSonic, 3D etc).
68 SoundMan Wave (recording may not work, mixer support is limited)
69 Mozart (OAK OTI-601 interface chip) based soundcards.
70 MAD16 (an interface chip by OPTi) based soundcards (TB Tropez ???).
71 (NOTE! The MAD16 looks similar to the Mozart chip. It could be a good
72 idea to configure MAD16 cards as Mozart ones. The MAD16 driver doesn't set
73 up MPU401 which the Mozart one does.
74 CS4232 based cards such as AcerMagic S23.
77 In addition all Sound Blaster models and clones (up to AWE32) work if
80 The Emu synthesizer chip of AWE32 is not and will not be supported. The same is
81 true with the ASP chip also. Creative Technology will not release detailed
82 information about them so it's not possible to support them.
84 If you want to get support for AWE32 or ASP, please contact Creative Labs.
85 Ask _politely_ if they are going to support Linux. Maybe they change
86 their policy if there is enough demand.
88 ===========================================================================
89 If your card is compatible with SB, MPU401 or Windows Sound System, it
90 may work with the driver even if it's not listed in the above list. In this
91 case it may require initialization using DOS. Just start DOS and cold
92 boot to Linux (etc.) by hitting ctrl-alt-del.
93 ===========================================================================
95 Compatibility with the earlier versions
96 ---------------------------------------
98 There have been some changes in soundcard.h after v2.5 of the driver
99 (v2.90 is compatible with this one). Binaries compiled with this version
100 of soundcard.h will not work with v2.0 and earlier.
105 This driver contains code by several contributors. In addition several other
106 persons have given usefull suggestions. The following is a list of major
107 contributors. (I could have forgotten some names.)
109 Craig Metz 1/2 of the PAS16 Mixer and PCM support
110 Rob Hooft Volume computation algorithm for the FM synth.
111 Mika Liljeberg uLaw encoding and decoding routines
112 Andy Fingerhut New ulaw conversion tables (ulaw.h)
113 Jeff Tranter Linux SOUND HOWTO document
114 Greg Lee Volume computation algorithm for the GUS and
115 lot's of valuable suggestions.
118 Amancio Hasty Jr FreeBSD/NetBSD port
119 Anders Baekgaard Bughunting and valuable suggestions.
120 Joerg Schubert SB16 DSP support.
121 Andrew Robinson Improvements to the GUS driver
122 Megens SA MIDI recording for SB and SB Pro.
123 Mikael Nordqvist Linear volume support for GUS and
124 nonblocking /dev/sequencer.
125 Ian Hartas SVR4.2 port
127 Risto Kankkunen Major contributions to the mixer support
129 Hunyue Yau Mixer support for SG NX Pro.
130 Marc Hoffman PSS support.
131 Rainer Vranken Initialization for Jazz16 (ProSonic, MV3D, SM Wave).
132 Peter Trattler Initial version of loadable module support for Linux.
133 JRA Gibson 16 bit mode for Jazz16
134 Davor Jadrijevic MAD16 support
135 Gregor Hoffleit Mozart support
136 Riccardo Facchetti Audio Excel DSP 16 (aedsp16) support
138 There are propably many other names missing. If you have sent me some
139 patches and your name is not in the above list, please inform me.
144 The following companies have greatly helped development of this driver
145 in form of a free copy of their product:
147 Novell, Inc. UnixWare personal edition + SDK
148 The Santa Cruz Operation, Inc. A SCO OpenServer + SDK
149 Ensoniq Corp, a SoundScape card and extensive amount of assistance
150 MediaTriX Peripherals Inc, a AudioTriX Pro card + SDK
151 Acer, Inc. a pair of AcerMagic S23 cards.
153 In addition the following companies have provided me sufficial amount
154 of technical information at least some of their products (free or $$$):
156 Advanced Gravis Computer Technology Ltd.
161 Crystal Semiconductor Corporation,
162 Integrated Circuit Systems Inc.
166 Music Quest Inc. ($$)
169 If you have some problems
170 =========================
172 Read the sound HOWTO (sunsite.unc.edu:/pub/Linux/docs/...?).
173 Also look at the home page (http://personal.eunet.fi/pp/voxware). It may
174 contain info about some recent bug fixes.
176 It's likely that you have some problems when trying to use the sound driver
177 first time. Soundcards don't have standard configuration so there are no
178 good default configuration to use. Please try to use same I/O, DMA and IRQ
179 values for the soundcard than with DOS.
181 If you get an error message when trying to use the driver, please look
182 at /var/adm/messages for more verbose error message.
185 In general the easiest way to diagnoze problems is to do "cat /dev/sndstat".
187 If you get an error message, there are some problems with the driver setup:
189 - "No such file or directory" tells that the device files for
190 the sound driver are missing. Use the script at the end of
191 linux/drivers/sound/Readme.linux to create them.
193 - "No such device" telss that the sound driver is not in the kernel.
194 You have to reconfigure and recompile the kernel to have the sound
195 driver. Compiling the driver doesn't help alone. You have to boot
196 with the newly compiled one before the driver becomes active.
197 The Linux-HOWTO should help in this step.
199 The following errors are likely with /dev/dsp and /dev/audio.
201 - "No such device or address". This error message should not happen
202 with /dev/sndstat but it's possible with the other sound devices.
203 This error indicates that there are no suitable hardware for the
204 device file or the sound driver has been compiled without support for
205 this particular device. For example /dev/audio and /dev/dsp will not
206 work if "digitized voice support" was not enabled during "make config".
208 - "Device or resource busy". Propably the IRQ (or DMA) channel
209 required by the soundcard is in use by some other device/driver.
211 - "I/O error". Almost certainly (99%) it's an IRQ or DMA conflict.
212 Look at the kernel messages in /var/adm/notice for more info.
214 - "Invalid argument". The application is calling ioctl()
215 with impossible parameters. Check that the application is
216 for sound driver version 2.X or later.
218 In general the printout of of /dev/sndstat should tell what is the problem.
219 It's possible that there are bugs in the sound driver but 99% of the problems
220 reported to me are caused by somehow incorrect setup during "make config".
222 For owners of TI TM4000M notebooks
223 ----------------------------------
225 There appears to be some kind of conflict between the sound support
226 (MV Jazz), mouse port and VoxWare. You could try to configure kernel
227 with the C&T 82C710 mouse port support disabled.
235 (or Hannu.Savolainen@cctap.carel.fi in case the above bounces)
237 Snail mail: Hannu Savolainen
238 Hiekkalaiturintie 3 A 8
242 NOTE! I propably don't answer to Snail mail or FAX messages. Sending answer
243 to each of them is simply too expensive and time consuming. However I
244 try to reply every email message I get (within a week). If you don't
245 get response, please check how your address is written in the message
246 header. I can't answer if I don't have a valid reply address.
248 VoxWare home page is http://personal.eunet.fi/pp/voxware