forums.xandros.com

AlexBell · Xplorer Joined: 24 Apr 2005 Posts: 66

I have at last got Xandros Networks working, and would very much like to download and use the GNU Solfege eartraining program. But the only version I find with the search facility is for Gnome.

Is there any way I can use this with Xandros, which so far as I am aware only used KDE?
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Regards, Alex

jimallyn · Posted: Sat Nov 05, 2005 2:05 pm Post subject:

You can run Gnome programs in Xandros if you have the appropriate Gnome libraries installed. I think some of them come pre-installed, if not, I believe they can be installed with XN. Did you try installing the program and see what happens?

Jim
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I refuse to live in a country like this - and I'm not leaving. - Michael Moore

AlexBell · Xplorer Joined: 24 Apr 2005 Posts: 66

Thanks, Jim. No, I haven't tried it to see what happens. I've only recently got an internet connection through Xandros, and only the other night got Xandros Networks to work with the unsupported site. So I'm a bit wary of taking any risks.
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Regards, Alex

jimallyn · Posted: Sun Nov 06, 2005 5:41 pm Post subject:

I just installed it. It had to install about 14 files, including some Gnome libraries and such. I had to mess around with it a little to get the notes to play through my system (I have kind of an unusual sound system here), but after that it works fine. I tried to install Solfege back on Xandros 2 or maybe even Xandros 1 but never got it working. Thanks for reminding me!

Jim
_________________
I refuse to live in a country like this - and I'm not leaving. - Michael Moore

AlexBell · Xplorer Joined: 24 Apr 2005 Posts: 66

That's great news, Jim. I'll give it a try later this evening.
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Regards, Alex

AlexBell · Xplorer Joined: 24 Apr 2005 Posts: 66

Well, I got the program installed, Jim, but don't get any sound. In fact there is a message to the effect that I don't have the right files. Other programs using sound work.

Any suggestions as to what I can do next?
_________________
Regards, Alex

jimallyn · Posted: Sun Nov 13, 2005 4:45 pm Post subject:

AlexBell · Xplorer Joined: 24 Apr 2005 Posts: 66

Thanks, Jim

The error message given by Solfege is

Error

The sound init failed:ENOENT
It seems like your kernel don't have the correct sound modules installed, or that they are wrongly configured. You can check the sound page in the preferences window, but I don't anything there can help you. (This program needs better sound init code to handle situations like this.)

The devices available are /dev/sequencer, /dev/sequencer2, and /dev/music

The external midi players available are devmidi -i %s, timidity -dqq %s, and playmidi -f %s

I can't get sound with any combination - not that I have any idea what I am doing anyway.
_________________
Regards, Alex

jimallyn · Posted: Sun Nov 13, 2005 11:53 pm Post subject:

I've got mine set to Use external midiplayer: timidity.

Can you get sound with any MIDI-based application? For instance, can you play a .mid file with Launch, Applications, Multimedia, MIDI Player?

Jim
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I refuse to live in a country like this - and I'm not leaving. - Michael Moore

AlexBell · Xplorer Joined: 24 Apr 2005 Posts: 66

Yes, the midi player plays my midi files - I double clicked on a midi file and the midi player played the tune.
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Regards, Alex

jimallyn · Posted: Mon Nov 14, 2005 1:31 pm Post subject:

Hmmm, I'm not sure what it could be. Let me slip into grasping at straws mode: Under File, Preferences Window, Midi stuff, have you tried several different instruments? On my computer, some of them produce no sound at all. Have you tried turning the velocity up? In the Sound setup window, you've tried all the various choices? You were sure to hit "Apply" before testing each one? You noticed that selecting a choice from the drop-down box under Use external midiplayer doesn't actually check the box for Use external midiplayer?

I managed to get the same error message you got when I selected certain combinations.

Jim
_________________
I refuse to live in a country like this - and I'm not leaving. - Michael Moore

AlexBell · Xplorer Joined: 24 Apr 2005 Posts: 66

Thanks again Jim. I've spent some time trying all your suggestions - insturments, velocity, checked external midi player and selected timidity (and tried the otherrs) and click Apply before trying. Still no sound through Solfege, though I get the opening sounds when Xandros loads and can use the midiplayer.

For what it is worth I have the Windoze version and it works perfectly. Also, though this may be irrelevant, when I opened Solfege tonight the window was several screens wide and I had to fuss around getting it back to a usable size.
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Regards, Alex

jimallyn · Posted: Thu Nov 17, 2005 2:34 pm Post subject:

I suppose you could uninstall and reinstall Solfege. Also, open up the volume control/mixer and see if there's a control there that might affect MIDI sound. And look in Control Center, Sound and Multimedia, Sound System, and see what (if anything) is selected under Select your MIDI Device.

Maybe one of the REAL experts will pop in and give you the solution; I'm about tapped out of ideas.

Jim
_________________
I refuse to live in a country like this - and I'm not leaving. - Michael Moore

AlexBell · Xplorer Joined: 24 Apr 2005 Posts: 66

I appreciate your help and support, Jim. I guess I'll see what I can get out of the multimedia forum and the Solfege website.
_________________
Regards, Alex

jblack · Posted: Wed Nov 30, 2005 9:07 pm Post subject:

Hi guys. I used to hang out on these forums alot, but got kind of burned out on computers in general and dropped out for a while. Checking back in after a long haitus.

I tried futzing around with this midi stuff on Xandros quite a bit about six or eight months ago (maybe a year, can't remember) and had no success. I couldn't get answers to any questions about sequencers, or midi app's or why things like Rosegarden wouldn't produce sound, etc. So I eventually gave up.

Solfege is something I tried a long, long time ago on XOS 1.0 and 2.0, but with no success. I was delighted when I saw you guys talking about being able to install it from XN. I just tried installing it now, and it installs for me. However, when I try to run it, I get the same result as AlexBell.

When I go into Control Center, under Sound System, and click the "Test MIDI" button, I get nothing. On the hardware tab, the "Select MIDI Device" drop-down list shows nothing. MIDI files play in the KMid applet, but I'm limited to the piano, guitar, and piano+guitar voices. When I played with this several months ago, I had limited success configuring timidity as a software sequencer, and had more voices available in KMid, but the sound quality was awful--distorted like it was going through an electric guitar fuzz circuit.

I suspect that you need either: 1) a sound card with a built-in midi synthesizer that Xandros can recognize, or 2) a functional software synthesizer, properly configured. I suspect that my sound card does not meet criterion #1, and I was not successful (or only partially successful) with criterion #2. I was never able to verify if I was on the right track with this. Buying a decent sound card might have proven something, but that was more than I wanted to fool around with.

I quickly found myself trying to learn the rocket science of midi, but couldn't understand most of what I read about it on the web. I pestered the people here on these forums about it, and some gave it the ol' college try, but ultimately they weren't able to answer my questions.

It was about at that time that I just decided to give this whole thing a rest (not just midi, but doing anything with computers on my personal time in general).

Well, anyway, good luck. I'll keep watching this thread to see if you come up with anything.