__ ___ __ / |/ /___ ___ __/ /_ ___ __ ______ __ __ / /|_/ / __ `/ / / / __ \/ _ \ / / / / __ \/ / / / / / / / /_/ / /_/ / /_/ / __/ / /_/ / /_/ / /_/ / /_/ /_/\__,_/\__, /_.___/\___/ \__, /\____/\__,_/ /____/ __ /____/ __ _________ _____ / /_ ___ / /___ / /_ __ __ / ___/ __ `/ __ \ / __ \/ _ \/ / __ \ / __ \/ / / / / /__/ /_/ / / / / / / / / __/ / /_/ / / /_/ / /_/ / \___/\__,_/_/ /_/ /_/ /_/\___/_/ .___/ /_.___/\__, / /_/ /____/ _ ____ _____ ______ _____ _____(_)___ ____ _ ____ _ / __ `/ __ \/ ___/ | /| / / _ \/ ___/ / __ \/ __ `/ / __ `/ / /_/ / / / (__ )| |/ |/ / __/ / / / / / / /_/ / / /_/ / \__,_/_/ /_/____/ |__/|__/\___/_/ /_/_/ /_/\__, / \__,_/ /____/ ____ __ _ / __/__ _ __ ____ ___ _____ _____/ /_(_)___ ____ _____ / /_/ _ \ | /| / / / __ `/ / / / _ \/ ___/ __/ / __ \/ __ \/ ___/ / __/ __/ |/ |/ / / /_/ / /_/ / __(__ ) /_/ / /_/ / / / (__ ) _ _ /_/ \___/|__/|__/ \__, /\__,_/\___/____/\__/_/\____/_/ /_/____(_|_|_) /_/ [ Maybe you can help by answering a few questions... ] Last updated: 2024/10/03 Please respond using the E-Mail address theouterlinux@protonmail.com or create a post on https://reddit.com/r/theouterlinux. If a question or concern has been solved (or close enough), the corresponding #??? number will be removed from the list with the solution posted to a "Solutions.txt" file in the same URL directory. OVERVIEW OF QUESTIONS/CONCERNS SO FAR: -------------------------------------- #002 - No builds of OpenMPT for GNU/Linux? #003 - Is using Nootka as a Guitar to MIDI converter possible? #004 - Why does WINE not have an easy "no Internet connection" option? #005 - The LoveDOS project needs help #006 - An idea regarding corner videos and transparency #007 - Something better than Espeak? Dictation software? #008 - Primary and secondary symbolic link locations #009 - A toggle-switch with three settings but last requires holding down a button to move it to position? #010 - GNU/Linux needs a better ADPCM converter/player for PS2 LuaPlayer #011 - LMMS needs MOD import/export and an SFZ plugin Anyway... [#002]-[ No builds of OpenMPT for GNU/Linux? ]-------------------------- OpenMPT is a free and open-source MOD tracker software that allows you to import MIDI files to then export as MOD files. This is important if you want to use a more modern Digital Audio Workstation (DAW), such as LMMS to create music, export as MIDI, and then import to OpenMPT so as to convert to MOD to which then someone like me can use to more easily create music for GB Studio, a Game Boy ROM creation engine. It would be better if LMMS just had MOD export built-in, but I am not sure if that will ever happen; feel to send them a feature request. The current version of GB Studio has a built-in music creation feature, but eh... But my point is, why has no one built a GNU/Linux port of OpenMPT or at the very least an easy way to convert MIDI to MOD for GNU/Linux users, even if that means each instrument is the default piano? And no, an online tool is not an acceptable solution. If anyone knows an easy way to do this for GNU/Linux users, please let me know as the only current desktop solution I have been able to come up with is using the DOS version of Sound Club in DOSBox to do the conversion. [#003]-[ Is using Nootka as a Guitar to MIDI converter possible? ]------ Nootka, for those that do not know, is a music teaching program that can also double somewhat as a tuner because it can detect notes using a microphone, which in turn means that it also can detect notes via USB microphones and USB guitar cables because of PulseAudio. Nootka also has a MIDI playback option in the settings via "Midi Through 14:0", which in turn, according to 'aconnect -l', then uses client 14 and client 128. Should that also mean in theory that Nootka should be able to be used as a live sound to MIDI converter to which should also then be able to use programs like ZynAddSubFX, Yoshimi, or LMMS to have a guitar to MIDI playback? I have tried but failed so far in every attempt, including using JACK instead of PulseAudio, though you practically need a doctorate to understand JACK anyway. Maybe it is possible but the developers have yet to realize it? I feel like it is close. If anyone out there has figured this out, please let me know or at the very least let the Nootka developers know if you would like to have this as a feature as it at least at the moment seems dangerously close to being a real possibility and would greatly effect the Linux audio community in a positive way, especially for those that can play an instrument but not necessarily know how to do the writing part. [#004]-[Why does WINE not have an easy "no Internet connection" option?] I already know about the "create a new user, add that user to a 'nointernet' group, and then create iptables and ip6tables rules for that group" method; however, why has WINE, for as long as it has been around, yet to have an option to toggle on/off in its settings to prevent Internet connections? Does that not seem a little odd to anyone? [#005]-[The LoveDOS project needs help]--------------------------------- I have nothing to do with the LoveDOS project what so ever, but it is unfortunate that something so cool has not had the attention that it deserves. To give you an idea, the project itself on GitHub (https://github.com/rxi/lovedos) has technically not seen an official update in six years at the time of this writing yet, there was at least one person out there who finally got audio working; HOWEVER, this person had to post their binary build in the Issues section, to which was about a year ago and I had just noticed this a few days ago. I have the "fixed" version available on TheOuterLinux (https://theouterlinux.gitlab.io) website, though the uploader did not supply any source code; but to be fair, LoveDOS is technically licensed as MIT, so no source code is required. But anyway, it would be a big help, or at least to me anyway, if the bored DOS programmers of the world would help the LoveDOS project out so I can use it to make games and so forth; trying to get graphics AND audio at the same time using programs like QB45 and so forth is a HUGE pain by comparison. At the moment there is support for the basics you would normally find when using Love2D except it is missing things like 'getScissor' and push and pop, to which are needed for classic RPG-like camera following. [#006]-[An idea regarding corner videos and transparency]--------------- I have no idea how to do this myself, so maybe someone out there who can make this happen but has no clue what to do for their next "why am I punishing myself?" project in regards to a GNU/Linux. Imagine that you have to work on something important and only have one monitor but you also like having videos play in the lower-right (or left) corner of the screen. This is possible in various ways. You can simply use one of Firefox's features to "pop-out" the video or shrink the video if using a media player, to which can stay on top of everything if you right-click and select to do so on the window bar. HOWEVER, these videos potentially cover-up important information underneath. So, what if you could make it so that windows that are "Always on Top" become transparent enough to see what is underneath them when the mouse is in that area? [#007]-[Something better than Espeak? Dictation software?]-------------- This might be more of a rant than anything, but is there something out there for GNU/Linux that is better than Espeak? If you do not know already, 'espeak' is a command-line program for getting your computer to talk to you; however, it sounds like garbage. I am just a bit confused as to why GNU/Linux has the worst luck when it comes to speech synthesis AND dictation software. There are loads of projects out there, but most of them are some sort of VERY confusing, Python-based, "something or other" that is either too hard or tedious to even bother with. [#008] - [Primary and secondary symbolic link locations]---------------- I just though it would be neat to have symbolic links store more than one location rather than easily break if a file or folder is moved. Matter of fact, the FreeMcBoot memory card that "soft-mods" PS2's has a configuration editor that gives options to first look for an ELF at one location and if it is not there, try the next location. A "primary" and "secondary" location for symbolically linked directory would also be helpful if the same portable program within those folders were configured differently. The current best way that I know of for this is to use the same volume labels on two different external hard drives; however, unless you have external hard drives growing on trees, you may already be dependent on a particular volume label for other things on what few external hard drives you have. [#009] - [A toggle-switch with three settings but last requires holding down a button to move it to position? ] Do they make a toggle-switch in which the point is to have an "Off," and then an on "On" in the form of "Option A" and "Option B" but to move the switch past "Option A" to "Option B," you must first hold-down a button, sort of like a saftey feature? And no, I do not mean "software-wise," I am referring to actual, physical hardware; no "smart switches." Is there particular name/type of switch like this? I just do not know where to start. [#010] - [GNU/Linux needs a better ADPCM converter/player for PS2 LuaPlayer] If you did not already know, a version of LuaPlayer for the PlayStation 2 exists. However, so far as I know, only ADPCM (*.adp) audio files can be used to create sound effects and music. However, all attempts I have made so far end in either not playing at all or sound like garbage. The binary compiled from the [#011] - [LMMS needs MOD import/export and an SFZ plugin] MOD --- LMMS is a digital audio workstation that focuses on electronic music. However, you can import and export MIDI but for some reason, you cannot import/export MOD files, which is strange given that you can use audio samples and other things rather than LMMS just being another MIDI editor. But, I bet if you could compiled OpenMPT for GNU/Linux, than things would be one step closer to having MOD import/export since OpenMPT can import MIDI. SFZ --- Since LMMS can use audio samples for instruments, then it also needs to be able to utilize SFZ files so as to have a more accurate sound, especially when it comes to orechestral instruments, specifically the "Virtual Playing Orchestra" project that has still not bothered to make things easier with SF2 files. And, this plugin needs to be GNU/Linux friendly and not some weird thing requiring a special sound server or WINE to use. The free and open-source program "Polyphone" is used to create SF2 files and it can also open SFZ files if anyone good at programming needs a place to start. ------------------------------------------------------------------------