readme.oss

linux-2.6.15.6

	IMPORTANT NOTICE! The original patch set distributed with the Gravis 
	Ultrasound card is not in public domain (even though it's available from
	some FTP sites). You should contact Voice Crystal (www.voicecrystal.com)
	if you like to use these patches with SoftOSS included in OSS/Free.
        *********************************************************************

PSS based cards (AD1848 + ADSP-2115 + Echo ESC614 ASIC)
	Analog Devices and Echo Speech have together defined a sound card
	architecture based on the above chips. The DSP chip is used
	for emulation of SB Pro, FM and General MIDI/MT32.

	There are several cards based on this architecture. The most known
	ones are Orchid SW32 and Cardinal DSP16. 

	The driver supports downloading DSP algorithms to these cards.

	NOTE! You will have to use the "old" config script when configuring
	PSS cards.

MediaTrix AudioTrix Pro
	The ATP card is built around a CS4231 codec and an OPL4 synthesizer
	chips. The OPL4 mode is supported by a microcontroller running a
	General MIDI emulator. There is also a SB 1.5 compatible playback mode.

Ensoniq SoundScape and compatibles
	Ensoniq has designed a sound card architecture based on the
	OTTO synthesizer chip used in their professional MIDI synthesizers.
	Several companies (including Ensoniq, Reveal and Spea) are selling
	cards based on this architecture.

	NOTE! The SoundScape PnP is not supported by OSS/Free. Ensoniq VIVO and
	VIVO90 cards are not compatible with Soundscapes so the Soundscape
        driver will not work with them. You may want to use OSS/Linux with these
        cards.

OPTi MAD16 and Mozart based cards
	The Mozart (OAK OTI-601), MAD16 (OPTi 82C928), MAD16 Pro (OPTi 82C929),
	OPTi 82C924/82C925 (in _non_ PnP mode) and OPTi 82C930 interface
	chips are used in many different sound cards, including some
	cards by Reveal miro and Turtle Beach (Tropez). The purpose of these
	chips is to connect other audio components to the PC bus. The
	interface chip performs address decoding for the other chips.
	NOTE! Tropez Plus is not MAD16 but CS4232 based.
	NOTE! MAD16 PnP cards (82C924, 82C925, 82C931) are not MAD16 compatible
	in the PnP mode. You will have to use them in MSS mode after having
	initialized them using isapnptools or DOS. 82C931 probably requires
	initialization using DOS/Windows (running isapnptools is not enough).
	It's possible to use 82C931 with OSS/Free by jumpering it to non-PnP
	mode (provided that the card has a jumper for this). In non-PnP mode
	82C931 is compatible with 82C930 and should work with the MAD16 driver
	(without need to use isapnptools or DOS to initialize it). All OPTi
	chips are supported by OSS/Linux (both in PnP and non-PnP modes).

Audio Excel DSP16 
	Support for this card was written by Riccardo Faccetti
	([e-mail]). The AEDSP16 driver included in
	the lowlevel/ directory. To use it you should enable the
	"Additional low level drivers" option.

Crystal CS4232 and CS4236 based cards such as AcerMagic S23, TB Tropez _Plus_ and 
	many PC motherboards (Compaq, HP, Intel, ...)
	CS4232 is a PnP multimedia chip which contains a CS3231A codec,
	SB and MPU401 emulations. There is support for OPL3 too.
	Unfortunately the MPU401 mode doesn't work (I don't know how to
	initialize it). CS4236 is an enhanced (compatible) version of CS4232.
	NOTE! Don't ever try to use isapnptools with CS4232 since this will just
	freeze your machine (due to chip bugs). If you have problems in getting
	CS4232 working you could try initializing it with DOS (CS4232C.EXE) and
	then booting Linux using loadlin. CS4232C.EXE loads a secret firmware
	patch which is not documented by Crystal.

Turtle Beach Maui and Tropez "classic"
	This driver version supports sample, patch and program loading commands
	described in the Maui/Tropez User's manual. 
	There is now full initialization support too. The audio side of
	the Tropez is based on the MAD16 chip (see above).
	NOTE! Tropez Plus is different card than Tropez "classic" and will not
	work fully in Linux. You can get audio features working by configuring
	the card as a CS4232 based card (above).


Jumpers and software configuration
==================================

Some of the earliest sound cards were jumper configurable. You have to
configure the driver use I/O, IRQ and DMA settings
that match the jumpers. Just few 8 bit cards are fully jumper 
configurable (SB 1.x/2.x, SB Pro and clones).
Some cards made by Aztech have an EEPROM which contains the 
config info. These cards behave much like hardware jumpered cards.

Most cards have jumper for the base I/O address but other parameters
are software configurable. Sometimes there are few other jumpers too.

Latest cards are fully software configurable or they are PnP ISA
compatible. There are no jumpers on the board.

The driver handles software configurable cards automatically. Just configure
the driver to use I/O, IRQ and DMA settings which are known to work.
You could usually use the same values than with DOS and/or Windows.
Using different settings is possible but not recommended since it may cause
some trouble (for example when warm booting from an OS to another or
when installing new hardware to the machine).

Sound driver sets the soft configurable parameters of the card automatically
during boot. Usually you don't need to run any extra initialization
programs when booting Linux but there are some exceptions. See the
card-specific instructions below for more info.

The drawback of software configuration is that the driver needs to know
how the card must be initialized. It cannot initialize unknown cards
even if they are otherwise compatible with some other cards (like SB,
MPU401 or Windows Sound System).


What if your card was not listed above?
=======================================

The first thing to do is to look at the major IC chips on the card.
Many of the latest sound cards are based on some standard chips. If you
are lucky, all of them could be supported by the driver. The most common ones
are the OPTi MAD16, Mozart, SoundScape (Ensoniq) and the PSS architectures
listed above. Also look at the end of this file for list of unsupported
cards and the ones which could be supported later.

The last resort is to send _exact_ name and model information of the card
to me together with a list of the major IC chips (manufactured, model) to 
me. I could then try to check if your card looks like something familiar.

There are many more cards in the world than listed above. The first thing to
do with these cards is to check if they emulate some other card or interface
such as SB, MSS and/or MPU401. In this case there is a chance to get the
card to work by booting DOS before starting Linux (boot DOS, hit ctrl-alt-del
and boot Linux without hard resetting the machine). In this method the
DOS based driver initializes the hardware to use known I/O, IRQ and DMA
settings. If sound driver is configured to use the same settings, everything
should work OK.


Configuring sound driver (with Linux)
=====================================

The sound driver is currently distributed as part of the Linux kernel. The 
files are in /usr/src/linux/drivers/sound/. 

****************************************************************************
*	ALWAYS USE THE SOUND DRIVER VERSION WHICH IS DISTRIBUTED WITH	   *
*	THE KERNEL SOURCE PACKAGE YOU ARE USING. SOME ALPHA AND BETA TEST  *
*	VERSIONS CAN BE INSTALLED FROM A SEPARATELY DISTRIBUTED PACKAGE	   *
*	BUT CHECK THAT THE PACKAGE IS NOT MUCH OLDER (OR NEWER) THAN THE   *
*	KERNEL YOU ARE USING. IT'S POSSIBLE THAT THE KERNEL/DRIVER 	   *
*	INTERFACE CHANGES BETWEEN KERNEL RELEASES WHICH MAY CAUSE SOME	   *
*	INCOMPATIBILITY PROBLEMS.					   *
*									   *
*	IN CASE YOU INSTALL A SEPARATELY DISTRIBUTED SOUND DRIVER VERSION, *
*	BE SURE TO REMOVE OR RENAME THE OLD SOUND DRIVER DIRECTORY BEFORE  *
*	INSTALLING THE NEW ONE. LEAVING OLD FILES TO THE SOUND DRIVER	   *
*	DIRECTORY _WILL_ CAUSE PROBLEMS WHEN THE DRIVER IS USED OR	   *
*	COMPILED.							   *
****************************************************************************

To configure the driver, run "make config" in the kernel source directory
(/usr/src/linux). Answer "y" or "m" to the question about Sound card support
(after the questions about mouse, CD-ROM, ftape, etc. support).  Questions
about options for sound will then be asked.

After configuring the kernel and sound driver and compile the kernel 
following instructions in the kernel README.

The sound driver configuration dialog
-------------------------------------

Sound configuration starts by making some yes/no questions. Be careful
when answering to these questions since answering y to a question may
prevent some later ones from being asked. For example don't answer y to
the first question (PAS16) if you don't really have a PAS16. Don't enable
more cards than you really need since they just consume memory. Also
some drivers (like MPU401) may conflict with your SCSI controller and
prevent kernel from booting. If you card was in the list of supported
cards (above), please look at the card specific config instructions
(later in this file) before starting to configure. Some cards must be
configured in way which is not obvious.

So here is the beginning of the config dialog. Answer 'y' or 'n' to these
questions. The default answer is shown so that (y/n) means 'y' by default and
(n/y) means 'n'. To use the default value, just hit ENTER. But be careful
since using the default _doesn't_ guarantee anything.

Note also that all questions may not be asked. The configuration program
may disable some questions depending on the earlier choices. It may also
select some options automatically as well.

  "ProAudioSpectrum 16 support",
	- Answer 'y'_ONLY_ if you have a Pro Audio Spectrum _16_,
	  Pro Audio Studio 16 or Logitech SoundMan 16 (be sure that
	  you read the above list correctly). Don't answer 'y' if you
	  have some other card made by Media Vision or Logitech since they
	  are not PAS16 compatible.
	  NOTE! Since 3.5-beta10 you need to enable SB support (next question)
	  if you want to use the SB emulation of PAS16. It's also possible to
   	  the emulation if you want to use a true SB card together with PAS16
	  (there is another question about this that is asked later).
  "Sound Blaster support",
	- Answer 'y' if you have an original SB card made by Creative Labs
	  or a full 100% hardware compatible clone (like Thunderboard or
	  SM Games). If your card was in the list of supported cards (above),
	  please look at the card specific instructions later in this file
	  before answering this question. For an unknown card you may answer 
	  'y' if the card claims to be SB compatible.
	 Enable this option also with PAS16 (changed since v3.5-beta9).

	 Don't enable SB if you have a MAD16 or Mozart compatible card.

  "Generic OPL2/OPL3 FM synthesizer support",
	- Answer 'y' if your card has a FM chip made by Yamaha (OPL2/OPL3/OPL4).
	  Answering 'y' is usually a safe and recommended choice. However some
	  cards may have software (TSR) FM emulation. Enabling FM support
	  with these cards may cause trouble. However I don't currently know
	  such cards.
  "Gravis Ultrasound support",
	- Answer 'y' if you have GUS or GUS MAX. Answer 'n' if you don't
	  have GUS since the GUS driver consumes much memory.
	  Currently I don't have experiences with the GUS ACE so I don't
	  know what to answer with it.
  "MPU-401 support (NOT for SB16)",
	- Be careful with this question. The MPU401 interface is supported
	  by almost any sound card today. However some natively supported cards
	  have their own driver for MPU401. Enabling the MPU401 option with
	  these cards will cause a conflict. Also enabling MPU401 on a system
	  that doesn't really have a MPU401 could cause some trouble. If your
	  card was in the list of supported cards (above), please look at
	  the card specific instructions later in this file.

	  In MOST cases this MPU401 driver should only be used with "true"
	  MIDI-only MPU401 professional cards. In most other cases there
	  is another way to get the MPU401 compatible interface of a
	  sound card to work.
	  Support for the MPU401 compatible MIDI port of SB16, ESS1688
	  and MV Jazz16 cards is included in the SB driver. Use it instead
	  of this separate MPU401 driver with these cards. As well 
	  Soundscape, PSS and Maui drivers include their own MPU401
	  options.

	  It's safe to answer 'y' if you have a true MPU401 MIDI interface
	  card. 
  "6850 UART Midi support",
	- It's safe to answer 'n' to this question in all cases. The 6850
	  UART interface is so rarely used.
  "PSS (ECHO-ADI2111) support",
	- Answer 'y' only if you have Orchid SW32, Cardinal DSP16 or some
	  other card based on the PSS chipset (AD1848 codec + ADSP-2115
	  DSP chip + Echo ESC614 ASIC CHIP).
  "16 bit sampling option of GUS (_NOT_ GUS MAX)",
	- Answer 'y' if you have installed the 16 bit sampling daughtercard
	  to your GUS. Answer 'n' if you have GUS MAX. Enabling this option
	  disables GUS MAX support.
  "GUS MAX support",
	- Answer 'y' only if you have a GUS MAX.
  "Microsoft Sound System support",
	- Again think carefully before answering 'y' to this question. It's
	  safe to answer 'y' in case you have the original Windows Sound 
	  System card made by Microsoft or Aztech SG 16 Pro (or NX16 Pro).
	  Also you may answer 'y' in case your card was not listed earlier
	  in this file. For cards having native support in the driver, consult
	  the card specific instructions later in this file. Some drivers
	  have their own MSS support and enabling this option will cause a
	  conflict. 
	  Note! The MSS driver permits configuring two DMA channels. This is a
	  "nonstandard" feature and works only with very few cards (if any).
	  In most cases the second DMA channel should be disabled or set to
	  the same channel than the first one. Trying to configure two separate
	  channels with cards that don't support this feature will prevent
	  audio (at least recording) from working.
  "Ensoniq Soundscape support",
	- Answer 'y' if you have a sound card based on the Ensoniq SoundScape
	  chipset. Such cards are being manufactured at least by Ensoniq,
	  Spea and Reveal (note that Reveal makes other cards also).  The oldest
	  cards made by Spea don't work properly with Linux. 
	  Soundscape PnP as well as Ensoniq VIVO work only with the commercial