Well, I've given up on my Windows/Linux hybrid idea, not because it couldn't be done but because I got distracted by the latest version of Puppy Linux. What was so exciting is that it is binary compatible with Ubuntu Lucid deb packages which opens up a world of possibilities.
Rather than just add packages to an existing install, I decided to set about remastering an existing Puppy so that it is a boot and go system. By this. I mean boot it up and it starts Miditzer and the supporting apps without help and shuts down properly from the power switch. This also means that once it has been setup for a particular piece of hardware, the mouse and keyboard can be hidden away somewhere.
The derivative PUPPY I have chosen is Macpup 520 Website
While doing all this, I have somewhat gone back to the roots of Miditzer. On the Linux side of things, It runs JACK and QSynth with the standard Miditzer soundfont. This then runs through jconv convolution reverb controlled by Jc_Gui. All this is patched automatically in JACK via a preset patch. To keep things simple, I've opted for the 216 minus the sleigh bells to keep it to 16 channels.
Miditzer runs in WINE but for MIDI only.
The big advantage of remastering is that all this is on the LiveCD and loads completely into a RAMdisk. This makes the whole thing blindingly fast. You don't need a hard disk at all.
When you Boot from the Live CD, the bootscreen asks you to choose between Macpup 520 and Macpup520 RAM . The first time you boot, there is nothing saved so it doesn't matter what you choose. Just let it time out into Macpup 520.
You then boot into the video setup wizard. Choose to probe your hardware. Next choose your screen resolution. After that, make sure you choose the 24bit colour option. Macpup will then start the window manager. JACK will start followed by Jc_Gui ands QSynth. Miditzer is then started. It will throw an error about audio. Ignore it. The script moves the mouse and clicks on the button for you (so don't touch the mouse).
Once Miditzer has started, you will need to open the settings and hopefully your MIDI inputs have been detected. Set them up for your system and away you go.
Behind all this, you have a full fledged Puppy Linux install that you can play with. Unlike Windows, it uses single click to run things. Left click anywhere on the desktop and you will get the main menu.
When you shutdown, Puppy will give you the chance to create a save file. This will hold any settings you make. You can choose to create this on a flash drive or a hard drive if you have one. It can be an old, small one as the common size for the save file is 512Mb. If your HDD has windows on it, it doesn't matter. Puppy will not alter it, just save a file to the C:drive.
If you intend using Macpup again, this save file will load automatically and be saved automatically each time you shut down. If, for some reason, you didn't want to load this save file, just choose the RAM option at bootup and any save file will be ignored. You can even make a number of different save files (with a different name when you create it) by booting into RAM and then shutting down. Give the new save file a different appended name (you will be offered that opportunity). Next time you boot, you will be offered a choice of which save file to boot to.
So what does this all add up to?
A Mighty Macpup Miditzer that works from a LiveCD with no need to install.
How do you get it?
You just download the .iso HERE and burn it to CD. (Give it about half an hour from this post so that it will have finished uploading - it's not going as fast as it should
)How big is the download?
222Mb That's right - just over 200Mb for a complete operating system that does not have to be installed and runs on older hardware.
DISCLAIMER: Yes there has to be one. I've tried this on three machines, only one of which has MIDI interfaces. It has started and run properly on all three but is still experimental so jump in if you want to play with a Puppy. It cannot harm your computer!
