Re: Octal?

[David O'Toole]

> I found out about Octal a couple of weeks ago, and I think it sounds
> very interesting. Unfortunately I haven't been able to compile it on my
> schools computers (it complains about some missing header files), and

Oh, maybe you saw the blurb in Linux Journal this month (which I didn't 
even know about... I was just at the local Borders and opened LJ and saw 
my own name...!! :-)

I'd be willing to bet that it's soundcard.h ... if they are using an 
older distro, IIRC this might be in a different directory or even not 
present at all. Can you be a bit more specific about the error message? 
Also, what tar file version did you download?

> I've been computerless for a while (but not for much longer, I hope), so
> all I know is what I've read on the webpage and in the OX API. What's
> the current status of the code? Can it be used to make music?

Sadly, not quite yet :-(. The synth core is implemented and working, as 
well as the audio bit and plugin API. Part of the GUI (the network 
builder with little boxes like in Buzz) is partially built. Basically 
the only remaining part to write is the sequencer and song interface. 
Another project (developing software for an online magazine) has taken 
some time away from my work on Octal these past few months, but that is 
finishing up within the week (FINALLY! :-). I am very excited to get 
back to work on Octal

> I've used Buzz before and I really liked it, but since I changed to
> Linux I haven't found anything that is as powerful and as easy to use as
> Buzz is. Will Octal be anything like it?

Yes... Octal is intended to be an enhanced free-software system that 
draws on Buzz for inspiration. But I am also making some improvements, 
so the result should be even better than the original. And more portable 
too :-).

> And finally: is there anything I can do to help? I don't have much spare
> time now, and I'm not any kind if programming guru, but this project
> sounds really really interesting.

I would say that help in bug-finding would be a big assistance... once 
the GUI versions are out and we start playing around with the controls, 
it would be very helpful for people to collect info on crashes (if any! 
:-) This is something that doesn't involve a huge amount of spare time, 
just reporting what happens and what triggered it, what messages were 
produced, etc.