OS on raspberry pi

[the boss]

Hi
How about installing Mackie Os or another rewritten Os on a Raspberry pi small computer and feeding the d8b console with the required voltage.

Do you think it's possible Munk?

[munkustrap]

I had that the same thoughts yesterday. Technically I can answer with a YES. The new PI 3 has the power and the most important stuff to handle that (HDMI Display port for external Monitor). Two Serial Interfaces can be designed to the
GPIO Pins (only one Serial is available onboard).

A USB Midi library for the PI I have not found till now (but I have not searched that much).
Probox Controller code is in C so can be transported to PI very easy if a MIDI library is existing.
Ok, and then there is the rest with reverse Engineering the DSP communication path and so on and implementing that stuff
including displaying it on a Monitor Nice work for 1-2 years.

But you are right, this would be my prefered solution for developing. OS can be copied very easy to SD Card with every Computer. The whole stuff would not be bigger that the probox.

[the boss]

Ok

I'll send a raspberry pi to you Munk and you program it so I can run os 5.1 and my pro box with a switch in between. And I have 2 d8b's
I'll then need two psu's for the consoles. If you want you can rewrite the software:)

Joke....
A dream.... But cool. If I could do it technically..,

[munkustrap]

hmm there are big Show Stoppers at the Moment for that Project. I list them up.

1. I have no CPU and no useful console to start reverse Engineering (console has no Cards installed, not a single on. for OS development I would Need at least a full loaded console)

2. I have 0% Linux skills

3. At the Moment I can imagin a timeframe of 1,5-3 years to have a version running that can be sold.

But I have at least a small good News for you. I Need to order new material for probox assembly. I decided to order also a rasberry PI. ist only 39euro, I think ist worth

[the boss]

I fully understand.
If you'd lived in Sweden you could have used one of mine.... I think there is a lot of things to read and software to use for development of raspberry.

You can install a lot of things on that small thing.
I will also buy one....

[munkustrap]

another pretty cool thing would be a pure windows program that replaces the Mackie CPU.

using a USB to 2xSerial Adapter will automatically be handled by Windows (Driver). So "only" the program Needs to be written.

can run also on a laptop

benefit: should be compatible Long years, through many windows updates

the rasberry solution may have also the Hardware Problems like the original Mackie CPU in a couple of years

[soje]

I've also played with the idea of running something like the probox (with added features in the future) on a rasperry pi. I'm no programmer, but I started working on it anyway

I ended up soldering a usb-serial cabel, bought very cheap on ebay, to the mainboard, so I was more hardware independed in regards to the OS. I then set out to program the thing in JUCE (c++ library), since it's seemed very accessible, and has a great many elements making this whole thing easier.

However, my knowledge of the system calls to the console is limited to what I could find thru this forum. For example I have no idea how to speed up the communication with the console in the firmware. Knowing all the details of the firmware would make programming this thing much easier

I came to the point of ironing out the details in the communication with the daw software, and my next step would be to make the whole controller setup user asignable.

However, my relationship with the mother of my son went south, and this has been eating my time and money for the past year :-/

I have a spare cpu (and live in europe). However, the power plug of my main cpu is not connecting too firmly to the console, so sometimes I get a flashing and clicking console when booting. Usually it is fixable by jerking the power plug around, but it doesn't seem like the most stable solution I'm thinking about replacing the power cable with the one from the older cpu.....

[munkustrap]

where do you live in Europa ?

maybe we can get a "development Team" here in the Forum so that it must not be a one man Show?

At least it is possible for me to set up a Basic development Framework like documentation and a common repository for devlopment.

so People with a d8b and programming skills are welcome

[the boss]

Yes, to rewrite a software for win or OS X is the best thing...., I have no knowledge in programming. If I can help in testing or other things in the future just pm me.

Best reg. Morgan

[soje]

I live in Denmark. If we can find a way to get my spare cpu transported your way I'll be happy to donate it to this project. But my funds are very limited, because of the breakup with my x (long, boring, sad, ongoing story). I don't have the funds for sending it to you.

Also I would LOVE to help develop this new OS, but be warned. As stated I'm not a programmer - I learn by doing

Doing this as a joint effort of the forces of this forum seems like a good idea