Detecting MIDI hardware and emulating VESA under windows.
Does anyone know of a good way to figure out how to set the BLASTER variable that I think fractint needs? I wondered if that DosBOX program at sourceforge would read it from somewhere or emulate a soundblaster through Windows Sound System, and the last download of DosBOX I tried had a bad CRC. Anybody got experience with DosBOX and FRACTINT? On my last computer, soundblaster information was available when I enabled soundblaster support in the BIOS. I did not manage to get that old MIDI synth working before it crashed. On my new computer I hav no clue how to fill out the BLASTER VARIABLE. Also, my new computer (a used 3GHz P4 Duo) does not come with VESA support, of all things for IBM/Intel/Lanovo to skip, so it looks like I will be running fractint at 300by400by256 -- might as well. When I really want high res, I might as well use the disk video modes, then there's a hope I can run fractint as a background process (Last time I checked, though, Windows stalls between sections). It's a bummer for producing videos at 640by480 with color-cycling, though, unless I can work out how to do it in batch mode ...might as well...I'm writing the parameter files with a BASIC program, anyway. An option before me, a few seconds ago, was to install cygwin and compile XFractint, and I just looked it up, seeing a message from Jonathan Osuch somewhere in 2005, that it compiles cleanly under cygwin http://mailman.xmission.com/lurker/message/20051127.140158.0c79337a.ja.html Can I install Redhat Program Modules (RPMs) under cygwin? My introduction to cygwin sujested that I had to compile just about anything I wanted, and if Osuch has a binary, then maybe I don't. I think some RPMs are source-only. Which packages do I need for XFractint? I saw fvwm2. I suspect the c or c++ compilers. I am on dialup, although if it goes to gigabytes, then I can drop by a syberkafay with my USB key, and download cygwin binaries on that, first. Oh, and I thot I posted a question about sound support with WinFract. Anyone behind that project, now? The new part of this computer that clinched the deal is that the video guard does 1600by900. I look forward to selecting fractals that make good widescreen.wallpaper.
Well, you could install VirtualBox on Windows, then install Linux on the virtual box, then run XFractint on that. Don't know Virtual Box's abilities when hosted under Windows, but the Linux sound system is available to the virtual windows system. Under DosBox on Linux, if you have MIDI working, it offers to connect to MIDI. Don't know if that would benefit Fractint or not. VirtualBox (and DosBox, I think) emulate VESA modes, so Fractint should be happy whether or not the OS it's running on supports VESA. The XFractint (v20.04) that I have here doesn't support color cycling or selecting video modes once the program is running. You have to use the command line to have it use disk video and set the image geometry. It's very cooperative running as a Linux task when it comes to calculating a fractal while leaving the rest of the system usable. It's a LOT faster running disk video in XFractint than DOS Fractint under VirtualBox! My experience with Windows is it doesn't really multitask non-Windows programs very well. Jay Litwyn wrote:
Does anyone know of a good way to figure out how to set the BLASTER variable that I think fractint needs?
I wondered if that DosBOX program at sourceforge would read it from somewhere or emulate a soundblaster through Windows Sound System, and the last download of DosBOX I tried had a bad CRC. Anybody got experience with DosBOX and FRACTINT?
On my last computer, soundblaster information was available when I enabled soundblaster support in the BIOS. I did not manage to get that old MIDI synth working before it crashed. On my new computer I hav no clue how to fill out the BLASTER VARIABLE. Also, my new computer (a used 3GHz P4 Duo) does not come with VESA support, of all things for IBM/Intel/Lanovo to skip, so it looks like I will be running fractint at 300by400by256 -- might as well. When I really want high res, I might as well use the disk video modes, then there's a hope I can run fractint as a background process (Last time I checked, though, Windows stalls between sections).
It's a bummer for producing videos at 640by480 with color-cycling, though, unless I can work out how to do it in batch mode ...might as well...I'm writing the parameter files with a BASIC program, anyway.
An option before me, a few seconds ago, was to install cygwin and compile XFractint, and I just looked it up, seeing a message from Jonathan Osuch somewhere in 2005, that it compiles cleanly under cygwin http://mailman.xmission.com/lurker/message/20051127.140158.0c79337a.ja.html
Can I install Redhat Program Modules (RPMs) under cygwin?
My introduction to cygwin sujested that I had to compile just about anything I wanted, and if Osuch has a binary, then maybe I don't. I think some RPMs are source-only. Which packages do I need for XFractint?
I saw fvwm2. I suspect the c or c++ compilers. I am on dialup, although if it goes to gigabytes, then I can drop by a syberkafay with my USB key, and download cygwin binaries on that, first.
Oh, and I thot I posted a question about sound support with WinFract. Anyone behind that project, now?
The new part of this computer that clinched the deal is that the video guard does 1600by900. I look forward to selecting fractals that make good widescreen.wallpaper.
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In article <5A4897494C9746B9A11151038295879A@IBMDC6B43F6953>, "Jay Litwyn" <brewhaha@freenet.edmonton.ab.ca> writes:
Does anyone know of a good way to figure out how to set the BLASTER variable that I think fractint needs?
It only uses the initial value Annn to get the IO port address nnn that it uses. -- "The Direct3D Graphics Pipeline" -- DirectX 9 draft available for download <http://legalizeadulthood.wordpress.com/the-direct3d-graphics-pipeline/> Legalize Adulthood! <http://legalizeadulthood.wordpress.com>
Jay,
I wondered if that DosBOX program at sourceforge would read it from somewhere or emulate a soundblaster through Windows Sound System, and the last download of DosBOX I tried had a bad CRC. Anybody got experience with DosBOX and FRACTINT?
I have DosBox running Fractint. Only thing I had to set up was the drives.
An option before me, a few seconds ago, was to install cygwin and compile XFractint, and I just looked it up, seeing a message from Jonathan Osuch somewhere in 2005, that it compiles cleanly under cygwin http://mailman.xmission.com/lurker/message/20051127.140158.0c79337a.ja.html
Haven't played with cygwin since then. I was only able to get it (cygwin) to work on one computer, which is no longer with us.
Oh, and I thot I posted a question about sound support with WinFract. Anyone behind that project, now?
Not anybody that knows anything about coding for windoze. All three versions (Fractint, Xfractint, & WinFract) have the same code base. I've been maintaining them as best I can. I am working (very slowly) on a port to SDL. Jonathan
participants (4)
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david -
Jay Litwyn -
Jonathan Osuch -
Richard