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Linux and music applications




Hi all:

This a bit off the usual discussion here,
but here goes.  My primary interest in
Linux has been to replace Win9x on my
laptop (my only computer) with Linux.

Currently, I run both Linux RedHat 5.0.1
(kernel 2.0.32) and Win98.  The purpose
of Win98 is to run those music-oriented
apps for which there are no equivalent
in the Linux world at the same level
of sophistication.  As equivalent
programs appear in the Linux world,
I am more than willing to switch.

Recently, there was a thread here discussing
"Why Linux?".  For me, Linux will allow my
laptop a much longer useful life than will
the Windows environment with its voracious
hunger for the latest and greatest hardware.

Well, I thought that it would be a long time
before the level of sophistication of Win9x
music-oriented apps would be matched in the
Linux world.  I was wrong.

For me, a good suite of music apps would
consists of a decent notation package, a
good midi sequencer, and digital audio
recording software.

I just purchased the registration for a
shareware package called MUP (a music
notation package that outputs postscript
from a text file).  See the latest Linux
Journal for more information or email
me.  After using Finale, Encore, and
MusEdit under Win98, I have come to the
comclusion that there is no decent graphical
user interface for music notation software.
I find the text-based format of MUP to be
easy, exact, and intuitive...and fast.

I am now looking at digital audio
recording applications and hope to find
something suitable there.  If I do,
then I can readily make this transition,
since there already are few decent midi
sequencers available for Linux (keykit is 
one, jazz is another).  I also purchased
the commercial OSS driver and use it for
its full-duplex support of my laptop's
sound hardware (ESS 1878).

For office-type applications I own Applixware
and find it to be more than suitable for my
needs.  Netscape more than adequately covers
my internet access needs.  So, these with
a suitable array of music apps create the
ideal environment in Linux for me.  When
I feel like playing with code, the GNU
tools are excellent, and I also own RedHat's
Motif 2.1 package (I am using its mwm as my
current window manager with xearth as my
background).

Anyway, is there anybody else around here
who has similar interests and wants to share
information?  How many people around here
either are currently are or aspire to using
the Linux environment for their day-to-day
computer tasks other than as a network server
or development-oriented workstation.  I believe
it can be done and that the level of sophistication
of apps for "ordinary" users is steadily improving
all the time.


Tony