MIDI driver for xorg?

Crypto crptdngl71 at gmx.net
Mon Jan 25 02:03:40 PST 2010


Hi,

I'm new to this list and I would like to know if there is a MIDI driver for 
the xorg xserver.

Before you think "my, that's a silly question for a starter..." let me 
describe why I think that there could actually be very good reasons for that.

1.) MIDI interfaces connect to PCs typically via USB or joystick port. The USB 
connectivity is similar to that standard USB computer keyboards. From that 
interface-based point of view they do not differ much from ordinary keyboards.

2.) MIDI devices transmit data at rather low speed in short commands in a 
byte-wise "language" which includes not only commands (e.g. NOTE ON/OFF) but 
also "stream data" for  some musical events. This again is similar to ordinary 
keyboards.

3.) If a GUI of an application was able to understand incoming MIDI events it 
could be remotely controlled via MIDI interface, aside with mouse and 
keyboard. This is actually my main reason for writing this  - I have found 
that there are really few applications out there that have a) a GUI, b) can be 
fully MIDI controlled. In most cases it would be a question of selecting a 
menu entry using MIDI commands instead of an F-key or mouse button, so it 
looks like it could be done by making MIDI commands known to the shortcut 
tools of applications, thus by implementing a MIDI xorg driver.

Maybe it is mainly a question of real-time capabilities of the underlying 
hardware driver it could not be done yet, but maybe there are/have been other 
good reasons for not having a MIDI xorg-driver?

Thanks for shading some light on this and kind regards,
Crypto.



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