www.megadrum.info

Until the Config Tool becomes fully Mac compatible, here's how you can manage to run the Config Tool on your Mac if you have an Apple Macintosh G3, G4, or G5 computer (including iBooks and PowerBooks as well as IBM OpenPower machines)

You'll be running a Linux (Ubuntu 8.04.1) environment without installing anything on your hard drive! The Live CD is the answer!

So first step is to download the disk image :
http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/ports/releases/hardy/release/ubuntu-8.04.1-server-powerpc.iso

Burn the CD using the Disk Utility. If you dont know how to do that, simply follow the instructions here

Plug your Megadrum

If you have a wireless internet connexion, dont forget to plug the Ethernet cable directly in your computer... Linux will not detect your Airport!

Reboot your computer while holding the "C" key. That way you'll boot directly with the Linux CD.

Once Ubuntu is launched, go to System/Tool and open a Terminal.
Type (or copy/paste) the following command:

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sudo gedit /etc/apt/sources.list

A new document will be opened, erase everything in that window and replace it with the following text :

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# deb cdrom:[Xubuntu 8.04 _Hardy Heron_ - Release Candidate powerpc (20080420)]/ hardy main multiverse restricted universe
# See http://help.ubuntu.com/community/UpgradeNotes for how to upgrade to
# newer versions of the distribution.

deb http://ports.ubuntu.com/ubuntu-ports/ hardy main restricted
deb-src http://ports.ubuntu.com/ubuntu-ports/ hardy restricted

## Major bug fix updates produced after the final release of the
## distribution.
deb http://ports.ubuntu.com/ubuntu-ports/ hardy-updates main restricted
deb-src http://ports.ubuntu.com/ubuntu-ports/ hardy-updates restricted

## N.B. software from this repository is ENTIRELY UNSUPPORTED by the Ubuntu
## team, and may not be under a free licence. Please satisfy yourself as to
## your rights to use the software. Also, please note that software in
## universe WILL NOT receive any review or updates from the Ubuntu security
## team.
deb http://ports.ubuntu.com/ubuntu-ports/ hardy universe
deb http://ports.ubuntu.com/ubuntu-ports/ hardy-updates universe

## N.B. software from this repository is ENTIRELY UNSUPPORTED by the Ubuntu
## team, and may not be under a free licence. Please satisfy yourself as to
## your rights to use the software. Also, please note that software in
## multiverse WILL NOT receive any review or updates from the Ubuntu
## security team.
deb http://ports.ubuntu.com/ubuntu-ports/ hardy multiverse
deb http://ports.ubuntu.com/ubuntu-ports/ hardy-updates multiverse

## Uncomment the following two lines to add software from the 'backports'
## repository.
## N.B. software from this repository may not have been tested as
## extensively as that contained in the main release, although it includes
## newer versions of some applications which may provide useful features.
## Also, please note that software in backports WILL NOT receive any review
## or updates from the Ubuntu security team.
# deb http://ports.ubuntu.com/ubuntu-ports/ hardy-backports main restricted universe multiverse
# deb-src http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu hardy-backports main restricted universe multiverse

## Uncomment the following two lines to add software from Canonical's
## 'partner' repository. This software is not part of Ubuntu, but is
## offered by Canonical and the respective vendors as a service to Ubuntu
## users.
# deb http://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu hardy partner
# deb-src http://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu hardy partner

deb http://ports.ubuntu.com/ubuntu-ports/ hardy-security main restricted
deb-src http://ports.ubuntu.com/ubuntu-ports/ hardy-security main restricted
deb http://ports.ubuntu.com/ubuntu-ports/ hardy-security universe
deb-src http://ports.ubuntu.com/ubuntu-ports/ hardy-security universe
deb http://ports.ubuntu.com/ubuntu-ports/ hardy-security multiverse
deb-src http://ports.ubuntu.com/ubuntu-ports/ hardy-security multiverse


SAVE that document.

Open a new Terminal and type the following commands (one after another) :

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sudo apt-get update

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sudo apt-get install openjdk-6-jre

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sudo ln -s / /cow

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sudo find /usr/lib/ -name "libjli.so"

*that command will give you a path that you'll need to paste in the next line*

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LD_LIBRARY_PATH=replace_me_with_the_path

*It should look something like this :
/usr/lib/jvm/java-6-openjdk/jre/lib/powerpc/jli/

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java -version

*It should give you something like this :
OpenJDK Runtime Environment 1.6
otherwise the installation didn't work!

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wget http://www.megadrum.info/configtool/install.jnlp

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javaws ./install.jnlp

And that's it!!


Unfortunately you'll have to do that whole procedure everytime you reboot your computer. The Live CD is only running in your computer's "memory", so each time you quit your session, everything you did is "lost" (so dont forget to save your setting somewhere, in your Megadrum for example!).And of course, because of that, it's probably better to spend a long session configuring the MD than doing it 5 minutes every night!

Like I said, hopefully this is a temporary procedure! A Mac compatible Config Tool might just be available before anyone else (anyone else than me) gets sacrificed!!

This post is really interesting to me for testing MCT with linux, because I tried to run it with the live cd and had problems with the damn libjli.so. Now I know how I have to do it!! Thanks!

In your other post in the other topic, you said you are able to update megadrum's firmware with the tool with Mac. Is that true? do you mean you can update firmware but can't see the midi log and single config sends working?

This post is really interesting to me for testing MCT with linux, because I tried to run it with the live cd and had problems with the damn libjli.so. Now I know how I have to do it!! Thanks!

No problem! Glad I could help!

In your other post in the other topic, you said you are able to update megadrum's firmware with the tool with Mac. Is that true?

I have no idea how this is possible, but yes, the firmware update works perfectly. Ruffneck has experimented the same situation with a Mac Intel. So for both Intel and PowerPc, big sysex messages (we're talking about firmware updates ONLY) can be sent to MD with the Config Tool

do you mean you can update firmware but can't see the midi log and single config sends working?

AAh I did a mistake there! I meant the "Application log" not the "Midi Log", sorry for the confusion. The "Midi monitor" and the "Midi log" have always been available and working!

I simply dont have access to some of the options you didn't add to the Mac version like the "View menu" (and basically everything you wrote in the 1.1 Version History of the Config Tool )

In the end, it's basically the same situation than it was when you released the first version! Still impossible to Load or Save anything to and from MD, EXCEPT for the firmware update, for some reason that one feature works perfectly!

That behavior you mention is very very strange, as Megadrum configurations are algo sysex messages. I have to check the code to see if there is a minimum difference in the way it sends firmwares and configs. Maybe I'll find the answer.
By the way, do you turn off and on the megadrum with MCT running for doing the firmware update? do you have megadrum already connected when you start MCT?

It is also very strange you don't have version 1.1. If you open the About (Help->About) what version number do you see? Maybe Java Web Start has not automatically updated the program, because I didn't apply any OS restrictions for the new "Application Log" feature. It should be available for everyone.

That behavior you mention is very very strange, as Megadrum configurations are algo sysex messages. I have to check the code to see if there is a minimum difference in the way it sends firmwares and configs. Maybe I'll find the answer.

That,s true, it is very strange. And I really hope you do find the answer!

By the way, do you turn off and on the megadrum with MCT running for doing the firmware update? do you have megadrum already connected when you start MCT?

Next week I'll need to update the firmware again so I'll do that and give you a specific answer. Now I'm hesitating! but I believe I first plugged the MD, opened the MCT, then unpluged the MD, held the LEFT key and plugged it back in, and then clicked "YES" in the MCT update menu. So I'm not 100% sure, but I believe I did leave MCT running while unplugging-reppluging the MD.

It is also very strange you don't have version 1.1. If you open the About (Help->About) what version number do you see? Maybe Java Web Start has not automatically updated the program, because I didn't apply any OS restrictions for the new "Application Log" feature. It should be available for everyone.

All my fault! I just updated to version 1.1. For some reason I thought I had already update it! I'm just all mixed up by the 2249284233r238 different things I've been downloading and trying since last month!
All the menus and options are there. Next week I'll do the last installation you suggested and I'll test all the menus and new features you added to see if they work.

AAh enough for tonight... A lot of things have changed and in conclusion, I need help figuring out what the problem is!

I have upgraded the firmware with the MCT and it works perfectly.
Elrules here's exactly how I did it :

- Plugged MD
- Open MCT (configure it correctly to make sure the MD is the input and Output device chosen)
- In MCT, click on Firmware update, then chose the latest firware (megadrum32_16_32_20081020.syx in my case)
- When MCT askes for it, I unplug MD and reconnect it while holding LEFT key
- I didn't press anything because I use 16Mhz clock, and pressed DOWN key to "confirm"
- On the LCD I can read "FW updater 16Mhz Send sysex now"
- In MCT I click "Yes" to send sysex
- The MD led starts to flash (for about 10 seconds), the preceding message disapears and the Vu-meter appears
- In MCT I click "Ok" where it says "Wait few seconds or restart manually"
- The update works perfectly!!

Now for the rest...

Here's a the setting I had during the tests I did :

- I kept "mmj.jar" and "libmmj.jnilib" in my java extension folder
- I have downloaded this version of java from apple.com "javaformacosx10.4release7devdocs.dmg" (which is normally only accessible to Apple developpers, infos can be found here : http://developer.apple.com/java/)
- I changed my crystal from 20Mhz to 16Mhz and got the Bootloader that goes with it
- I got the most recent version of the MCT (V.1.2)

Now it works BUT some new problems arrived.

Starting with the positive news :

- All new features you added work (Application log, looks and themes, "configure options" window etc...)

- I can now LOAD whatever I want FROM the Md into the MCT

- I can now SEND some settings FROM MCT to MD (but it only works under certain circumstances)

Test One :

- The "level" defaut setting on the MD for the Hihat pedal is : High 1000, Low 894
- Using MCT, I change High to 116 and Low to 11
- Then choose Actions/Hihat pedal setting/send to MD
- The "Application log" says "Hihat Pedal setting sent to MD"
- I check the MD, the setting has change so it works!

I then quit MCT, unplug MD, reopen MCT and replug MCT

Test Two :

- In MCT, I choose Actions/all MD setting/Load from MD
- I can see the changes right away in MCT
- So loading the setting works

BUT THEN
If I leave MCT open (after doing test #2) and try to change the hihat setting and send it to MD it does NOT work anymore. Just like if I couldn't overwrite on a setting previously loaded from MD

I quit and unplug everything, do couple of changes and try to SEND all setting to MD... it does NOT work and whatever I try to send to MD after this failure doesn't work anymore.

Just to make sure I am not hallucinating, I unplug and quit everything. Redo test #1 and it works again.

The exact same thing occurs with pad settings.

Also, if I change some Kick parameter + some hihat parameter and "send all settings to MD", it does NOT work. But individually these changes work ( IF I shut down MD and MCT between each manipulation)

It's just as if MCT was allowing me to do only ONE manipulation per session and not more than one pad at a time.
I checked the "Application log", it shows each LOAD and SEND, with no failure... even when it does NOT work

I am so lost.

OOh and I forgor to mention.. I still have not tested the JavaMidi 5 procedure.
When I sent a setting to MD and noticed that it worked I was so happy that I just continued testing it until I got too tired!
I'll wait for a "diagnostic" before going any further!

THese are Great News!!!!!

So, in conclusion, the mmj with that version of java you downloaded works!!. I think that the problem you have is related to how MCT manages connections. It opens a connection to the MIDI In and MIDI Out ports. It only closes them when you quit the program. (In the pre-release version, it opened/closed the MIDI Device each time it sent/received a config) but with that approach it didn't work for some. That is due (as I have read) to the fact that some devices, when closed by Java, cannot be opened anymore (you have to replug or reboot). If you, after MD does not respond to configuration commands, close MCT, replug MD and open MCT again and it works, then, the problem is caused for some kind of middleware overflow (due to that Java MIDI implementation: mmj) I don't know how mmj is programmed, but seems like if it has some particularities.

Have you experienced any problem if you DON'T use any "all-settings" command? Can you operate without problems if you only send/receive single configs? (THIS IS IMPORTANT)

If you do, then the problem comes from the "all´settings commands. I adjusted a "wait time" between each single sending inside the all-in-one sending. First I had it set to 0.5 seconds, of course there were not any problem at all. But sending/receiving all settings (48 single configs) lasted a lot. I tried with a few milliseconds but the MD seemed to overflow and settings were not applied. I found a low wait time value for avoiding problems. Maybe in Mac OS it should be higher. ....But this in the case you don't experiment problems with single configs in the same session, then the problem could come from this I explained.

First I had it set to 0.5 seconds, of course there were not any problem at all. But sending/receiving all settings (48 single configs) lasted a lot. I tried with a few milliseconds but the MD seemed to overflow and settings were not applied. I found a low wait time value for avoiding problems. Maybe in Mac OS it should be higher. ....

IF that's the problem, would you be able to create an individual Mac version where the sending/receiving wait time value would be higher? That way, we keep the PC user's current (working) setting and help Mac users at the same time?

But isn't strange that importing ALL SETTING from Md works perfectly? Only sending requires a higher wait time value...

Maybe in Mac OS it should be higher. ....But this in the case you don't experiment problems with single configs in the same session, then the problem could come from this I explained.

Have you experienced any problem if you DON'T use any "all-settings" command? Can you operate without problems if you only send/receive single configs? (THIS IS IMPORTANT)

I will try each individual action (within one session, then in seperate sessions) tonight and let you know

kimouette wrote:But isn't strange that importing ALL SETTING from Md works perfectly? Only sending requires a higher wait time value...

Loading all settings means sending 48 tiny sysex messages, as they are the config requests. Maybe with those messages, as they are very small, there are no problems.

I need to confirm that you don't have problems when using only single configs send/receive.

See you tonight