Re: Computer techniques people here use?

Hi Margo,

I wonder if some of these may be of interest
(web page found in google search):

http://www.uni-koblenz.de/~dcastle/bookmarks/linkpages/DOSlinks.htm
see sound programs. It includes mp3 players
midi players and sound recorders
all for MSDOS.

I use Lame for encoding .wav to mp3s, which is a command
line tool, but generally use it via a gui someone wrote for it
rather than use the command line tool directly.
I use a few command line tools now and again, including
ones I write myself - there generally what I do is to
make a batch file with the commands I often use
and run that batch file from the windows GUi
and then I edit the batch file within the GUI.
You can use batch files in MSDOS too, perhaps you already
use them? They save a lot of typing if you have tasks
that you do over and over again, the same way each time.
My programs also sometimes call command line tools invisibly
as background tasks.

But I've been programming for a fair while now and in fact first started
programming with mainframe computers with the programs
on punched cards or paper tape. So I have fond recollections
of the command line environment. Used to program in
Unix when I was at the maths dept here but by then
it had all gone over to GUI. Was amazed first time
I saw a GUI with Windows (Unix style).

The most useful thing about using a GUI like that for running programs
is that you can have several "Windows" on your desktop at once, and if
you have a long task you want to run in the background
you can just run it in one of your windows and
then leave it running while you get on with things
in the other windows - multi-tasking on a single
machine! Took a long time for the operating system
writers to realise that was a useful thing for
someone to want to do.

That multi-tasking on a single machine amazed me first
time I saw it - and the other thing was the
way all the windows could respond to the mouse and
keyboard at any time, couldn't imagine how the operating system
could sort it all out and cope with all that happening at once
and asynchronously, seemed mind boggling at first.
Now I know a little more about how it works but
appreciate it as most ingenious all the same.

Thanks,

Robert

Robert Walker wrote:

> The most useful thing about using a GUI like that for running programs
> is that you can have several "Windows" on your desktop at once, and if
> you have a long task you want to run in the background
> you can just run it in one of your windows and
> then leave it running while you get on with things
> in the other windows - multi-tasking on a single
> machine! Took a long time for the operating system
> writers to realise that was a useful thing for
> someone to want to do.

it did? all unix is multitasking. linux can run multiple shells without a gui. see also:

http://www.sniffer.net/bookshelf_do_sniffer/unix/upt/ch12_09.htm

as to the question, i can run mp3s on mplayer without x. i don't know if you can compile it without the x libraries though.

this definitely does something:

cat /dev/dsp > test

i think it records from line in. you'll have to research how to get lame to use the result.

i don't know of any unix command line midi sequencers. what other tools do you need?

graham

Robert,

Linux in command-line terminal mode, unlike DOS, can do true multitasking from
the command line, by opening different sessions.

DOS is an absolutely antiquated nightmare for those who still use the command
line.

All Best,
Aaron.

On Thursday 13 May 2004 08:22 am, Robert Walker wrote:
> Hi Margo,
>
> I wonder if some of these may be of interest
> (web page found in google search):
>
> http://www.uni-koblenz.de/~dcastle/bookmarks/linkpages/DOSlinks.htm
> see sound programs. It includes mp3 players
> midi players and sound recorders
> all for MSDOS.
>
> I use Lame for encoding .wav to mp3s, which is a command
> line tool, but generally use it via a gui someone wrote for it
> rather than use the command line tool directly.
> I use a few command line tools now and again, including
> ones I write myself - there generally what I do is to
> make a batch file with the commands I often use
> and run that batch file from the windows GUi
> and then I edit the batch file within the GUI.
> You can use batch files in MSDOS too, perhaps you already
> use them? They save a lot of typing if you have tasks
> that you do over and over again, the same way each time.
> My programs also sometimes call command line tools invisibly
> as background tasks.
>
> But I've been programming for a fair while now and in fact first started
> programming with mainframe computers with the programs
> on punched cards or paper tape. So I have fond recollections
> of the command line environment. Used to program in
> Unix when I was at the maths dept here but by then
> it had all gone over to GUI. Was amazed first time
> I saw a GUI with Windows (Unix style).
>
> The most useful thing about using a GUI like that for running programs
> is that you can have several "Windows" on your desktop at once, and if
> you have a long task you want to run in the background
> you can just run it in one of your windows and
> then leave it running while you get on with things
> in the other windows - multi-tasking on a single
> machine! Took a long time for the operating system
> writers to realise that was a useful thing for
> someone to want to do.
>
> That multi-tasking on a single machine amazed me first
> time I saw it - and the other thing was the
> way all the windows could respond to the mouse and
> keyboard at any time, couldn't imagine how the operating system
> could sort it all out and cope with all that happening at once
> and asynchronously, seemed mind boggling at first.
> Now I know a little more about how it works but
> appreciate it as most ingenious all the same.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Robert

--
Aaron Krister Johnson
http://www.dividebypi.com
http://www.akjmusic.com

Linux command ogg123 plays ogg vorbis files:

http://linux.about.com/library/cmd/blcmdl1_ogg123.htm

DJW