Welcome to the SoundBlaster8 Version 1.04 driver! 

After using NeXTStep - this marvelious operating system - for a while, 
I decided that it was time to have sound! I had an old SoundBlaster in my host, so I wrote a simple driver for it.

I think any freaks out there could have fun with 8bit NeXTStep sound.

The SoundBlaster8 driver can be found on the ftp-site:
  cs.orst.edu : /pub/next/submissions/SoundBlaster8_V1.04.tar.gz

it soon will move to
  cs.orst.edu : /pub/next/binaries/drivers/SoundBlaster8_V1.04.tar.gz

Here are some technical data:
 * Supports classic 8 bit ISA SoundBlaster 
 * Configurable for IRQ's 3, 5, and 7 
 * Only DMA channel 1
 * Only Port 0x220
 * Only NS FIP 3.2
!* Has a driver inspector to register & to set the debug flag
!* Included the driver inspector sources for free use by other developers
 * Plays 4-23kHz
 * Records 4-12kHz
 * Supports only NX_SoundStreamDataEncoding_Linear8 sound encoding, so you
   will have to convert Linear16 or Mulaw8 files to Linear8 format, using
   the system built in snd* untilities.
 * It's a demo-version which only plays or records 30 songs after every reboot.
   It then stops sound output and input. You will have to register the
   driver to remove that limitation. Take a look at the REGISTRATION text.

For a quick installation guide read the INSTALLATION text.

Please send any bug reports or comments via e-mail to: amir@avalon.unizh.ch
Or send them to: Amir Guindehi, Am Guggenberg 4, 8053 Zuerich, Switzerland

Plans for the future:
 
  * Support for SoundBaster Pro card. IF I have the money to buy one ... that's
    up to you, and your registrations.
  * If possible, I want to emulate Linear16 format for the classic
    SoundBlaster by throwing away the lower byte automatically in the driver.
    (I've some ideas but don't know yet if they'll work ...)
  * After the SoundBlaster Pro driver it can be possible that I will release 
    the sources for free. I think it would be a good example of how to write
    a NeXTStep driver. So NeXTStep users with spare time would have more
    informations about writing a sound driver for NS.

I hope you enjoy the sound the same as I do ...

- Amir