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GO Live

e9925248

New member
This is currently just an experiment (only for 64-bit enabled computers with at least 512 MB ​​of RAM):

https://sourceforge.net/projects/e9925248.u/files/GOCD/

It just contains the most important things:
* A simple file manager and desktop (Linux based)
* GO
* A archive manager
* A text editor
* A browser

There is no security (PWs are the name of a program, you are interessted in :D).
One network card is enabled (DHCP), if available.

A large amount of current hardware should be supported as it is based on the current openSuSE.

You can:
1) Burn it to CD and let GO run without installation.

A portion of RAM will be used for saving files, so you will only be able to test small sample sets. All changes will be lost at reboot.

2) Copy to USB stick and run it from there.

You need to properly copy it to the USB stick (the old contents will be completely deleted):
https://en.opensuse.org/SDB:Live_USB_stick#Windows_Instructions

Changes are saved in the excess space of the USB stick.

It is not recommended to boot one USB stick on multiple computers as you will always have to reconfigure the interfaces.

3) Installation

When you boot the system, you can install it via Yast / Live Installer to your harddisk.

I'm waiting for your feedback.
 

L.Palo

New member
Hi!

Interesting project! I guess that it would be possible to use the "create bootable usb stick" feature of Ubuntu to move the .iso image to usb like any other live-cd? Also I assume it should be possible to install to a usb (or any external) drive too? Of course with the limitations that comes with it compared to a traditional hard-drive install...

Is any sampleset included in the iso?

Kind regards

Lars P
 

e9925248

New member
I guess that it would be possible to use the "create bootable usb stick" feature of Ubuntu to move the .iso image to usb like any other live-cd? Also I assume it should be possible to install to a usb (or any external) drive too? Of course with the limitations that comes with it compared to a traditional hard-drive install...

On Linux, you can simply dump it with "dd if=GOtoGO.iso of=/dev/sdX" on the whole device (not partitions like /dev/sdX1).

I don't know, what the bootable usb stick feature of Ubuntu exactly does.
If it simply does this, it will work. If it tries to modify the image while copying, probably not.

The source of this ubuntu packages looks compatible:
http://packages.ubuntu.com/quantal/usb-imagewriter

It should be possible to dump it to disks up to 2 TB. The boot code should support many disk types beside USB sticks/disks.

Is any sampleset included in the iso?

No, because of size issues. I don't want to overuse the SF.net hosting services for such little used things.

For such live CDs, we can only have the compression ratio of zip.

Looking at your sampleset, Burea funeral might have fit, but in my option, its sound is not suiteable for the first GO contact. Good, wet samplesets like Kalvträsk are simply too big.
 

ggoode.sa

New member
For a simple file manager, desktop, GO, archive manager, and text editor, this Live CD is rather large (over 600Megs) in comparison to doing it with Puppy Linux remastered (comes to about 250Megs). Any reason for taking this route rather than a remastered Puppy?

GG
 

L.Palo

New member
Hi!

The greatest disadvantage with Puppy Linux (last time I tried it) was the lack of localizations done in an easy way and also both the audio and display settings seemed to need a reset more or less every other reboot (even on the same computer). But I can agree that both the size and performance of Puppy was incredible.

If I had more time I would really like to create a customized (remastered) live (cd)/installer that was built with only the absolutely necessary things to run GO (scripted to start when system starts and when closed shut down the system) that could be used for true console embedding projects (no desktop environment, no display manager, no network, no browser needs to be included).

Anyway, I still think that this project is highly interesting as it makes it easy for anyone to get a fully functional GO environment to try out without the need to install anything themselves. If you want to create a remastered Puppy version with GO then that would be just fine to compare with!

Kind regards

Lars P
 
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e9925248

New member
The CD has not been optimized for size. I eg. selected a more capable editor from the KDE desktop, as it easily allowes the user to control the file encoding. This pulls in some KDE libraries, which increases the size. 300 MB size difference are irrelevant, if you consider the trend in sample set sizes and the storage device sizes. It also includes a installer.

If I had more time I would really like to create a customized (remastered) live (cd)/installer that was built with only the absolutely necessary things to run GO (scripted to start when system starts and when closed shut down the system) that could be used for true console embedding projects (no desktop environment, no display manager, no network, no browser needs to be included).
I have thought about the embedded use case and in my option, the system is useable for that, if it has been installed with the Live installer.
* I want to go crash safe - just pull the power plug and don't care for a proper shutdown (A few syncs are still missing in GO)
* It already starts GO and loads the last used organ
* For configuration, you need a GUI (monitor, keyboard) anyway - so simply disconnect them afterwards and ignore the GUI staff
* If network port is not connected, the network stuff does not matter.

I admit, that the current version shows some not necessary delays in startup - I can eliminate them later, if no other issues turn up.
 

mas1721

New member
Hi Martin,
I have try your GO Live it is an intersting project.
More precisely I installed it on hard disk and
I created a usb stick using ImageWrite.

But my need is a bit different.
I figure user who does not have the practice of computers and a well know organ console.
I want to have two options:
1 "GO" with no graphical interface to be used but only the console midi.
2 "GO" standard using a small desktop manager like LXDE (like your GO LIVE)
or XFCE
If there is a monitor it's possible swith using grub

So my linux GO box is a bit different I use ubuntu 13.04 64bit.
It's a handly configured machine wiithout desktop manager only fluxbox.
First time it's configured using ssh -X then
In 30'' must start up and upload grandorgue sample sets ( 2,5 GB ).

About Swell
If there were a simple Crescendo when I do change I can upload only a file .organ and user without computers experience can continue to use a good standard midi organ.

I hope I was clear my English is not good.

Thanks Maritn. Have a nice weekend.
 

e9925248

New member
I don't see any issue with using 2) also for 1). Compared to current sample set requirements, the overhead of a lightweight "desktop" is neglactable.
PC compatible hardware feature a graphic card, so there should be no problem with running it without any display connected.
For remote access to GO (eg. instead of connecting a display to the GO box access it from a laptop over the network), my idea is to use VNC (not yet implemented).

GO Live was just a first proof of concept - it has not been optimited for fast boot. Instead I have spent time to get GO crash safe [you shut down by just pulling the power plug].
My last build happend some time ago, so it should be updated ["zypper update", if it is installed on the hard disk]. Probably after the next openSuSE release, I'll work on an updated version.

An .organ file only describes a organ - it should not contain any configuration or personalisation. The same, unchanged ODF should be used for all users of that organ. Therefore stuff like setter content is not part of the ODF.
PS: The crescendo can be programmed via MIDI [you just need as minimum CrescendoNext + the normal Set button].
 

e9925248

New member
I have published a updated version (for 64 bit computers).
https://sourceforge.net/projects/e9925248.u/files/GOCD/

It includes the latest GO and well as the demo sample set.

You can:
* run it from a CD without installation (I would recommend >= 2GB of RAM).
* run it from a USB stick
The remaining part of the USB stick will be used to persist changes across reboots.
https://en.opensuse.org/SDB:Live_USB_stick
https://en.opensuse.org/SDB:Create_a_Live_USB_stick_using_Windows
* Install it via the Yast Live Installer. Just a few hints:
- I would recommend changing the file system from ext4 to xfs during installation
- The installer asks 2-3 time to create a user. Deny it every time.
- As this system is intended for a organ only PC, it does not require any login.

PS: To convert a openSuSE 13.1 installation in a organ only PC similar way, you can install the following package:
http://software.opensuse.org/download.html?project=home:e9925248:grandorgue&package=goconfig-all
 

Dorsetmike

Member
Extending this concept and only considering USB sticks and not CDs, would it be possible to have GO live with a capability to have a choice of one or more sample sets and ODFs on the same stick, - using currently available sample sets. Maybe aimed more at the organ only PC or console embedding?
 

e9925248

New member
Building such a image is not a technical problem. For redistribution, the sample sets need to have apropriate licenses (eg. CC BY-SA as used by Lars sample sets)
Shipping a GO Live with multiple samplesets as part of the GO project is a hosting issue. The GO demo set is only about 21MB. A good sampleset takes GBs of space - such things would in my option missuse the free hosting options at sourceforge.net.

If you installed GO live (or have put it on a USB stick), just enable your network card via Yast, dowload the samplesets via Firefox, disable the network and extract it. The GO live system includes all necessary tools this.

GO allows you to configure switching organs via MIDI, so after configuration, you can use multiple samplesets without any monitor/mouse/keyboard attached to your computer.
I try to create a crash-safe GO Live (= there is no need for a proper shutdown of the computer). If you want to persist modified organ settings (eg. general/divisial content), you need to trigger save [also possible via MIDI].
 

Dorsetmike

Member
I should probably have made it more clear that I was suggesting downloading currently available sample sets from where ever they are now, not that they should be hosted by Sourceforge. As you say GO live has the tools to do this.
 

e9925248

New member
As new version is available
https://sourceforge.net/projects/ourorgan/files/GOLive/

GOLive is a preconfigured operarting system to drive a GO only PC.
Only MIDI assignements are missing. It includes the GO demo set - other samplesets can be downloaded.

* It supports booting from a CD/DVD.
* It supports running from a USB stick or a USB harddisk without any installation.
* It includes a Live installer to permanently install it.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

GOLive includes the lastest GO 2065 release, which adds a simple MIDI event monitor.

It adds support for organ packages (*.orgue - help includes the format specification). The user just needs to drop the file in the organ package directory and at the next start, GO will make all included samplesets available - or you can register organ packages at other locations. Organ settings are releated to organ packages, so they are kept, if you move/rename organ packages.
 
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