At times I am involved with computer generated music using MIDI.

To create such music, a "soundfont" is required, and many soundfonts
are distributed as compressed SF2 format files.

To uncompress these files there are only two utilities available
(both Windoze):

sfArk: ????

SFPack: http://www.personalcopy.com/bigsounds.html

Fortunately, the SFPack decompressor is still available although
it is no longer (since 2007) being maintained.

Good luck finding an sfArk decompressor, however. Unless one had
acquired the file a long time ago it no longer can be found on the Web.

Fortunately (but perhaps not), a GNU/Linux version of the sfArk
decompressor is found here:

https://github.com/raboof/sfarkxtc

Unfortunately, this FOSS version is for sfArk version 2 and
a LOT of soundfonts exist as version 1.

I have Windoze copies of both sfArk and SFPack but how long these
will be able to execute is uncertain. Thus, collections of SF2
soundfonts everywhere will become FUBAR.

This is just one small, but highly important, example of why
all software should be open source. As long as the source code
is available somewhere there will be no obsolescence.

--
Systemd: solving all the problems that you never knew you had.

Lester Thorpe <lt@gnu.rocks> wrote:

>At times I am involved with computer generated music using MIDI.
>
>To create such music, a "soundfont" is required, and many soundfonts
>are distributed as compressed SF2 format files.
>
>To uncompress these files there are only two utilities available
>(both Windoze):
>
>sfArk: ????
>
>SFPack: http://www.personalcopy.com/bigsounds.html
>
>Fortunately, the SFPack decompressor is still available although
>it is no longer (since 2007) being maintained.
>
>Good luck finding an sfArk decompressor, however. Unless one had
>acquired the file a long time ago it no longer can be found on the Web.
>
>Fortunately (but perhaps not), a GNU/Linux version of the sfArk
>decompressor is found here:
>
>https://github.com/raboof/sfarkxtc
>
>Unfortunately, this FOSS version is for sfArk version 2 and
>a LOT of soundfonts exist as version 1.
>
>I have Windoze copies of both sfArk and SFPack but how long these
>will be able to execute is uncertain. Thus, collections of SF2
>soundfonts everywhere will become FUBAR.
>
>This is just one small, but highly important, example of why
>all software should be open source. As long as the source code
>is available somewhere there will be no obsolescence.

So, basically, your computer is a Tinkertoy system, you're a fucking
weirdo. Linux from scratch? More like Linux *without* anything
useful. Dumbass.

--
Joel W. Crump

Amendment XIV
Section 1.

[...] No state shall make or enforce any law which shall
abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the
United States; nor shall any state deprive any person of
life, liberty, or property, without due process of law;
nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal
protection of the laws.

Dobbs rewrites this, it is invalid precedent. States are
liable for denying needed abortions, e.g. TX.

On 10/10/2024 15:35, Joel wrote:
> Lester Thorpe <lt@gnu.rocks> wrote:
>
>> At times I am involved with computer generated music using MIDI.
>>
>> To create such music, a "soundfont" is required, and many soundfonts
>> are distributed as compressed SF2 format files.
>>
>> To uncompress these files there are only two utilities available
>> (both Windoze):
>>
>> sfArk: ????
>>
>> SFPack: http://www.personalcopy.com/bigsounds.html
>>
>> Fortunately, the SFPack decompressor is still available although
>> it is no longer (since 2007) being maintained.
>>
>> Good luck finding an sfArk decompressor, however. Unless one had
>> acquired the file a long time ago it no longer can be found on the Web.
>>
>> Fortunately (but perhaps not), a GNU/Linux version of the sfArk
>> decompressor is found here:
>>
>> https://github.com/raboof/sfarkxtc
>>
>> Unfortunately, this FOSS version is for sfArk version 2 and
>> a LOT of soundfonts exist as version 1.
>>
>> I have Windoze copies of both sfArk and SFPack but how long these
>> will be able to execute is uncertain. Thus, collections of SF2
>> soundfonts everywhere will become FUBAR.
>>
>> This is just one small, but highly important, example of why
>> all software should be open source. As long as the source code
>> is available somewhere there will be no obsolescence.
>
>
> So, basically, your computer is a Tinkertoy system, you're a fucking
> weirdo. Linux from scratch? More like Linux *without* anything
> useful. Dumbass.
>

Wow, Joel.. You must be a fun person to deal with. I feel sorry for your
supervisor.

I get your pain Lester. I still have a working radio flyer that uses a
very stripped down Linux kernel and some software from the 90's. The
software has to be installed through a firmware tool and it's harder to
use today on new hardware. If the software was open source it'd be
possible to update it for modern systems. Unfortunately it's not, so I
have to keep some older hardware just so I can run the firmware tool
when I decide to add new maps to it.

--
Phillip Frabott
----------
- Adam: Is a void really a void if it returns?
- Jack: No, it's just nullspace at that point.
----------

Phillip Frabott <nntp@fulltermprivacy.com> wrote:
>On 10/10/2024 15:35, Joel wrote:
>> Lester Thorpe <lt@gnu.rocks> wrote:
>>
>>> At times I am involved with computer generated music using MIDI.
>>>
>>> To create such music, a "soundfont" is required, and many soundfonts
>>> are distributed as compressed SF2 format files.
>>>
>>> To uncompress these files there are only two utilities available
>>> (both Windoze):
>>>
>>> sfArk: ????
>>>
>>> SFPack: http://www.personalcopy.com/bigsounds.html
>>>
>>> Fortunately, the SFPack decompressor is still available although
>>> it is no longer (since 2007) being maintained.
>>>
>>> Good luck finding an sfArk decompressor, however. Unless one had
>>> acquired the file a long time ago it no longer can be found on the Web.
>>>
>>> Fortunately (but perhaps not), a GNU/Linux version of the sfArk
>>> decompressor is found here:
>>>
>>> https://github.com/raboof/sfarkxtc
>>>
>>> Unfortunately, this FOSS version is for sfArk version 2 and
>>> a LOT of soundfonts exist as version 1.
>>>
>>> I have Windoze copies of both sfArk and SFPack but how long these
>>> will be able to execute is uncertain. Thus, collections of SF2
>>> soundfonts everywhere will become FUBAR.
>>>
>>> This is just one small, but highly important, example of why
>>> all software should be open source. As long as the source code
>>> is available somewhere there will be no obsolescence.
>>
>> So, basically, your computer is a Tinkertoy system, you're a fucking
>> weirdo. Linux from scratch? More like Linux *without* anything
>> useful. Dumbass.
>
>Wow, Joel.. You must be a fun person to deal with. I feel sorry for your
>supervisor.

Larry gets no sympathy, when he talks smack about my use of openSUSE.

>I get your pain Lester. I still have a working radio flyer that uses a
>very stripped down Linux kernel and some software from the 90's. The
>software has to be installed through a firmware tool and it's harder to
>use today on new hardware. If the software was open source it'd be
>possible to update it for modern systems. Unfortunately it's not, so I
>have to keep some older hardware just so I can run the firmware tool
>when I decide to add new maps to it.

Interesting.

--
Joel W. Crump

Amendment XIV
Section 1.

[...] No state shall make or enforce any law which shall
abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the
United States; nor shall any state deprive any person of
life, liberty, or property, without due process of law;
nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal
protection of the laws.

Dobbs rewrites this, it is invalid precedent. States are
liable for denying needed abortions, e.g. TX.

On 10/10/24 15:25, Lester Thorpe wrote:
> At times I am involved with computer generated music using MIDI.
>
> To create such music, a "soundfont" is required, and many soundfonts
> are distributed as compressed SF2 format files.
>
> To uncompress these files there are only two utilities available
> (both Windoze):
>
> sfArk: ????
>
> SFPack: http://www.personalcopy.com/bigsounds.html
>
> Fortunately, the SFPack decompressor is still available although
> it is no longer (since 2007) being maintained.
>
> Good luck finding an sfArk decompressor, however. Unless one had
> acquired the file a long time ago it no longer can be found on the Web.
>
> Fortunately (but perhaps not), a GNU/Linux version of the sfArk
> decompressor is found here:
>
> https://github.com/raboof/sfarkxtc
>
> Unfortunately, this FOSS version is for sfArk version 2 and
> a LOT of soundfonts exist as version 1.
>
> I have Windoze copies of both sfArk and SFPack but how long these
> will be able to execute is uncertain. Thus, collections of SF2
> soundfonts everywhere will become FUBAR.
>
> This is just one small, but highly important, example of why
> all software should be open source. As long as the source code
> is available somewhere there will be no obsolescence.

The survival of society cannot be left to bean-counters so anything that
is essential infrastructure should be cost + $1 if not free (state run
in other words). Just where what parts of computing or IT would fit in
there I'll leave to others but schools should definitely teach Linux
instead of how to boot dumbdose screaming "look ma' no hands". Once you
get the basic skills into the public at large you get the rest too.

bad sector <forgetski@_INVALID.net> wrote:
>On 10/10/24 15:25, Lester Thorpe wrote:
>
>> At times I am involved with computer generated music using MIDI.
>>
>> To create such music, a "soundfont" is required, and many soundfonts
>> are distributed as compressed SF2 format files.
>>
>> To uncompress these files there are only two utilities available
>> (both Windoze):
>>
>> sfArk: ????
>>
>> SFPack: http://www.personalcopy.com/bigsounds.html
>>
>> Fortunately, the SFPack decompressor is still available although
>> it is no longer (since 2007) being maintained.
>>
>> Good luck finding an sfArk decompressor, however. Unless one had
>> acquired the file a long time ago it no longer can be found on the Web.
>>
>> Fortunately (but perhaps not), a GNU/Linux version of the sfArk
>> decompressor is found here:
>>
>> https://github.com/raboof/sfarkxtc
>>
>> Unfortunately, this FOSS version is for sfArk version 2 and
>> a LOT of soundfonts exist as version 1.
>>
>> I have Windoze copies of both sfArk and SFPack but how long these
>> will be able to execute is uncertain. Thus, collections of SF2
>> soundfonts everywhere will become FUBAR.
>>
>> This is just one small, but highly important, example of why
>> all software should be open source. As long as the source code
>> is available somewhere there will be no obsolescence.
>
>The survival of society cannot be left to bean-counters so anything that
>is essential infrastructure should be cost + $1 if not free (state run
>in other words). Just where what parts of computing or IT would fit in
>there I'll leave to others but schools should definitely teach Linux
>instead of how to boot dumbdose screaming "look ma' no hands". Once you
>get the basic skills into the public at large you get the rest too.

You think so?

--
Joel W. Crump

Amendment XIV
Section 1.

[...] No state shall make or enforce any law which shall
abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the
United States; nor shall any state deprive any person of
life, liberty, or property, without due process of law;
nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal
protection of the laws.

Dobbs rewrites this, it is invalid precedent. States are
liable for denying needed abortions, e.g. TX.

On Thu, 10 Oct 2024 16:25:47 -0400, bad sector wrote:

> The survival of society cannot be left to bean-counters so anything that
> is essential infrastructure should be cost + $1 if not free (state run
> in other words).

That would presume a much more effective state; the current ones couldn't
run a church picnic. Where they probably could rise to effectiveness is in
censoring anything that doesn't have the state's seal of approval.

I won't even go into how the state provides 'free' gibs by picking the
pockets of its citizens at implied gunpoint.

On 10/10/24 16:39, Joel wrote:
> bad sector <forgetski@_INVALID.net> wrote:
>> On 10/10/24 15:25, Lester Thorpe wrote:
>>
>>> At times I am involved with computer generated music using MIDI.
>>>
>>> To create such music, a "soundfont" is required, and many soundfonts
>>> are distributed as compressed SF2 format files.
>>>
>>> To uncompress these files there are only two utilities available
>>> (both Windoze):
>>>
>>> sfArk: ????
>>>
>>> SFPack: http://www.personalcopy.com/bigsounds.html
>>>
>>> Fortunately, the SFPack decompressor is still available although
>>> it is no longer (since 2007) being maintained.
>>>
>>> Good luck finding an sfArk decompressor, however. Unless one had
>>> acquired the file a long time ago it no longer can be found on the Web.
>>>
>>> Fortunately (but perhaps not), a GNU/Linux version of the sfArk
>>> decompressor is found here:
>>>
>>> https://github.com/raboof/sfarkxtc
>>>
>>> Unfortunately, this FOSS version is for sfArk version 2 and
>>> a LOT of soundfonts exist as version 1.
>>>
>>> I have Windoze copies of both sfArk and SFPack but how long these
>>> will be able to execute is uncertain. Thus, collections of SF2
>>> soundfonts everywhere will become FUBAR.
>>>
>>> This is just one small, but highly important, example of why
>>> all software should be open source. As long as the source code
>>> is available somewhere there will be no obsolescence.
>>
>> The survival of society cannot be left to bean-counters so anything that
>> is essential infrastructure should be cost + $1 if not free (state run
>> in other words). Just where what parts of computing or IT would fit in
>> there I'll leave to others but schools should definitely teach Linux
>> instead of how to boot dumbdose screaming "look ma' no hands". Once you
>> get the basic skills into the public at large you get the rest too.
>
>
> You think so?

France has been showing the way for 20 years although I don't know
exactly how far they got, haven't been following. But I do know that the
US and Canada got NOWHERE, they are OWNED by the Googles and Zukerboogers.

rbowman <bowman@montana.com> wrote:
>On Thu, 10 Oct 2024 16:25:47 -0400, bad sector wrote:
>
>> The survival of society cannot be left to bean-counters so anything that
>> is essential infrastructure should be cost + $1 if not free (state run
>> in other words).
>
>That would presume a much more effective state; the current ones couldn't
>run a church picnic. Where they probably could rise to effectiveness is in
>censoring anything that doesn't have the state's seal of approval.
>
>I won't even go into how the state provides 'free' gibs by picking the
>pockets of its citizens at implied gunpoint.

Give Rush Limbaugh the presidential medal of freedom!!!

--
Joel W. Crump

Amendment XIV
Section 1.

[...] No state shall make or enforce any law which shall
abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the
United States; nor shall any state deprive any person of
life, liberty, or property, without due process of law;
nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal
protection of the laws.

Dobbs rewrites this, it is invalid precedent. States are
liable for denying needed abortions, e.g. TX.

On 10/10/24 17:13, rbowman wrote:
> On Thu, 10 Oct 2024 16:25:47 -0400, bad sector wrote:
>
>> The survival of society cannot be left to bean-counters so anything that
>> is essential infrastructure should be cost + $1 if not free (state run
>> in other words).
>
> That would presume a much more effective state; the current ones couldn't
> run a church picnic. Where they probably could rise to effectiveness is in
> censoring anything that doesn't have the state's seal of approval.

That's a good place to start!

Since electricity was nationalised in Quebec it's being offered at cost
plus profit, the total for domestic consumption is 1/6 or 1/8 of the
rate in Arizona (I forget the exact ratio) while shaving enough off to
finance development. We do have hydro resources but even if we were
generating with fuel the ratio would still be rather embare-assing.
That's what I mean by vital infrastructures.

On Thu, 10 Oct 2024 17:21:41 -0400, Joel wrote:

> rbowman <bowman@montana.com> wrote:
>>On Thu, 10 Oct 2024 16:25:47 -0400, bad sector wrote:
>>
>>> The survival of society cannot be left to bean-counters so anything
>>> that is essential infrastructure should be cost + $1 if not free
>>> (state run in other words).
>>
>>That would presume a much more effective state; the current ones
>>couldn't run a church picnic. Where they probably could rise to
>>effectiveness is in censoring anything that doesn't have the state's
>>seal of approval.
>>
>>I won't even go into how the state provides 'free' gibs by picking the
>>pockets of its citizens at implied gunpoint.
>
>
> Give Rush Limbaugh the presidential medal of freedom!!!

Have to dig him up first... My ex used to listen to his, show which is a
bit odd for a college educated woman living in NYC, but I was never
impressed. He did have good taste in his opening music though; it must
have chafed his ass the Chrissie Hynde donated the royalties from his use
to PETA.

On 2024-10-10 5:32 p.m., bad sector wrote:
> On 10/10/24 17:13, rbowman wrote:
>> On Thu, 10 Oct 2024 16:25:47 -0400, bad sector wrote:
>>
>>> The survival of society cannot be left to bean-counters so anything that
>>> is essential infrastructure should be cost + $1 if not free (state run
>>> in other words).
>>
>> That would presume a much more effective state; the current ones couldn't
>> run a church picnic. Where they probably could rise to effectiveness
>> is in
>> censoring anything that doesn't have the state's seal of approval.
>
> That's a good place to start!
>
> Since electricity was nationalised in Quebec it's being offered at cost
> plus profit, the total for domestic consumption is 1/6 or 1/8 of the
> rate in Arizona (I forget the exact ratio) while shaving enough off to
> finance development. We do have hydro resources but even if we were
> generating with fuel the ratio would still be rather embare-assing.
> That's what I mean by vital infrastructures.

I'm in Quebec too and have to say that Hydro-Quebec is rather
embarrassing. For a state and company that both want us to move to
electric cars, they're sure bad at keeping the grid up. We've had
several outages here already.

--
CrudeSausage
Catholic, paleoconservative, Christ is king

On Thu, 10 Oct 2024 17:32:03 -0400, bad sector wrote:

> Since electricity was nationalised in Quebec it's being offered at cost
> plus profit, the total for domestic consumption is 1/6 or 1/8 of the
> rate in Arizona (I forget the exact ratio) while shaving enough off to
> finance development. We do have hydro resources but even if we were
> generating with fuel the ratio would still be rather embare-assing.
> That's what I mean by vital infrastructures.

It was ill conceived and there were other problems but Hydro-Quebec was
the nail in the Maine Yankee nuclear plant's coffin. It was one of the
casualties of the energy deregulation fiasco of the late '90s as cheap
power flooded the New England states.

I don't know if deregulation achieved lower energy prices for the New
England consumers. In this state it allowed the power company to sell its
generating capacity to an out of state company and use the money to
reinvent itself as an internet company -- just in time to go bankrupt in
the dotcom bust.

So much for wise government policy.

On 2024-10-10, Lester Thorpe <lt@gnu.rocks> wrote:
> At times I am involved with computer generated music using MIDI.
>
> To create such music, a "soundfont" is required, and many soundfonts
> are distributed as compressed SF2 format files.
>
> To uncompress these files there are only two utilities available
> (both Windoze):
>
> sfArk: ????
>
> SFPack: http://www.personalcopy.com/bigsounds.html
>
> Fortunately, the SFPack decompressor is still available although
> it is no longer (since 2007) being maintained.
>
> Good luck finding an sfArk decompressor, however. Unless one had
> acquired the file a long time ago it no longer can be found on the Web.
>
> Fortunately (but perhaps not), a GNU/Linux version of the sfArk
> decompressor is found here:
>
> https://github.com/raboof/sfarkxtc
>
> Unfortunately, this FOSS version is for sfArk version 2 and
> a LOT of soundfonts exist as version 1.
>
> I have Windoze copies of both sfArk and SFPack but how long these
> will be able to execute is uncertain. Thus, collections of SF2
> soundfonts everywhere will become FUBAR.
>
> This is just one small, but highly important, example of why
> all software should be open source. As long as the source code
> is available somewhere there will be no obsolescence.
>
>
>

I think I have an old version of sfArk for Linux somewhere, I'll dig it
out, see if it is the version for version 1.

rbowman wrote this copyrighted missive and expects royalties:

> On Thu, 10 Oct 2024 17:21:41 -0400, Joel wrote:
>
>> rbowman <bowman@montana.com> wrote:
>>>On Thu, 10 Oct 2024 16:25:47 -0400, bad sector wrote:
>>>
>>>> The survival of society cannot be left to bean-counters so anything
>>>> that is essential infrastructure should be cost + $1 if not free
>>>> (state run in other words).
>>>
>>>That would presume a much more effective state; the current ones
>>>couldn't run a church picnic. Where they probably could rise to
>>>effectiveness is in censoring anything that doesn't have the state's
>>>seal of approval.
>>>
>>>I won't even go into how the state provides 'free' gibs by picking the
>>>pockets of its citizens at implied gunpoint.
>>
>> Give Rush Limbaugh the presidential medal of freedom!!!
>
> Have to dig him up first... My ex used to listen to his, show which is a
> bit odd for a college educated woman living in NYC, but I was never
> impressed. He did have good taste in his opening music though; it must
> have chafed his ass the Chrissie Hynde donated the royalties from his use
> to PETA.

Although off-topic, I will note that once had to work all day on software and
such in a mockup of an ATC radar room. The geezer who ran the lab was a decent
fellow, but he always had Rush on the radio, bellowing and bloviating.

Then after Rush was some other wack-wing talk show.

Around that time there was a left-wing talk show, not quite as loud and
bigoted.

Then on the drive in I used to listen to that curmudgeon Don Imus, which was
sometimes amusing. One example, "The Dick Scope" where the ghost of Richard
Nixon would deliver his foul-mouthed take on current events. Another was
"Beavis and Bubba" (Bubba being Bill Clinton). My favorite Imus neologism?
"Pantload".

--
Telephone books are like dictionaries -- if you know the answer before
you look it up, you can eventually reaffirm what you thought you knew
but weren't sure. But if you're searching for something you don't
already know, your fingers could walk themselves to death. -- Erma Bombeck

On Thu, 10 Oct 2024 19:25:58 +0000, Lester Thorpe wrote:

> At times I am involved with computer generated music using MIDI.
>
> To create such music, a "soundfont" is required, and many soundfonts
> are distributed as compressed SF2 format files.
>
> To uncompress these files there are only two utilities available
> (both Windoze):
>
> sfArk: ????
>
> SFPack: http://www.personalcopy.com/bigsounds.html
>
> Fortunately, the SFPack decompressor is still available although
> it is no longer (since 2007) being maintained.
>
> Good luck finding an sfArk decompressor, however. Unless one had
> acquired the file a long time ago it no longer can be found on the Web.
>
> Fortunately (but perhaps not), a GNU/Linux version of the sfArk
> decompressor is found here:
>
> https://github.com/raboof/sfarkxtc
>
> Unfortunately, this FOSS version is for sfArk version 2 and
> a LOT of soundfonts exist as version 1.
>
> I have Windoze copies of both sfArk and SFPack but how long these
> will be able to execute is uncertain. Thus, collections of SF2
> soundfonts everywhere will become FUBAR.
>
> This is just one small, but highly important, example of why
> all software should be open source. As long as the source code
> is available somewhere there will be no obsolescence.

In many cases you need a full archaic system, not just one package, due
to 29 cross dependencies on specific versions of libraries, compilers,
and other tools. Documenting the file formats is more important and I
guess the original software could serve as that. But eventually your
8-track tape collection just won't have anything to play it and it's
time to migrate and move on.

On Fri, 11 Oct 2024 10:43:42 -0400, Chris Ahlstrom wrote:

> Around that time there was a left-wing talk show, not quite as loud and
> bigoted.

Must not have been Randi Rhodes or Maddow. A local station tried Air
America for a while and even my left leaning friends admitted they
couldn't stand it. At least it had Kennedy although he was painful to
listen to because of his vocal problem.

On 10/10/24 21:28, rbowman wrote:
> On Thu, 10 Oct 2024 17:32:03 -0400, bad sector wrote:
>
>> Since electricity was nationalised in Quebec it's being offered at cost
>> plus profit, the total for domestic consumption is 1/6 or 1/8 of the
>> rate in Arizona (I forget the exact ratio) while shaving enough off to
>> finance development. We do have hydro resources but even if we were
>> generating with fuel the ratio would still be rather embare-assing.
>> That's what I mean by vital infrastructures.
>
> It was ill conceived and there were other problems but Hydro-Quebec was
> the nail in the Maine Yankee nuclear plant's coffin. It was one of the
> casualties of the energy deregulation fiasco of the late '90s as cheap
> power flooded the New England states.
>
> I don't know if deregulation achieved lower energy prices for the New
> England consumers. In this state it allowed the power company to sell its
> generating capacity to an out of state company and use the money to
> reinvent itself as an internet company -- just in time to go bankrupt in
> the dotcom bust.
>
> So much for wise government policy.

Most governments have too many things ass-backwards but in Quebec
Hydro-Quebec was IMO the most overdue cleanup that Rene Levesque
accomplished and most Quebecers think so regardless of political
partisanry. If he hadn't done it I would since then have paid about a
quarter of a million MORE for my electricity over 50 years (to be
compounded of course). There are no ifs or buts, vital infrastructure
must be free of sticky paws and there's more than a little space in
there for OSes as well as fossware.

On 10/10/24 19:56, CrudeSausage wrote:
> On 2024-10-10 5:32 p.m., bad sector wrote:
>> On 10/10/24 17:13, rbowman wrote:
>>> On Thu, 10 Oct 2024 16:25:47 -0400, bad sector wrote:
>>>
>>>> The survival of society cannot be left to bean-counters so anything
>>>> that
>>>> is essential infrastructure should be cost + $1 if not free (state run
>>>> in other words).
>>>
>>> That would presume a much more effective state; the current ones
>>> couldn't
>>> run a church picnic. Where they probably could rise to effectiveness
>>> is in
>>> censoring anything that doesn't have the state's seal of approval.
>>
>> That's a good place to start!
>>
>> Since electricity was nationalised in Quebec it's being offered at
>> cost plus profit, the total for domestic consumption is 1/6 or 1/8 of
>> the rate in Arizona (I forget the exact ratio) while shaving enough
>> off to finance development. We do have hydro resources but even if we
>> were generating with fuel the ratio would still be rather
>> embare-assing. That's what I mean by vital infrastructures.
>
> I'm in Quebec too and have to say that Hydro-Quebec is rather
> embarrassing.

You should try Arizona!

> For a state and company that both want us to move to
> electric cars, they're sure bad at keeping the grid up. We've had
> several outages here already.

Chickenshit, mostly caused by whining wokes who threw civil-right fits
every time the service trucks tried to trim branches off trees under
lines. THAT's changing BTW, they called me last month to get my
permission and politely informed me that I have a right to refuse (and
assume responsibility for any outages caused by my tree branches).

On Fri, 11 Oct 2024 10:38:52 -0000 (UTC), Borax Man wrote:

>
> I think I have an old version of sfArk for Linux somewhere, I'll dig it
> out, see if it is the version for version 1.
>

Could it be the one discussed here:

https://linuxmusicians.com/viewtopic.php?t=9854

If so, it has been superseded by the raboof version at github
mentioned in my original post.

However, the above link describes in considerable detail the
appalling incompetence of the sfArk programmers and likely
also reveals why all commercial software is kept so secret.
It is a very good read.

--
Systemd: solving all the problems that you never knew you had.

On Fri, 11 Oct 2024 14:46:44 -0000 (UTC), Joe Beanfish wrote:

>
> In many cases you need a full archaic system, not just one package, due
> to 29 cross dependencies on specific versions of libraries, compilers,
> and other tools.
>

It's much less for a command-line program which may only have
a need for libz.

For GUI programs, forget it.

>
> Documenting the file formats is more important and I
> guess the original software could serve as that.
>

The original creators of the sfArk format was Melody
Machine. They were a commercial company that produced
a definitely superior (although some might not agree --
see my other post) compression algorithm for SF2 soundfonts.
Many, many soundfonts were/are distributed as sfArk
files.

But Melody Machine went out of business and as a result
their code sank with them, never to be recovered.

Some have reversed engineered the original code (see my
previous post), but all that is beside the point.

The point is that all proprietary code has the same risk
of going down if the company that produced it fails.
Therefore, companies should make their code open-source
lest it leave countless users in the lurch.

>
> But eventually your
> 8-track tape collection just won't have anything to play it and it's
> time to migrate and move on.
>

I have decompressed all of my sfARC/sfPack to SF2 files a while ago
when I realized that sfArk/sfPack were dead.

But, again, that is not the point.

This situation will occur over and over unless companies open-source
their code for the sake of longevity.

--
Systemd: solving all the problems that you never knew you had.

On 10/11/2024 4:10 PM, Lameass Larry Piet wrote:

> On Fri, 11 Oct 2024 10:38:52 -0000 (UTC), Borax Man wrote:
>
>>
>> I think I have an old version of sfArk for Linux somewhere, I'll dig it
>> out, see if it is the version for version 1.
>>
>
> Could it be the one discussed here:
>
> https://linuxmusicians.com/viewtopic.php?t=9854
>
> If so, it has been superseded by the raboof version at github
> mentioned in my original post.
>
> However, the above link describes in considerable detail the
> appalling incompetence of the sfArk programmers

From sfArk user Maxime, on pg 2 of that thread:

"I chose sfArk over all the other formats I tried because:
it was the most efficient, compressing Arachno SoundFont from its
original 148,20 MB size down to 70,55 MB"

* both ZIP and 7z offer mediocre to average compression ratios with my
SoundFont - 128 MB and 109 MB, respectively;

An incompetent programmer couldn't best .zip and .7z.

"appalling incompetence" describes YOUR programming, but not that of the
original sfArk compressor developer.

> and likely
> also reveals why all commercial software is kept so secret.

Commercial software is usually the best in the world. And people pay
BIG bucks for it.

> It is a very good read.

You didn't read far enough into the thread, numbnut, or you wouldn't
have made your stupid comments.

Halfway down page 2, andy21 explains why your ignorant claims are those
of a clueless GuhNoo git.

https://linuxmusicians.com/viewtopic.php?p=35712#p35712

DFS <nospam@dfs.com> wrote:

>Commercial software is usually the best in the world. And people pay
>BIG bucks for it.

And that's perfectly fine, but why would I run Win11 full time, just
for those apps?

--
Joel W. Crump

Amendment XIV
Section 1.

[...] No state shall make or enforce any law which shall
abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the
United States; nor shall any state deprive any person of
life, liberty, or property, without due process of law;
nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal
protection of the laws.

Dobbs rewrites this, it is invalid precedent. States are
liable for denying needed abortions, e.g. TX.

On 10/11/2024 6:02 PM, Joel wrote:
> DFS <nospam@dfs.com> wrote:
>
>> Commercial software is usually the best in the world. And people pay
>> BIG bucks for it.
>
>
> And that's perfectly fine, but why would I run Win11 full time, just
> for those apps?

It's a personal choice, and depends on the apps and how much your
work-life revolves around them.

If your company or dept ran certain Windows-only 3D or engineering
software, or was heavily dependent on Excel for finance and stats and
decision making - and there's a LOT of it out there - you might choose
to run Windows only at home, too.

But as I surf around I notice a steady increase in commercial apps with
Windows, Linux and Mac versions, instead of just a Windows version as
was so common in the past. This is a good development.

Maybe YOU could get a Linux job, even before Feeb!

DFS <nospam@dfs.com> wrote:

>>> Commercial software is usually the best in the world. And people pay
>>> BIG bucks for it.
>>
>> And that's perfectly fine, but why would I run Win11 full time, just
>> for those apps?
>
>It's a personal choice, and depends on the apps and how much your
>work-life revolves around them.
>
>If your company or dept ran certain Windows-only 3D or engineering
>software, or was heavily dependent on Excel for finance and stats and
>decision making - and there's a LOT of it out there - you might choose
>to run Windows only at home, too.
>
>But as I surf around I notice a steady increase in commercial apps with
>Windows, Linux and Mac versions, instead of just a Windows version as
>was so common in the past. This is a good development.
>
>Maybe YOU could get a Linux job, even before Feeb!

I don't really want an IT job.

--
Joel W. Crump

Amendment XIV
Section 1.

[...] No state shall make or enforce any law which shall
abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the
United States; nor shall any state deprive any person of
life, liberty, or property, without due process of law;
nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal
protection of the laws.

Dobbs rewrites this, it is invalid precedent. States are
liable for denying needed abortions, e.g. TX.