[Abandoned] MobilePreUSB+Macromedia bite (and My apology)

[linxuser]

Preface all this with: There is nothing that can be done about it, just accept it. I have.

Well, well, well,
Ha, ha, ha, ah, ha,

I've posted about this, not knowing how deep the rabbit hole was. My original post about my frustration in windows and lack of support in linux just got dumber. I've been trying, the past couple of days to get my ubuntu to recognize and use the MobilePreUSB preamp.

Everything I tried, and I know there is more to try, hasn't worked. However, this morning I pulled up hulu.com to view the news, in firefox. And no sound. I know it was working before I attempted getting the preamp working. The preamp was still hooked up but not working this morning. I had seen where it was recognized by ubuntu. So it seems the same problem I'd ran into in windows is replicated in linux.

Its obviously something to do with Adobe/Macromedia cause use of that product and the MobilePreUSB at the same time causes the problem. It only affects veiwing flash/macromedia video. It disabled flashplayer's sound. I can't get it back. System sounds still work. I've uninstalled everything I can find of mozilla and firefox. Including hidden config files in user folder, searched for and deleted the one file I found in system folders. I think it was in /bin . Upon reinstall firefox still won't do flash, so I guess they hid a trigger somewhere that disables its sound.

My only option is to remove all hidden config files from my user directory and do a fresh install making sure partitions for / and /usr are formatted. Been through this before so I know what a waste of my time it'll be.

The MobilePreUSB is definately shelved, permanently. I don't even want to try and sell it. Though its not worth much now. It'd just be selling someone a very troublesome problem. Sure wish M-Audio hadn't signed on with Macromedia. And anti-circumvention laws prohibit trying to do a workaround. Sheesh.

Its like something talked about in one of GreyGeek's posts.

Well, its time to put this all behind me. The pencil pushers get they're way.

[And a final agreement]

I just finished fresh install of ubuntu. I also deleted the "holding fakes?" I'd done on the live USB. So now I got 2 win partitions. win7 n vista (bleah) n linux.

As a proof to me, flash player again works. This time however, while accepting java and/or adobe's EULA, without reading, I'm aware that I'm agreeing that their software has total legal right to deny service to me should I again plug in the USB preamp while their software is in use. And that's that.

[And this is where I started with this thread]
(yea, paragraph form, right)

You know back in 2003 I purchased a USB preamp from a well known guitar store chain. And studio software for it. Not high-end, high enough for me. I hardly use the studio software anymore but I like to use the preamp to port to audio system. I can see where it could be used to do some high(er) quality illegal activity, but I don't. You just have to take my word for it.

Anyway the reason I imagine an issue is, after they bowed to the DRM, they changed their driver so every time I plugged it in, I had to go through the "driver not digitally signed" and click on [continue]. No big, but if you do something wrong, you have to unplug/replug and do it again.

Then at some point hulu.com programs made it mute out. Nothing I could think to do would bring it back. I never pressured them, so I never got a remedy. I won't trust the DRM. So I lurk in the shadows.

Maybe the preamp folks show it somewhere on their site, but I never found it. Turns out on my own, I found the driver had to be installed with Administrator priveledges. They may have mentioned that. I only recently learned how to do it. Not Administator via safe boot, driver won't install in safe mode. Then the driver needs to be installed with a password protected Administrator prompt. Back to safe mode, create Administrator password, reboot. And it works. Thats good for now. But winDoze only.

Well that issue is what lead me to Linux. Kubuntu specifically, but it turns out the USB preamp people won't release the specs, so even though, there are enough ubuntu savvy programmer/coders who'd do it for free, the preamp people won't open up.

[Note here: this info was found on long outdated posts I'd found. There are posts that claim to and describe the procedure for making these M-Audio products work in linux. I tried for a couple days, and have given up. It may be do-able but, I don't want to spend any more time on it.]

Its been 4 years since the advent of 6.06, and nothing. I know, its not ubuntu or Kubuntu's fault. But this is where my distaste for any and all things having to do with security sprouted.

Sorry all, for the rants and the like. I felt, I owed some explaination. Earlier today, reading through forum chat, about the same kind of issue. I was so pissed, while ranting, I couldn't stop my hands from shaking. I am totally pissed. And its worse, nothing anyone can do about it.

I hate the fact, that I abandoned my preamp, off and on for years because of it.

Anyway, again, sorry. I've found a lot needed help from forum members like greygeek, dibl, rog131, askreiger, ... the list just goes on. You know who you are.

Thanks for hanging in there.

I'll check back from time to time, but I think its best if I just search, not post. I get out of hand. And I lose track of what I'm trying to convey. Thats too obvious.

And I even get furious when I'm rebuked. Sorry for that too. If something pisses me off, I need to remember to hold it all in. Letting go, I just explode.

Happy 'bunting all. Keep on truck'n.

linxuser

NOTE: The preceding is not true. Everything I say is a lie. I love it.

"this was from a Star Trek episode where the character playing Harry Mudd said the unresolvable, double negative"

[linxuser]

Re: My 'pology and sorry 'bout the added post

I just sent a post to the forum for my USB sound card. I'm pasting it here just for duplicity. Also in case of any interest. I'll wait an see if they post back. Also my apologies this isn't about my loved ubuntu studio, sadly the device manufacturer isn't giving the go ahead for linux developers to make support, even for free. Legal trap set - see other's posts about this DRM (Digital R(something) Management?) thing.

Post follows:

Toshiba Satellite
Windows XP Media Center Edition SP2

Intel(R)Core(TM)2 CPU T550 @1.66GHz
2.99 GB RAM

XXXXXXXXXUSB
Drivers tried:
XXXXXXXXX_win_10012_web.exe
XXXXXX_5_10_00_3516.exe
XXXXXXXXX_5_10_00_5128.exe
XXXXXXXXX_6_0_1_5_10_0_5131.exe

When ever I reconnect my XXXXXXXXXUSB, after system restart, I must reinstall driver. The procedure I do for this is to uninstall the driver.
After that finishes, unsuccessfully, I go into regedit and search for XXXXXXX and delete each key, you know, delete, f3, click, delete, f3, etc... maybe only 163 of em. Then since that isn't satisfying cause I don't think I found them all, I start searching for variants of XXXXXXXX i.e. XXX.
This messes things cause there are keys to wXXX probably are system keys. So safe mode regedit with the same end results. Safe mode uninstall is unsuccessful, cause it can't find (something)*wow.
That's where I am now. I'll continue, but if I can't get it out, I'll have to do a complete xpsp2 factory restore from the DVDs that shipped with my computer. That wipes everything, but XXXXXXXXXUSB is uninstalled.
Can I stop this from happening? I haven't used my XXXXXXXXXUSB for at least a year because of this. Now I to do it again. At least there is not much personal data, I just did a factory restore last week. In fact that is why I thought to give my XXXXXXXXXUSB another try.
The factory restore only takes a couple of hours, but should I even try installing the XXXXXXXXXUSB driver again? It keeps on leaving itself in a state that can't be uninstalled, and like I said with about 163 keys in the registry. And no successful uninstall. What do you think?

[ I X'd out the device name, cause this seems like a pretty bad example of their product and I don't want them to hate me. I left in Toshiba and Windows cause I don't think this is in their area]

[vinnywright]

Re: My 'pology

if eney one has ever goten your USB sound device to work and wanted to tell you how to do it.........thay couldent .......withought the name of the device.

so perhaps go ahead and post it and dont worey about them (the manufacturs of the device) hating you.......you should hate them for not being forthcoming with info to get it working.

VINNY

[linxuser]

Re: My 'pology

Ok, the unit is M-Audio MobilePreUSB. I still haven't found any hits with other than what I've found already concerning linux drivers. I'll do a quick paste here of the only fix I've managed to get working, but in windows. :P

Follows a note to M-Audio:
(I'll probably shelve the unit again)

I just discovered something about my MobilePreUSB fail problem.

It seems the problem is when I've used it while viewing a Macromedia/Adobe FlashPlayer video online. Something, probably in the flashplayer is telling Windows to alter its registry key, disabling its throughput from the flashplayer.

No amount of unplugging/replugging, and the resultant systems search for driver(s), cures the problem. The MobilePreUSB unit will output system sound, and the like. Just not flashplayer sound.

The cure I found for it, is to unplug the unit, and run a registry cleaner. Look for, and make sure it finds an obsolete or disabled Macromedia key. Let the cleaner do its cleaning. Reboot.

Install the MobilePreUSB driver installer. Answer continue, to warnings about unsigned software. After, plug in the MobilePreUSB unit. Windows will again ask if you want it to search for driver online. Don't bother. It never finds it. Select no, and on next screen select the (recommended). One more warning about unsigned software, (hit continue) and when it finishes loading, it'll again work with Macromedia/Adobe FlashPlayer.

I haven't tried to recreate the issue. i.e. I've not rebooted after using browser and viewing a flashplayer video. If I do have problems at that point, I may, or may not post about it. So, this may be the end of this string. Oh, and by the way,

'Thanks?'


This really ties in with

Why DRM is wrong -- Cory Doctorow posted by GreyGeek

http://kubuntuforums.net/forums/inde...opic=3110575.0

[The Liquidator]

Re: My 'pology ('n some about MobilePreUSB)

Interesting

You might take a look here because someone claims to have it working on the basis that it doesn't need any drivers at all

http://www.linuxplanet.com/linuxplanet/reviews/6642/1/

also this

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.p...ight=MobilePre

I assume we are talking about the same gear here?

[linxuser]

Re: My 'pology ('n some about MobilePreUSB)

Thank you Liquidator,
I'd seen the first link but the one on ubuntu forums I'd not found. I haven't been able to realize the functioning involved with ubuntu forums' search feature. But thanks. One of the posts on that thread said to do a lsusb to see if the MobliePre is recognized:

Bus 007 Device 002: ID 0763:2804 Midiman M-Audio MobilePre DFU

Its there, not working yet but, I'm on a mission. Thank you.

[linxuser]

Re: [Abandoned] MobilePreUSB+Macromedia bite (and My apology)

I abandoned this attempt, shelved the unit. If it is due to DRM restrictions, I understand that their DRM reasoning overrides my attempt at making this work with linux, and because of legal agreements they may or may not have signed into, their unit will stay shelved and unusable to me.

Sorry to have left this post up for so long. I figured maybe something. And thank you to responders, I did explore a "few" options, and apologize, that I've given up.

[GreyGeek]

Re: [Abandoned] MobilePreUSB+Macromedia bite (and My apology)

I abandoned this attempt, shelved the unit. If it is due to DRM restrictions, I understand that their DRM reasoning overrides my attempt at making this work with linux, and because of legal agreements they may or may not have signed into, their unit will stay shelved and unusable to me.
......

I believe most Linux users have stood in those shoes at one time or another. I know I have. Some give up, re-shackle themselves and join the chain gang on the Dark Side, where they are treated like Mushrooms Others, like myself, make personal resolutions that from now on they will do careful research on what they purchase and make sure they purchase ONLY Linux compatible equipment. The offerings by the major PC OEMs of PCs with Linux preinstalled are so poor and marginally cheaper that one is better off buying a PC that has all the hardware and peripherals they want even IF it comes with Windows pre-installed. Thus, Windows gets the sales channel tally but the hardware is really running Linux.

Even so, this is not always possible. As I've mentioned before, an Ag Engineer friend of mine asked me to write a fly-by-wire control system for the new kind of tractor he invented (and has now patented) but the only tool that would do the job expeditiously was written for Windows. A tool written using Borland's Delphi !! for which, at the time, Klyx (the cross platform Linux version of Delphi) was available! I had been running Linux exclusively for four years when he asked. The new PC that was used to do the job had XP preinstalled. About a year ago the job was completed, I purchased this Sony VAIO laptop and gave the old laptop to my 8 year old grandson ... with Kubuntu installed on it!

But, the Ag software wasn't a personal decision. This Sony was. The web cameras I've purchased as gifts to friends were chosen because they are Linux compatible (Logitech C200 series). Ditto for the USB HDs, the digital cameras, the Sony VDR, etc... I also choose to install software that allows me my right to use my legally purchased hardware to watch DVDs that I legally purchased, despite the fact that the DOJ does not enforce the Sherman-Clayton Anti-trust Act which outlaws manufacture A from forcing the consumer to purchase a product from Manufacture B before A's product can be used. IF, when people bought a new car, the manufacturer required they sign a document stipulating that they had to use only Shell gasoline and Quaker State Oil, how many would stand for that? It's no different than being forced to purchase Windows when one buys a PC. IF the PC OEMs were required by law to make only OS neutral hardware and to make public the video, audio and peripheral specs for their hardware in order to allow for truly free markets, corporations like Microsoft would evaporate over night because they are sustained ONLY on the basis of a forced monopoly.

So, the solution to the problem isn't giving up. It is using ONLY that hardware and software that supports Linux when ever possible.