The following is a brief example of how to compile a kernel module from the qla2x00-source package to get a QLogic QLA2340 fibre channel HBA working under Debian Sarge. This works well for me using kernel image 2.4.27-3 SMP. Many thanks to the kind package maintainers.

Edit your sources.list and add non-free branch to get qla2x00-source package via apt-get.

$ vi /etc/apt/sources.list

[...]
deb ftp://[...]/debian/ stable main non-free
deb-src ftp://[...]/debian/ stable main non-free
[...]
deb http://security.debian.org/ stable/updates main non-free

$ apt-get install bzip2

$ cd /usr/src

$ apt-get install qla2x00-source

$ bzip2 -cd qla2x00.tar.bz2 | tar xf -

$ apt-get install kernel-source-2.4.27

$ bzip2 -cd kernel-source-2.4.27.tar.bz2 | tar xf -

$ ln -s kernel-source-2.4.27 linux

$ cd linux

$ cp /boot/config-2.4.27-3-686-smp .config

$ apt-get install kernel-package

$ make oldconfig

$ make-kpkg --append-to-version=-3-686-smp \
--added-modules=qla2x00 modules_image

$ cd ..

$ dpkg -i qla2x00-modules-2.4.27-3-686-smp_[...]Custom_i386.deb

$ insmod qla2300

Check which device is available (see /var/log/messages) and where to mount preferably, then edit fstab.

$ vi /etc/fstab

# /etc/fstab: static file system information.
#
# <file system> <mount point>   <type>  <options>       <dump>  <pass>
proc            /proc           proc    defaults        0       0
[...]
/dev/sdb1       /san            ext3    defaults        0       0
[...]

$ mkdir /san

$ /sbin/mkfs.ext3 /dev/sdb1

$ mount /dev/sdb1

$ df -ak

Filesystem           1K-blocks      Used Available Use% Mounted on
[...]
proc                         0         0         0   -  /proc
[...]
/dev/sdb1             51606124     32828  48951860   1% /san

Maybe clean up a little bit.

$ apt-get remove --purge kernel-source-2.4.27

$ apt-get remove --purge qla2x00-source

$ cd /usr/src

$ rm linux

$ /bin/rm -r kernel-source-2.4.27

$ /bin/rm -r modules

International Fireworks Competition Hannover, Germany

Da bat mich doch kürzlich im Biergarten der Herr S., einfach mal mehr Fotos auf meiner Webseite zu posten. Woher nehmen und nicht stehlen, war mein Einwand, immerhin sind Fotos doch oftmals eine sehr private Angelegenheit. Und die fünfhundertachtundreißigste Landschaftsaufnahme beim Sonnenuntergang ist zwar nett anzusehen, aber ein echter Mehrwert für den verwöhnten Betrachter mag sich hier schon lange nicht mehr einstellen. Bliebe höchstens noch die Unkenntlichmachung durch Augenbalken, mit der auch drei Jahre alte Archivbilder des Herrn S. in dokumentarischer Blüte erstrahlen.

Before going into work with JX I cleaned the keyboard in the last few days. The keys were sticky and smeary from nicotine and dirt, so I put them all into denture cleaner over night and on the next day brushed them with dish liquid.

A small plastic strip on the bottom side of the keyboard must be removed to get the keys out. It puzzles me that Roland glued the strip instead of choosing a solution that would be faster to recover at service. One also has to manually (un-)clip 61 springs with a pliers, one for each key. Compared to the Yamaha keyboard on the Korg 01/W this is cumbersome.

Having the best opportunity, I checked the aftertouch sensor for proper operation. As you may read on analog.no or synthzone.com, early JXs may suffer from oxidation on the metal films of the sensor. With not having the sound engine operational yet, I measured the resistance changing on pressure and, to my feeling, didn’t find any anormalities (equally somewhere below 20kΩ along the sensor).

Yesterday I fetched this classic piece of gear out of my cellar.

I am guilty. The cellar is wet and mouldy and a hostile environment for electronic equipment, but I closed my eyes and left poor JX vegetating there for the past ten years. A wedding musician gave it to me after it was worn and broken from heavy use. I remember that I tried to repair it but wasn’t successful in the end.

Dear JX, I promise to make up for your sufferings. To be continued.