Howto get the midi interface to work on skolelinux, so you can take in use rosegarden.
First of all add this with aptitude
1 aptitude install jackd qsynth fluidsynth
with that done, you have to find your self .Sf2 soundfont to load into the qsynth program (http://alfton.gfxi.no/soundfont) or you can goto this site http://hammersound.com/ and download soundfont there.
Now we come to the part where you start up rosegarden, to make rosegarden to work with audio-record do the following:
1. Chose menu "settings" and chose "configure rosegarden"
2. Then choose --> Configure Rosegarden --> sequencer --> startup.
Select that you want to start JACK when rosegarden starts, and under there you put inn this line:
jackd -d alsa -d hw -r 44100 -p 2048 -n 2 (this mostly on the lowfat clients)
when it comes to thinclient this line must be used
jackd -d esd -d hw -r 44100 -p 2048 -n 2 (becouse most thinclient use esd sound)
3. The rosegarden will say following: System timer resolution is too low, you can fiks this by do the following thing:
(Settings -> Configure Rosegarden... -> sequencer -> Sequencer timing source), and select RCT-timing or PCM-playback under the sequencer timer.Then you need to get midi sound, this is done by the following way:
Select --> meny --> multimedia --> Qsynth in that program you choose --> setup --> Soundfonts, load in one soundfont you have downloaded.. (.sf2)
Now we need something to comuticate with your synthesizer. And to that purpose i sugest to buy a usb midi interface device. One i have tryed is from Roland "usb Midi Interface UM-1ex", that work without problem for me.