CMS(4)

💜 CMS(4) — cms, the Creative Music System device driver

okay so real talk, this page lives in the Kernel Interfaces Manual (section 4, kernel interfaces, iykyk) and it's all about cms, the Creative Music System device driver. it's short, it's sweet, it's a little retro, let's go 🎀

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✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

cms0  at isa? port 0x220
midi* at cms?

like, that's the whole config vibe. cms0 attaches at isa? on port 0x220, and midi* hangs off cms?. slay, done 🫶

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🌸 DESCRIPTION 🌸

k so the cms driver is the support system for the Creative Music System (also written C/MS, pick your fave). these cards were developed by Creative Labs, literally the same people who designed the SoundBlaster cards — yes, the same legends 👑

and get this: chips were actually available for the SoundBlaster to make them compatible with CMS. cute cross-compatibility moment fr fr.

okay but here's the tea 💀 the CMS cards are only capable of playing basic notes and noises. that's it. that's the whole skill set. it makes them suitable for playing midi, but honestly not much else. manage your expectations bestie 😭

the output is stereo, but plot twist: the cms driver doesn't support stereo control. the cards themselves have external volume control, line-output and speaker. so the hardware's got hands, the driver's just not touching those knobs 🙈

🎚️ the jumper situation

the base I/O port address is usually jumper-selected to 0x220. valid jumper settings are:

• 0x210
• 0x220
• 0x230
• 0x240
• 0x250
• 0x260

and like… there are no interrupt settings. none. zero. not a one. no IRQ drama, we simply do not participate in that ✨

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🦋 SEE ALSO 🦋

• isa(4)
• midi(4)

go read those if you're nosy, which you are, and I love that for you 💅

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🌈 HISTORY 🌈

the cms device driver appeared in NetBSD 1.5. a whole era 👑

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and that's the page!! mwah 💖 this edition of the manual was put out by Debian, dated April 28, 2000 — so yeah, she's vintage, she's iconic, she's giving turn-of-the-millennium main character energy 🎀🦋⭐