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Up to Discussions in Variax Guitars / Bass / Workbench
5880 Views 19 Replies Latest reply: Nov 11, 2012 4:22 PM by snhirsch RSS
d3drocks Just Startin'
d3drocks
86 posts since
Mar 9, 2007
Currently Being Moderated

Apr 7, 2010 2:02 PM

[tutorial]HOW TO GET WORKBENCH WORKING IN 64 BIT! (and also in Linux OSes)

ok, I know how many people complain about line6 not making 64 bit drivers. I am one of the complainers, and it truely isnt fair. but, being the kind of geeky guy I am, I have come up with a workaround for getting varaix workbench to work in 64 bit, and even Linux!!!

Before We Start

you need a copy of windows XP. dont worry, you dont need to activate it on the net for this to work (though you will need an internet connection of course).

 

The Concept

the idea behind this is running a virtual machine. basically, a virtual machine is a program that acts as computer hardware. it allows you to run another Operating System inside your Host operating system. (many antivirus programs have a dumbed down virtual machine to test threatening exe's in a safe environment.) there are downsides to this, such as needing high midrange to high end computer hardware to pull this off.

 

What To Do

first things first. you need a virtual machine application. you can use many tools (such as virtualbox), but I find VM-Ware Player has the best USB support, so we will use it for this tutorial. you can grab VMWare Player for free from here: http://www.vmware.com/products/player/ (please note that registration is required. if the moderators here are ok with it, I am willing to share the installer file, but ONLY if the mods are ok with it),

once you have this installed and running, insert a windows XP cd into your disk drive, or locate an ISO image file of the CD. when you run VMware player, it will have an option to install an OS. obvously you use this.

when it comes to windows XP, VMware has a "quick install" feature, where you fill out info beforehand, and it runs through the installer quite fast. I highly suggest this mode be used. (be sure to give the VM a decent amount of ram. if you have 3 or 4 gb of ram in your pc, giving it 1 gb wont hurt.) once that is completed, be sure to install the "VMware Tools" into the virtual machine, from the dropdown menu "VM".

here is where the fun begins.

inside the virtual machine, go and download the variax workbench installer, and drivers. run through the installer as you would normally. next, plug your variax usb interface into your PC. cancel all the finding drivers stuff for your host os (because they wont work. its 64 bit, right?)

next,

at the top menu of VMware, click "VM", go to "removable devices", and enable "Line6 Variax USB Interface". this should disconnect your host OS from seeing the usb device, and make the windows XP Virtual Machine access the USB device, as if it were connected to a real PC. the drivers should install, and your variax should now interface successfully with workbench. I have tested this myself, without issue.

 

a few things to note:

once you have the VMware tools installed, you have the option to go full screen with your virtual machine, and you have the option to use "Unity Mode". Unity mode will close the windows XP interface, and intergrade it with your host OS seamlessly. in our case here, you will be able to have programs from windows XP working on a vista or windows 7 desktop. kinda cool eh?

 

I hope this tutorial is useful for frusterated users of variax work bench. be sure to leave me some feedback on how this went for you.

Attachments:
Tags: usb, variax, workbench, 300, drivers, vista, 64, bit, windows, windows_7, 700, 600, 500, 64bit
  • d3drocks Just Startin'
    d3drocks
    86 posts since
    Mar 9, 2007
    Currently Being Moderated
    Apr 7, 2010 4:18 PM (in response to d3drocks)
    Re: [tutorial]HOW TO GET WORKBENCH WORKING IN 64 BIT! (and also in Linux OSes)

    heres a few more screenshots for people who dont think it can be done.

    Attachments:
  • lhk69 Just Startin'
    lhk69
    1 posts since
    Apr 21, 2007
    Currently Being Moderated
    May 27, 2010 12:06 AM (in response to d3drocks)
    Re: [tutorial]HOW TO GET WORKBENCH WORKING IN 64 BIT! (and also in Linux OSes)

    Brilliant solution.  Works perfectly.

     

    I was getting very irritated with Line6 NOT providing drivers.

     

    Thank you!!!

  • TheMadHakker Just Startin'
    TheMadHakker
    2 posts since
    Apr 15, 2011
    Currently Being Moderated
    Apr 15, 2011 2:06 PM (in response to d3drocks)
    Re: [tutorial]HOW TO GET WORKBENCH WORKING IN 64 BIT! (and also in Linux OSes)

    I found myself in a simular situation....coming up with a "workaround" for programming my Line 6 equipment in a Linux environment. I've used MickeySux Windows since its "incestuous inception" back in the 1980's and am all too familiar with everything that could possibly be wrong with it. Unfortunately.....Microsoft managed to force itself on practically every man, woman, child, farm animal, etc that you could imagine.

     

    In short, I found a "quick 'n' dirty" sollution to getting Line 6 software & drivers to run within a Linux environment for those who don't want to spend their time chiseling away at programming their own Linux software. Sun Inc. used to put out a product called VirtualBox OSE (which lacked its own USB connectivity). When Oracle took over the Sun software, they revamped VirtualBox to include its own USB implementation. It's now possible to run a MickeySux Windows (or Mac"Donald's" OS) virtual environment from within a Linux OS, such as Ubunto, Mandriva, etc without much grief.

     

    I won't get into all of the how-to's here, however I will suggest going to http://www.virtualbox.org, pick the version required for your flavor of Linux and play on from there. You will need some copy of Windows (or Mac"Donalds") to install in the virtual machinie environment (sorry to say), however you will be able to run your existing Line 6 software "as is" without much aggravation at all.

    • JellyWheat Gear Head
      JellyWheat
      1,220 posts since
      Aug 18, 2008
      Currently Being Moderated
      Apr 15, 2011 4:46 PM (in response to TheMadHakker)
      Re: (((8>D}}}... Youze guys are awesome!

      ... may I suggest that you post the tutorial as a document, to make it easier for noobies (and others) to find.

       

      Very positive contribution/dialogue.//Hats off!

      JellyWheat

    • sparkyERTW Just Startin'
      sparkyERTW
      271 posts since
      Feb 23, 2008
      Currently Being Moderated
      Apr 16, 2011 7:37 PM (in response to TheMadHakker)
      Re: [tutorial]HOW TO GET WORKBENCH WORKING IN 64 BIT! (and also in Linux OSes)

      Sorry, I hate to be a wet blanket, but as far as I'm concerned this is not "workbench working in Linux".  It's "workbench working in Windows, running within Linux".  I'm not saying it wasn't nice of you to point this out as a workaround, and I'm not saying it isn't a necessity.  I'm just annoyed whenever the only workable solution is to run Windows within Linux.

       

      *sigh*... sorry, just had to get that off my chest.  Carry on.

      • amx05462 Power User
        amx05462
        3,495 posts since
        Sep 1, 2008
        Currently Being Moderated
        Apr 17, 2011 3:48 AM (in response to sparkyERTW)
        Re: [tutorial]HOW TO GET WORKBENCH WORKING IN 64 BIT! (and also in Linux OSes)

        you have a very good  point.

         

        this   software  should  run  right   period.  you should  not have  to do all this  workaround  stuff.  seems  to me that every   other  piece  of  software  you can get anywhere  is  pretty  much  self   loading  self  setup.  why  workbench  cant  be that way   is the  fault  of the  programmers.

         

        so you do have a very good  point.

      • JellyWheat Gear Head
        JellyWheat
        1,220 posts since
        Aug 18, 2008
        Currently Being Moderated
        Apr 17, 2011 5:38 AM (in response to sparkyERTW)
        Re: [tutorial]HOW TO GET WORKBENCH WORKING IN 64 BIT! (and also in Linux OSes)

        I think d3rocks deserved to be commended for publishing a fix that should rightly have been provided by Line 6. Why the company still thinks that their "ostrich approach" to known issues is satisfactory is beyond me! It's too bad, really, and the reason I have divested myself of all Line 6 gear... I will reconsider restoring my patronage when I feel more confident that it is, in fact, valued. I don't like their cloak-and-dagger approach to marketing.

         

        [My $0.02 rant: If it weren't for the sheer genius of Steve Jobs, I don't think the market would have tolerated Apple's autocratic approach. Last I checked, however, neither Steve nor Woz were aboard Line 6.]

         

        JellyWheat

    • TheMadHakker Just Startin'
      TheMadHakker
      2 posts since
      Apr 15, 2011
      Currently Being Moderated
      Apr 18, 2011 1:01 PM (in response to TheMadHakker)
      Re: [tutorial]HOW TO GET WORKBENCH WORKING IN 64 BIT! (and also in Linux OSes)

      I've been following the comments, and while I totally agree that having to use a third-party OS emulator is a "lame" way to get the resulta we want (namely manipulating our Line 6 gear in a Unix/Linux environment), for the time beiing, it's the quickest way around haivng to use MS or Mac machines exclusively. I've written software under Unix, Linux, Mac & MickeySux.....and quite honestly? The only reason anyone would write code in a Mac or MS environment is because it's "easy" so they can push their products out on the marketplace. Trying to get detailed spec sheets & hardware operating parameter info from a hardware vendor (like L6) is like getting daily root canals on all of your teeth.

       

      I personally don't like the idea of running a Windows (or Mac) emulator under Linux to run software, however I have found that it does run faster since it's relegated to its own memeory space/allocation & is much less likely to crash or freeze up the PC. Some people have been writing &  testing drives in the SourceForge.net open source forums, however without knowing exactly what the hardware will communicate with as far as software goes, it can be a totally "hit or miss" orgy & you end up hosing the hard-coded programming in your device(s).

  • snhirsch Just Startin'
    snhirsch
    67 posts since
    Oct 17, 2012
    Currently Being Moderated
    Nov 11, 2012 4:22 PM (in response to d3drocks)
    Re: [tutorial]HOW TO GET WORKBENCH WORKING IN 64 BIT! (and also in Linux OSes)

    With VMware Workstation 8 (and perhaps the newer VMware players) on a Linux host, you MUST remove the virtual sound card from the Windows guest before trying to install Line 6 Monkey and drivers!  Disabling audio by any other means (VMware guest settings or guest tools) will NOT work.  The virtual sound card apparently causes the Line 6 MIDI detect routine to trip over its own shorts.  It will hang hard - to the point where it cannot even be killed with the task manager (never saw that one before).

     

    Once all the drivers are installed, you can shut down the VM and reinstall the sound card.  The Variax workbench and HD500 edit then seem to work fine even with the sound enabled. 

     

    It will almost certainly be necessary to go through this entire exercise again (shutdown, remove sound card, restart) before using Line 6 Monkey for firmware updates.  Fortunately, that doesn't happen all that often. 

     

    I'm disappointed in Line 6 support who did not even offer a guess or any hints as to a workaround.  Folks:  You don't need to officially support this, but it probably would be nice courtesy to post a persistent message pointer to this thread to help others that might want to use VMware to run your tools.

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