about-big.jpg (6097 bytes)

bar-home.jpg (1199 bytes) bar-about.jpg (1227 bytes) bar-archives.jpg (1464 bytes) bar-art.jpg (963 bytes) bar-authors.jpg (1415 bytes) bar-help.jpg (1079 bytes) bar-news.jpg (1147 bytes) bar-statistics.jpg (1505 bytes)

What is Cthugha? Well here's a summary as written in an electronic version of "Wired" magazine:

From HotWired - March, 1995:

Wavy Data
Upon first observation, oscilloscopes seems a bit ho-hum. After all, devices that graphically represent electrical waveforms on a display screen tend to fall a bit short on the sex appeal scale. But if you spend some time exploring the ways high-end oscilloscopes can visualize data, you may start to think the machines are on drugs . . . Cthugha 5.1, an oscilloscope program for PC sound cards, has tuned in, turned on, and decidedly dropped out from the humdrum world of scientific analog signal processing. The product of Australian code jock Kevin "Zaph" Burfitt, Cthugha takes your sound card's CD, line, or microphone input and displays it as a swirling, hypnotic, 256-color confection for your eyes. Although Cthugha currently requires MS-DOS, a VGA monitor, and a Sound Blaster or Gravis UltraSound sound card, the complete C source code is part of the package, so you can port it, if you're so inclined.

Since that piece was written, Zaph came out with an update to Cthugha (DOS version 5.3), several people ported the program to the Linux and MacOS platforms, Zaph started work on a Windows95 version of Cthugha, and there's now even a limited Java version. Quite a lot of advances have been made in Cthugha's features and more will be coming!

You may want to check out the Art Gallery for an idea of what Cthugha does...


The Facts

Cthugha is not a screen saver. It's a full-fledged application that is pleasing to the eyes and often has calming, restful effects on the spirit. It's more than a mere toy.

Cthugha is not Shareware, in any of its forms. The original author encourages people to get the C source code (freely available) and adapt the package to other systems, add on features, etc. Several people have already taken up on this offer, and have released their versions (Cthugha-L, MaCthugha, Cthugha-DGA, and Cthugha97) to the public as well, including the source. All that they ask is that users send them postcards as a sort of token registration. If you feel like sending money, CD's, or other items, feel free. :)

Those wishing to use Cthugha in a commercial fashion must contact the appropiate author to get permission and arrange any necessary fees or other details.

You may freely distribute the Cthugha packages, but do not alter the contents of the archives or the files in the archives. The packages may be uploaded to BBS's and FTP sites, and distributed through software outlets. The media containing a Cthugha package may not be sold for more than US$20.

DISCLAIMER: This software is provided on a "as is" basis, without warranty of any kind implied or expressed. Bug reports can be submitted to the appropiate author, but no guarantee is made on whether they will be acted upon.


System Requirements

The following are the system requirements for running the Cthugha packages on your computer.

DOS Version Requirements

Linux Version Requirements

Macintosh Version Requirements

Windows95 Version Requirements

Java Version Requirements

A Java-enabled computer system. This means any web-browser that has full Java support for applets, an OS that has built-in Java support, or any other computer application that meets Sun's Java standards.

Optional (Various)


About These Pages

The Official Cthugha Homepage was originally established back in the summer of 1995, to offer a single point for the distribution of the Cthugha software as well as information about the program, samples of its results, and other assorted bits. Over time it has expanded to include links to other programs, help for common problems, and other resources. It has also managed to average at least several thousand hits per month!

Credits

Awards

[MSWP Award] Hey, our first web-page award!
[CNet Logo] And we got mentioned in C-Net's weekly "Download" electronic newsletter. WooHoo!
[Golden Swallow Logo] I also found out (long after the fact) that the Official Cthugha Webpage was The Golden House-Sparrow Award Site Of The Day on May 26th, 1997.


About The Cthugha Homepage Maintainer

smallcrn.gif (1289 bytes)- Erin Jones (aka Corn D'Dios)  has been a Cthugha fan since early 1995.  Many late nights playing w/ Cthugha in college has put the program on the top of his "Best program ever written" list.  He likes the program so much that the recent purchase of a 31" monitor to replace his TV was due largely to the desire to see Cthugha as large as possible.  He still dreams of seeing it in a planetariums some day.  (I'll show you a real Pink Floyd laser light show  B)

Erin's homepage is available at erinjones.org.


About The Cthugha Homepage Creator

[Small Picture of Cthugha Webmaster]Jeff Mercer (aka riffer@afn.org) is the creator of the Official Cthugha Homepage, as well as the maintainer of the Official Cthugha FTP site. In real life, Jeff is not a cartoon character, though his wife has been accused of being one. He originally sent mail to Zaph about establishing a site for Cthugha because he considers it to be one of the coolest programs in the world, hands down. The rest is history.

You can find out more about this incrediblly interesting and cool guy by visiting his homepage.


bar-home.jpg (1199 bytes) bar-about.jpg (1227 bytes) bar-archives.jpg (1464 bytes) bar-art.jpg (963 bytes) bar-authors.jpg (1415 bytes) bar-help.jpg (1079 bytes) bar-news.jpg (1147 bytes) bar-statistics.jpg (1505 bytes)
The Official CTHUGHA Home Page / cthugha@afn.org