Subject: Re: [linux-audio-dev] support of pro sound equipment
From: Dave Phillips (dlphilp_AT_bright.net)
Date: su loka 04 1998 - 14:14:57 EDT
Bill Gribble wrote:
> ...the question is: with the "centralized driver development" model that
> Linux uses (i.e. all drivers are distributed by authors who generally
> have many drivers that they maintain) can we have a prayer of ever
> getting support for very small-market hardware like all of that fancy
> stuff that's coming out now? (DSP Factory, etc) I mean, I'd
> definitely prefer open source stuff, but I'll pay for it if I know
> that if I buy code without source, that it's going to be maintained.
This is the greatest hurdle facing serious Linux sound applications
development. One hope we have is that Linux success in larger markets
would encourage niche market developers to go the way of open sources.
If they perceive their niche as one profitable to market to Linux users,
then they might at least be convinced to develop and support Linux
versions of their drivers (even if only as binaries).
A well-worded letter of encouragement to a manufacturer may or may not
persuade them to embrace Linux, but it would let them know that Linux
exists, its users want fully professional audio support, and we are
willing to purchase it. We will also prefer open sources, and the
manufacturers who are most willing to accomodate will likely have the
best business.
Btw, at this URL:
ftp://ftp.cam.org/users/sdragon
there is alpha-stage code (from 12/20/96) for a Zefiro ZA2 driver which
supports variable sampling rates. Could this code be picked up and
incorporated into the ALSA sources ? At the least, the author could be
contacted and a status report could be obtained. It would be nice too if
OSS could donate their ZA2 code to the kernel (OSS/Free) driver. I
believe Zefiro will freely supply source code to developers, so perhaps
there is still a way to encourage development support for the ZA2.
== Dave Phillips
http://www.bright.net/~dlphilp/index.html
http://www.bright.net/~dlphilp/linux_soundapps.html
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