Re: [linux-audio-dev] BeOS everywhere

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Subject: Re: [linux-audio-dev] BeOS everywhere
From: Bill Gribble (grib_AT_billgribble.com)
Date: ke tammi  26 2000 - 18:04:56 EST


"Constantin Lazarev" <const_lazarev_AT_hotmail.com> writes:
> I think that a problem is in some limitation of standard audio interface in
> Linux (I mean OSS). There are no support for multi-stream hardware (16 and
> more hardware streams), no standard support for hardware acceleration.

Well, Paul Barton-Davis has recently added support for the RME
Hammerfall card (24 channels each of input and output) to ALSA and had
to blaze some new territory in the design of such an interface. Most
of the multichannel IO cards' manufacturers are not forthcoming with
programming information; frankly I'm just glad we got one working
multichannel digital audio driver. Now if RME would just get more US
distributors...

> Why consumer should to reconfigure and recompile entire kernel to
> obtain support of his audio card. Why just don't start script that
> installs audio driver without any configuration/compilation of the
> kernel. I understand that consumer may have to recompile driver
> itself (this may be performed with script too). But why entire
> kernel?

This is a straw man. You DON'T have to recompile the kernel to add
device support; Linux has had loadable kernel modules forever, and
ALSA (the best real open-source audio drivers for Linux) ONLY comes as
modules. No kernel recompile necessary.

> But have not to forget that sometimes (almost any time) it is not
> possible for hardware manufacturer to open hardware documentation or
> driver source code due to some know-how and licensed solutions that
> may be used in that hardware.

Give me one realistic example of a situation where a company subjects
itself to actual harm, licensing trouble, or a competitive
disadvantage by describing the interface to its hardware. I just
don't believe it's an actual problem. It's all just fear of a new way
of thinking by management and engineering people who make up reasons
to avoid thinking about change.

> I think that it is not possible to make Linux one of most popular OS for
> hardware manufactures and, therefore, consumers without solution of these
> issues.

The only real issue is that hardware manufacturers need to wake up and
realize that they can only gain by documenting their hardware.

Bill Gribble


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