Subject: Re: [linux-audio-dev] testing the waters
From: Benno Senoner (sbenno_AT_gardena.net)
Date: Tue Jun 27 2000 - 21:34:44 EEST
I think an audio-distro isn't strictly necessary,
it will be easier to provide a couple of RPMs (or DEBs),
which transform your Redhat,Suse,Debian etc distro in an
audio distro.
These would comprise the lowlatency kernel ,
ALSA and other audio software that will be useful.
You could put one single (or several smaller) RPM on a website,
so that the user with a single
rpm -i audio_distro.rpm can transform his standard distro
in one optimized for audio.
I say this because many are not willing to reinstall a distro from scratch
(I am one of these :-) ) , and the the audio-distro will not be very different
from a standard distro for 99% of the packages.
That is why I prefer to ship the "diff",
and using RPM or DEB make this really easy.
Benno.
On Tue, 27 Jun 2000, Joe Miklojcik wrote:
> I couldn't agree more with this, and had been thinking it myself. "Linux
> Audio Distro" has been on my list of pipe dreams for more than a year now.
> I know at least five little studios and one big one that would probably love
> the current state of the art in Linux Audio software, unfinished as it may
> be, but can't get there because one of the barriers to entry is getting
> everything compiled and installed.
>
> Nonetheless, I'd rather we all concentrate on finishing up the software
> projects we've started before moving on to integrating it all into a single
> clean distro. This appears to me as one of those cases in which Linux is an
> exercise in patience.
>
> US$0.02
> ----
> Joe Miklojcik
>
> John Lazzaro wrote:
>
> > [...]
> > Here's a more radical suggestion: market a Linux distribution that's
> > customized for audio applications, and market it through your existing
> > channels, i.e. Pro Audio and music-store chains. You'll notice as you
> > read this list that a constant theme is the wish to integrate low-latency
> > kernel patches into the main Linux distribution. By putting together a
> > distribution that:
> >
> > -- included low-latency kernel patches, as well as the real-time
> > POSIX timer patches that haven't made it into the kernel yet.
> >
> > -- consciously made configuration choices from the bottom up to
> > fit in a low-latency audio world (default daemons, ect)
> >
> > -- had the full range of existing GPL'd audio applications as part of
> > the package, well integrated and documented, with tutorials ready
> > to run on the desktop.
> >
> > -- and perhaps, a few of your company's core applications, either as
> > cut-down closed-source binary versions at one extreme, or more
> > open if possible.
> >
> > you'll have an experimental vehicle for understanding how to market
> > open-source software in the pro-audio and music world, that doesn't
> > put your company's core IP at risk. A distro like this really brings
> > to mind Red Hat's marketing theme, that millions of people buy Heinz's
> > catsup even though they could by fresh tomatoes and make their own at
> > home cheaper. Many people will pay $49 or $69 USD for a well-done
> > package as I describe above, rather than do it themselves -- and while
> > its true they will be free to pass the disk along to N of thei friends,
> > it's also true that they'd have an incentive to buy a new one two or
> > three times a year to upgrade to the latest and greatest. [...]
-- Benno Senoner E-Mail: sbenno_AT_gardena.net Linux low-latency audio / scheduling latency benchmarks http://www.gardena.net/benno/linux/audio
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