Subject: Re: [linux-audio-dev] testing the waters
From: Andrew Post (apost_AT_cbmi.upmc.edu)
Date: Wed Jun 28 2000 - 01:46:51 EEST
Perhaps some of the more cutting-edge distros like Mandrake could be
talked into providing the low-latency kernel as an option. Mandrake
already includes pre-compiled SMP and framebuffer kernels, so maybe
they'd be willing to do one more. It could be labeled as
"multimedia-enhanced." Getting a distro or two to include the
low-latency patches would validate them to the community as reliable,
even if it were an unsupported option.
Andrew
Benno Senoner wrote:
>
> 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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