Subject: Re: [linux-audio-user] A couple of points on the state of linux audio apps
From: Paul Winkler (pw_lists_AT_slinkp.com)
Date: Sun Feb 24 2002 - 01:00:22 EET
On Fri, Feb 22, 2002 at 02:58:22PM -0300, Juan Linietsky wrote:
(snip)
> lack of organization on the area. Basically, the lack of a "central"
> place for audio and music resources. I think Dave Philips has done
> a great job with the linux sound apps, and this list is a great
> place for announcement, but this still wont issue many problems.
I've been toying for some time with the idea of a linux audio site
that addresses some of these problems. I'd like an app listing that's
more informative and targeted than freshmeat.
So I'd like to sketch out the ideal (to me) linux audio website; I'd
like to invite comment and suggestions, and if I get the sense that
other people think this is a good idea, I'll try to put it together.
The main thing I want is an improved app listing, plus a better
documentation framework than my old brain-dump Audio Quality
HOWTO. I'd also like to have the ability to post feature articles and
news blurbs. I'm not really thinking of having discussion
forums. There are others already out there (e.g. linuxartist.org,
linuxmusic.fr.st) and it's not really my thing anyway. Personally I
prefer mailing lists or newsgroups for discussion.
But hey, if people think it should have forums, then we'll have those
too.
I'm not yet sure about the posting / upload policy; I want it to be as
open as possible, but there should probably be safeguards against
severe abuse - e.g. limits on upload size (to prevent it from being
abused by warez doodz, like happened on zope.org a while ago). There's
also the question of who may edit a given page. Not sure.
The front page should have portal-style "news" blurbs, and links to
the following primary categories:
* Software database
This is the big part ...
My intent here is to design a flexible framework that can be re-used
for other resource listing sites, and release the result on
zope.org. Too many people are maintaining app listing sites by
hand. It's crazy!
This should be browseable and searchable: by name, by category,
by author, by rating ...
I've seen a number of app listing sites, and I'd like to take the
best features of them. Freshmeat, obviously; Dave's site, obviously;
but I've also used these:
http://www.vex.net/parnassus
http://www.happypenguin.org
If there's another site of this type that you like, whether it's
relevant to linux audio or not, please suggest it and I'll take a
look.
Each app entry should present the following information
(as much as available):
- categories the app. falls under
- description
- license
- author
- I/O compatibilities (e.g. OSS, Alsa 0.5.x, Alsa 0.9.x, Jack,
PortAudio , aRts, esd ...)
- current version number & release date
- devel. status (planning, alpha, beta, stable)
- update time for this page
- user rating (and quick form to add/update your rating)
- user reviews
(and a form to add or comment on reviews ... see e.g. amazon.com)
- link to home page
- link to screenshot (I don't want to host them at this time)
- link to audio samples!!!
- dependencies (other stuff you need first)
- relevant user mailing lists & forums
- developer mailing lists & forums
- quick link to browse this category of the database
(to see related apps)
what else?
Now, obviously that's a lot of information to keep up to date.
Invariably, things will fall behind sometimes. But when *anyone*
can correct or update an entry, we should do OK.
* Documentation
This can contain original content, links to external content, or
reproductions of relevant content when that's allowed. The current
Audio Quality Howto should be folded in to this section.
- FAQs
- HOWTOs
- Articles
- Links to mailing lists, list archives...
- Bulletin board? See comments above.
- Wikis? see comments above.
* Links
e.g.:
- dlp's site
- mstation
- l.a.d. website & subscription pages
- freshmeat relevant categories
- plenty of other stuff I'm sure
--Paul Winkler home: http://www.slinkp.com "Muppet Labs, where the future is made - today!"
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