Subject: Re: [linux-audio-user] icky low level linux stuff
From: Mike Rawes (mike_rawes_AT_yahoo.co.uk)
Date: Sat Jul 27 2002 - 18:07:26 EEST
On 27 Jul 2002 14:35:14 +0200
Mitch Pirtle <lists_linuxaudiousers_AT_spacemonkeylabs.com> wrote:
> First off, I don't understand why everyone else on the Internet seems
> to get along with simply putting "newbie" in the subject line --- but
> here in linux audio land that's just not acceptable. If a newbie asks
> a question, I suppose that even if he mentions his newbie status that
> he'll get the useless-for-a-newbie answer... Sad.
>
> It should be plain and simple: if you see "newbie" in the subject,
> please don't just reply with a microsoft answer (correct-but-useless)
> like "Oh, you need the low latency patch" or worse, "you need the
> LLP".
[...]
I suspect this is a strawman, but... Depending on the question,
sometimes this would be the right answer, although some context and a
bit of explanation would help.
> And yes, I think linux audio needs a FAQ bigtime. I'll help with it,
> even though I don't do audio on linux, just to see it get done.
[...]
Agreed. I'll help too. There are a number of HOWTOs and audio-related
docs about already. It would mostly be a case of bringing these together
in a 'meta' document.
It could start with basic 'how to get sound output' through to 'setting
up for multi-track recording'. Something with the right context, 'top
down' as it were.
> From an audio perspective, I see little difference after installing
> RH7.3 then I did with RH4.2. Amazing that I can get SMP support,
> traffic shaping, network management, webserving, journaled
> filesystems, security auditing, and relational databases after a
> default install - but no audio (or MP3-only audio with no real
> support). Absolutely amazing. Linux has a long ways to go in this
> respect.
[...]
Well, there are good reasons for the fact that SMP and network stuff has
advanced so much more: More money, developers, and users - by several
orders of magnitude :/ Agreed, Linux audio (and multimedia generally)
has not reached the same level of sophistication. *BUT* - considering
the small number of people involved in moving this forward, I would say
that the acheivements over the past couple of years is equally
incredible.
> So go ahead, be nasty to me - or just persecute me for giving up - but
> please, PLEASE try to come to grips with the fact that not all people
> using linux are 3l337 h4x0rz; and many don't want to be. Try not to
> belittle or bemoan someone for wanting to give it a shot and needing
> obvious help, ok?
[...]
The problem is, linux audio is still very much in development. Bits of
it are difficult to set up, buggy or plain don't work, but it is getting
there. It does require patience and much effort in some cases to make it
work, against a sometimes overwhelming wall of frustration. 'Giving it a
shot', at present, will require at least some dirty-hands work: A
'dumbed down', or simple explanation, in most cases simply is not
possible without bouncing things back and forth for a bit.
The reason behind the defensiveness (on the part of the 'l337 h4x0rz')
that sometimes occurs is that these people spend a great deal of their
free time making linux audio better, and to have someone start saying
"no - it's not working for me, so I'm going back to Windows" or similar
can seem a little, well, rude :)
-- Myk __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Everything you'll ever need on one web page from News and Sport to Email and Music Charts http://uk.my.yahoo.com
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