Re: [LAU] another linux audio bashing thread on slashdot

On Monday 28 October 2013 12:33:34 Paul Davis did opine:

> On Mon, Oct 28, 2013 at 11:05 AM, Gene Heskett <gheskett@email-addr-hidden> wrote:
> > I have not yet looked at SteamOS, but you are claiming realtime for
> > it. That pulls my curiosity trigger because one of my hobbies is CNC
> > machinery, and its realtime demands are far more stringent than some
> > .1 millisecond accurate audio delivery. Currently we are running
> > linuxcnc on 2.6.32-122-RTAI, but that RTAI patch is invasive as hell,
> > [ ... ]
> >
> > If SteamOS is claiming real time, just how "realtime" is it?
>
> There is no comparing even the RT kernel with RTAI. They are totally
> different conceptions. RTAI is basically a microkernel that runs a
> normal kernel as a client. It requires drivers for every device that is
> included in "realtime land" (i.e. for audio, you cannot use ALSA, you
> would need new drivers that run in the RT executive.
>
> SteamOS *might* use the RT kernel, but I'd be incredibly surprised if
> they even considered RTAI.

Thats what I was thinking too. There is another patch set we have used
experimentally that seems almost as good, the Xenomai branch and some of
the guys who are running servo only systems are quite enthusiastic about
it. Servo systems aren't as sensitive to stumbles in the stepper rates,
generally tolerating millisecond response times fairly well.

My experiences with the earlier versions of the RT patch set were less than
satisfactory, but that was 6 or 7 years ago. The first thing it did was
kill tvtime, but now we're all digital here in the states so its Kaffeine
to the rescue, but I've not a clue if it works with the current RT kit.

Have any of you played with the Xenomai patches for your audio work?

Thanks Paul.

Cheers, Gene

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