Re: [2.6 patch] schedule obsolete OSS drivers for removal

Marcin Dalecki
2006-01-05T12:44:14Z

On 2006-01-05, at 11:57, Jan Engelhardt wrote:

>>> Software mixing in the kernel is like FPU ops in the kernel...
>>
>> Could you please elaborate a tad bit more on the analogy? It
>> doesn't appear to
>> be stunningly obvious.
>>
> It has never been done before in Linux, so there must be a reason
> to it.
> There was also a reason why khttpd was (going in and) going out.
>
>> Are you aware of the reasons why floating point operations are
>> avoided inside
>> the kernel?
>>
> Because it is "unportable". You cannot expect to have every
> hardware Linux
> runs on today to have an FPU engine (hey, like that ol' i386 I got,
> needs
> CONFIG_MATH_EMU...), especially in the Embedded Devices sector.

First - the answer you provide is far from complete and it doesn't
even touch the more important reasons why the kernel avoids doing
FPU. (No, I don't feel obliged to explain the issue to you. Just a
note: The reasons are just merely *technical* and not principal.)

Second - you still didn't explain why this allows you to conclude
that sound mixing should in no way be done inside the kernel.