Re: [Alsa-user] another in kernel alsa update that breaks backward compatibilty?

Sergei Steshenko
2006-08-09T16:44:10Z

On Wed, 9 Aug 2006 12:36:23 -0400
"Dmitry Torokhov" <dmitry.torokhov@gmail.com> wrote:

> On 8/9/06, Sergei Steshenko <steshenko_sergei@list.ru> wrote:
> > On Wed, 9 Aug 2006 18:00:43 +0200
> > Sam Ravnborg <sam@ravnborg.org> wrote:
> >
> > > On Wed, Aug 09, 2006 at 05:56:57PM +0200, Benoit Fouet wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > >Demand stable ABI.
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > sorry for the noise, but it's been a while now since i began reading
> > > > mails from this list, and i must admit i don't always (never?) see the
> > > > point of such messages...
> > > > if you can help me understand, i'll be very happy to get something more
> > > > detailed from you...
> > > Documentation/stable_api_nonsense.txt
> > >
> > > Sam
> > >
> >
> > I love senselessness and technical incompetence of the document.
> >
> > As I was taught at school, to prove that a statement is wrong one
> > has to prove that it is wrong once.
> >
>
> Yep, the only trick is that you need a valid proof ;)
>
> > Regardless of what the document says stable ABI can be achieved
> > today - run a chosen Linux kernel version + chosen ALSA version under XEN or
> > similar, and assign sound card to these (chosen Linux kernel version +
> > chosen ALSA version).
> >
> > Redirect sound ('ncat' + friends) to this (chosen Linux kernel version +
> > chosen ALSA version) from your kernel in which developers refuse
> > to ensure stable ABI.
> >
> > Because of the chosen (kernel+ALSA) you have stable ABI regardless
> > of what Documentation/stable_api_nonsense.txt says and ALSA + kernel
> > developers think.
> >
>
> You are confused. By your logic you do not need XEN at all - just take
> a kernel version + alsa and never change/update it - and viola!
> "stable" ABI.
>

I simply described how one ABI (ALSA <-> kernel in this case) can
be stabilized, while new non-ALSA related features (and potentially
unstable ABI) can still be had.

If computer has enough resources, practically every ABI can be
stabilized (if desired) this way - as long as the ABI is PCI slot
related.

That is, I can, for example, stabilize ALSA-kernel interface choosing
(ALSA 1.0.11 + kernel 2.6.17) and I can stabilize TV card interface
using (whatever v4l + kernel 2.6.18), etc,

--Sergei.
--
Visit my http://appsfromscratch.berlios.de/ open source project.