Re: Is it time for remove (crap) ALSA from kernel tree ?

Andreas Hartmetz
2007-06-27T19:11:19Z

> > I don't like random applications blocking my sound card.
>
> So don't use random applications.
>
I imitated the style of the mail I replied to. Besides, choosing apps based on
sound system is retarded if you wanted to indicate that this should be done
more often or something.

> > You are concerned about your precious audio quality? Me too. Most people,
> > however, are using god-awful plastic speakers for twenty euros and shitty
> > onboard sound chips. Sad but true.
>
> Exactly, which is why mixing has been default for some time now for most
> cards. Are you only ranting about how it should've been earlier?
>
Exactly! And the config file is hostile if you want to change it.

> > ALSA appeared in 1999, KDE 2 with aRtsd (another catastrophic failure of
> > technology) was released in october 2000.
>
> http://www.arts-project.org/gen/newsarchive/news_1998.html
>
KDE 2 *was* released in 2000. Why would you care, I already admitted that
sound daemons were there before ALSA.

> >>  That sounds like a minor glitch that should be easily remedied if you
> >>  file a proper bug report. Have you tried?
> >
> > No, I kinda gave up on ALSA after reading its API (rather "functions
> > that happen to be exported") documentation and kinda hoped it would go
> > away ASAP.
>
> You give up reporting small hardware problems that bother you because the
> application developer documentation for something is not in great shape?

Yep, because I was frustrated with the whole thing. Having huge bad APIs with
no documentation is telling your fellow developers to piss off and do
something else. I did.
It's not like a little oversight to be quickly forgotten. ALSA has been there
for at least *five years* without documentation for most parts.

> > hacking (i.e. more features faster). Latency is an issue? - Well you
> > can't play sound without userspace creating it so you're not adding any
> > new problems.
>
> Capture.
>
If you are not doing DMA from the sound card to kernel memory and then
directly to disk blocks, you are using user space apps period. So what's
different with capture?

> Rene.