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

[Robert Hancock <hancockr@shaw.ca>]

Anton Petrusevich wrote:
> On Thursday 28 June 2007 17:02:55 you wrote:
>> Please always use Reply-to-All on this list -- subscribers here like to
>> also get personal copies.
> 
> I am not subscribed to linux-kernel, I am reading it on the web.
> 
>>> I have ICE1724, a very good sound card to my taste, works like a charm.
>>> But with ALSA I had a really hard time to configure it properly, wanna
>>> see my .asoundrc?
>> Not particularly. I don't count as a great fan of the config file syntax
>> and don't use any configuration myself. 
> 
> Do you have an SPDIF out? If you don't then you don't need .asoundrc of 
> course.
> 
>> The first thing I don't know is why you need an .asoundrc at all. 
> 
> Because I want to route it differently, sometimes to spdif, sometimes to 
> headphones, sometimes to mix sounds from different apps. Well, my config may 
> be a bit ancient as it was written when dmix was not default.
> 
>> I've CCed 
>> the alsa-user list -- some subscribers to it probably have experience with
>> ice1724 and might be able to get you specific advice if you want.
> 
> I have read some advices for ice1724 already. The main reason I wrote to  
> lkml -- I hate .asounrc and reading docs about it. I hate "flexebility" that 
> requires restarting apps after changing sound routes.
> 
>>> Is there a tool which can be used to configure .asoundrc?
>> vi.
> 
> I perfectly know this one. I would like to use some really user-friendly tool.
> 
>>> I want to be able to hear sound from flashplayer on my reciever or in my
>>> headphones -- how?
>> Not sure? Is your receiver on an analog output and are your headphones
> 
> My receiver is on spdif out.
> 
>> connected directly to a card output as well? In that case, "or" would seem
>> to be just a mixer issue, and "and" would be dependent on hardware
>> abilities and needs someone who knows your specific card and setup.
>>
>>> It's not quite clear to me how to get full duplex working with my
>>> .asoundrc.
>> It's not working without an .asoundrc?
> 
> Looks like it's not working with. As skype is not so informative.
> 
>> But -- I'll personally not continue this very specific subthread simply due
>> to not having the hardware, nor great generic experience with an .asounrc
>> due to not needing it myself. When I do use one, I alway start by googling
>> up a few examples and take it from there. Perhaps someone from alsa-user
>> will step in.
> 
> I am not about ice1724 or .asounrc here. I am trying to talk about 
> user-friendliness of ALSA. It's very unfriendly.

In the case of S/PDIF output on ice1724 (and probably other cards), it 
would be nice if ALSA defaulted to routing default audio to both the 
S/PDIF and analog ports, as this is what most users would normally 
expect.. The Windows drivers work like that, but on Linux you have to 
pick one or the other (at least without a bunch of mucking with the 
config file).

-- 
Robert Hancock      Saskatoon, SK, Canada
To email, remove "nospam" from hancockr@nospamshaw.ca
Home Page: http://www.roberthancock.com/