[linux-audio-dev] What's the best audio IO API on Linux

[hexe_2003 at directbox.com]

-------- directBOX Reply ---------------
From: harold_zhu at hotmail.com
To  : linux-audio-dev at music.columbia.edu
Date: 15.09.2003 04:13:24

 <p>Hi, Folks: <p>I am new here and I am also kind of new to Linux, so I have a basic question. I have worked on a multi-media project on Windows platform, and I used WaveIn and WaveOut functions as audio IO interface to  capture and playback real-time audio. Now, I need to do a port to Linux.......so what's the best audio IO API on Linux? <p>In my search so far, I understand that both OSS and ALSA can do the job (real-time audio capture/play).......but what's the difference? Stability wise? Ease-of-use? Performance wise? Also any other candidate, in particular, cross-platform wrapper API? <p>Thanks  Express yourself with MSN Messenger  6.0 -- download now! 

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Hi!

Well, the main differences between the OSS-Layer and ALSA are:
1.) alsa is the new driver in linux kernel >= 2.6.X
2.) oss-layers need ioctl() - calls to manage/configure sound devices (and  ioctl() calls
are just possible for root-users !!!!!),so oss is really user-unfriendly if you want to programm a application
3.) alsa is easier to use for midi / pcm capturing/playback
4.) both are less documentated ( I can tell you that !!! :)   ) , but alsa
has a few basing programming tuts for C ( c++)
5.) alsa is basicly said a "wrapper", a front-end of the oss-arch and it is highly recommended to use alsa at all.

I hope this helps,
Sascha Retzki
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