[linux-audio-dev] Re: [linux-audio-user] What parts of Linux audio simply suck ?

[Erik Steffl]

Dave Phillips wrote:
> Greetings:
> 
>  The subject says it all.
> 
>  My own "Linux audio sucks" hobbyhorse:
> 
>    No way to recall a complex configuration of apps and plugins with all 
> settings intact. If I use a complicated setup with multiple synths and 
> plugins I have no way to recall these applications to their previous 
> settings. LASH/LADCCA was supposed to address this situation but I don't 
> know where that project stands at this point.
> 
>  And your favorite is... ?

   few more basic problems:

   MULTIPLE SOUNDS:

   the completely ridiculous (from the user viewpoint) non-handling of 
multiple sounds being played at one time (if HW does not suport it).

   as far as user is concerned various apps suddenly get frozen, there's 
no indication they tried to play audio and then you have e.g. mozilla 
looking like it's frozen becuase one or another plugin (flash usually) 
tries to open audio...

   Not only it's incredibly nasty towards user but it also gives rise to 
sound servers like arts and eds which pretend to be solutions while they 
just make the problems worse - they are in userspace and they only work 
for apps that support them so you're stuck with seemingly frozen apps...

   looks like dmix solves the problem but it seems like it's not that 
easy to set it up (I haven't tried since I have soundcard with hw 
support for multiple channels).

   SOUNBLASTER LIVE MIXER:

   total mystery, no master control etc.

   PORTABILITY:

   it's cool that generally considered better solution (alsa versus oss) 
seems to be winning but that brings us to linux being windows:-) I mean 
alsa is linux specific while oss is fairly portable solution.

	erik