[LAD] Kim did the switch to Linux

[David Robillard]

On Wed, 2009-08-05 at 21:53 +0200, Jens M Andreasen wrote:
> >From TFA:
> 
> --8<----------------------------------
> Go to System->Preferences->Sound, click on the Devices tab, and check
> out the pulldown menu next to ‘Sound Events’ at the top of the panel.
> You will see various acronyms, possibly including cryptic-looking
> technologies like OSS, ESD, ALSA, JACK, and Pulse Audio. These acronyms
> represent a byzantine tangle of conflicting technologies that over time,
> and due to political reasons or backwards compatibility, have ended up
> cohabiting with one another. ‘Frankenstein’ might be an accurate
> metaphor here. 
> 
> 
> Thankfully, there is a simpler way, which is the combination of ALSA [a
> high-performance, kernel-level audio and MIDI system] and JACK [a system
> for creating low-latency audio, MIDI, and sync connections between
> applications and computers]. The battle-scarred among us have learned to
> ignore all the other audio cruft bolted on to Ubuntu and just use ALSA
> and JACK. One can think of the ALSA/JACK stack, the heart of most pro
> Linux studios, as the Core Audio of Linux and in my opinion Jack should
> be the first thing installed on any musicians laptop. I’d go so far as
> to suggest placing it in the Startup Applications so it’s always
> running.
> -------------------8<--------------------------------------------------

IMO without a ton of effort Jack could, and should, be turned into a
viable default installation audio system (or the bottom layer of such a
system, at least).  The desktop guys certainly aren't ever going to get
it right.

The above problem is a very real one as far as people's perception of
GNU/Linux as an audio system.  What a mess.  We can do better.

-dr