[linux-audio-user] So confused, need some good documents about sound in linux!

[Brian Redfern]

You have to read Dave Philip's book http://www.nostarch.com/lms.htm

http://www.brianredfern.org

On Wed, 4 Dec 2002, Eric Robert wrote:

> Hi all, 
> 
> Does anybody know where i can get some good/clear/concise explanations
> about how sounds works under linux?
> 
> I'm a programmer and a musician myself.
> I'm so confused between midi, alsa, oss, oss emulation, arts, sound servers 
> artsd, esd, etc...etc... 
> midi ports "a la alsa" or "a la oss" /dev/midiXXX  /dev/sound /dev/sequencer
> or 72:0 73:0 or whatever
> softsynth, hardsynth...........................
> 
> 
> All this gets me CONFUSED!
> I want to develop some kind of band-in-a-box-like  stuff with TSE3 
> The app won't need a midi card (i want to use a softsynth)
> 
> But first I want to  have a clear, global, vision of sound architecture on 
> linux (if not so much precise)
> 
> 
> I've abandoned window$ years ago and the only thing i really miss is band in a 
> box and i don't want to fall back into microsoft!
> 
> But i must admit i can't find a unique place that explains
> the way sound works in linux.
> I find loads of stuff but can't have a satisfactory global vision of the whole 
> stuff.
> 
> Has anybody written somewhere a real digest i could use as good starting 
> point?
> 
> For instance, what REALLY makes the difference between alsa and oss and arts?
> What are midi ports in each of those architecture?
> How to adress them?
> How to to build something for ANY sound architecture?
> Things about sound deamonds also (what are they for, and how to use them)?
> 
> Well have been working too hard today , i think  my brain is about to burst 
> out ;-)
> 
> 
> I think sound programming under linux is very complicated because of the 
> different architectures.
> But developing sound apps like you guys do is
> a necessary step to convince people to use linux!
> Maybe my goal is too hard for me but anyway i want to give it a try...
> But what a MESS!!
> 
> So any hint on where i can get a thorough, clear, concise explanation 
> of the whole stuff is welcome!
> 
> Thanks 
>