[linux-audio-user] Re: [linux-audio-dev] RME is no more

Rick B zajelo3 at cfl.rr.com
Thu Nov 25 17:22:44 EST 2004


Frank Barknecht wrote:

>Hallo,
>Tim Blechmann hat gesagt: // Tim Blechmann wrote:
>
>  
>
>>>FW Audio gibt es derzeit unter Alsa gar nicht. Und sehr viel von dem,
>>>was beim FF800 FW-technisch unter Windows geschieht, ist
>>>Eigenentwicklung. Wir würden also mit einem OS-ALSA-Treiber bzw. der
>>>dafür notwendigen Hardware-Dokumentation in mehrfacher Weise unserer
>>>Konkurrenz unter die Arme greifen. Bitte haben Sie Verständnis daür,
>>>daß das nicht in unserem Sinne sein kann. Es geht nicht um eine
>>>prinzipielle Abkehr von Linux.
>>>      
>>>
>>a short translation:
>>currently there is no firewire audio support in alsa. a lot of the
>>firewire technology for windows has been their development. 
>>it's not that they generally stop linux support...
>>    
>>
>
>And to translate the missing, but IMO important part 
>
>"With an OS-ALSA-dirver or the needed hardware documentation we would
>support our competitors in several ways. Please understand, that this
>cannot be in our interest." 
>
>So basically they want to protect their investment in getting
>knowledge of how to implement a powerful firewire interface from the
>eyes of other hardware manufacturers. It's a pity, of course, but also
>somehow understandable. It's still good that they were and are
>supportive regarding their PCI cards. This is different from a company
>like NVidia, which not only hides docs for their competitive 3D-cards,
>but also docs about network adapters and onboard soundchips. So with
>NVidia it's a company philosophy to not talk to open source developers
>at all, with RME it's just restricted to their new FW box.  (Usual
>plug: People should stop buying NVidia stuff, but not RME cards.)
>Well, lets just hope, Freebob is successful, as this will generate a
>nice kind of pressure in the FW world in general, to which RME might
>bow later, too. ;)
>
>Morale of story: Always buy old hardware of about one year ago at
>least.
>
>Ciao
>  
>
You would think that since RME provides a Mac OSX driver for the 
Fireface 800 it wouldn't be that hard for them to port a driver to Linux.

                Rick B



More information about the Linux-audio-user mailing list