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

-------- directBOX Reply --------------- From: harold_zhu(a)hotmail.com To : linux-audio-dev(a)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! ---- 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 __________________________________________________ Verpassen Sie keine eBay-Auktion und bieten Sie bequem und schnell über das Telefon mit http://www.telefonbieten.de Ihre eMails auf dem Handy lesen - ohne Zeitverlust - 24h/Tag eMail, FAX, SMS, VoiceMail mit http://www.directbox.com