I just sent this e-mail to Edirol. It may be useful to someone if they're contacting them or any other company for Linux support. Dan -----Forwarded Message----- From: Dan Harper <tech(a)danharper.org> To: sales(a)edirol.com Cc: artists(a)edirol.com Subject: Edirol FA-101 Linux Support Date: Wed, 10 Mar 2004 16:11:58 +1100 To Whom It May Concern, I'm a recording musician with a home studio and I am looking to upgrade and go mobile with some of my gear. I will be purchasing a laptop in the next few weeks along with a new pair of studio monitors and a multi-channel audio interface upgrade. I happened to stumble across your new product, the Edirol FA-101 Firewire interface that seems to fit all the criteria I had for the new interface. The final and deciding requirement I have for the hardware however, is not mentioned on your web site, and that is Linux compatibility. My existing studio setup consists of using the DAW software Ardour (http://www.ardour.org) along side the JACK realtime audio server (http://jackit.sf.net) and the mastering suite Jamin (http://jamin.sf.net). I currently have no problems using my PCI audio card with my desktop machine, but it seems that FireWire interfaces are not fully supported as yet. Currently ALSA (An audio system for Linux that Jack utilises, http://www.alsa-project.org) supports many audio interfaces, including several Edirol USB products. I haven't checked with the Linux Audio community yet as to what they know of your product, but are there any plans to, or would you consider: - releasing the product data, specifications and other technical documentation of the FA-101 unit? - assist in writing drivers, or supporting the developers (by e-mail) in writing drivers for ALSA? One positive aspect of companies such as Edirol releasing product data, specifications, and other technical documentation regarding their products to the Linux community, is that there is no need to invest time or money in supporting and continually developing drivers. The Linux/ALSA community is happy to develop and support drivers for your hardware at no cost. I realise that Linux has not been a traditional market for professional audio, but I have successfully and happily made the switch from Microsoft Windows to Linux and I know of many other musicians that have also switched over, or are looking to do so. This would be a great opportunity to increase the compatibility and user base of your hardware with minimal effort on your part. For me personally, since I have fully made the switch to Linux, my next audio interface upgrade would have to have (or plans to have) Linux/ALSA drivers. If you require any further information, please con't hesitate to contact me. I look forward to hearing from you soon. Thanks, Dan Harper -- Dan Harper Songwriter and Musician Melbourne, Australia