Why Linux is not (yet) ready for the desktop

[Brian Fahrlander]

David Gerard wrote:
> 2009/5/18 Brian Fahrlander <wheeldweller at gmail.com>:
>   
>> David Gerard wrote:
>>     
>
>   
>>> I particularly empathise with the sound one. Linux sound is all sorts
>>> of stupid fucked up, in accreting shells of new sound systems that
>>> claim and fail to completely emulate the previous sound system.
>>>       
>
>   
>>   Well, the sound system is in a state of change...and has been for some
>> time. But I think PulseAudio is the way to go. Just making sound locally is
>> great...but what happens when you walk up with a USB headset? The bluetooth
>> bud from your phone? And let's not forget the future.
>>     
>
>
> The catch comes when system N+1 claims backward compatibility with
> system N (as Pulse does with ALSA) and fails to deliver in practice
> (as Pulse does with ALSA). Same for ALSA and OSS. Not to mention all
> the other attempts.
>
> Linux sound remains really quite remarkably fucked-up shit and if it
> works the user is lucky and/or the distro has worked very hard indeed.
>
>
> - d.
>
>   
    Well, I must be spectacularly lucky; I've installed Jaunty (new and 
buggy-but cool) in 15-20 locations, with only one having sound problems. 
But I'm not needing Meterbridge to work, either: these are all simple 
folks doing simple things.

    Keep in mind *every* new sound-paradigm intends to have that 
backwards compatability. Alsa may have just _now_ gotten it. :/  Change 
means bugs. It's why we have point-releases and LTS releases.


-- 
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 Brian Fahrländer                 Christian, Conservative, and Technomad
 Evansville, IN                                                         
 ICQ: 5119262                         AOL/Yahoo/GoogleTalk: WheelDweller
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