In Bug #416778 ( <a href="https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/416778">https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/416778</a> ) Loīc Minier has requested further public discussion on the subject of Jack Audio Server <a href="http://jackaudio.org/">http://jackaudio.org/</a> being included in the Main repositories. I was told this list would be the best place for that discussion. I am also CCing the <a href="mailto:ubuntu-studio-devel@lists.ubuntu.com">ubuntu-studio-devel@lists.ubuntu.com</a> because the Ubuntu Studio team has been the driving force behind this inclusion request and are extremely knowledgeable in regards to JACK. Here are a couple of my thoughts on the matter as to why Jack should be included in Main. - Many bugs have been filed against various audio servers currently in Main (xine, alsa, portaudio, pulseaudio) requesting that the JACK bridge/plugin/output/etc... be turned on or compiled into the package - this is not possible without the inclusion of Jack in Main. Bugs #152487, #84900, #109659, and #360590 (this may not be a complete list, and duplicates of most of these have been filed). - The libffado drivers for firewire soundcards ( <a href="http://www.ffado.org">http://www.ffado.org</a> ) are only supported by the Jack driver. This makes these common, pro, semi-pro, and hobbyist audio cards inaccessible for most applications without the previous audio server bridges/plugins/outputs to jack available. Owners of these cards must recompile major audio drivers in order to get basic Ubuntu sound. - Jack is an audio server designed specifically for professional reliable audio signals. This is not a duplicate server clogging up the "audio mess", which some people believe exists in Linux, it is a specialty tool for musicians, audio engineers, and anyone using Linux for professional audio. (In-fact if anything, allowing the aforementioned bugs to get fixed would clean up a large chunk of the "audio mess" which some believe exists. It would at least stop a large segment of people from griping so loudly about and attempting to remove PulseAudio.) Please voice your opinion on the matter. -Eric Hedekar