[ubuntu-studio-users] Ubuntu Studio 20.04 LTS Released!

[Gerhard Lang]

Hi Erich,

I understand your frustration about firewire management in linux 
kernels. But wasn't it good practice in Linux, to keep alive even 
vintage hardware?

>>We have to be forward-thinking and not stuck in the past on many decisions, otherwise we become irrelevant.

Ok, you might have to earn your livelihood, but I think, this is a 
horrible statement, please don't reproduce silly coach speek.

Ubuntu 2012 was great with my firewire interface, near zero latency.

why not force Alsa and FFado developers into colaboration?

I'll begin to compile kernels again.

By the way, best thanks for your engagement in Ubuntu-Studio

Gerhard


Am 27.04.20 um 17:09 schrieb eeickmeyer at ubuntu.com:

> Hi Glenn,
>
>> On 4/23/20 12:45 PM, Erich Eickmeyer wrote:
>>> Due to kernel compatibility reasons, Firewire devices are no longer
>>> supported.
>> Can you go into a little more detail on that? Is this a permanent change? Is
>> Firewire no longer supported by the kernel?
>>
> It's actually pretty simple. The kernel has a Firewire module in ALSA that conflicts with FFADO. We attempted to make Ubuntu Studio Controls compatible, but it proved to be impossible. In order for FFADO to work, one must blacklist the ALSA Firewire module in the kernel. This is something one must know how to do and be comfortable with doing, we can't do it for you.
>
> Basically, firewire devices are a crapshoot. If you plug it in and it just works, then awesome, glad it does. If it doesn't, sorry, but we can't help you get it working.
>
> Additionally, Firewire devices are ancient and no longer being manufactured. We are not in the business of reviving old hardware; that's not the purpose of Ubuntu Studio. So, going forward, we simply aren't making an effort to support Firewire devices because that would mean fighting with the kernel, which is not something our small team is willing to do.
>
> USB devices and PCI devices are the future going forward, because that's what hardware manufacturers are actually producing. We have to be forward-thinking and not stuck in the past on many decisions, otherwise we become irrelevant.
>
> ----
> Erich Eickmeyer
> Project Leader
> Ubuntu Studio
>
> ubuntustudio.org
>
>