[ubuntu-uk] ALSA v OSS - (+ topic for podcast?)

[Eddie Armstrong]

I must state up front that I am very new to the Linux sound system and 
not an advocate for either camp BUT :-)

since installing 8.10 I have not been able to record in Audacity and 
have had a problem shutting down my system which has been put down to 
network and/or ALSA problems by the forums.
I followed lots of howtos re  ALSA and ended up with a pulseAudio server 
and was still none the wiser.
After finally getting Audacity working (somehow), the sound dropped 
halfway through side 2 of an LP I was converting to flac. I spent the 
rest of that day using Audacity in Windows.
I have /never/ seen the drop-down input sources selector in Audacity in 
Intrepid.

I decided /in extremis/ to revert to OSS but using the newer OSSv4 (now 
it has been gpl'd again).
I still haven't yet got Audacity working but
My computer now shuts down
and the sound quality is now noticeably better! (I have always had an 
inferior sound on linux).

At the moment I am content using an old SB Live card but next year I 
intend to build a sound/video studio PC incorporating multi-track RME 
card - from what I understand this will mean back to ALSA - is this correct?

I am appalled by the state of audio on Linux - it is sooo complicated. 
Most of the documentation implies that OSS is deprecated in favour of 
ALSA with hardly a mention of the newer OSSv4.
Ubuntu makes it quite difficult to use OSS (new) especially for the 
beginner -  I used this OpenSound, 
<https://help.ubuntu.com/community/OpenSound>but it doesn't explain 
enough  about what it's doing or what the consequences are. In 
particular having to configure lots of apps afterwards (I still can't 
record from Audacity - will be using windows again),
and what does this mean?


    "Reverting to ALSA

<snip> Some users wish to revert back to ALSA to try Creative's X-fi 
drivers or /maintain complete Ubuntu compatibility/" (my emphasis)*

*Are my upgrades now in peril - is Ubuntu likely to be unstable ?*

*
I think it's difficult to know whether to use ALSA or the new OSS and 
the implications of each choice, Ubuntu  seems to make it difficult to 
choose OSS yet ALSA seems greatly flawed. Currently  i am running OSv4 
and not fully configured everything but the sound /is /better!

I would like to hear  a real discussion of this and the pros and cons of 
each on the podcast maybe with some audio cognoscenti (unless the 
regular members are this all ready :-) ). Audio is so important yet it 
seems we aren't /offered/ a choice here .

Eddie