[MPlayer-dev-eng] [patch] prefer ALSA over OSS

[Rich Felker]

On Thu, May 03, 2007 at 07:50:53PM +0200, Zsolt Barat wrote:
> > The internal kernel API for sound drivers is the kernel developers'
> > business. They're free to choose whatever they like. But the external
> > API for applications must be one that's
> > 
> > 1) most portable between unix platforms to minimize the bloat of
> > supporting multiple unices
> > 2) most in harmony with the unix philosophy of device access
> > 3) actually convenient and reasonable for developers to use
> i don't think you know what you are supporting here.

I don't think you can read.

> you are suporting a stonaged driver model, which was good for simple

I'm not making ANY statements about driver model. Only about API. I
couldn't care less about the internal driver model.

> audio devices but can't catch up with soundsystems we have nowadays, at
> least it didn't. it is like saying: "let's go back to a drivermodel for
> monochrome displays, because it's so simple and fits so well into the
> unix philosophy of device access"
> First of all, UNIX is dead and OSS is dead. We don't have to discuss it,

If you claim this then your opinion is utterly irrelevant to me.

> it's just a fact. We have three UNIX systems today GNU/LINUX, Apple and
> Sun. Nothing stops them (sun/apple) to port and support ALSA to their
> systems.

1. ALSA sucks. It's a horrible API.
2. Stupid vendors (GNU/Linux included!) are always making their own
nonstandard crap instead of following open standards. This is yet
another example.
3. Vendors (GNU/Linux included!) are full of NIH-syndrome and will not
accept others' APIs/designs even if they are good. They'd rather make
their own crap.

> They simply don't want it because they are afraid of the GPL.
> At least it is true that there will be no way back OSS, and OSS will be
> removed from the kernel soon (or it is allready?). Using the
> oss-emulation-layer of ALSA just for protest is really braindead.

No it's not. And it will never be removed. Even Linux 1.0 syscalls are
still supported because they're needed to run applications. How would
you propose running ancient Linux binaryware games without OSS api in
the kernel?? (I don't want to run them but I'm sure plenty of people
do.)

> i don't know what kind of guy you are rich, but your overall opinion
> about other software-projects, other developers and other opinions makes
> me wonder about your personal philosophy. just to summarize what
> software-projects you are against: gnu-stuff, kernel, libc and now alsa.
> so please start to make your own libc and kernel, without gnu-tools of
> course and don't forget the soundsystem.

Halfway done.

Rich