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

[Attila Kinali]

On Fri, 04 May 2007 00:58:33 +0300
Uoti Urpala <uoti.urpala at pp1.inet.fi> wrote:

> > So you need a library on top of the kernel API. No problem there. But
> > why is it necessary for that to use an obscure undocumented kernel API?
> 
> It's not necessary, but maintaining a stable and documented kernel API
> would be more work. We don't make every every interface within MPlayer
> public and documented either - not because we want to keep them obscure
> and undocumented, but because it's significantly less work and being
> able to change them with less concern for interoperability makes
> development easier.

This argument would be valid if libalsa would be part of the kernel
and would be shipped with the kernel. But it isn't. libalsa and
the kernel are two very different entities. It is possible (and is done)
to update either of those independently. Thus the two APIs are never
100% in sync.

While the internal MPlayer APIs are only used within MPlayer.
No other application uses them and when we change those internal
APIs we change not only the API provider, but also the user,
thus the whole system is always fully in sync.

I hope you can see the difference and the cause of for a few
very nice and hard to find bugs.

			Attila Kinali

-- 
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But blest in my name forever this stream that stanched my thirst!
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