Re: [gentoo-user] [OT rant] udev + /usr

[Michael Mol]

On Mon, Sep 19, 2011 at 12:23 PM, pk <peterk2@××××××××.se> wrote:
> On 2011-09-18 21:52, Michael Mol wrote:
>
>> The kernel configuration process is actually very nice and very easy.
>> You an remove any features you don't want or need. (I'm referring to,
>> e.g. menuconfig. I haven't really used genkernel)
>
> I've never used genkernel and always compile my own kernels...
>
>> FWIW, PulseAudio predates Windows Vista, Windows 7, even MacOS X. I
>> ran it on a 200MHz machine back when it was called Enlightenment Sound
>> Daemon.
>
> Hm... I've used ESD (years and years ago :-) ) in OSS times. Not sure
> where the connection between ESD and Pulseaudio is though[1]... Well,
> anywho, Gentoo stopped supporting both the ESD and arts server years ago
> for security reasons IIRC.
> [1] https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Enlightened_Sound_Daemon

My recollection at the time PA started showing up was that PA was the
descendant of ESD. I assumed it was a fork. I may be wrong.

>> With as much as I've poked at PulseAudio, I'd have to say I like it
>> better than I like the Vista/Win7 implementation of sound daemons.
>
> I've no experience with Vista/Win7 (I've got an XP machine for gaming).

Windows coding is my day job. Workstation is Win7 Ultimate x64.

>
>> There's probably not much one can do with PA that one couldn't do with
>> jackd, which is probably better in terms of latency, but I never got
>> around to learning jackd.
>
> Yes, tried jack a few years ago but couldn't get it working right. Not
> that I got "burnt" by it (as dbus etc.) and if the need arise, I'll look
> into it again... Thing is, ALSA already have a (simple) sound server
> "built" in called dmix so why one would bother with Pulseaudio is beyond
> me (but as long as it's not "forced" onto users I don't care much about it).

I recall reading about dmix in LinuxJournal years ago, but I don't
think I ever got around to setting it up; ALSA was just going through
a major API change around 0.9, and I didn't have the resources to stay
up-to-date. (Dial-up was a pain. I imagine it's worse today) I did
have fantasies about using it to set up a fake sound device to get
spatial audio over headphones. I couldn't find the data set I'd needed
for calculating delays, though.

>
>> While I was using PA (I'm not, currently), it was nice for being able
>> to monitor and tune the volume levels of individual programs. That can
>> be important when trying to manage two different VOIP apps, video
>> games and Pandora at the same time.
>
> If you wish to use it then do so... :-)
>
> The thing (idea) I was trying to convey but seems to escape most people
> is this:
> "Cut out the fat!" - "Less is more/do more with less [resources]" etc...
> in a general sense. That's what Contiki is doing and what I think
> software in general should be doing (yes, in Utopia)... When adding
> layer upon layer, we are going in the wrong direction (unless the sum is
> less, which it, in my "eyes", seems not to be).

Oh, certainly. That's one of the reasons I love Linux's (and
especially Gentoo's) modularity so much; there's often a nearly-ideal
tool for any given use case. That's part of why I don't like to see
things which break that modularity become mandatory.


-- 
:wq