[alsa-devel] Use of _hint() functions and older machines

[Clemens Ladisch]

On 10/21/2011 05:28 AM, Randell Jesup wrote:
> On older machines, _hint() aren't available, so even if I make them
> optional to dlsym-loading, I would need some other method to get the
> information I assume using older, now-deprecated-or-gone interfaces.

On older machines, that information wasn't available at all.

The recommendation was to use "default" or to let the user enter
a device name.

The best way to get a list of devices would have been to enumerate sound
cards with snd_card_next(), then use device names "default:CARD=x".
However, this gets only the primary device of each card, there might be
sound cards without a PCM device, devices not based on an ALSA kernel
driver aren't listed, and the "default:CARD=x" mechanism doesn't work if
the user has redefined the "default" device.


Regards,
Clemens