[alsa-devel] Documentation Request

[Keith A. Milner]

On Wednesday 04 Sep 2013 09:20:23 Carl Canuck wrote:
> > Thanks for your response, but I think that is a very poor solution.
> > [ignorant blah]
> 
> Ignorant?  You do realize that Jack has captured the hearts and minds of
> exactly zero world renowned audio professionals, despite being
> "professional grade" according to it's developers? 
>

You do realise that native ALSA music production apps have captured an even 
smaller number of those hearts and minds...

And of the many people who do use Linux for music production (professional or 
otherwise), native ALSA apps have captured very close to zero percent of their 
hearts and minds.

Amongst the Linux audio production market Jack is, far and away, the most 
popular approach both amongst app developers and users. It is the de-facto 
standard. Part of this is because Jack enables your app to work well with 
others, whereas ALSA on it's own does not.

If you want people in this market to use your app, then you shouldn't even be 
considering not using Jack.

Unless, of course, you are trying to  consign your app to obscurity to give 
you another reason to denigrate Linux and it's users.

> Do you think that could
> possibly be a problem with Jack, or did everybody just not give it enough
> of a chance?

Have you considered that it could be other factors, such as Linux only having 
a few percent of the desktop market (where audio production sits) or that none 
of the "brand name" software vendors produce software for it, or that people 
in that industry are not generally very computer-literate and may not have 
even heard of Linux, yet alone know you could produce music on it or are 
willing to take the risk on using a new, unknown platform.

All of the above are good reasons. I have worked with ALSA and Jack for 
several years and you are the only person in this time I have heard suggest 
the root cause for lack of Linux penetration in the audio production market is 
due to Jack. It's a crazy suggestion and, unless you have some firm evidence 
backing this up, ignorance really is the only explanation for such a 
suggestion.

In looking to write a native ALSA music production app you were on completely 
the wrong path. This community has, generously, offered you advice to steer you 
onto the correct path. I recommend you swallow your pride, and follow this 
sage advice.

Cheers,

Keith