> > ... > > (i) It's a "sound server", a description I don't understand. What > > does it _do_? Why do I want it? It seems to be an unnecessary > > layer of fat between sound applications and the kernel. > > If you don't understand the term "sound server" you probably > shouldn't be using Gentoo. > > When I'm watching a YouTube video I still want to hear my email > client go bing or my chat program alert me of my buddy coming online. > > That's not possible if my web-browser has a hard-wired path into my > soundcard and ain't letting go.
Just throwing out there that users can or atleast could use alsa plugs to have multiple applications. I did that before pulseaudio came along to play nfs carbon under cedega and listen to music. Also I have never got around to looking into Jackd but isn't it meant to be by far the best. I know pro audio users use it and I have heard it is not the easiest to set up but is there any reason why it isn't the default setup. http://en.gentoo-wiki.com/wiki/JACK From a quick look at this jack can hook up multiple applications that seem to need to be set up individually. What's the scope for Jack a./ replacing pulseaudio b./ having a compat interface layer to make pulseaudio compatible apps talk to jack -- _______________________________________________________________________ 'Write programs that do one thing and do it well. Write programs to work together. Write programs to handle text streams, because that is a universal interface' (Doug McIlroy) _______________________________________________________________________
