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Audio just works if you're not a power user, or use only programs compatible with each other. Try using a JACK application alongside an ALSA one and you'll see

Audio just works if you're not a power user, or use only programs compatible with each other. Try using a JACK application alongside an ALSA one and you'll see it doesn't "just work". Even then, if you stick to ALSA applications, you'll have a few issues: 1) You're going to be limiting yourself to a lot less possibilities (Skype uses Pulse, IIRC, for example) 2) You can't have simple settings such as per-application volume control. Sure it "just works", but it does if you use a set of programs which only the people who say "it just works" (a lot of people, I know) restrict themselves to. While it may work for you, different people have different needs. I'm still waiting for the day Linux audio (and video, but less hopeful because of proprietary drivers) simply works in the same way it does under Windows/Mac. Footnote: I completely forgot to mention latency issues, which is awful for audio processing.

jlgreco 13y ago
JACK is not apart of the standard Linux sound experience for anybody but sound technicians or musicians. I'll fully concede that this particular situation may be shit, but it does not represent the typical Linux user, or even the typical Linux power user, experience. Can't say I've ever noticed Pulse latency, even while playing Quake, except when using Pulse's networking features. Maybe I have crude ears.
- stelonix 13y ago
  I'm trying to convey the fact that you need something like JACK in order to do real time audio DSP, while in Windows/Mac, it just works. More importantly, in 2013, per-application volume control should be a given. It's possible under Pulse AFAIK, just not under ALSA. It may not represent the typical Linux users, but while audio processing also doesn't represent the typical PC user, it works under mainstream operating systems. Until such a simple thing also "just works", I won't be happy with sound on Linux. Basically, I'm from the group of people who want things to work on Linux for the same use cases they work on mainstream OSs before I state that it "just works". I believe saying things "just work" only because it works for most of my needs is detrimental, as it gives a wrong image and may frustrate people trying to do something different , as it has happened to me in the past, I've caught myself trying to do non-standard things a lot (read: most) of the time.
  - Daishiman 13y ago
    > I'm trying to convey the fact that you need something like JACK in order to do real time audio DSP, while in Windows/Mac, it just works. There's a ton of Windows applications that take over audio and do a lot of driver weirdness. There's still ASIO incompatibilies, latency issues, etc. In fact it happens in the same space where PulseAudio and JACK intersect on Windows.
    - synchronise 13y ago
      Having something that just works similar to the way CoreAudio just works would be a killer feature to have in Linux. Instead, we get ALSA and Pulseaudio, the odd couple of audio interfaces.

jlgreco 13y ago

JACK is not apart of the standard Linux sound experience for anybody but sound technicians or musicians. I'll fully concede that this particular situation may be shit, but it does not represent the typical Linux user, or even the typical Linux power user, experience. Can't say I've ever noticed Pulse latency, even while playing Quake, except when using Pulse's networking features. Maybe I have crude ears.

stelonix 13y ago
I'm trying to convey the fact that you need something like JACK in order to do real time audio DSP, while in Windows/Mac, it just works. More importantly, in 2013, per-application volume control should be a given. It's possible under Pulse AFAIK, just not under ALSA. It may not represent the typical Linux users, but while audio processing also doesn't represent the typical PC user, it works under mainstream operating systems. Until such a simple thing also "just works", I won't be happy with sound on Linux. Basically, I'm from the group of people who want things to work on Linux for the same use cases they work on mainstream OSs before I state that it "just works". I believe saying things "just work" only because it works for most of my needs is detrimental, as it gives a wrong image and may frustrate people trying to do something different , as it has happened to me in the past, I've caught myself trying to do non-standard things a lot (read: most) of the time.
- Daishiman 13y ago
  > I'm trying to convey the fact that you need something like JACK in order to do real time audio DSP, while in Windows/Mac, it just works. There's a ton of Windows applications that take over audio and do a lot of driver weirdness. There's still ASIO incompatibilies, latency issues, etc. In fact it happens in the same space where PulseAudio and JACK intersect on Windows.
  - synchronise 13y ago
    Having something that just works similar to the way CoreAudio just works would be a killer feature to have in Linux. Instead, we get ALSA and Pulseaudio, the odd couple of audio interfaces.