PulseAudio info needed

[stan]

Tom Horsley wrote:
> On Thu, 27 Nov 2008 10:37:26 -0700
> stan <eiqep_eiwo_y at cox.net> wrote:
> 
>> And my suggestion is that pulseaudio should be integrated 
>> into ALSA.  That is, it becomes invisible to most users
> 
> The trouble is, it is really easy to understand why people
> could grow to hate ALSA. It is way too low level. For instance
> to get a DVD played with the digital sound directly routed
> out of the SP/DIF interface on my motherboard, I have to
> say this:
> 
I think we're saying the same thing.  Alsa should stay low 
level, providing the full functionality that every sound 
device provides.

pulseaudio should be the interface in alsa that allows you 
to either have access to that low level capability if you 
want it, or high level capability like you describe above at 
the touch of a button.  So pulse is a plugin framework into 
alsa, where if there is no plugin you get alsa, otherwise 
the high level functionality.

And all of this occurs transparently to the average user 
that doesn't care.  They don't even know there is something 
called pulse or alsa.  Applications just use the alsa api or 
the pulse plugin functionality as a stop on the way to the 
alsa api as they see fit and know one knows.

Sound just works.  Are we there?  No.  Are we in sight?  On 
a clear sunny day, if we get tossed in the air.  :-^