Re: kernel sound

[Jose L Gomez Dans <nospam [at] sheffield.ac.uk>]

> Having to recompile your kernel just to get sound up running is the second
> main reason why Linux is a long way from being able to challenge Win in the
> desktop market - ppp being the first. How can a person new to the OS be
> expected to learn about it through exploration when they don't have a fully
> configured system to play with? A friend a mine to whom I introduced Linux
> (rh6) has just told be he's jacking it in, having exhausted his initial
> enthusiasm in the struggle for ppp sound configuration. He'll try Linux
> again, he says, when basic stuff like this is as straightforward as it is
> with Windows.

Hmmm... I think that this is not such a big issue. I installed ppp
in the days (long gone...) when you had to actually use scripts. It wasn't
hard, and I found loads of information around. Sound installed fine, but I
haad already though of using a standard card instead of a flashy thing. If
you know how linux works in its development and the way companies treat it
driver-wise, this is a safe assumption. I have to say that I had never
installed Windows or any other OS. I had used them as any odd user and had
some familiarity with Solaris and Digital's Unix.

> What's required is a distro that's simple to install provides a basic up
> running system - ppp, mail, wp, graphics sound apps etc. From here a new
> user would be able to explore what Linux has to offer. The rh suse

I think that Corel is trying to do just that, and it works
*reasonably* well if you have a standard computer (i.e., windoze box with a
single partition in an IDE drive et al.).

Or even Mandrake: dead easy to install, and it gives you a working
KDE environment. The only thing you have to bear in mind is that you check
your gfx card/monitor settings and your modem's settings. kppp does
everything for you from there on. But these days, this is true of any
distro...

> approach is to load the user's partitions with bucketloads of apps, GUIs,
> scripting languages, compilers debuggers, let them get on with it. This

I find this extremely annoying. But you can always go for another
distro. Whatever people say, I find debian extremely straightforward to
install in this respect.

> to use the Net or run a small business. Does a basic distro like the former

I think that if you want to run a small business, you won't really
want to use a sound card, you have work to do, don't you :D. Personally, I
think that debian meets those requirements. You obviously need a manual and
installation is not a thing of two minutes (it takes around 1/2 hour). But
at least, you have complete control of what you're doing. Moreover, some of
the configurations (application wise) that come as a default don't need any
weaking at all. Say I want to have a box as an internet server. OK, choose
basic server, and it's all up and running in less than 50 Mb, and that
includes tons of documentation to play around with.

In this respect, I think that linux is good at what it is because
you have to educate yourself in many things. Obviously, if you're used to
just clicking on boxes, it's different, but try setting up a DHCP box in Win
95 (so far, unsuccesfully). It's just installing a package in linux (< 20
seconds).

Anyway, happy with my woffling for today :)
Regards,
Jose
> Holidy Giving from Sears
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^Does this classify as spam? X-)


--
Jose L Gomez Dans PhD student
Radar Communications Group
Department of Electronic Engineering
University of Sheffield UK

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