Network Audio (Re: Compile-time options)
On Mon, 28 Jun 1999, Steve Haslam wrote:
>
> > Opposite is also true. If machine runs audio server, no program could
> > write to /dev/dsp directly. I think that is a same as you cannot run
> > SVGAlib program in xterm window.
>
> I thought the NAS server was adjusted to release the sound device a few
> seconds after a sound ends?
No, it haven't. At least in stable distro. And it is The Right Thing
(tm).
Consider following scenario:
Home network with big server and couple of X terminals made from outdated
486 with sound cards ((my situation). Baby is sleeping in the room, where
server is located. His bigger brother decides to play some new game
father just have installed. But game is not NAS-aware (may be, becouse it
is closed-source). Boy knows, that if windows of program are on his
terminal, sounds are also heared from his speaker. So, he starts game.
With current NAS implementation game will either fail or proceed in silent
mode. But what happens if audio server would release sound device?
Note that actions of all persons involved are quite legitimate - childs
have right to play games, babies have right to complain about unusial
noise and people can install programs on their own computers even if they
work perfectly from local console only. Small mistake on father's part -
he didn't explained that _this_ game cannot be used from terminal, and
highly undesirable results are produced.
If I have to plan distribution policy, I would ban all noisy
programs
which aren't compilied with NAS or ESound, or at least require them to be
installed in silent mode by default. But I also would ban all SVGAlib
programs for same reason - lack of network transparency.
--------------------------------------------------
Victor Wagner vitus@ice.ru
Programmer Office:7-(095)-132-0878
Institute for Commerce Home: 7-(095)-135-46-61
Engineering http://www.ice.ru/~vitus
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