[sldev] gstreamer

[Jan Ciger]

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Hi Henri,

Henri Beauchamp wrote:
> Did you try it at all ???  I doubt so...
> 
> It's as simple as downloading a package from OSS website and
> installing it, just like you do with your distro packaging
> mechanism (RPM and DEB and TAR are provided)...
> And if your packaging mechanism is not supported, you got an
> auto-extractible package (just run it and it will do the rest).

Right. Except that you are barking up the wrong tree here. I think I do
posses the skills to install this, but if I have to go through this
rigamarole every time I update my system to a newer release, well,
thanks. Lot of things simply expect Alsa/Pulse to be in place these
days. Perhaps you have more time than I do, but I prefer to have things
working with my distro, not me having to bend over backwards to get a
program like SL working properly by replacing a whole sound subsystem.

> 
>> Distros will not ship it, because it is not free (libre)
>> software.
> 
> Sorry, but OSS v4 *is* Open Source...
> http://developer.opensound.com/sources/

And what is this (on the download page):

> Open Sound System is now free for personal and non-commercial use and
> comes with a license key that will allow you to run OSS. The license
> key is valid for up to 6 months at a time after which you will need
> to download and install OSS again. There are no time limitations or
> restricted functionality during the licensing period. A permanant
> license key that will entitle you to free support and upgrades can be
> ordered here

That the sources are available doesn't mean that this is a free (libre)
software.

> My bet is that given how more performant and easy is OSS (not to
> mention the OSS API has been around since day one of audio support
> in Linux and all software support it), it will replace the buggy,
> extremely flacky and unfriendly ALSA in the future.
> With OSS, you can get rid of *all* the stupid sound daemons and
> not have to worry if this or that software will support them.

Right, with the license like the one above, I am looking forward to see
that happen. The licensing is at the very least unclear, because the
pre-packaged binaries carry a distinctly non-free license, but the
source is supposedly multi-licensed (including GPL?). However, according
to their FAQ, there are some closed source components.

Ain't gonna happen, Henri.

Regards,

Jan


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