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Thread: alsa, oss, pulse (how to switch?)

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jul 2008
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    alsa, oss, pulse (how to switch?)

    I have been reading a lot about using different audio output methods, among them are alsa (the one my mpd defaulted to,) pulseaudio, and oss4.

    First off, what are these things? Are they a top level interface to my sound hardware? or a low level driver for it?

    Can I use just any one I want?

    How does it (they) know what kind of sound card I have in my machine? Do they care? Are all sound cards enough alike that there is no difference?

    If I want to try to use Pulse vs. alsa, what steps must I go through to archive that? (download drivers, install codecs, replace my sound card?)

    Thanks for helping a dimbulb here,
    Mark.
    So many computers, so little time.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    May 2008
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    Ohio, USA
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    Ubuntu Gnome 15.04 Vivid Vervet

    Re: alsa, oss, pulse (how to switch?)

    alsa is the more recent sound base for linux. I believe it's supposed to replace oss. Pulseaudio is a sound-server that sits atop alsa, so those two work together. To use oss (or alsa alone) you need to remove pulse.
    OSS4
    https://help.ubuntu.com/community/OpenSound
    ALSA
    http://www.alsa-project.org/main/index.php/Main_Page
    MPD on Pulseaudio
    http://mpd.wikia.com/wiki/PulseAudio
    Pulseaudio
    http://pulseaudio.org/

  3. #3
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    Re: alsa, oss, pulse (how to switch?)

    to select:
    Code:
    gstreamer-properties
    Last edited by kerry_s; August 5th, 2010 at 04:11 PM.

  4. #4
    Join Date
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    Re: alsa, oss, pulse (how to switch?)

    Thanks lidex:

    My alsa device wasn't working, and your links helped me to understand more about the methods and to change to oss4.

    Mark.
    So many computers, so little time.

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