Re: Overview of Linux and FreeBSD sound systems?

From: Ian Smith <smithi_at_nimnet.asn.au>
Date: Thu, 25 May 2023 20:01:00 UTC 
On 26 May 2023 12:19:29 am AEST, Ralf Mardorf <ralf-mardorf@riseup.net> wrote:
 > On Thu, 2023-05-25 at 23:43 +1000, Ian Smith wrote:

 > >  > In the case of Linux ;).
 > > As was your commentary on different sound systems, Ralf.

 > Hi,
 > 
 > the OP's request is related to an "Overview of Linux and FreeBSD
 > sound
 > systems?" Actually my comentars were not only Linux related.

Ok; I wasn't having a go at you, just trying to refine towards FreeBSD in particular.

 > On Wed, 2023-05-24 at 21:16 -0400, Steven Friedrich wrote:
 > > Can anyone point me to an Overview of Linux and FreeBSD sound
 > systems?
 > > The base sound system is OSS, right?
 > 
 > > We also have ALSA, Sox, Pulse, Phonon, Jack, etc.
 > 
 > > These must have special features not in OSS...
 > 
 > IMO I explained in simple words the mentioned "ALSA, Sox, Pulse,
 > Phonon,
 > Jack, etc.".

 > "SoX  reads  and	writes audio files in most popular formats" -
 > https://man.freebsd.org/cgi/man.cgi?query=sox&sektion=1&manpath=freebsd-release-ports
 > 
 > That's more or less the same as I explained.

Yes, sox is excellent, while not a sound system per se.  rec(1) and play(1) are the first tools I reach for to test basic sound connectivity from console, and I've used 'spectrogram' and 'stats' effects a lot with generated 24bit .wav files.

 > "jackd  is the JACK audio	server daemon" -
 > https://man.freebsd.org/cgi/man.cgi?query=jackd&apropos=0&sektion=1&manpath=FreeBSD+13.2-RELEASE+and+Ports&arch=default&format=html
 > 
 > That's more or less the same as I've written.

Sure, thanks.  I've only used jackd with ALSA on Linux to feed different instances of lame(1) making low- and high-res MP3s for regulatory archives, programme repeats, downloads, and live streaming for a community radio station (from 10 years ago).

 > "PulseAudio is a networked low-latency sound server for Linux" - 
 > https://man.freebsd.org/cgi/man.cgi?query=pulseaudio&apropos=0&sektion=1&manpath=FreeBSD+13.2-RELEASE+and+Ports&arch=default&format=html
 > 
 > "low-latency" is quite vague. jackd is for low-latency, pulseaudio
 > isn't. However, it's another sound server. That's what I explained,
 > too.

Again, I was wanting to dig into use on FreeBSD in particular.   I've seen mixed reviews but little professional analysis.

 > What I explained is true for FreeBSD as well as for Linux. There are
 > some exception as r.g. ALSA vs OSS.

jackd and sox both seem happy to work with OSS or ALSA.  PulseAudio mentions neither, so I'd have to dig deeper.

Is ALSA on FreeBSD a thing at all?

Thanks, Ian