>Once upon a time, Aaron Tiensivu <tiensivu@pilot.msu.edu> said:
>>I haven't downloaded them yet but I just got the news.
>>http://developer.soundblaster.com/linux/
>
>Too bad they only released binary modules (and not even for the latest
>stable kernel release, and only non-SMP). I wish there was a solid PCI
>wavetable soundcard with an open source driver for Linux available
>(someone PLEASE correct me if there is).
This was a follow-up to the announcement of the Sb-live drivers on
Slashdot.org:
To all those considering getting an SBLive, I'd strongly recommend
going for a card based on the Trident 4dWave-NX chipset
(www.hoontech.com makes and sells one). It's a really sweet chipset,
and Trident released GPL kernel drivers for it (which will ship with
the next version of the Advanced Linux Sound Architecture). It has
4-speaker support, good 3d positional audio, all operations are done
internally in 24 bit/48khz, S/PDIF digital output, etc. The Hoontech
card has a 20bit/48khz codec, and even optical and coax plugs for
digital output for plugging it into high-end recording equipment.
Right now, since it was just released, Hoontech has eval pricing, so
the card costs $19-$24 (depending on digital plugs) plus $14-$16 s/h
from Korea. I'd say it's a much better card regardless of drivers, and
having GPL ALSA drivers sure kicks ass.
The problem with binary only (see
http://pmitros.mit.edu/binary-only.html during daylight hours) is that
Creative is unlikely to still support those drivers 5 or 10 years from
now. On the other hand, even source drivers break between releases.
Binary drivers are almost guarenteed not to work from release to
release (Linus has said so). Your hardware is likely not to work at
all with modern software a few years from now, and force you to wait
for Creative to update their drivers each time a new kernel comes out
today.
- pmitros@SPAM.mit.edu
That sounds pretty good, imho.
-phazer
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