[Python-Dev] linuxaudiodev module

Jeremy Hylton jeremy@beopen.com
Fri, 6 Oct 2000 15:11:43 -0400 (EDT)


I just fixed a number of major bugs in the undocumented linuxaudiodev
module.  I ended up spending about an hour reading the excellent Open
Sound System (OSS) Programmer's Guide to figure out what the module
was trying to do and why it wasn't working on my Linux box.

After reading the module and the OSS guide, it is clear to me that we
need a complete re-write.  The module itself is just a wrapper around
a bunch of read, write, and ioctl calls.  It could all be implemented
in pure Python.

I propose we develop a Python module for Python 2.1 and call it
osslib.  There is nothing at all that is Linux-specific about the
interface being used.  The OSS guide mentions a plethora of platforms
that it supports.

In the interim, I have fixed some of the most egregious problems.  I
would appreciate it if Linux users could try out the fixes and the new
test case.  On my machine it still sounds awful, but at least the
sound can be heard.

Jeremy