Re: [Jack-Devel] The Situation(s) With JACK

Just an point of view from a Linuxaudio user...:

I do think, like others do, that JACK on Windows and OSX is beneficial 
for Linux audio *users* or better *musicians*. Especially the fact that 
you can use Windows software via netjack gives people more (and 
sometimes strict necessary) possibilities for their workflow. We all 
know that Linux lacks some type of applications in certain areas, then 
it's nice when you have possibilities like netjack.

Moreover but less important probably, it makes Linux more attractive for 
users who currently use Windows or OSX, when they are able to keep using 
some Windows software which they think is needed or they spent a lot of 
money for, they would make the switch to Linux more easily. I do also 
agree with the suggestion of Paul in which he says that a working JACK 
on Windows, makes it more likely that others developers (on other 
platforms) adapt JACK for their software, which we could benefit from.

It must be said that the good thing about the JACK2 developers is that 
they are the ones who spent the most effort into a working (net)JACK on 
OSX and Windows in contrary to the JACK1 developers (a bit black and 
white view, but alas ;) ). We certainly don't want to loose that.

To me it seems that the JACK1 developers can't live with the current 
JACK2 as base for further development, that's why they are doing this 
proposal. JACK2 developers seems to be less strict to a certain coding 
style, it's obvious that they can live with the JACK2 base (and didn't 
do the proposal). They probably have nothing against a new JACK base, 
but they are hesitate to spent a lot of time and effort in it and they 
might doubt whether some of the good things about JACK2 will be wasted, 
which is understandable from their point of view. They probably also 
doubt whether a combined contribution to one shared base will work out 
in practise. Are both teams able to cooperate well with each other? Are 
the JACK2 devs willing to work from a new base, under what conditions 
and how many do they want to contribute to (building up) the new base? 
How many contributions do the JACK1 devs 'demand' from JACK2 devs, 
before they're willing to start working on a new base?

All though it is an option of course to take JACK2 as base, but the 
option to have JACK2 as only base without contributions from the JACK1 
developers (as suggested in one of the previous emails) is not typically 
a win-win situation in my opinion, quite the contrary... (!)

The advantages for one shared base for JACK seems obvious to me. For the 
LAU community (users, distros) it would be better to have one strong 
JACK and make the Linuxaudio situation as less complex as possible. 
Considering the fact that their aren't that many active JACK developers, 
I can imagine that for the JACK-dev community it's an advantage when the 
scares number of developers work together on one JACK. It could safe 
work and time, while the quality improves.

As a Linux audio user | musician, I hope both teams will be able to make 
a good plan for constructive cooperation, with respect to each others 
work (and (coding) culture). Publish the plan and the conditions both 
teams can agree with, avoid as much possibilities for misunderstanding 
and vagueness as possible, cause maybe it's more a social challenge then 
a coding challenge at the end.

All the best!

Regards,
\r

1324042071.29560_0.ltw:2,a <4EEB4589.90600 at gmail dot com>