While GNOME (my default desktop) supports OSS (which my Sound Blaster X-Fi’s drivers require), I’m not so fortunate with KDE (which is built around ALSA and esound). While it’s possible (in theory) to add OSS support to KDE, I can understand why they didn’t (which is likely because, until recently, OSS was neither free or open-source; now, however, it is both). Is this being worked on (at least for KDE4 in openSuSE)?
I’ve never used OSS, but I have read of 10.x users successfully using OSS instead of alsa. (and I believe some of them were KDE users). On what do you base your view that OSS does not work with KDE ? … How certain are you that you have this correct?
I’m not sure if I understand the issue here. In the KDE control centre, I believe that there is an option under Sound & Multimedia > Sound System to choose between ALSA, OSS, and a few others on the hardware tab…
I’m probably missing something here though.
There is no such option in kde4 …
or at least i cannot find it.
How do i choose oss or alsa in kde4?
Alsa is setup by default in kde4. No setup required, although if you wish to use the alsa api in addition to the alsa driver, you may need to change KDE4’s settings from “auto” or “pulse audio” to “alsa api”. (those quotations are not precise by any stretch).
I read someone state that in KDE4 the only way to work with OSS4 is to use phonon-backend gstreamer. But I can’t say that is correct as I do not know. Its also possible OSS4 support to KDE4 may be possible indirectly via xine. Again, I can’t say that is correct as i do not know.