[mythtv] Initial Patch to enumerate Alsa Soundcards

[Michael T. Dean]

On 05/28/2006 06:52 PM, Matthew Wire wrote:
> I could just set the combobox to readonly, but I get the feeling
> some people will still need to type in manual devices - eg. for
> Jack/Arts etc where there is no method to enumerate cards.

Or, to use proper device names for the device, thereby allowing users to 
put their sound card configuration information in the ALSA configuration 
files (~/.asoundrc or /etc/asound.conf)--where it belongs--instead of in 
an application's configuration.

Since this lists the physical (i.e. hardware) device names, users would 
only be able to send the audio stream directly to the hardware, so those 
with software sound cards (i.e. most users) won't be able to play 
anything unless it's 48kHz PCM audio (i.e no playing CD's, 32kHz TV 
audio streams, etc.).  (If the combobox is read-only, it prohibits users 
from using the right way (ALSA configuration files) or the wrong way 
(specifying audio stream handling by chaining plugins to the device name 
directly in an application's configuration settings) to specify how 
audio streams should be handled for their sound cards.

Also, it looks like the enumeration only retrieves PCM devices, so it 
won't list digital outputs.  Many users are using digital output, so 
they would need a way to specify a device name, too.

Now, if we get /all/ the device names--system and user names for 
physical and logical devices--I'd be far less concerned about a 
read-only combobox. Or, IMHO, even just getting the logical names 
defined in the ALSA configuration files is sufficient (as all device 
names given to applications should be logical names specified in the 
ALSA configuration files). If we don't get the logical device names, we 
cannot make the combobox read only.

Mike