Linux Audio: A Guide For Beginner and Beyond/Preface

About This Book

This book is intended to help those who are interested in audio on the linux platform. Keeping in mind there are many aspects of audio, linux audio in the broadest sense will be covered, however it is not possible to include absolutely everything. A large focus of this book will be on using linux as a tool for pro-audio work. However, since pro-audio itself is a bit of a broad field, other related topics will also be covered. These topics will aim to provide information for those who are interested in using audio to assist in other types of media creation, or just plain use.

There are many reasons for using linux for audio work, and you can find it everywhere from the home studio musician's computer, in universities, to even the studios of some of the biggest names in the music and film industry. Whether you are looking for an alternative to other prioritary implementations in your home studio, or looking for a more cost alternative solution for your post production department, linux has already established itself as a free (as in free software), stable, fast, and secure solution for even the most demanding of users.

This book is also intended to be as current as possible. While there are a great number of resources available online, linux audio has also changed quite a bit in the last few years, and many newcomers may become frustrated in searching for information. Even some of more well-known sites have FAQ's and guides that have not been updated for over five years!

Finally, while this book may be read word for word, it certainly is not required. Since it is intended for users of many backgrounds and skill levels, some topics may be too easy or difficult. Not all the information is intended for everybody, so do not be discouraged if anything seems too complicated. On the other hand, if you feel things are a bit too easy or your system may not require a specific configuration at all, feel free to skip around and just read those topics which are relevant to you. This book is also intended as a handy guide to keep around. A skim-through each section is at least recommended, especially for those who are planning on building new systems but are still deciding on things like hardware and such.

A Word From the Contributors

As this book is meant as a collaborative effort by and for the community, feel free to make contributions, and then add yourself to this list. Also, however not required, a small bio or message is also welcome!

Justin Towson

I started this book in hopes to consolidate a lot of information available around the internet on the topic, as well as share my experiences (and failures) for those who may be interested in linux and audio, but who are having trouble finding where to start, or how to keep going. I do not consider myself an expert on the subject, but I at least hope to start something that others will want to add their own experiences to, and help bring linux audio more into the mainstream. As both a musician and a programmer, I have been following the development of this niche for quite a few years, and (while in some fields it already has) I feel a lot of things have come together and the time has come for linux to really show how far it has come. As free software continues to grow, I wish to dedicate this book to all who have brought it to where it is today, and hope this book will help newcomers to bring it that much further.