From: Farley Flud <ff@linux.rocks>
Subject: Re: GNU/Linux is the Empowerment of the PC. So What Do You Do?
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Date: Sun, 07 Apr 2024 19:59:23 +0000
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On Sun, 7 Apr 2024 13:05:15 -0500, Physfitfreak wrote:

> 
> What is Alsa? 
>

Alsa is the Linux kernel audio driver plus associated user-space
libraries that allow applications to access the kernel driver.

Alsa is the "Advanced Linux Sound Architecture" and is a replacement
for the older OSS (Open Sound Source) kernel audio driver.

The Linux kernel audio driver (Alsa) allows application programs
to access the audio hardware.  Any application that produces digital
audio output, or that accepts digital audio input, requires a kernel
module to access the hardware.  Alsa is the current module. 

Alsa has drivers for a lot, but not all, commercial sound chips/cards.

The problem is that commercial sound card companies do not want
to open their proprietary hardware specifications, and thus the fine
folks at the Alsa Project cannot produce the appropriate drivers.

But many high-end audio companies provide Alsa drivers

> 
> So tell me. Do I have Alsa installed? Did you mean Alsa as an app to 
> begin with?
> 

Yes.  Alsa is built into the Linux kernel.

Alsa is not an "app" but a kernel module to allow "apps" to access the
audio hardware.

But Alsa includes use-space libraries and applications as well.

To check just execute this command from a terminal:

aplay -L

This should reveal all the audio playback devices that are recognized
by the kernel.