[Musix-users] BEHRINGER U-Control UCA202

Thu Jan 10 20:46:29 CET 2008

The Short Answer:

I think asking a manufacturer to declare their product work with Linux would backfire, and actually lock users of a product into a specific version of a distribution on a specific hardware platform.

The Long Answer:

In 1978, at the age of 12 (yes I know I am old), I taught myself to program in BASIC.  I used to go to the local Radio Shack store on a Saturday afternoon, and type in my programs to watch them run.

It was an exciting time!  In 1980, my father purchased a Radio Shack Color Computer II, at school, I learned Pascal on an Apple II.  I had friends with 
Timex Sinclair computers, Commodor 64's and Amigas.  Other companies like PET and HeathKit, had computer kits that you would assemble yourself.  I remember great debates about which computer was better at what task, then the IBM PC arrived, and most everything else died.

One can see Linux as the software/operating system version of what went on in the 1980's.  Great debates still arise over which distribution is better for what task, and many of my favorite distributions of the past are now gone.  The problem with commercial development of software, or device drivers, for Linux is the same as the software development problem in the early computer days:  Which platform do we support?

I remember I could get "One on One Basketball Larry Bird vs. Magic Johnson" for Color Computer II, Apple II or Commodore 64, but not PET or Heathkit.  The problem with developing for Linux is not just which distribution to support, but which hardware platform to support.  Debian alone supports 12 hardware platforms!  Some companies will support an application or device when used on specific hardware with a specific release of a specific Linux distribution.  This is not an evil pracitice, this is about quality control.  Some devices do not have open source Linux drivers available because agreements with sub component vendors (firmware for example) prevent them from doing so.

In the present day, most computer users use Microsoft Windows.  Most multi-media computer users use Apple Macintosh.  Linux desktop users, although steadily growing in numbers, are a very very small percentage of all computer users.  Linux multi-media users are yet an even smaller percentage.

So, when a company like Behringer has USB devices that just happen to work with Linux/Alsa, I think that to be wonderful!  I do not know anybody who develops products for Behringer, but Linux/Alsa usability may even be an intentional part of the developement process.  But, for Behringer to officially support "Linux", the users of that product may find support limited to a specific distribution and version on a specific hardware platform.

It is frustrating when something is not supported in Linux, like my combination USB PC/MIDI keyboard from Creative Labs.  Also, just as frustrating is the partial support for devices in Linux, like my Korg microKnotroL keyboard.  Instead of asking companies to make "Linux Friendly" devices, or asking them to officially support their devices in Linux, I think it is better to find available devices that do work with Linux and document it.  This helps others  make better choices and waste less money.

I think if officially supporting Linux would help Behringer make more money, they would do it.  I say that because Behringer does maintain a list of free software for Windows and Macintos to use with their products:

     http://www.behringer.com/05_support/u-control-downloads/u-control-downloads.cfm?lang=

-=Sean Edwards=-

----- Original Message ----
From: Marcos Guglielmetti <marcospcmusica at gmail.com>
To: musix-users at lists.ourproject.org; Lista de usuarios de Musix <musix-usuarios at lists.ourproject.org>
Cc: Sean Edwards <cybersean3000 at yahoo.com>
Sent: Thursday, January 10, 2008 9:29:45 AM
Subject: Re: [Musix-users] BEHRINGER U-Control UCA202

El Jueves, 10 de Enero de 2008 06:06, Sean Edwards escribió:
 | I am happy to report the BEHRINGER U-Control UCA202 works with
 Linux/Alsa
 |
 | http://www.behringer.com/UCA202/index.cfm?lang=
 |
 | Here is the info from proc file system:
 |
 | I: Bus=0003 Vendor=08bb Product=2902 Version=0100
 | N: Name="Burr-Brown from TI               USB Audio CODEC "
 | P: Phys=usb-0000:00:1d.0-2/input3
 | S: Sysfs=/class/input/input9
 | U: Uniq=
 | H: Handlers=kbd event8
 | B: EV=3
 | B: KEY=e0000 0 0 0
 |
 | -=Sean Edwards=-
 |

One friend from the musix-usuarios (spanish lang) mailing list had a
 good 
idea: how about reporting Behringer about this?

Maybe then they could add GNU/Linux to the supported OS list, and/or
 think 
about supporting GNU/Linux

What do you think?

Regards

 |
 |
 |
 |      
 |
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