Computer Music Journal

Phillips, Dave, 1951-
Computer Music and the Linux Operating System: A Report From the Front
Computer Music Journal - Volume 27, Number 4, Winter 2003, pp. 27-42

The MIT Press

27Phillips Dave Phillips 400 Glessner Avenue Findlay, OH 45840 USA dlphilp@bright.net Computer Music and the Linux Operating System: A Report from the Front Computer Music Journal, 27:4, pp. 27–42, Winter 2003 ᭧ 2003 Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The purpose of this article is to introduce readers to Linux and to describe the factors that make this operating system attractive to computer musicians. I have divided this exposition into two main parts. The first describes and assesses Linux as a general platform for computing. The second, longer section focuses on Linux’s audio and music capabilities. In that section, a historical overview precedes a necessarily brief account of the Linux audio software base, followed by a prediction for the near future of Linux audio development and the acceptance of Linux for music applications. A General Introduction to Linux Many readers of this journal will need no introduction to Linux, but for the rest a brief description is in order. I will first review Linux in general terms, outlining its advantages as well as aspects that historically have been of concern. The remainder of this article will then describe in detail the considerations specific to audio and music. Linux is a UNIX-like operating system designed to provide computer users with a free system comparable to traditional (and usually expensive) UNIX systems such as IBM’s AIX, Sun’s Solaris, or SGI’s IRIX. ‘‘Free’’ here means that the system...