My Favorite Features/Changes Of The Linux 4.11 Kernel

[phoronix]

Phoronix: My Favorite Features/Changes Of The Linux 4.11 Kernel

With Linux 4.11.0 being released as soon as this weekend, here's a look back at the changes I found most exciting about this next kernel feature release...

http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=Linux-4.11-Best-Features

[garegin]

Does linux have a generic audio driver like in windiws?

[monte84]

I have had no issue with my ALC1220 on my Crosshair VI. Even on kernel 4.8 while testing out Ubuntu live flash drive. So what exactly is 4.11 supposed to do for ALC1220 codec?

[Hi-Angel]

Does linux have a generic audio driver like in windiws?

I am not sure what you meant by generic audio driver. From some googling, presumably, you meant Universal Audio Architecture. It looks like just a standardized API that audio drivers required to provide. It is not a driver, and its analog on Linux is Advanced Linux Sound Architecture.

[2bluesc]

I have had no issue with my ALC1220 on my Crosshair VI. Even on kernel 4.8 while testing out Ubuntu live flash drive. So what exactly is 4.11 supposed to do for ALC1220 codec?

I have the same experience with my ASRock Taichi Z270 board, it has worked fine since day 0 several months ago. It shows up as a generic Intel HDA device. I played with s 4.11 release candidate the other day and the only obvious difference was that alsamixer said "ALC1220" vs "Realtek Generic" and had more mixer controls available.

The driver is available here for anyone curious enough to dig in:

https://github.com/torvalds/linux/blob/f9799ad21b5e4a41633f54dfab407ebb37abbd8a/sound/pci/hda/patch_realtek.c

[garegin]

Yes, that's what I meant. Windows have a generic UAA driver if you have no vendor specific ones

[Hi-Angel]

Yes, that's what I meant. Windows have a generic UAA driver if you have no vendor specific ones

UAA and ALSA are not drivers, they're just a set of interfaces to implement for the actual driver. To have a "generic audio driver" you'd need to have a standard for hw manufacturers to follow, like HID for usb devices. I didn't manage to find one, so unless I missed something, a generic audio driver is technically impossible.

[monte84]

I have the same experience with my ASRock Taichi Z270 board, it has worked fine since day 0 several months ago. It shows up as a generic Intel HDA device. I played with s 4.11 release candidate the other day and the only obvious difference was that alsamixer said "ALC1220" vs "Realtek Generic" and had more mixer controls available.

The driver is available here for anyone curious enough to dig in:
https://github.com/torvalds/linux/bl...atch_realtek.c

I tried 4.11RC1, I don't remember having extra controls, but that's good to know! Thanks

[nuetzel]

@Michael: WIFI again - ath9k "airtime fairness scheduling"!!!

https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git/commit/?id=63fefa050477b0974ab34f650e21a7cfc3b02d96

[suberimakuri]

Wow, airtime fairness... thanks for link nuetzel
That looks great, wonder how long before it gets into home routers or unifi gear etc.