[openal] Website is alive again...

[Daniel Gibson]

On 07/26/2015 04:46 AM, Ryan C. Gordon wrote:
>
>> * other OpenAL implementations, esp. OpenAL Soft, should be linked in
>> the Downloads and/or Platforms pages
>
> Yeah, we took the (ancient!) list from the Wayback Machine, and it
> definitely needs updating. OpenAL-Soft not being on there is flatly
> criminal, I'll fix that now.

Thanks!

>
> (Also worth noting: Emscripten by default provides apps with an
> implemenation of OpenAL, written in Javascript, believe it or not).

That's kinda insane. And that works?

>
>> * is Apple's OpenAL implementation really Open Source? What kind of
>> license?
>
> Here's the source code to the OpenAL that ships with Mac OS X 10.10.1:
>
>      https://opensource.apple.com/source/OpenAL/OpenAL-54/
>
> And it's LGPL, believe it or not:
>
>
> https://opensource.apple.com/source/OpenAL/OpenAL-54/Source/OpenAL/OpenAL.txt
>

I guess they were to lazy to create their own OpenAL implementation, so 
they're based off Creatives code just like OpenAL-Soft ;-)

>
> Apple doesn't offer revision control for it to the public, and I doubt
> they'd accept patches, but the source code is always published when new
> OS releases ship, and has been for more than a decade now.
>
>> * OpenAL Soft also supports Pulse Audio on Linux, maybe that should be
>> mentioned as well.
>
> OpenAL Soft basically supports anything that makes sound; maybe we
> should just list this as "native" like the others?

Yeah, I guess that would be easiest.
I think even Jack is supported by now (or was that just an experimental 
branch?)

>
>> * it should be mentioned that the only use of the Creative SDK is the
>> included PDFs of the Programmers Guide the EFX Guide :-P
>
> This isn't my area of expertise. Is this really not useful at all any more?

Not 100% sure. The guides are definitely very useful (much better than 
just the spec).
As creative doesn't seem to be interested in OpenAL anymore, the SDK 
isn't maintained, no idea how well it even works for modern Windows/MSVC 
versions.
In the rare  cases I compile stuff that uses OpenAL for Windows, I use 
OpenAL-Soft.

>
>> * Links to some OpenAL tutorials would be nice
>
> Agreed, send me links, everyone!

Some I found:
http://www.gamedev.net/page/resources/_/technical/game-programming/a-guide-to-starting-with-openal-r2008
http://www.edenwaith.com/products/pige/tutorials/openal.php

Don't know how great they really are, I don't even remember which ones I 
used when I learned a bit about OpenAL (possibly I just read examples 
and Creative's Programmers Guide).

Cheers,
Daniel