Question about linux sound... 1024

Um, actually, "full duplex" means that the card can process both input and output at the same time. It's mainly important for VOIP - imagine if, while you were talking, you couldn't hear what was being said at the other end, like a walkie-talkie.

What you're referring to is called "hardware mixing" or, more rarely, "multi-open". More than one program can have the sound card open and output sound to it, and it will mix the sounds in hardware and play them all out the speakers or whatever. AC97 does *not* support hardware mixing. Only one program can output to the sound card at a time.

The alternative is software mixing, where one program receives all the various sounds from various programs, and mixes them and outputs them to the sound card. Depending on how this is done, it can require that the applications be written with that in mind.

Here's something I wrote elsewhere on the topic:

And, for OP, here's some information on enabling software mixing with ALSA:

-- Sincerely,

Ray Ingles (313) 227-2317

"We've got no place in this outfit for good losers. We want tough hombres who will go in there and win!" - Admiral Jonas Ingram, 1926