Have you noticed something about some of Linux and Open Source greatest failures? It’s sofware that fails to get the basics rights, but AtLeastItHasNetworkTransparency™.
Our great elders, the Unix Haters, already had to deal with the X Window system. Back then, it failed at doing the basics (displaying pixels on a screen correctly) and still fails today, but AtLeastItHasNetworkTransparency™.
Want sound mixing in software on Linux? Low latency as well? Devs had the choice between forking OSS v3, which worked. Instead they created a monster based on ALSA which contains an OSS emulation module, but only for a subset of the OSS v3 API.
If that wasn’t bad enough, various horrors were bolted on top of ALSA like ESD, then it was decided that PulseAudio was to be the standard of this nefarious mix. The whole edifice is shaky, cannot output sounds without huge latency, again failing at the very basic, and according to the devs, it was because YourDistroDidItWrong™ but hey! AtLeastItHasNetworkTransparency™ ....
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Always worth pointing people at (free! gasp!) http://web.mit.edu/~simsong/www/ugh.pdf.
One day I will complete my considered demolition of Eric Raymond.
Between times, this is a remarkably current objection to the cult.
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