LAAGA (Linux Audio Application Glue API) is a project started on the linux-audio-dev mailing list. The aim is to come up with a framework for combining independent audio applications. Design must allow high-bandwidth, low-latency transfer of audio data and robust performance even on highly stressed systems.
What we're aiming at - an example use caseLet's say you are using a multitrack recorder/mixer. It's working nicely on your Linux box. You can record and mix without problems. But now you've found a couple of interesting new apps, let's say a software synth and a virtual drum machine. They seem to work great, so why not use them in your recordings? But how to connect them to the multitrack recorder?
Now that's the big problem, because you can't. Or at least not in a easy, reliable way. This is the problem LAAGA aims to resolve. More similar use cases are listed in this message I posted to the LAD.
Current status (Feb 2002)A lot has happened since April 2001 when discussion about LAAGA was started. The most actively developed project during this time has been JACK. Also other projects such as aRts, LADMEA and the ALSA aserver are still actively discussed and developed.
As JACK is design-wise so close to the original LAAGA concept, work on the LAAGA Design Documentation continues as a part of JACK's documentation effort. The new title is JACK Design Documentation.
Kai Vehmanen, 2001-2002