>>>>>>> <SNIP> >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> But in the end, there's really no way to know, right? From what I >>>>>>>> gather, jack can add another buffer and report on it, but it's the >>>>>>>> sound card buffer that determines whether there are problems or not, >>>>>>>> right? >>>>>>> >>>>>>> No, I think Jack does know. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> In non-Jack apps the application pumps out data. If the buffers >>>>>>> overflow or run empty it's just a 'system problem' and the system has >>>>>>> failed. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> In Jack apps all audio is moved by Jack. All Jack apps are callback >>>>>>> based. Jack itself issues a demand for data from the application, then >>>>>>> if the application supplies it then everything works correctly. If the >>>>>>> app doesn't supply the data then we know where the problem is and we >>>>>>> can fix it. >>>>>> >>>>>> Here's how I understand it. In a system without jack, there is >>>>>> communication between the system and the sound card. With jack, there >>>>>> is communication between the system and jack, and also between jack >>>>>> and the sound card. It sounds like jack can report on problems with >>>>>> communication between the system and jack, but we are still left in >>>>>> the dark as far as communication problems between jack and the sound >>>>>> card. >>>>>> >>>>> >>>>> I don't think so. Jack will report if it had trouble delivering the >>>>> data to the card. It's just another xrun. >>>> >>>> Is that enough information to be sure the card's buffer never runs dry? >>>> >>> >>> I believe it is. Probably you could address really specific questions >>> to the implementers for more confirmation, but I'm operating as if it >>> is. >>> >>>>> <SNIP> >>>>>> >>>>>> Was it the Asus motherboard? Did it take anything else out with it? >>>>>> >>>>> >>>>> Asus A8N-E. The crash took out the motherboard, the power supply and >>>>> possibly a disk drive. At least I cannot get the drive to spin up and >>>>> it was a new SATA drive that was the main system drive before the >>>>> machine died. >>>> >>>> I'm really sorry to hear this. I hope you were able to resuscitate >>>> the drive. Did you choose a reliable motherboard to replace the Asus? >>>> If so, I'm interested to hear how you made a reliability >>>> determination. How's temperature in the case? >>>> >>>> - Grant >>> >>> So far the drive is apparently really dead. I haven't done anything >>> more. I figure I'll contact WD but it's hard to blame it on them. The >>> power supply seems to have been the culprit. It took out the >>> motherboard and a cheap ATI VGA also so almost everything in the box >>> seems pretty dead. I don't know yet whether my HDSP9652 was harmed, >>> nor have I tested my TI 1394 card, but at least the new system >>> recognizes them and loads drivers so one of these days I'll hopefully >>> get on top of that. >>> >>> I have more pressing issues right now so those will have to wait a while. >>> >>> Thanks for the concerns and interest though. >>> >>> Cheers, >>> Mark >> >> Thanks for all your help Mark. One more question is what kind of >> power supply was it? I use Corsair these days. >> >> - Grant > > I don't remember. It's gone out in the trash at this point. It wasn't > Corsair. Probably Antec. > > I worked in Silicon Valley for a long, long time before I got fed up > and quit. I can tell you every company making tech equipment makes > reasonably good products and they all have failures. I had this > machine since the middle of 2005. I never changed the supply and I > don't really know that the root cause of the machine failure was only > the supply. 5 years is a long time for one of these boxes. I replaced > the drive twice. (3 drives total.) Everything goes bad eventually. I > don't think you can protect yourself too much from that so do backups. > I did and I don't know of anything terribly important that I'm missing > at this point. > > I got on WD's web site and filled out the RMA stuff. No questions > asked. Give them a valid serial number they will replace the drive. > Mine goes out in the mail tomorrow after I print the RMA label. New > 500GB SATA2 drive in a few weeks. > > What else can ya do? I got high blood pressure worrying about this > stuff. It's not worth it. > > Take care, > Mark
Thanks Mark, and good luck to us both. - Grant
