X-Git-Url: http://shamusworld.gotdns.org/cgi-bin/gitweb.cgi?a=blobdiff_plain;f=include%2Fwhy-write-a-daw-for-linux.html;h=f72b38b9500bdb3cdee2be5ecc2d6d4c68d298f9;hb=9d52056402cba1b2abc8d26e1c1fa33e8ebb4a7d;hp=c3ce3706703269ee23f767861e96cfb95f081326;hpb=dfec6899ef2a121ccf2ff1d47008e7ac4844cf70;p=ardour-manual

diff --git a/include/why-write-a-daw-for-linux.html b/include/why-write-a-daw-for-linux.html
index c3ce370..f72b38b 100644
--- a/include/why-write-a-daw-for-linux.html
+++ b/include/why-write-a-daw-for-linux.html
@@ -1,47 +1,67 @@
 
 <p>
-It is fairly understandable that existing proprietary DAWs do not run on 
-Linux, given the rather small (but growing) share of the desktop market
-that Linux has. However, when surveying the landscape of "popular 
-operating systems", we find:
+  There are already a number of excellent digital audio workstations. To
+  mention just a few: ProTools, Nuendo, Samplitude, Digital Performer, Logic,
+  Cubase (SX), Sonar, along with several less well known systems such as SADIE,
+  SAWStudio and others. Each of these programs has its strengths and
+  weaknesses, although over the last few years most of them have converged on a
+  very similar set of core features. However, each of them suffers from two
+  problems when seen from the perspective of Ardour's development group:
 </p>
+
+<ul>
+  <li>they do not run natively on Linux</li>
+  <li>they are not available in source code form, making modifications,
+  improvements, or bugfixes by technically inclined users or their friends or
+  consultants impossible.</li>
+</ul>
+
+<p>
+  It is fairly understandable that most existing proprietary DAWs do not run on
+  Linux, given the rather small (but growing) share of the desktop market that
+  Linux has. However, when surveying the landscape of "popular operating
+  systems", we find:
+</p>
+
 <ul>
-  <li>older versions of Windows: plagued by abysmal stability and
-  appalling security</li>
-  <li>newer versions of Windows seem stable but still suffer from
-  security problems</li>
-  <li>OS X: an amazing piece of engineering that is excellent for
-  audio work but only runs on proprietary hardware and still lacks the
-  flexibility and adaptability of Linux.</li>
+  <li>older versions of Windows: plagued by abysmal stability and appalling
+  security</li>
+  <li>newer versions of Windows seem stable but still suffer from security
+  problems</li>
+  <li>macOS: a nice piece of engineering that is excellent for audio work
+  but only runs on proprietary hardware and still lacks the flexibility and
+  adaptability of Linux.</li>
 </ul>
+
 <p>
-Security matters today, and will matter more in the future as more and
-more live or semi-live network based collaborations take place.
+  Security matters today, and will matter more in the future as more and more
+  live or semi-live network based collaborations take place.
 </p>
+
 <p>
-Let's contrast this with Linux, an operating system which:
+  Let's contrast this with Linux, an operating system which:
 </p>
+
 <ul>
   <li>can stay up for months (or even years) without issues</li>
   <li>is endlessly configurable down to the tiniest detail</li>
-  <li>is not owned by any single corporate entity, ensuring its life 
-  and direction are not intertwined with that of a company (for a 
-  contrary example, consider BeOS)</li>
+  <li>is not owned by any single corporate entity, ensuring its life and
+  direction are not intertwined with that of a company (for a contrary example,
+  consider BeOS)</li>
   <li>is fast and efficient</li>
-  <li>runs on almost any computing platform ever created, including
-  old "slow" systems and new "tiny" systems (e.g. Raspberry Pi)</li>
+  <li>runs on almost any computing platform ever created, including old "slow"
+  systems and new "tiny" systems (e.g. Raspberry Pi)</li>
   <li>is one of the most secure operating systems "out of the box"</li>
 </ul>
+
 <p>
-More than anything, however, Ardour's primary author uses Linux and
-wanted a DAW that ran there.
+  More than anything, however, Ardour's primary author uses Linux and wanted a
+  DAW that ran there.
 </p>
+
 <p>
-Having written a DAW for Linux, it turned out to be relatively easy
-to port Ardour to OS X, mostly because of the excellent work done by 
-the JACK OS X group that ported JACK to OS X.<br>
-Although OS X has a number of disadvantages compared to Linux, its
-ease of use and its presence in many studios already makes it a
-worthwhile platform.
+  Having written a DAW for Linux, it turned out to be relatively easy to port
+  Ardour to macOS, mostly because of the excellent work done by the JACK development
+  group that ported JACK to macOS.
 </p>