[sethrin]

>I don't care that xxxx is deprecated: it should just work.

Setting aside the concept of extrapolating from a small sample size using an admittedly deprecated system (on apparently poor hardware) which hasn't seen any significant use this decade, to "Linux sound is still obnoxious"...

The temerity of insisting that any deprecated software work perfectly is appalling. I am sad to say that my imagination does not stretch so far as to envision a world where this was a reasonable expectation. The one small solace that I can bring away from your post is that such an attitude must engender its own punishment.

[eropple]

Most users tend to assume that things that work will continue working. This is not an unreasonable assumption. It is the status quo on Windows and, whether you or I like it or not (I don't really mind, but whatever), that's the measuring stick for Linux-on-the-desktop. That Linux does not have the same track record with regards to backwards compatibility is not a failing in the user. You don't have to fix their problem, but don't wax on about their "temerity". That makes you a dick.

As is common in pretty much every endeavor, people trump process. OSS still exists and for a decent bit of legacy software isn't going away anytime soon. Breaking it screws over users. Screwing over users makes them complain. Putting on a song and dance about how "appalled" you are at users' complaints makes you a jerk. Don't be a jerk.