From
www.alsa-project.org:
The Advanced Linux Sound Architecture (ALSA) provides audio and MIDI functionality to the Linux operating system. ALSA has the following significant features:
1. Efficient support for all types of audio interfaces, from consumer soundcards to professional multichannel audio interfaces.
2. Fully modularized sound drivers.
3. SMP and thread-safe design.
4. User space library (alsa-lib) to simplify application programming and provide higher level functionality.
5. Support for the older OSS API, providing binary compatibility for most OSS programs.
So yeah, Alsa are drivers to support your card if the kernel doesn't already come with support. Some actually prefer the Alsa drivers over any others that might be already supported.
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SOX (SOund eXchange) = A generic utility for translating sound files from one format to another, possibly performing a sound effect at the same time.
SoX is not needed to have sound on your machine. Its just a great tool at given times.
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From
www.opensound.com ( OSS):
Open Sound System (OSS) is the first attempt in unifying the digital audio architecture for UNIX. OSS is a set of device drivers that provide a uniform API across all the major UNIX architectures. It supports Sound Blaster or Windows Sound System compatible sound cards which can be plugged into any UNIX workstation supporting the ISA or PCI bus architecture. OSS also supports workstations with on-board digital audio hardware.
You can find more information for those links to OSS and Alsa and what they do.
