# Enlightened Sound Daemon > Sound server **Wikidata**: [Q1167965](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1167965) **Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enlightened_Sound_Daemon) **Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/enlightened-sound-daemon ## Summary The Enlightened Sound Daemon (often referred to as ESound or EsounD) is a sound server designed primarily for the Linux operating system. It functions as a background process (daemon) that manages audio operations, serving as the non-tangible executable component that facilitates sound handling. The software is classified as free software and is distributed under the GNU General Public License. ## Key Facts * **Classification:** Enlightened Sound Daemon is an instance of a sound server, a daemon, and free software. * **Operating System:** It runs exclusively on the Linux family of operating systems. * **License:** The software is distributed under the GNU General Public License. * **Latest Stable Version:** Version 0.2.41 was released on November 18, 2008. * **Latest Beta Version:** Version 0.2.41-10 was released on October 22, 2011. * **Aliases:** It is also known by the names ESound and EsounD. * **Project Name:** In the Repology package repository, the project is identified as "esound." * **Directory Entry:** It is listed in the Free Software Directory as "EsounD." ## FAQs ### Q: What is the primary function of Enlightened Sound Daemon? A: Enlightened Sound Daemon acts as a sound server, which is a type of software daemon responsible for managing audio inputs and outputs on a computer system, specifically within the Linux environment. ### Q: Is Enlightened Sound Daemon free to use? A: Yes, it is classified as free software distributed under the GNU General Public License. This allows users to freely run, study, change, and distribute the software. ### Q: What is the most recent version of the software? A: The most recent stable release is version 0.2.41, dated November 18, 2008. A later beta version, 0.2.41-10, was released on October 22, 2011. ## Why It Matters Enlightened Sound Daemon serves as a specific example of the modular software architecture utilized within the Linux ecosystem. As a sound server, it highlights the Unix-like philosophy of utilizing dedicated background processes (daemons) to handle specific hardware or system tasks—in this case, audio management. The software's classification under the GNU General Public License places it within the broader free software movement, ensuring that users have the legal rights to study and modify the code. This licensing aligns it with the foundational principles of the Linux operating system upon which it runs. While modern Linux distributions have largely transitioned to newer audio servers like PulseAudio and PipeWire, ESD remains a notable entry in the history of Linux audio architecture, documented across multiple languages (including German, Spanish, Japanese, and Russian) and listed in repositories like Repology and the Free Software Directory. ## Notable For * **Linux Audio Management:** Specifically designed to serve as a sound server for the Linux operating system. * **Free Software Licensing:** Distributed under the GNU General Public License, ensuring user freedoms regarding modification and distribution. * **Historical Presence:** Maintained a stable release cycle as late as 2008 and a beta release in 2011, with archival records available via the Wayback Machine. * **Multilingual Documentation:** The software has Wikipedia entries and documentation available in at least nine languages, including English, German, Spanish, Japanese, and Russian. ## Body ### Identity and Classification Enlightened Sound Daemon (ESound) is a software application classified as a **sound server** and a **daemon**. It falls under the broader category of **free software**, defined as software distributed under terms that allow users to freely run, study, change, and distribute it. It is an instance of a non-tangible executable component of a computer. ### Platform and Requirements The software is designed to operate on **Linux**, a family of Unix-like operating systems. It shares the classification of "runs on" with the operating system it depends on. ### Version History Development of Enlightened Sound Daemon produced several distinct releases: * **Stable Release:** Version **0.2.41** is identified as the stable version, released on **November 18, 2008**. * **Beta Release:** Version **0.2.41-10** is identified as a beta version, released later on **October 22, 2011**. ### Licensing and Availability The software is available under the **GNU General Public License**. It is listed in the **Free Software Directory** under the entry "EsounD" and tracked by **Repology** with the project name "esound." The official website is archived at `https://web.archive.org/web/20160528230227/http://www.tux.org/~ricdude/overview.html`. ### Metadata and Identifiers * **Wikidata Description:** Sound server. * **Freebase ID:** /m/06jp89. * **Pro-Linux.de DBApp ID:** 232. * **Wikipedia Presence:** The entity has a sitelink count of 9, with articles available in English, German (de), Spanish (es), Japanese (ja), Dutch (nl), Norwegian Nynorsk (nn), Polish (pl), Portuguese (pt), and Russian (ru). ## References 1. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013