Last week we learned how to make simple video screencasts on Linux with recordMyDesktop. Today we're going to record audio from a microphone, get acquainted with JACK, and convert MyDesktop's Ogg files into AVI formats.

Even the most low-budget onboard sound chip should have a microphone input. Plug in your mic, and then make sure it is enabled in your mixer. If your system has only a single sound card, enter hw:0,0 as the recording device in your recordMyDesktop configuration. And that's all you need to do.

What if you have a USB microphone? For one thing, you should be happy you don't have to crawl behind your PC and figure out where to plug in. The Linux kernel will give this a different name, most likely hw:1,0 if it's the second sound device. Run aplay -l to find out. (See Better Linux Sound Managment With ALSA, Part 2 for an in-depth ALSA howto, including identifying your sound devices.) Then start talking.

Next: You Know Jack »