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+# tuxrecord
+
+Record audio to a WAV file on **Linux** using **ALSA** as the recording source.
+
+`tuxrecord` is the Linux port of the former macOS-only **macrecord** tool. The
+Swift/AVFoundation code was rewritten in **C99** and now uses the native ALSA
+capture API (`libasound`); it builds with **GCC**.
+
+The port is derived from [macrecord](https://codeberg.org/armin/macrecord)
+which was created by my good friend armin.
+
+## Requirements
+
+- GCC and GNU make
+- ALSA development headers (`libasound2-dev` on Debian/Ubuntu,
+  `alsa-lib-devel` on Fedora, `alsa-lib` on Arch)
+
+## Usage
+
+```bash
+# Record until q or Ctrl+C
+tuxrecord
+
+# Record for N seconds
+tuxrecord -d 30
+
+# Specify output directory
+tuxrecord -o /path/to/dir
+
+# Use a custom filename prefix
+tuxrecord -p myrec
+
+# Use a specific ALSA capture device
+tuxrecord -D hw:1,0
+```
+
+## Options
+
+| Option         | Description                                              |
+| -------------- | -------------------------------------------------------- |
+| `-o <dir>`     | Output directory (default: current directory)            |
+| `-d <secs>`    | Stop automatically after `<secs>` seconds                |
+| `-p <prefix>`  | Filename prefix instead of `tuxrecord`                   |
+| `-D <device>`  | ALSA capture device (default: `default`)                 |
+| `-h, --help`   | Show help                                                |
+
+Run `arecord -l` to list available ALSA capture devices.
+
+## Controls
+
+- **q** - Stop recording and save the file
+- **Ctrl+C** - Stop recording and save the file
+
+The file is written as `<prefix>__<timestamp>.wav` (default prefix
+`tuxrecord`). The VU meter shows the input level of the left and right channels
+in real time when stderr is a terminal.
+
+## Recording system audio
+
+The default ALSA capture device (`default`) is usually the microphone. To
+record **system audio** (everything playing on the machine), route playback
+through the ALSA loopback driver `snd-aloop` and capture from the other side
+of the loop.
+
+```bash
+# 1. Load the loopback module (once per boot)
+sudo modprobe snd-aloop
+
+# 2. Play audio on the "playback" side of the loop
+aplay -D hw:Loopback,0 song.wav
+
+# 3. In another terminal, record from the paired "capture" side
+tuxrecord -D hw:Loopback,1
+```
+
+Audio written to `hw:Loopback,0` (playback) is heard on `hw:Loopback,1`
+(capture): the two subdevices form a loop and the samples pass straight
+through. Point your players at `hw:Loopback,0` (default sink) and record from
+`hw:Loopback,1` to capture the system mix. Subdevice pairing depends on the
+kernel version; if one direction is silent, try recording from
+`hw:Loopback,0` while playing to `hw:Loopback,1`.
+
+## Build
+
+```bash
+make
+# or directly:
+# gcc -std=c99 -O2 -Wall -Wextra tuxrecord.c -o tuxrecord $(pkg-config --libs alsa) -lm
+```
+
+Install (installs to `$(PREFIX)/bin`, default `/usr/local/bin`):
+
+```bash
+sudo make install
+# or: sudo cp tuxrecord /usr/local/bin/tuxrecord
+```
+
+Install to a custom prefix:
+
+```bash
+make install PREFIX=~/.local
+```
+
+Uninstall:
+
+```bash
+sudo make uninstall
+```
+
+## License
+
+Apache License 2.0 — see the LICENSE file for details.
+
+Copyright 2026 Johannes Findeisen
+