Total time spent installing Debian: One day. Total time spent trying to convince Debian to talk to my hardware: Two days. Total time spent trying to get SDL to do audio *and* video *at the same time*: One day. Total time spent trying to get SDLSound functioning bearably: One day. Total time spent looking for alternative open-source packages besides SDL: One day.
Total time deliberating about scrapping open-source entirely, throwing Win2k on, and writing a Winamp plugin: One week.
Total time spent doing all of the aforementioned work: Two days.
Summary:
Time spent writing nonfunctional open-source solution: Six days. Time spent writing functional closed-source solution: Two days.
Closed-source one, open-source zero. Round 2 will happen in maybe a year or two if I bother.