Hi All,
Dumb question, but I'm drawing a blank. How do I tell what sound software I'm currently using, ie. Pulse, Alsa, etc.

oss is old school linux sound
alsa is new school linux sound
pulse is the audio server that mixes sounds coming in from different sources (skype, vlc, whatever makes sound)

That's my understanding. Correct me if I'm wrong.
Here's a reference to get you started: http://lau.linuxaudio.org/

Interesting, thanks for the info!