[linux-audio-dev] compiler problem?

[Gene Heskett]

Lee Revell wrote:
> On Fri, 2006-05-26 at 05:05 -0500, Gene Heskett wrote:
>> Greetings;
>>
>> Since I can't get any of the common VoIP things to work due to a lack of 
>> duplex function in my lappy's chipset, and my inability to convince the 
>> person bugtrack assigned to my bugzilla entry that its not my fault, I 
>> thought I'd try zfone next.
> 
> Um, you never answered tiwai's last question.

So I'll repeat that last reply, which may not have ended up where it 
should have,
but this is a little more public.

> "Grr, you make the things too complex.  Let's sort out the thing
> straight.
> 
> The duplex problem and the inproper recording are different things. 
> First, check whether both non-duplex playback and recording work
> properly.
> 
> For checking playback, you can use speaker-test program in alsa-utils
> package, too.  Run "speaker-test -c2 -tw", for example.

This works, PROVIDED its the last thing started.  If started before the 
arecord or audacity recording, then arecord and audacity are denied 
access to the device.

However if audicity making a recording is started first, then the 
recording works fine and the speaker-test also works fine.

If audacity's recording is stopped while speaker-test is running, then 
speaker-test grabs it all and audacity is once again locked out of 
accessing the device.

> As I mentioned, you can test recording of the played stream by setting
> "Capture Source" to "Mix".  It needs no extra hardware setup, so no hard
> work after running a full marathon.

Capture source in this case and in the above tests is the bottom of the 
slider, red 'led' in kmix, and it was set to mic.

> If the full-duplex works by this way, skype and other programs should
> work as well -- as long as you set up the mixer correctly.

As shown above, it doesn't unless things are started in a specific 
order, which in the case of skype at least, I have zero control over.  I 
assume because it opens the two paths to the device in the wrong order 
or something.

The bottom line is that skype|ekiga, neither one works in that I cannot 
hear the other party, while I am crystal clear to the other party.

I'm aware that the tests seem to indicate the reverse is true, but the 
errors reported in the case of starting speaker-test, and then running 
audacity, are different.

As far as doing a recording using arecord, from the example in the manpage:
[root at diablo ~]# arecord -d 10 -f cd -t wav -D copy foobar.wav
ALSA lib pcm.c:2099:(snd_pcm_open_noupdate) Unknown PCM copy
arecord: main:547: audio open error: No such file or directory

This is while speaker-test is running.  But stopping it does not change 
anything:
[root at diablo ~]# arecord -d 30 -f cd -t wav -D copy foobar.wav
ALSA lib pcm.c:2099:(snd_pcm_open_noupdate) Unknown PCM copy
arecord: main:547: audio open error: No such file or directory

So obviously there is something fubar in that command line.  With it 
stopped, audacity can record ok, but cannot simultaniously playback 
either the track just made, or a different one, exhibiting the same 
symptoms as skype/ekiga, but actually worse in that the playback 
obviously falls way behind itself.

> 
> Anyway, don't use audacity or whatever apps might be using OSS emulation
> for tests.  They can't be used as references.  Use basic tools included
> in ALSA packages for primary tests."

I was not aware that audacity was an OSS aplication.

> We have to debug one thing at a time, and using the simplest possible
> tools, rather than some huge VOIP app that goes through the OSS layer.

> If you are not interested in debugging it further I will close the
> report.

Oh I'm interested, but busier than that famous cat on a tin roof since 
wednesday morning, when we used the biggest crane I've ever seen up 
close (and it could have been 6 feet taller, but at 182 feet it was all 
used up & we had to re-rig the lift) to pick a 6 bay superturnstile 
antenna sized for US channel 8 broadcasting, out of the top of the tower 
and laid all 55 feet and about 2.5 tons of it, in a pair of cradles I 
made to hold it about 4 feet off the ground while I try and find 
suitable 7/8" 50 ohm air semi rigid coax to repair 4 of the 24 such coax 
lines on it that have been damaged by poor installation handling years 
ago when it was moved to here, and 52 years exposure to the weather. 
Pretty it ain't.

Now I'll have about 3 days to play as the majority of the suppliers of 
such stuff are taking a long 3 day weekend off now, leaving me with only 
the usual stuff to do.

-- 
Cheers, Gene