16 Nov
2005
16 Nov
'05
7:23 p.m.
Hi all,
I have some ALSA issues around for ages and I'd like to ask for help.
I'm running a Gentoo box and just updated to a vanilla 2.6.14.2 with no
further patches applied. I even updated ALSA to 1.0.10rc1. I'm using
the kernel drivers, no external drivers installed. JACK was taken from
CVS some time ago and is version 0.100.0, tmpdir /dev/shm installed.
I run an internal AC '97 chip (with modem functionality), a Terratec USB
audio device, a Midisport 8x8, a m-audio Trigger Finger USB-MIDI device
and (occasionally) an Edirol UM-1S. The firmware for the Midisport gets
loaded via hotplug (very cool script BTW, thanks to the author) as well
as snd_usb_audio gets loaded by hotplug.
Now the issues:
I.) According to http://alsa.opensrc.org/MultipleCards I tried to set
the cards to a certain order because I'd (mainly) to see the Terratec
card with the same number each time I log in. Unfortunately this
doesn't work. I have included the content of the
file /etc/modules.d/alsa at the end of this mail. The path to this file
is Gentoo specific, but at least alsaconf uses it to enter it's
entries. I wanted the internal AC '97 card to be the first one and the
default for desktop use, but the ordering is as follows:
0 [Audio ]: USB-Audio - USB Audio
USB Audio at usb-0000:00:1d.2-1.3, full speed
1 [Finger ]: USB-Audio - USB Trigger Finger
M-Audio USB Trigger Finger at usb-0000:00:1d.2-1.4, full speed
2 [I82801CAICH3 ]: ICH - Intel 82801CA-ICH3
Intel 82801CA-ICH3 with CS4205 at 0xd800, irq 11
3 [Modem ]: ICH-MODEM - Intel 82801CA-ICH3 Modem
Intel 82801CA-ICH3 Modem at 0xd400, irq 11
4 [M8x8 ]: USB-Audio - MidiSport 8x8
M-Audio MidiSport 8x8 at usb-0000:00:1d.2-1.1, full speed
Any hint would be really appreciated.
II.) When doing an /etc/init.d/alsasound restart, all cards are lost.
cat /proc/asound/cards tell me "no cards". I get back my USB devices as
soon as I replug them thanks to hotplug, but the internal card is lost
until I reload the modules manually *or* reboot the machine. There
seems to be some magic, or does the boot process additional things
except invoking /etc/init.d/alsasound?!?
III.) Formerly I did loadthe snd_usb_audio module
in /etc/conf.d/local.start so I could pass some parameters to improve
USB audio latency:
modprobe snd-usb-audio nrpacks=1
What is the right place now as the module gets loaded via hotplug?
None of these problems is urgent, but I'd really like to know why my
setup doesn't work as expected ("Computer, do what I want!" :) so any
wee small hint would be great.
Thanks & best regards
ce
=======
# /etc/modules.d/alsa
alias /dev/mixer snd-mixer-oss
alias /dev/dsp snd-pcm-oss
alias /dev/midi snd-seq-oss
options snd device_mode=0666
options snd cards_limit=7
alias snd-card-0 snd-intel8x0
alias sound-slot-0 snd-intel8x0
# alias snd-card-1 snd-intel8x0m
alias snd-card-2 snd-usb-audio
alias snd-card-3 snd-usb-audio
alias snd-card-4 snd-usb-audio
alias snd-card-5 snd-usb-audio
alias snd-card-6 snd-virmidi
options snd-intel8x0 index=0
options snd-intel8x0m index=1
options snd-usb-audio index=2,3,4,5 vid=0x0ccd,0x0763,0x0763,0x0582
pid=0x0028,0x1033,0x0117,0x0009
options snd-virmidi index=6 midi_devs=2
17 Nov
17 Nov
3:17 a.m.
Christoph Eckert wrote:
I'm running a Gentoo box and just updated to a
vanilla 2.6.14.2 with no
further patches applied. I even updated ALSA to 1.0.10rc1. I'm using
the kernel drivers, no external drivers installed. JACK was taken from
CVS some time ago and is version 0.100.0, tmpdir /dev/shm installed.
I run an internal AC '97 chip (with modem functionality), a Terratec USB
audio device, a Midisport 8x8, a m-audio Trigger Finger USB-MIDI device
and (occasionally) an Edirol UM-1S. The firmware for the Midisport gets
loaded via hotplug (very cool script BTW, thanks to the author) as well
as snd_usb_audio gets loaded by hotplug.
Now the issues:
I.) According to http://alsa.opensrc.org/MultipleCards
I tried to set
the cards to a certain order because I'd (mainly) to see the Terratec
card with the same number each time I log in. Unfortunately this
doesn't work. I have included the content of the
file /etc/modules.d/alsa at the end of this mail.
The "options snd-xxx index=..." lines look OK.
Please check in /sys/module/snd-xxx/parameters/index that the options actually
got applied.
II.) When doing an /etc/init.d/alsasound restart, all
cards are lost.
cat /proc/asound/cards tell me "no cards". I get back my USB devices as
soon as I replug them thanks to hotplug, but the internal card is lost
until I reload the modules manually *or* reboot the machine.
How does the alsasound script look like?
I guess it looks for snd-card-x aliases in /etc/modprobe.conf, and your first
problem may indicate that this file doesn't exist.
III.) Formerly I did loadthe snd_usb_audio module
in /etc/conf.d/local.start so I could pass some parameters to improve
USB audio latency:
modprobe snd-usb-audio nrpacks=1
What is the right place now as the module gets loaded via hotplug?
/etc/modules.d/alsa :-) or wherever your distribution wants to have the
"options" lines for modules.
HTH
Clemens
3:22 p.m.
Hi,
thanks a lot for the help, Clemens.
[...]
/etc/modprobe.conf does exist but only contains a coment that edits
should go to /etc/modules.conf. AFAIK the former one is for 2.4 kernels
while the latter one is for 2.6, right?
When I look into /etc/modules.conf, I can find the lines
### modules-update: start processing /etc/modules.d/alsa
and
### modules-update: end processing /etc/modules.d/alsa
Between them, I find the lines I put in /etc/modules.d/alsa manually, so
this looks promising.
[...]
The "options snd-xxx index=..." lines look
OK.
thanks for the confirmation, this already helps a lot.
Please check in /sys/module/snd-xxx/parameters/index
that the options
actually got applied.
Urgs, thanks for the hint. Doesn't seem to be the case:
cat /sys/module/snd_usb_audio/parameters/index
-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1
The same for the AC '97 chip.
II.) When
doing an /etc/init.d/alsasound restart, all cards are
lost. cat /proc/asound/cards tell me "no cards". I get back my USB
devices as soon as I replug them thanks to hotplug, but the
internal card is lost until I reload the modules manually *or*
reboot the machine.
How does the alsasound script look like?
I guess it looks for snd-card-x aliases in /etc/modprobe.conf, and
your first problem may indicate that this file doesn't exist. /etc/modules.d/alsa :-) or wherever your distribution
wants to have
the "options" lines for modules.
OK, thanks to your questions I understood the loading of the modules a
bit better. So I added the nrpacks parameter into /etc/modules.d/alsa;
the line now reads as
options snd-usb-audio index=2,3,4,5 vid=0x0ccd,0x0763,0x0763,0x0582
pid=0x0028,0x1033,0x0117,0x0009 nrpacks=1
I hope I got the syntax right.
So I think:
* I sucessfully edited /etc/modules.d/alsa
* This file gets sucessfully processed by modules-update
* Its contents are sucessfully ported to /etc/modules.conf
But OTOH somehow it look like /etc/alsasound start doesn't care
about /etc/modules.conf, because otherwise ALSA should know my AC '97
card as well as my USB hardware (by loading the modules).
So I open /etc/init.d/alsasound. At the beginning I find the following
comment:
# Rewritten for better support for built-in drivers
# Jeremy Huddleston <eradicator(a)gentoo.org>
# 2004.06.02
Then I see the following lines; nothing special...
alsactl=/usr/sbin/alsactl
asoundcfg=/etc/asound.state
aconnect=/usr/bin/aconnect
...except for this one:
alsascrdir=/etc/alsa.d
This directory doesn't exist at all.
Furthermore I searched for a line containing "modules.conf" but I didn't
detect any. "/etc/init.d/alsa" calls "modprobe" at several lines. Does
"modprobe" read "/etc/modules.conf"?!? I hope so, but is hope
enough ;-) ?
Is there any way to check whether /etc/modules.conf is read while
loading the ALSA modules or not?
Best regards
ce
4 p.m.
New subject: [linux-audio-user] ALSA issues - SOLVED
Hi all,
The "options snd-xxx index=..." lines look
OK.
Please check in /sys/module/snd-xxx/parameters/index that the options
actually got applied.
I'm very sorry for the traffic I caused, I found the problem, and I
caused it for myself, so be warned.
On Gentoo I edited /etc/modules.d/alsa which gets emerged
to /etc/modules.conf by modules-update (normally during boot time).
BIG problem: I kept several backup files in /etc/modules.d/ like
alsa.old, alsa.old.zip, but even Gentoo put some files there during
updates, maybe ._.alsa and the like.
Now the simple but heavy problem: modules-update is *very* greedy and
includes *any* file it finds in /etc/modules.d/ into /etc/modules.conf,
*even* if it was a binary zip file ;-))) .
I removed all the unnecessary files and now the card ordering works
*very* well, even when repetingly calling
/etc/init.d/alsasound restart && cat /proc/asound/cards
Thanks for the help, Clemens, you made my day!
Best regards
ce
5:47 p.m.
New subject: [linux-audio-user] ALSA issues - SOLVED
On 11/17/05, Christoph Eckert <ce(a)christeck.de> wrote:
BIG problem: I kept several backup files in /etc/modules.d/ like
alsa.old, alsa.old.zip, but even Gentoo put some files there during
updates, maybe ._.alsa and the like.
Oh gosh!! I'm sorry. I've been burned by exactly the same thing.
Another issue about modules-update (or update-moduels) is that should
there be a problem with the format of a single file the script stops
but doesn't tell you. You then reboot to find things aren't right
again, and stuff is missing from modprobe.conf.
Anyway, you're not alone my friend. I've been there with exactly the
same issue maybe a year ago. Very glad you are working now.
Chhers,
Mark
6:15 p.m.
New subject: [linux-audio-user] ALSA issues - SOLVED
Hi Mark,
Oh gosh!! I'm sorry. I've been burned by
exactly the same thing.
Hehe :) .
Another issue about modules-update (or update-moduels)
is that should
there be a problem with the format of a single file the script stops
but doesn't tell you. You then reboot to find things aren't right
again, and stuff is missing from modprobe.conf.
Anyway, you're not alone my friend. I've been there with exactly the
same issue maybe a year ago. Very glad you are working now.
Thanks for the info!
I wonder if we could trigger to get this "bug" fixed.
I already wrote to Aron Griffis <agriffis gentoo org> whose name was
mentioned in the script, but I wonder if there was a central maintainer
so this behaviour could be changed to avoid other users being affected
by the same thing?
I see a lot of trouble with ALSA issues on the Gentoo user mailing list,
and this is an occasion to remove one point of failure for the future,
or am I wrong?
Best regards
ce
8:04 p.m.
New subject: [linux-audio-user] ALSA issues - SOLVED
On 11/17/05, Christoph Eckert <ce(a)christeck.de> wrote:
Hi Mark,
I think you are very right:
1) Alsa bugs are one of the more common bugs on that list.
2) This class of bugs exists in Gentoo.
3) It causes confusion and wastes time, both for users and developers.
Whether the developers want to address it I have no idea. I'd suggest
filing something in Bugzilla, either as a bug or an enhancement
request. I am pretty certain that it will not get addressed right
away. I've had a couple of threads myself on this subject over the
last 2-3 years and it's never gained traction. That said I'll support
any reasonable enhancement request.
Please note that there is no requirement in Gentoo to use
update-modules. (or modules-update) Users are free to write
modprobe.conf by hand like they do on other distros. This is likely
one of those things that is sort of in the cracks.
Cheers,
Mark
Oh gosh!! I'm sorry. I've been burned by
exactly the same thing.
Hehe :) .
Another issue about modules-update (or
update-moduels) is that should
there be a problem with the format of a single file the script stops
but doesn't tell you. You then reboot to find things aren't right
again, and stuff is missing from modprobe.conf.
Anyway, you're not alone my friend. I've been there with exactly the
same issue maybe a year ago. Very glad you are working now.
Thanks for the info!
I wonder if we could trigger to get this "bug" fixed.
I already wrote to Aron Griffis <agriffis gentoo org> whose name was
mentioned in the script, but I wonder if there was a central maintainer
so this behaviour could be changed to avoid other users being affected
by the same thing?
I see a lot of trouble with ALSA issues on the Gentoo user mailing list,
and this is an occasion to remove one point of failure for the future,
or am I wrong?
18 Nov
18 Nov
5:41 a.m.
New subject: [linux-audio-user] ALSA issues - SOLVED
On Friday 18 November 2005 00:04, Mark Knecht was like:
Please note that there is no requirement in Gentoo to
use
update-modules. (or modules-update) Users are free to write
modprobe.conf by hand like they do on other distros. This is likely
one of those things that is sort of in the cracks.
It's just as confusing in Debian. update-modules is obsolete (that's what the
man-page says, it writes out to modprobe.conf), but due to the requirements
of backwards compatibility, the old structure still exists. The whole is
neither intuitive nor well documented.
--
cheers,
tim hall
http://glastonburymusic.org.uk/tim
4:22 p.m.
New subject: [linux-audio-user] ALSA issues - SOLVED
Hi,
I see a lot of trouble with ALSA issues on the Gentoo
user mailing
list, and this is an occasion to remove one point of failure for the
future, or am I wrong?
I just received an email by Aron and he politely tries to pass it to the
baselayout team. Thanks a lot!
Best regards
ce
7040
days inactive
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days old
linux-audio-user@lists.linuxaudio.org
8 comments
4 participants
participants (4)
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Christoph Eckert -
Clemens Ladisch -
Mark Knecht -
tim hall