Linux Debian support - Sound problems

Author

Sound problems

Robert Kaplan

2006-04-24, 8:06 am

Hi,

I've got a debian sarge system with a 2.4 kernel, upgraded from woody,
on which the sound isn't working properly. Totem is able to play, with
whatever device that writes to, but anything that writes to /dev/dsp
gets an error saying the device is in use by another process. Also,
/dev/sequencer and /dev/music devices appear broken. I've got a cheap
intel integrated sound card. I am able to get the devices working if I
boot a knoppix cd with a 2.6 kernel, so it doesn't appear the problem is
hardware.

Any suggestions? TIA, Bob

Module Size Used by Not tainted
input 3648 0 (autoclean)
r128 84884 1
pcmcia_core 48736 0
ipt_REJECT 3832 2 (autoclean)
iptable_filter 1772 1 (autoclean)
ip_tables 12192 2 [ipt_REJECT iptable_filter]
usb-storage 65088 0 (unused)
scsi_mod 95108 2 [usb-storage]
e100 50036 1
snd-intel8x0 19584 2
snd-ac97-codec 59576 0 [snd-intel8x0]
snd-pcm-oss 38176 1
snd-mixer-oss 13432 1 [snd-pcm-oss]
snd-pcm 59272 0 [snd-intel8x0 snd-ac97-codec snd-pcm-oss]
snd-timer 14148 0 [snd-pcm]
snd 34276 0 [snd-intel8x0 snd-ac97-codec
snd-pcm-oss snd-mixer-oss snd-pcm snd-timer]
soundcore 3940 4 [snd]
snd-page-alloc 4936 0 [snd-intel8x0 snd-mixer-oss snd-pcm
snd-timer snd]
usb-uhci 23344 0 (unused)
usbcore 62924 1 [usb-storage usb-uhci]
agpgart 46244 3
dm-mod 46808 0 (unused)
apm 9964 1
ntfs 54304 0 (unused)
af_packet 13000 1
rtc 6440 0 (autoclean)
ext2 49516 1 (autoclean)
ext3 81068 0 (autoclean)
jbd 42468 0 (autoclean) [ext3]
ide-detect 288 0 (autoclean) (unused)
piix 9096 1 (autoclean)
ide-disk 16800 2 (autoclean)
ide-core 108568 2 (autoclean) [usb-storage ide-detect
piix ide-disk]
unix 14960 212 (autoclean)

Neil Woods

2006-04-24, 8:06 am

Robert Kaplan <belovedbob@greennet.net> writes:

> Hi,
>
> I've got a debian sarge system with a 2.4 kernel, upgraded from woody,
> on which the sound isn't working properly. Totem is able to play, with
> whatever device that writes to, but anything that writes to /dev/dsp
> gets an error saying the device is in use by another process.

What process is using /dev/dsp? Try

# fuser -v /dev/dsp

> Also, /dev/sequencer and /dev/music devices appear broken. I've got a
> cheap intel integrated sound card. I am able to get the devices
> working if I boot a knoppix cd with a 2.6 kernel, so it doesn't appear
> the problem is hardware.

It's possible the symlinks are not set up correctly. /dev/sequencer
needs to point to /dev/sound/sequencer. /dev/music does not appear to
exist on my system (Debian Sid, 2.6 kernel).

The best thing you can do would be to upgrade your kernel to 2.6, unless
there is any particular reason why you wish to remain using an older
kernel.

$ finger @kernel.org
[kernel.org]
The latest stable version of the Linux kernel is: 2.6.16.9
The latest prepatch for the stable Linux kernel tree is: 2.6.17-rc2
The latest snapshot for the stable Linux kernel tree is: 2.6.17-rc2-git4
The latest 2.4 version of the Linux kernel is: 2.4.32
The latest prepatch for the 2.4 Linux kernel tree is: 2.4.33-pre2
The latest 2.2 version of the Linux kernel is: 2.2.26
The latest prepatch for the 2.2 Linux kernel tree is: 2.2.27-rc2
The latest 2.0 version of the Linux kernel is: 2.0.40
The latest -ac patch to the stable Linux kernels is: 2.6.11-ac7
The latest -mm patch to the stable Linux kernels is: 2.6.17-rc1-mm3

It appears the latest kernel in the Sarge release is kernel-image-2.6.8
(version 2.6.8-16sarge1).

--
Neil.
"my terminal is a lethal teaspoon."
-- Patricia O Tuama

Robert Kaplan

2006-04-24, 8:06 am

Well, I made some progress. /dev/dsp really was in use by esd, and
killing that caused /dev/dsp to work. However, /dev/sequencer and
/dev/music still didn't. I don't have a /dev/sound directory at all.
There is a /dev/snd, but that didn't look like the right stuff.

I tried booting the 2.6 kernel. (I'm using 2.4 because ifup, which I
use to pull the network card reports unreconized kernel version, and
refuses to configure the interface.) That didn't have /dev/sequencer
devices at all, and still didn't have a /dev/sound, but catting
/dev/sndstat worked, which didn't under 2.4.

The output from /dev/sndstat follows.

Any more suggestions? TIA!

Bob

Sound Driver:3.8.1a-980706 (ALSA v1.0.4 emulation code)
Kernel: Linux linux 2.6.8-2-686 #1 Thu May 19 17:53:30 JST 2005 i686
Config options: 0

Installed drivers:
Type 10: ALSA emulation

Card config:
Intel 82801BA-ICH2 at 0xe800, irq 9

Audio devices:
0: Intel 82801BA-ICH2 (DUPLEX)

Synth devices: NOT ENABLED IN CONFIG

Midi devices: NOT ENABLED IN CONFIG

Timers:
7: system timer

Mixers:
0: Analog Devices AD1885

Neil Woods wrote:
> Robert Kaplan <belovedbob@greennet.net> writes:
>
>
>
>
> What process is using /dev/dsp? Try
>
> # fuser -v /dev/dsp
>
>
>
>
> It's possible the symlinks are not set up correctly. /dev/sequencer
> needs to point to /dev/sound/sequencer. /dev/music does not appear to
> exist on my system (Debian Sid, 2.6 kernel).
>
> The best thing you can do would be to upgrade your kernel to 2.6, unless
> there is any particular reason why you wish to remain using an older
> kernel.
>
> $ finger @kernel.org
> [kernel.org]
> The latest stable version of the Linux kernel is: 2.6.16.9
> The latest prepatch for the stable Linux kernel tree is: 2.6.17-rc2
> The latest snapshot for the stable Linux kernel tree is: 2.6.17-rc2-git4
> The latest 2.4 version of the Linux kernel is: 2.4.32
> The latest prepatch for the 2.4 Linux kernel tree is: 2.4.33-pre2
> The latest 2.2 version of the Linux kernel is: 2.2.26
> The latest prepatch for the 2.2 Linux kernel tree is: 2.2.27-rc2
> The latest 2.0 version of the Linux kernel is: 2.0.40
> The latest -ac patch to the stable Linux kernels is: 2.6.11-ac7
> The latest -mm patch to the stable Linux kernels is: 2.6.17-rc1-mm3
>
> It appears the latest kernel in the Sarge release is kernel-image-2.6.8
> (version 2.6.8-16sarge1).
>

Eric Pozharski

2006-04-27, 6:54 am

Robert Kaplan <belovedbob@greennet.net> wrote:
> I've got a debian sarge system with a 2.4 kernel, upgraded from woody,
> on which the sound isn't working properly. Totem is able to play,
> with whatever device that writes to, but anything that writes to
> /dev/dsp gets an error saying the device is in use by another process.
> Also, /dev/sequencer and /dev/music devices appear broken. I've got a
> cheap intel integrated sound card. I am able to get the devices
> working if I boot a knoppix cd with a 2.6 kernel, so it doesn't appear
> the problem is hardware.
>

*CUT*

I suppose it's a configuration problem (I think Knoppix is more brave in
enabling features). ALSA gives a software mixer (that isn't enbled by
default, although present in configuration); once switched on allows any
(and how many?) app what uses /dev/snd/pcmC0D0p (ALSA playback device)
to playback sounds in non-blocking way.

=== contents (/home/whynot/.asoundrc) goes below ===
# ~/.asoundrc
pcm.!default {
type plug
slave.pcm "dmix"
}

=== contents (/home/whynot/.asoundrc) gone above ===

--
Torvalds' goal for Linux is very simple: World Domination

Andreas Janssen

2006-05-03, 7:12 pm

Hello

Eric Pozharski (<whynot@ln.ua> ) wrote:
> Robert Kaplan <belovedbob@greennet.net> wrote:
>
> *CUT*
>
> I suppose it's a configuration problem (I think Knoppix is more brave
> in
> enabling features). ALSA gives a software mixer (that isn't enbled by
> default, although present in configuration); once switched on allows
> any (and how many?) app what uses /dev/snd/pcmC0D0p (ALSA playback
> device) to playback sounds in non-blocking way.
>
> === contents (/home/whynot/.asoundrc) goes below ===
> # ~/.asoundrc
> pcm.!default {
> type plug
> slave.pcm "dmix"
> }
>
> === contents (/home/whynot/.asoundrc) gone above ===
>

Additionally, if you want to use the OSS devices like /dev/dsp and so
on, make sure the ALSA OSS compatibility drivers are loaded. Try
installing alsa-oss.

best regards
Andreas Janssen

--
Andreas Janssen <andreas.janssen@bigfoot.com>
PGP-Key-ID: 0xDC801674 ICQ #17079270
Registered Linux User #267976
http://www.andreas-janssen.de/debian-tipps-sarge.html

William Alcantara

2006-07-16, 1:12 am

I also had an intel sound card. Well actually its on-board my i910 mobo.
Its a realtek HD. Had problems with it on 2.4 but with 2.6.15 it worked
well. In fact, 2.4 can not even detect it.

www.bluedtm.com
www.boondoons.com

Andreas Janssen wrote:
> Hello
>
> Eric Pozharski (<whynot@ln.ua> ) wrote:
>
> Additionally, if you want to use the OSS devices like /dev/dsp and so
> on, make sure the ALSA OSS compatibility drivers are loaded. Try
> installing alsa-oss.
>
> best regards
> Andreas Janssen
>