[gentoo-user] ALSA + CMI8738 card set up
Hi list, This is about my struggle to make my Trust 514DX soundcard work with Linux. This is expected to be supported in Linux [alsa-project.org] and I have read other testimonials on the net. To cut a long story short, the card worked in Windows. It gives fantastic sound output with DVDs and other suitable audios but I'd rather have it working on my Gentoo desktop where I have made everything else work so far. I admit that I have never had to manually set anything alsa/oss as all my previous soundcards worked very easily with default settings of the modules. Also, I feel that if I posted everything that I have done so far, the mail shall be really long. But the following may help to understand the problem. Alsa is started as a service on my comp. I thought it may just be that a newer-than-in-kernel code may help. The error that I have, from say Mplayer, is as follows. . Checking audio filter chain for 48000Hz/2ch/s16le - 48000Hz/2ch/s16le... AF_pre: 48000Hz/2ch/s16le [AO OSS] audio_setup: Can't open audio device /dev/dsp: No such file or directory alsa-init: 1 soundcard found, using: default ALSA lib pcm_dmix.c:819:(snd_pcm_dmix_open) unable to open slave alsa-init: playback open error: No such file or directory 1. Can you please help me understand why the /dev/dsp* aren't created at all? 2. Can I expect to continue using aumix once the whole thing is set up correctly? [I dont mind using alsamixer though] Please reply. Thank you, Rohit At the same moment, other config details and system's state are as below. [EMAIL PROTECTED] ~ $ lsmod | grep snd snd_cmipci 20484 0 snd_opl3_lib 6688 1 snd_cmipci snd_hwdep 6116 1 snd_opl3_lib snd_mpu401_uart4416 1 snd_cmipci snd_rawmidi15620 1 snd_mpu401_uart [EMAIL PROTECTED] ~ $ uname -a Linux Force 2.6.8 #3 SMP Mon Jan 2 18:15:34 GMT 2006 i686 AMD Athlon(TM) XP 2400+ AuthenticAMD GNU/Linux [EMAIL PROTECTED] /etc $ ls -la asound.state -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 7207 Feb 12 11:07 asound.state [EMAIL PROTECTED] /etc $ ls -la /dev/dsp* ls: /dev/dsp*: No such file or directory [EMAIL PROTECTED] /proc/asound $ ls -la CMI8738MC6 lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 5 Feb 13 08:51 CMI8738MC6 - card0 [EMAIL PROTECTED] /proc/asound/card0 $ cat cmipci C-Media PCI CMI8738-MC6 (model 55) at 0xc400, irq 16 00: 00 00 00 00 04: 50 00 00 00 08: 10 00 09 00 0c: 00 00 00 08 10: c0 00 00 00 14: 00 00 c0 00 18: 00 00 80 08 1c: fd ff ff ef 20: 10 40 f8 00 24: 01 3d ee 00 28: ff ff ff ff 2c: ff ff ff ff 30: 00 00 00 00 34: 00 00 00 00 38: 00 00 00 00 3c: 00 00 00 00 [EMAIL PROTECTED] /proc/asound $ cat cards 0 [CMI8738MC6 ]: CMI8738-MC6 - C-Media PCI CMI8738-MC6 C-Media PCI CMI8738-MC6 (model 55) at 0xc400, irq 16 -- gentoo-user@gentoo.org mailing list
Re: [gentoo-user] ALSA + CMI8738 card set up
Rohit Sharma schreef: Hi list, This is about my struggle to make my Trust 514DX soundcard work with Linux. Well, I don't have this specific card, but I do have a Typhoon Acustic 6, which is the same chipset: 00:0e.0 Multimedia audio controller: C-Media Electronics Inc CM8738 (rev 10) and it works fine, so I'll do my best to help. This is expected to be supported in Linux [alsa-project.org] and I have read other testimonials on the net. Yes, this chipset is supported for a long time now (it's very common, and by no means new). I admit that I have never had to manually set anything alsa/oss as all my previous soundcards worked very easily with default settings of the modules. Well the most likely problem is that your settings are incorrect in the kernel, rather than anywhere else. The kernel settings are the foundation; if they're right, everything will Just Work, if they're wrong, nothing will work. That's just the long and the short of it, pretty much. But we'll get to that shortly. Alsa is started as a service on my comp. I thought it may just be that a newer-than-in-kernel code may help. The error that I have, from say Mplayer, is as follows. . Checking audio filter chain for 48000Hz/2ch/s16le - 48000Hz/2ch/s16le... AF_pre: 48000Hz/2ch/s16le [AO OSS] audio_setup: Can't open audio device /dev/dsp: No such file or directory alsa-init: 1 soundcard found, using: default ALSA lib pcm_dmix.c:819:(snd_pcm_dmix_open) unable to open slave alsa-init: playback open error: No such file or directory Just for comparison: mplayer Battlestar\ Galactica\ 01x02-xvid.avi MPlayer 1.0pre7try2-3.4.5 (C) 2000-2005 MPlayer Team CPU: Advanced Micro Devices Athlon MP/XP Thoroughbred (Family: 6, Stepping: 1) Detected cache-line size is 64 bytes CPUflags: MMX: 1 MMX2: 1 3DNow: 1 3DNow2: 1 SSE: 1 SSE2: 0 Gecompileerd voor x86 CPU met de volgende uitbreidingen: MMX MMX2 3DNow 3DNowEx SSE 85 audio 196 video codecs Bezig met het afspelen van Battlestar Galactica 01x02-xvid.avi Cache fill: 16.80% (1409024 bytes)AVI bestandsformaat gedetecteerd! VIDEO: [XVID] 640x352 16bpp 25.000 fps 1031.8 kbps (126.0 kbyte/s) Clip info: Software: Nandub v1.0rc2 == Bezig met het openen van de audio decoder: [mp3lib] MPEG layer-2, layer-3 mpg123: Can't rewind stream by 291 bits! AUDIO: 48000 Hz, 2 ch, s16le, 112.0 kbit/7.29% (ratio: 14000-192000) Selected audio codec: [mp3] afm:mp3lib (mp3lib MPEG layer-2, layer-3) == vo: X11 running at 1280x1024 with depth 24 and 32 bpp (:0.0 = local display) It seems there is no Xvideo support for your video card available. Run 'xvinfo' to verify its Xv support and read DOCS/HTML/en/video.html#xv! See 'mplayer -vo help' for other (non-xv) video out drivers. Try -vo x11 == Bezig met het openen van de video decoder: [ffmpeg] FFmpeg's libavcodec codec family Selected video codec: [ffodivx] vfm:ffmpeg (FFmpeg MPEG-4) == Checking audio filter chain for 48000Hz/2ch/s16le - 48000Hz/2ch/s16le... AF_pre: 48000Hz/2ch/s16le ==AO: [oss] 48000Hz 2ch s16le (2 bps) Building audio filter chain for 48000Hz/2ch/s16le - 48000Hz/2ch/s16le... Start afspelen... VDec: vo config aanvraag - 640 x 352 (csp voorkeur: Planar YV12) VDec: using Planar YV12 as output csp (no 0) Film-Aspect is 1.82:1 - voorscalering naar het correcte film-aspect. VO: [x11] 640x352 = 640x352 Planar YV12 SwScaler: using unscaled Planar YV12 - BGRA special converter [mpeg4 @ 0x860ed30]frame skip 8t: 0.000 1/ 1 ??% ??% ??,?% 0 0 9% [mpeg4 @ 0x860ed30]frame skip 8t: 0.004 2/ 2 ??% ??% ??,?% 1 0 99% No bind found for key MOUSE_BTN0 0.9% 6 0 91% A: 9.4 V: 9.4 A-V: -0.000 ct: 0.029 235/235 23% 15% 0.9% 6 0 89% Bezig met afsluiten... (Stop) Just so that you know that it does work when your sound modules are properly configured. Your problem is here: [AO OSS] audio_setup: Can't open audio device /dev/dsp: No such file or directory You have apparently not enabled OSS audio emulation in alsa (kernel) driver, and this is what creates the /dev/dsp device (or rather the sound sequencer device; /dev/dsp is a symlink to /dev/sound/dsp la /dev/dsp lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 9 feb 9 01:27 /dev/dsp - sound/dsp which is the actual sequencer device). At the same moment, other config details and system's state are as below. [EMAIL PROTECTED] ~ $ lsmod | grep snd snd_cmipci 20484 0 snd_opl3_lib 6688 1 snd_cmipci snd_hwdep 6116 1 snd_opl3_lib snd_mpu401_uart4416 1 snd_cmipci snd_rawmidi 15620 1 snd_mpu401_uart You seem to be missing a lot of modules; compare: lsmod | grep snd snd_seq_midi6176 0 snd_opl3_synth 12292
Re: [gentoo-user] ALSA + CMI8738 card set up
Holly Bostick wrote: and it works fine, so I'll do my best to help. Yes you have. Million thanks for what can be best termed a good technical write up about the theory of Alsa plus this card. I shall try all that you have written and then get back - either at a halt, or to thank you. Regards, Rohit -- gentoo-user@gentoo.org mailing list
Re: [gentoo-user] ALSA + CMI8738 card set up
Quick questions - Holly. When I configure alsa support in my kernel and build modules using menuconfig and tell kernel to load modules automatically [or do manual loading using modules.autoload.d] 1. Do I still have to enable alsasound service using rc-update add alsasound default ? 2. Is it a good idea to let the kernel automatically load modules or use /etc/modules.autoload.d/kernel-2.6 for it? [ Currently I am using the file instead of kernel [I disabled my onboard i8x0 card in BIOS to install this CMIPCI one and was skeptic that kernel would pick up the onboard one. I guess for a correctly configured host, it woudn't matter]. To say the least your response was encouraging. I am in the middle of an emerge after two months of disconnectivity Thanks, Rohit -- gentoo-user@gentoo.org mailing list
Re: [gentoo-user] ALSA + CMI8738 card set up
Rohit Sharma schreef: Quick questions - Holly. When I configure alsa support in my kernel and build modules using menuconfig and tell kernel to load modules automatically [or do manual loading using modules.autoload.d] 1. Do I still have to enable alsasound service using rc-update add alsasound default ? Yes; the service does the important job of storing your mixer levels on shutdown and restoring them on boot, as well as actually loading the modules for use. The idea of a loadable module is that the module is loaded when something needs it, rather than just loading because it is available. This is why you have to, for example, compile the modules for your / filesystem statically-- because they have to be already loaded before you need them in the boot process (statically-compiled modules are loaded in the very first initializing kernel instructions). Loadable modules, on the other hand, are loaded when something asks for them, like an initialization script (network initialization script to 'need' the network card drivers, X to need the fglrx drivers, firestarter to need the various ip_filter modules, and so forth). Otherwise, you'd have to modprobe the modules before attempting to start the program that needed them to be already in operation before the program could work (like the boot process, which has to read filesystems on a drive and can't stop to load the modules for the filesystem-- which modules, if compiled as loadable modules rather than statically, are themselves on the filesystem that the boot process cannot read because the modules aren't loaded-- before it can read the filesystem to manage the files it needs on that filesystem in order to continue the boot process). So you need something to need the sound modules to load, or else they won't, and that's what alsasound does, too. 2. Is it a good idea to let the kernel automatically load modules or use /etc/modules.autoload.d/kernel-2.6 for it? [ Currently I am using the file instead of kernel [I disabled my onboard i8x0 card in BIOS to install this CMIPCI one and was skeptic that kernel would pick up the onboard one. I guess for a correctly configured host, it woudn't matter]. Well, if you want to do more work when it isn't necessary, you're free to use modules.autoload.d to manage the modules, but you then have to maintain that file. For no reason. Alsasound contacts the kernel to load the modules just fine as long as you've given it a correct range of modules to access. As for your onboard sound, I was afraid of it loading as well when I disabled it and added a new sound card, but the kernel is pretty smart, and just ignored it, especially since I removed all reference to the driver/modules in my ALSA configuration files, and stopped compiling modules for it in the kernel. After all, the kernel can't load a module that doesn't exist :-) . If for some reason that doesn't work for you, you can add the onboard sound modules to /etc/hotplug/blacklist, but that shouldn't be necessary. Really, the kernel does know what it's doing rather well these days; you can definitely give it the benefit of the doubt and trust it first, assuming that it's going to do what it's supposed to, rather than suspecting it of not being competent and assuming you have to manage it doing its job. To say the least your response was encouraging. I am in the middle of an emerge after two months of disconnectivity Glad to hear it. Good luck with the next steps. Holly -- gentoo-user@gentoo.org mailing list
