Change Machine, No Sound (longish)

[stan]

On Fri, 19 Jun 2009 02:33:21 -0500
Mike McCarty <Mike.McCarty at sbcglobal.net> wrote:

> 
> Thanks for the reply. I've downloaded, untarred, and am reading.
> So far, I don't see anything, but there's a lot there.

You want to look in the directory alsa-kernel/Documentation.  That is
where all the driver documentation is.  Well, the real documentation is
in the source. ;-)

> 
> Also, I note that /dev/dsp exists, but if I copy some file to it, no
> sound comes out. I wonder if that's related.

In the latest kernels, OSS is considered obsolete and no longer
automatically installed.  You have to put the required modules into the
/etc/modules.conf file.  This will probably break a lot of old
applications.

You are running old kernels for which this shouldn't apply, but it
might be relevant.

It is possible that your application is trying to use true oss and is
failing.  All current OSS is just alsa emulation, and so the modules to
do that have to be installed.

> 
> > 
> >   Module snd-via82xx
> >   ------------------
> > 
> >     Module for AC'97 motherboards based on VIA 82C686A/686B, 8233,
> >     8233A, 8233C, 8235, 8237 (south) bridge.
> > 
> >     mpu_port	- 0x300,0x310,0x320,0x330, otherwise obtain BIOS
> >     setup [VIA686A/686B only]
> 
> How does one pass these things in? Would I have to
> edit /etc/module.conf or some /etc/rc.d or sth like that? I'll reboot
> and see what the BIOS says the port is. Hmm. It says only for
> VIA686A. I guess not applicable.

Yes, in Fedora it would be /etc/modules.conf; in debian derivatives it
will be /etc/modules.d/alsa

> 
> [...]
> 
> > You could also run the script below and post the link or run with
> > option (I think it is) --with-noupload and post the output so
> > people can see what your system configuration is.
> > 
> > http://www.alsa-project.org/alsa-info.sh
> 
> I ran that script, and captured the output, but it's nearly 800 lines
> of stuff, and not suitable just to post. However, if anyone knows
> how to interpret it, and can help, then I can subset out what is
> useful. At least these parts seemed useful:
> 

Actually, when you post for help in the alsa lists, they want to see
all that. 

> 
> !!ALSA Version
> !!------------
>  
> 
> Driver version:     1.0.6
> Library version:    1.0.3a
> Utilities version:  1.0.3

This is *old*!!!  The versions are at 1.0.20 now.  Compiling and
installing all of this stuff from the tar balls is easy and drop in.
It might not make any difference for an old card, but there could be
fixes that have gone in.

http://www.alsa-project.org

On the top right of the page.

> 
> !!Loaded ALSA modules
> !!-------------------
>  
> 
> snd_via82xx
>  
> 
>  
> 
> !!Sound Servers on this system
> !!----------------------------
>  
> 
> ESound Daemon:
>        Installed - Yes (/usr/bin/esd)
>        Running - Yes
>  
> 
> aRts:
>        Installed - Yes (/usr/bin/artsd)
>        Running - No
>  
> 
>  
> 
> !!PCI Soundcards installed in the system
> !!--------------------------------------
>  
> 
> 00:11.5 Multimedia audio controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. 
> VT8233/A/8235/8237 AC97 Audio Controller (rev 50)
> 
> !!Loaded sound module options
> !!--------------------------
>  
> 
> !!Module: snd_via82xx
> ac97_clock : 48000,48000,48000,48000,48000,48000,48000,48000
> ac97_quirk : -1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1
> dxs_support : 3,0,0,0,0,0,0,0
> enable : Y,Y,Y,Y,Y,Y,Y,Y
> id : <NULL>,<NULL>,<NULL>,<NULL>,<NULL>,<NULL>,<NULL>,<NULL>
> index : -1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1
> joystick : N,N,N,N,N,N,N,N
> mpu_port : 0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0
>  
> 
>  
> 
> !!AC97 Codec information
> !!---------------------------
> 
> [lots of info snipped]
> 
> !!ALSA Device nodes
> !!-----------------
>  
> 
> crw-------  1 jmccarty root 116,   0 Feb 23  2004 /dev/snd/controlC0
> crw-------  1 jmccarty root 116,  32 Feb 23  2004 /dev/snd/controlC1
> crw-------  1 jmccarty root 116,  64 Feb 23  2004 /dev/snd/controlC2
> crw-------  1 jmccarty root 116,  96 Feb 23  2004 /dev/snd/controlC3
> crw-------  1 jmccarty root 116,   4 Feb 23  2004 /dev/snd/hwC0D0
> crw-------  1 jmccarty root 116,   5 Feb 23  2004 /dev/snd/hwC0D1
> crw-------  1 jmccarty root 116,   6 Feb 23  2004 /dev/snd/hwC0D2
> [...]
> 
> !!Aplay/Arecord output
> !!------------
>  
> 
> APLAY
>  
> 
> **** List of PLAYBACK Hardware Devices ****
> card 0: V8235 [VIA 8235], device 0: VIA 8235 [VIA 8235]
>    Subdevices: 4/4
>    Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
>    Subdevice #1: subdevice #1
>    Subdevice #2: subdevice #2
>    Subdevice #3: subdevice #3

Looks like you have the 4 channel DSX - independent hardware mixing!

> card 0: V8235 [VIA 8235], device 1: VIA 8235 [VIA 8235]
>    Subdevices: 1/1
>    Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
> 
> [arecord stuff snipped, but it found some]
> 
> !!-------Mixer controls for card 0 [V8235]
>  
> 
> Card hw:0 'V8235'/'VIA 8235 with ALC101 at 0xdc00, irq 11'
>    Mixer name    : 'Realtek ALC101'
>    Components    : 'AC97a'
>    Controls      : 30
>    Simple ctrls  : 23
> [more stuff listed but cut, anyway, it seems to have found it]

It shows all the sound modules that are loaded.  You can deduce from
that whether the OSS stuff is there or not.

The parts that are present seem to indicate that everything is
identified and functioning correctly.  No joy.