Alsa causing segfaults

impact · n00b Joined: 02 Mar 2005 Posts: 48

Don't know where to start troubleshooting on this one...
I've got my ALSA built into kernel, driver for my sound (emu10k1) is built in (non-module)
brand new Gentoo install
did #emerge alsa-utils
setup ALSA according to the guide, but for some reason alsamixer (and anything that uses alsa) segfaults.
alsamixer will run for a bit, then segfault anytime anything tries to use ALSA (gaim, xmms, mpg123)

Any thoughts?

Update: Just tried with ALSA out of the kernel and added via #emerge alsa-driver alsa-oss alsa-utils
same problem...
Anything?

peppy · Tux's lil' helper Joined: 13 May 2004 Posts: 76

me too
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impact · n00b Joined: 02 Mar 2005 Posts: 48

Someone help us!

I've had alsa working before, on all my other installs, and it was never a problem, which is why I don't understand what I did differently this time...
I'm using ReiserFS instead of XFS, but I can't see how that would make a difference

Adding on:
I can easily duplicate the problem by the following steps:
launch alsamixer in a console
open another console
#mpg123 anymp3file.mp3

This causes alsamixer to segfault, dropping me to a black console (normally background is white)
mpg123 pretends to play, but nothing comes out the speakers...

impact · n00b Joined: 02 Mar 2005 Posts: 48

Something new:
Just got alsa working for the most part with a kernel recompile (Forgot to set /dev to automatically mount at boot)
however, alsamixer still segfaults when something goes to use alsa
and xmms segfaults when using alsa, but not when using OSS...

Anyone?
Beuler?

mascanho · Posted: Thu Mar 24, 2005 2:04 am Post subject:

set it all as modules, not built in , then

impact · n00b Joined: 02 Mar 2005 Posts: 48

tried that... same problem...

On that note, I also tried different sets of sources
2.6.11
2.6.11-ck
2.6.9

All combinations of modules/built-in and alsa-driver (with each kernel)
I'm most likely going to reformat again, any other ideas?

mascanho · Posted: Thu Mar 24, 2005 2:30 am Post subject:

Not built in, Modules "M" on your kernel, with your driver as an "M" to , and then be sure youre booting to that kernel, and btw how are you compilinkg your kernel ?
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impact · n00b Joined: 02 Mar 2005 Posts: 48

just tried as modules on the kernel
same problem...

compiling kernel like this:
cd /usr/src/linux (linked to the right spot each time)
make menuconfig
--setup
make
make modules_install
cp arch/x86_64/boot/bzImage /boot/name-of-kernel
edit grub.conf...
reboot

same way I've always done it, never had a problem before now....

impact · n00b Joined: 02 Mar 2005 Posts: 48

OK, I literally _just_ reformatted.
Followed the guide pretty much exactly (used the ck-sources instead)
emerged these items ONLY:
metalog, vixie-cron, reiserfsprogs, mirrorselect, ck-sources (~amd64), grub

Once rebooted, the first thing I did was #emerge alsa-utils mpg123
alsa-utils did its deps as well (alsa-headers, alsa-lib, possibly a few others)
I then opened a terminal with alsamixer
and ran "mpg123 mp3file.mp3" in a 2nd terminal.
This caused alsamixer to segfault the same way as it did before the reboot...
any ideas?

could it _possibly_ be the reiserfs?
Its the _only_ thing that was changed from when it worked in my last install to now...

impact · n00b Joined: 02 Mar 2005 Posts: 48

Well, just confirmed that its _not_ reiserfs (I didn't think so)
Just reformatted _again_ with ext3...
no dice, same procedure, same problem..

Someone?!

mascanho · Posted: Thu Mar 24, 2005 12:42 pm Post subject:

Hum .... it seems to me either alsa or your mpg123 is the problem, can you play mp3 with xmms or something else ?
check error logs to see if you can find something, and wich versions of alsa-lib and -alsa-headers have you installed ?
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Maedhros · Posted: Thu Mar 24, 2005 1:29 pm Post subject:

I had mpd segfault on me a few times, and downgrading alsa-lib and alsa-utils to version 1.0.7 seemed to cure it. I masked 1.0.8 with these lines in /etc/portage/package.mask:

impact · n00b Joined: 02 Mar 2005 Posts: 48

Its not mpg123 thats segfaulting. Any alsa playback from any program causes segfaults in alsamixer.
I run alsamixer in one terminal (leave it running)
Then wait/force a sound playback: Get a message through gaim, play something in mpg123, etc
This causes a segfault in alsamixer.

If I tried to do the playback through xmms, xmms crashes as well as the segfault in alsamixer...

I'm using 1.0.8 of all of the alsa-components. I'll try with 1.0.7's in just a bit

impact · n00b Joined: 02 Mar 2005 Posts: 48

Alrighty, pretty much resolved. Steps taken to fix are listed below, and the problem has been narrowed down to alsa-lib-1.0.8...

Added "=media-sound/alsa-headers-1.0.8" "=media-libs/alsa-lib-1.0.8" and "=media-sound/alsa-utils-1.0.8" to package.mask
Emerged alsa-utils (gave me headers-1.0.7, lib-1.0.8, and utils 1.0.6)
Everything worked fine.
The order of deps was: Utils required Libs required Headers
So I unmasked them in that order, emerging as I went.
Headers installed fine, and worked after the emerge
However, as soon as I emerged alsa-lib-1.0.8 I had the same problem as was described earlier (segfaults in alsamixer and xmms). Reverted back to alsa-lib-1.0.7 and everything worked again...

I assume I should file a bug report?

peppy · Tux's lil' helper Joined: 13 May 2004 Posts: 76

Yeah, I am about to try this method.

Have we learned that it makes no difference if alsa is compiled in the kernel or as a module?
I am about to try it compiled in the kernel.
_________________
SERVER.................DESKTOP
MSI k7...................Abit kx7-333R
Duron 1.4ghz..........Athlon 1.8ghz
320mb mem............768mb mem
200gb HD................80GB HD
no vid.....................Radeon 9200
all on udev:nptl:stage 1/3

Maedhros · Posted: Thu Mar 24, 2005 7:28 pm Post subject:

I'm using the kernel alsa drivers, compiled as modules, if that helps. And a bug report sounds like the way to go.

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mascanho · Posted: Thu Mar 24, 2005 7:44 pm Post subject:

yup compiled has modules too, works perfecly here .
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peppy · Tux's lil' helper Joined: 13 May 2004 Posts: 76

I compiled it in kernel and it works

_________________
SERVER.................DESKTOP
MSI k7...................Abit kx7-333R
Duron 1.4ghz..........Athlon 1.8ghz
320mb mem............768mb mem
200gb HD................80GB HD
no vid.....................Radeon 9200
all on udev:nptl:stage 1/3

Sodom · Posted: Fri Mar 25, 2005 10:08 am Post subject:

y0zza · n00b Joined: 30 Jul 2004 Posts: 68

Ah, many thanks for tracking this down. I was experiencing exactly the same problems.

mephisto · n00b Joined: 25 Mar 2005 Posts: 20

Cintra · Advocate Joined: 03 Apr 2004 Posts: 2111 Location: Norway

No problems with alsa at ~x86 i.e. 1.0.8 here, with sound built-in..
mvh
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bpeople · n00b Joined: 23 Oct 2003 Posts: 17 Location: Malaga, Spain

seank · l33t Joined: 08 Jul 2004 Posts: 686

So, did anyone submit a bug report?

d13f00l · n00b Joined: 30 Aug 2004 Posts: 26

Heh heh. I just built alsalib 1.09 from scratch instead. I just hit the same problem and it's been driving me insane for the past few days.