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Morimando
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PostPosted: Sun Jul 01, 2007 5:44 pm    Post subject: Weird problems with dmix and VIA HD Audio Reply with quote

So i'm running a multilib system amd64 and i got an ASROCK ALive Sata GLAN board running.
I thought there was hardware mixing finally (before i had nforce-chipset, intel8x0), but well, if there is, i couldn't get it to work.
The driver i use is snd_hda_intel from alsa-driver package.
Now as every application that accesses ALSA for sound output tends to block the soundcard completely so no other sound can be played,
i set up dmix according to http://gentoo-wiki.com/HOWTO_ALSA_sound_mixer_aka_dmix this guide.
It's a little weird now, because sound mixing seems to work sometimes. For example i can use TeamSpeak (aoss32) and Audacious simultaneously, IF i start Teamspeak first. Wine won't play sound if any other software already plays sound, though, even if it also uses OSS + aoss32.
Also i can mix Firefox-Flash sound with audacious sound output, if firefox was started before audacious.
Mplayer and Audacious won't both play sound at the same time, though.

From the above link, this is my dmix config (/home/morimando/-asoundrc)
Code:
# ~/.asoundrc

pcm.dsp0 {
    type plug
    slave.pcm "dmix"   # <-- this line has been altered!
}

# mixer0 can stay unchanged, because it isn't used anyway, I guess ;)
ctl.mixer0 {
    type hw
    card 0
}

# I also had to add/alter the following, making ALSA use dmix by default
pcm.!default {
    type plug
    slave.pcm "dmix"
}


In make.conf i also set the sound card
Code:
ALSA_CARDS="hda-intel"


Anyone knows more about how to setup all this? Maybe i'm missing something specific about the card or something general about the configuration of dmix?
TIA
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Morimando
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PostPosted: Sun Jul 01, 2007 8:19 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Best treat it as if nothing would work, because most of the time that's how it is ;)

Edit: would Jack be a good thing to consider?
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Morimando
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PostPosted: Tue Jul 03, 2007 12:16 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

bump
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qisback
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PostPosted: Wed Jul 04, 2007 12:10 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

bump to a thread I'd like to see solved.

-={Q}=-
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Morimando
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PostPosted: Thu Jul 12, 2007 1:25 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Not anyone?
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wi!dfire
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PostPosted: Mon Jul 16, 2007 3:48 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I found that the snd-hda-intel driver doesn't work properly with ALSA 1.0.14, which is the version available via emerge. Every time I tried to load it, I found a kernel 'oops' in dmesg. In order to get it working, I had to install the mercurial version of alsa-driver.

Here's how I got it working:
Note: This will install a development version of alsa-driver. While I haven't had problems with it, it could theoretically cause issues, especially with the kernel.[/i]

First, I had to modify settings in the kernel and then recompile it. Turn off ALSA and OSS support, but make sure basic sound support is enabled:
Code:
Device Drivers --->
   Sound --->
      <M> Soundcard Support
         Advanced Linux Sound Architecture --->
            < > Advanced Linux Sound Architecture
         Open Sound System --->
            < > Open Sound System

I compiled Souncard support as a module, but it probably doesn't matter whether it's a module or built-in. Just make that it gets loaded if you compile it as a module.



Next, I went to http://www.alsa-project.org/ and downloaded the current stable version of alsa-lib and alsa-utils (Library 1.0.14a and Utilities 1.0.14). Then I decompressed them and left them alone for now.
Code:
# tar xvf alsa-lib*
#tar xvf alsa-utils*



Now for the alsa-driver package itself. If you don't have Mercurial installed, you're going to need it:
Code:
# emerge -av mercurial

Download and compile the alsa-driver package:
Code:
# hg clone http://hg-mirror.alsa-project.org/alsa-driver alsa-driver
# cd alsa-driver
# hg clone http://hg-mirror.alsa-project.org/alsa-kernel alsa-kernel
# cd ..
# ./hgcompile && make install


Back to alsa-lib and alsa-utils. We've already extracted them, now let's compile and install them.
Code:
# cd alsa-lib*
# ./configure
# make && make install
# cd ..
# cd alsa-utils*
# ./configure
# make && make install


Everything should be installed now. To test the driver, do:
Code:
modprobe snd-hda-intel

Now you can unmute your channels via alsamixer. There is also some post-installation configuration that you need to do, which is well documented here.


Hope all this helps. :)
-wi!dfire
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Morimando
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PostPosted: Wed Jul 18, 2007 11:37 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'm gonna test that tonight or tomorrow, depending on when i got time.
The hda-intel from emerge works in general, at least in my system, it's just not working with hardware mixing and dmix doesn't seem to work as intended, as i get the same problems with dmix that i get without dmix. (Namely that one program accesses the soundcard and plays sound and no other application that uses alsa output can play back any more)
Do the hardware mixing capabilities work with mercurial?
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PaulBredbury
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PostPosted: Wed Jul 18, 2007 11:45 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

wi!dfire wrote:
mercurial version of alsa-driver.

Already exists: /usr/portage/media-sound/alsa-driver/alsa-driver-9999.ebuild
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wi!dfire
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PostPosted: Wed Jul 18, 2007 12:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Morimando wrote:
I'm gonna test that tonight or tomorrow, depending on when i got time.
The hda-intel from emerge works in general, at least in my system, it's just not working with hardware mixing and dmix doesn't seem to work as intended, as i get the same problems with dmix that i get without dmix. (Namely that one program accesses the soundcard and plays sound and no other application that uses alsa output can play back any more)
Do the hardware mixing capabilities work with mercurial?


Hardware mixing appears to be working fine on my system (without dmix).


PaulBredbury wrote:
wi!dfire wrote:
mercurial version of alsa-driver.

Already exists: /usr/portage/media-sound/alsa-driver/alsa-driver-9999.ebuild


How often is it updated? Either way, thanks for the tip. :)
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sgarcia
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PostPosted: Fri Jul 20, 2007 1:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

wi!dfire wrote:

Hardware mixing appears to be working fine on my system (without dmix).


Not here. I was unable to get sound to work at all until I installed the Mercurial drivers (9999). Now that I have the Mercurial drivers installed, I get sound, but *only* the software volume controls work. The Mute button mutes the sound, and the up or down volume buttons cancel the mute, but they don't adjust the volume up or down.

This is all on my T61.
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Morimando
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PostPosted: Mon Jul 23, 2007 6:07 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The mercurial drivers don't work for me (maybe a bad day? ^^), i removed the old alsa and then did as described, but the system seems to have problems with the resulting module or something like that, alsaconf inserts "snd-*** err /libplow" something into the configuration file instead of the module and system hangs if i modprobe it myself :(
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Spiritmage
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PostPosted: Tue Jul 24, 2007 2:16 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

here is an easier and "safer" way:

Code:

# echo "media-sound/alsa-headers **" >> /etc/portage/package.keywords
# echo "media-sound/alsa-driver **" >> /etc/portage/package.keywords
# echo "media-sound/alsa-headers" >> /etc/portage/package.unmask
# echo "media-sound/alsa-drivers >> /etc/portage/package.unmask
# emerge alsa-driver alsa-utils


Also follow w!ldfire's link to the post config instructions on gentoo-wiki
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wi!dfire
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PostPosted: Tue Jul 24, 2007 4:26 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

sgarcia wrote:
wi!dfire wrote:

Hardware mixing appears to be working fine on my system (without dmix).


Not here. I was unable to get sound to work at all until I installed the Mercurial drivers (9999). Now that I have the Mercurial drivers installed, I get sound, but *only* the software volume controls work. The Mute button mutes the sound, and the up or down volume buttons cancel the mute, but they don't adjust the volume up or down.

This is all on my T61.


I guess I'm kinda' missing your issue here; do you have no hardware mixing, or are your volume-control buttons just not working "properly"? If your issue is the buttons, I don't know of anybody yet that has managed to get them working completely. If you aren't getting hardware mixing, with what you've said, the only thing I can figure out is that you emerged the Mercurial drivers while I got them directly from the ALSA-Project's Mercurial repository.


Marimando, what's the whole error that you get?
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deadeyes
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PostPosted: Sun Aug 19, 2007 7:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

wi!dfire wrote:
I found that the snd-hda-intel driver doesn't work properly with ALSA 1.0.14, which is the version available via emerge. Every time I tried to load it, I found a kernel 'oops' in dmesg. In order to get it working, I had to install the mercurial version of alsa-driver.

Here's how I got it working:
Note: This will install a development version of alsa-driver. While I haven't had problems with it, it could theoretically cause issues, especially with the kernel.[/i]

First, I had to modify settings in the kernel and then recompile it. Turn off ALSA and OSS support, but make sure basic sound support is enabled:
Code:
Device Drivers --->
   Sound --->
      <M> Soundcard Support
         Advanced Linux Sound Architecture --->
            < > Advanced Linux Sound Architecture
         Open Sound System --->
            < > Open Sound System

I compiled Souncard support as a module, but it probably doesn't matter whether it's a module or built-in. Just make that it gets loaded if you compile it as a module.



Next, I went to http://www.alsa-project.org/ and downloaded the current stable version of alsa-lib and alsa-utils (Library 1.0.14a and Utilities 1.0.14). Then I decompressed them and left them alone for now.
Code:
# tar xvf alsa-lib*
#tar xvf alsa-utils*



Now for the alsa-driver package itself. If you don't have Mercurial installed, you're going to need it:
Code:
# emerge -av mercurial

Download and compile the alsa-driver package:
Code:
# hg clone http://hg-mirror.alsa-project.org/alsa-driver alsa-driver
# cd alsa-driver
# hg clone http://hg-mirror.alsa-project.org/alsa-kernel alsa-kernel
# cd ..
# ./hgcompile && make install


Back to alsa-lib and alsa-utils. We've already extracted them, now let's compile and install them.
Code:
# cd alsa-lib*
# ./configure
# make && make install
# cd ..
# cd alsa-utils*
# ./configure
# make && make install


Everything should be installed now. To test the driver, do:
Code:
modprobe snd-hda-intel

Now you can unmute your channels via alsamixer. There is also some post-installation configuration that you need to do, which is well documented here.

Thank you very much, this works for me on my Dell Latitude D630

Greetings


Hope all this helps. :)
-wi!dfire
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wi!dfire
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PostPosted: Sun Aug 19, 2007 8:26 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hmmm..... Did you forget to add your response, or is it that little blurb stuck in with the quote? :?
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Morimando
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PostPosted: Sun Sep 30, 2007 1:13 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Works fine now with nforce5 chipset (also intel hd audio, but by nvidia). Hardware mixing works with newest alsa ootb. Could be because dmix is implemented as standard as of the latest release (update, remove ~.asoundrc /etc/asound.conf, works)
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penetrode
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PostPosted: Wed Jun 18, 2008 11:09 pm    Post subject: Careful with code snippets Reply with quote

Spiritmage wrote:
here is an easier and "safer" way:

Code:

# echo "media-sound/alsa-headers **" >> /etc/portage/package.keywords
# echo "media-sound/alsa-driver **" >> /etc/portage/package.keywords
# echo "media-sound/alsa-headers" >> /etc/portage/package.unmask
# echo "media-sound/alsa-drivers >> /etc/portage/package.unmask
# emerge alsa-driver alsa-utils



Dangerous advice. This code has errors in it.

It should read:

Code:

# echo "media-sound/alsa-headers **" >> /etc/portage/package.keywords
# echo "media-sound/alsa-driver **" >> /etc/portage/package.keywords
# echo "media-sound/alsa-headers" >> /etc/portage/package.unmask
# echo "media-sound/alsa-driver" >> /etc/portage/package.unmask
# emerge alsa-driver alsa-utils
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