ALSA questions

[DimGR]

i keep hearing a sssssssshhhhh noise in the backround when playing songs etc..
i have done a apt-get install alsa-base but from a command prompt when i do a alsamixer it says

failed to load no such device

in lsmod i can see the emu10k1 driver.




[knoppix]# which alsamixer
/usr/bin/alsamixer
[knoppix]# alsamixer

alsamixer: function snd_ctl_open failed for default: No such device

[undeadska]

Which window manager are you using? If you are using KDE, ensure that the "arts" soundsystem isn't starting on KDE startup. This caused me some grief in the past.

Also you might check that you have created the ~/.asoundrc files in /root and /home/username.

[DimGR]

Originally posted by undeadska
Which window manager are you using? If you are using KDE, ensure that the "arts" soundsystem isn't starting on KDE startup. This caused me some grief in the past.

Also you might check that you have created the ~/.asoundrc files in /root and /home/username.

it is KDE and arts is not starting on kde.

[kapong]

When you type lsmod, do you see snd-emu10k1 or emu10k1?
Becuase if you see emu10k1, you have the oss driver installed, not alsa. Alsa's driver modules all have the snd- prefix. I that is the case then you need to rmmod emu10k1 and then modprobe snd-emu10k1.

[DimGR]

Originally posted by kapong
When you type lsmod, do you see snd-emu10k1 or emu10k1?
Becuase if you see emu10k1, you have the oss driver installed, not alsa. Alsa's driver modules all have the snd- prefix. I that is the case then you need to rmmod emu10k1 and then modprobe snd-emu10k1.


lsmod
Module Size Used by
tsdev 7936 0
evdev 10112 0
snd 34436 0
dm_mod 29472 0
md 36928 0
md5 7168 1
ipv6 212352 16
autofs 15744 0
af_packet 17028 0
efs 13316 0
hfs 82624 0
minix 28676 0
xfs 517628 0
reiserfs 191728 0
ext3 89768 0
jbd 56864 1 ext3
nls_cp437 8960 0
nls_iso8859_1 7424 0
ntfs 89748 0
msdos 10368 0
emu10k1 76292 2
sound 64104 1 emu10k1
soundcore 8512 5 snd,emu10k1,sound
ac97_codec 16000 1 emu10k1
natsemi 21984 0
crc32 7424 1 natsemi
emu10k1_gp 5760 0
gameport 6144 1 emu10k1_gp
parport_pc 31244 0
parport 29120 1 parport_pc
8250 29984 2
serial_core 18176 1 8250
ehci_hcd 20480 0
sbp2 20992 0
ohci1394 28928 0
ieee1394 191756 2 sbp2,ohci1394
hci_usb 14464 0
bluetooth 39140 1 hci_usb
usb_storage 55040 0
pl2303 15364 0
usbserial 24816 1 pl2303
ohci_hcd 16896 0
uhci_hcd 28424 0
usbcore 75732 9 ehci_hcd,hci_usb,usb_storage,pl2303,usbserial,ohci _hcd,uhci_hcd
rtc 12488 0
root@PenguinGR:/home/knoppix# rmmod emu10k1
ERROR: Module emu10k1 is in use


i do not have any sound application open so why this error?

[kapong]

Just do a grep /etc/rc.d/rc.modules emu10k1 -n to find the line where the module is loaded and change the /sbin/modprobe emu10k1 line to /sbin/modprobe snd-emu10k1.

Also make sure to add /sbin/modprobe snd-pcm-oss and /sbin/modprobe snd-mixer-oss lines in there too so you don't break oss compatibility.

[DimGR]

Originally posted by kapong
Just do a grep /etc/rc.d/rc.modules emu10k1 -n to find the line where the module is loaded and change the /sbin/modprobe emu10k1 line to /sbin/modprobe snd-emu10k1.

Also make sure to add /sbin/modprobe snd-pcm-oss and /sbin/modprobe snd-mixer-oss lines in there too so you don't break oss compatibility.


i got an error saying emu10k1 is not a directory

[mdwatts]

Originally posted by DimGR

emu10k1 76292 2
sound 64104 1 emu10k1
soundcore 8512 5 snd,emu10k1,sound
ac97_codec 16000 1 emu10k1


You are using the kernel modules and not ALSA, so of course there is no use in trying to use any of the alsa tools.

Search the JL forums for 'alsamixer function snd_ctl_open' and you will find quite a few previous threads on that.

[hard candy]

I use aumix as my mixer and when I have a second PCM slider turned up, I'll get interference on the main channel.
Also, juk seems to have much less interference than kaboodle using the same settings.

[DimGR]

how can i not have alsa ? i have installed it


apt-get install alsa
Reading Package Lists... Done
Building Dependency Tree... Done
Note, selecting alsa-base instead of alsa
The following extra packages will be installed:
alsa-base alsa-utils
Suggested packages:
alsadriver
The following NEW packages will be installed:
alsa-base alsa-utils
0 upgraded, 2 newly installed, 0 to remove and 73 not upgraded.
Need to get 175kB of archives.
After unpacking 614kB of additional disk space will be used.
Do you want to continue? [Y/n] y
Get:1 ftp://linux.csua.berkeley.edu unstable/main alsa-utils 1.0.4-1 [129kB]
Get:2 ftp://linux.csua.berkeley.edu unstable/main alsa-base 1.0.4-3 [46.3kB]
Fetched 175kB in 4s (39.3kB/s)
Preconfiguring packages ...
Selecting previously deselected package alsa-utils.
(Reading database ... 86492 files and directories currently installed.)
Unpacking alsa-utils (from .../alsa-utils_1.0.4-1_i386.deb) ...
Selecting previously deselected package alsa-base.
Unpacking alsa-base (from .../alsa-base_1.0.4-3_all.deb) ...
Setting up alsa-utils (1.0.4-1) ...

Setting up alsa-base (1.0.4-3) ...




emu10k1 76292 1
sound 64104 1 emu10k1
soundcore 8512 4 snd,emu10k1,sound
ac97_codec 16000 1 emu10k1

[DimGR]

Originally posted by DimGR
how can i not have alsa ? i have installed it


apt-get install alsa
Reading Package Lists... Done
Building Dependency Tree... Done
Note, selecting alsa-base instead of alsa
The following extra packages will be installed:
alsa-base alsa-utils
Suggested packages:
alsadriver
The following NEW packages will be installed:
alsa-base alsa-utils
0 upgraded, 2 newly installed, 0 to remove and 73 not upgraded.
Need to get 175kB of archives.
After unpacking 614kB of additional disk space will be used.
Do you want to continue? [Y/n] y
Get:1 ftp://linux.csua.berkeley.edu unstable/main alsa-utils 1.0.4-1 [129kB]
Get:2 ftp://linux.csua.berkeley.edu unstable/main alsa-base 1.0.4-3 [46.3kB]
Fetched 175kB in 4s (39.3kB/s)
Preconfiguring packages ...
Selecting previously deselected package alsa-utils.
(Reading database ... 86492 files and directories currently installed.)
Unpacking alsa-utils (from .../alsa-utils_1.0.4-1_i386.deb) ...
Selecting previously deselected package alsa-base.
Unpacking alsa-base (from .../alsa-base_1.0.4-3_all.deb) ...
Setting up alsa-utils (1.0.4-1) ...

Setting up alsa-base (1.0.4-3) ...




emu10k1 76292 1
sound 64104 1 emu10k1
soundcore 8512 4 snd,emu10k1,sound
ac97_codec 16000 1 emu10k1




i think i fixed the problem. I did an alsaconfig and now i see these in lsmod


Module Size Used by
snd_emu10k1 71172 0
snd_rawmidi 17664 1 snd_emu10k1
snd_pcm_oss 42756 0
snd_mixer_oss 15104 1 snd_pcm_oss
snd_pcm 64896 2 snd_emu10k1,snd_pcm_oss
snd_timer 19456 1 snd_pcm
snd_seq_device 8324 2 snd_emu10k1,snd_rawmidi
snd_ac97_codec 40196 1 snd_emu10k1
snd_page_alloc 9604 2 snd_emu10k1,snd_pcm
snd_util_mem 5760 1 snd_emu10k1
snd_hwdep 8832 1 snd_emu10k1
snd 34436 10 snd_emu10k1,snd_rawmidi,snd_pcm_oss,snd_mixer_oss, snd_pcm,snd_timer,snd_seq_device,snd_ac97_codec,sn d_util_mem,snd_hwdep

[mdwatts]

Originally posted by DimGR
how can i not have alsa ? i have installed it

i think i fixed the problem. I did an alsaconfig and now i see these in lsmod


Having ALSA installed does not necessarily mean the ALSA modules are loaded and what you are using (as you already know now :) ).

So sound is working with the ALSA modules loaded? No more 'sssssssshhhhh'ing?

[DimGR]

Originally posted by mdwatts
Having ALSA installed does not necessarily mean the ALSA modules are loaded and what you are using (as you already know now :) ).

So sound is working with the ALSA modules loaded? No more 'sssssssshhhhh'ing?


sound is working great now but i can still hear some ssshhh;ing in the backround. Nothing like before though...

[mdwatts]

Originally posted by DimGR
sound is working great now but i can still hear some ssshhh;ing in the backround. Nothing like before though...

Glad we could help. Thanks.