pulseaudio, howto make it work?

Sat Aug 23 16:57:55 UTC 2008

On Saturday 23 August 2008, Mikkel L. Ellertson wrote:
>Gene Heskett wrote:
>> On Saturday 23 August 2008, Mikkel L. Ellertson wrote:
>>> I am not sure I am reading this correctly - are you building your
>>> own kernels, and not using the Fedora ones?
>>
>> Yes Mikkel, been doing that for years, probably from about 2 weeks after I
>> installed RH5.1 all those years ago.  I tried the fedora kernel again as a
>> test for something about 2 weeks ago, the test still failed and its
>> scheduler is _still_ broken.  Pauses as long as 5 seconds while it does
>> something else.
>>
>> It got better early in the 2.6.26-rc series and has stayed good.  I
>> usually build and install it about as quick as I see the notice from Linus
>> of a new -rcX patch on lkml.
>>
>> I wrote a couple of scripts to unpack and apply the patches and do the
>> 'make oldconfig' (from the previous kernels .config), and another to do
>> the build and install, leaving me with 2 minute session with vim to setup
>> grub.conf and reboot.  Simple, painless, & maintains my local
>> configuration choices. Highly recommended by Dr. Gene. :)
>
>Someone with more knowledge of the differences between the stock
>kernel and the Fedora will have to comment on it, but I wounder if
>there is an option missing in your compile, or a patch that Fedora
>makes, that is giving you problems with Pulse Audio? PA is supposed
>to be a user-space daemon but maybe it needs hooks into the kernel
>for information, or operation...
>
All the info PA could possible need is sitting in /proc/asound:

[root at coyote ~]# uname -a
Linux coyote.coyote.den 2.6.27-rc4 #2 PREEMPT Thu Aug 21 01:33:47 EDT 2008 
i686 athlon i386 GNU/Linux
[root at coyote ~]# cat /proc/asound/*
cat: /proc/asound/Audigy2: Is a directory
Ok...
----
[root at coyote ~]# ls /proc/asound/Audigy2/*
/proc/asound/Audigy2/emu10k1           /proc/asound/Audigy2/fx8010_tram_data  /proc/asound/Audigy2/midi3
/proc/asound/Audigy2/fx8010_acode      /proc/asound/Audigy2/id                /proc/asound/Audigy2/oss_mixer
/proc/asound/Audigy2/fx8010_code       /proc/asound/Audigy2/midi0             /proc/asound/Audigy2/spdif-in
/proc/asound/Audigy2/fx8010_gpr        /proc/asound/Audigy2/midi1             /proc/asound/Audigy2/voices
/proc/asound/Audigy2/fx8010_tram_addr  /proc/asound/Audigy2/midi2             /proc/asound/Audigy2/wavetableD1

/proc/asound/Audigy2/codec97#0:
ac97#0-0  ac97#0-0+regs

/proc/asound/Audigy2/pcm0c:
info  oss  sub0

/proc/asound/Audigy2/pcm0p:
info  sub0  sub10  sub12  sub14  sub16  sub18  sub2   sub21  sub23  sub25  
sub27  sub29  sub30  sub4  sub6  sub8
oss   sub1  sub11  sub13  sub15  sub17  sub19  sub20  sub22  sub24  sub26  
sub28  sub3   sub31  sub5  sub7  sub9

/proc/asound/Audigy2/pcm1c:
info  oss  sub0

/proc/asound/Audigy2/pcm2c:
info  sub0

/proc/asound/Audigy2/pcm2p:
info  sub0  sub1  sub2  sub3  sub4  sub5  sub6  sub7

/proc/asound/Audigy2/pcm3p:
info  sub0
----
cat: /proc/asound/card0: Is a directory
Ok...
----
[root at coyote ~]# ls /proc/asound/card0/*
/proc/asound/card0/emu10k1           /proc/asound/card0/fx8010_tram_data  /proc/asound/card0/midi3
/proc/asound/card0/fx8010_acode      /proc/asound/card0/id                /proc/asound/card0/oss_mixer
/proc/asound/card0/fx8010_code       /proc/asound/card0/midi0             /proc/asound/card0/spdif-in
/proc/asound/card0/fx8010_gpr        /proc/asound/card0/midi1             /proc/asound/card0/voices
/proc/asound/card0/fx8010_tram_addr  /proc/asound/card0/midi2             /proc/asound/card0/wavetableD1

/proc/asound/card0/codec97#0:
ac97#0-0  ac97#0-0+regs

/proc/asound/card0/pcm0c:
info  oss  sub0

/proc/asound/card0/pcm0p:
info  sub0  sub10  sub12  sub14  sub16  sub18  sub2   sub21  sub23  sub25  
sub27  sub29  sub30  sub4  sub6  sub8
oss   sub1  sub11  sub13  sub15  sub17  sub19  sub20  sub22  sub24  sub26  
sub28  sub3   sub31  sub5  sub7  sub9

/proc/asound/card0/pcm1c:
info  oss  sub0

/proc/asound/card0/pcm2c:
info  sub0

/proc/asound/card0/pcm2p:
info  sub0  sub1  sub2  sub3  sub4  sub5  sub6  sub7

/proc/asound/card0/pcm3p:
info  sub0

----
cat: /proc/asound/card1: Is a directory
Ok
----
[root at coyote ~]# ls /proc/asound/card1/*
/proc/asound/card1/id  /proc/asound/card1/intel8x0  /proc/asound/card1/oss_mixer

/proc/asound/card1/codec97#0:
ac97#0-0  ac97#0-0+regs

/proc/asound/card1/pcm0c:
info  oss  sub0

/proc/asound/card1/pcm0p:
info  oss  sub0

/proc/asound/card1/pcm1c:
info  oss  sub0

/proc/asound/card1/pcm2p:
info  sub0

----
cat: /proc/asound/card2: Is a directory (and is midi stuff so I won't further 
abuse the list)

 0 [Audigy2        ]: Audigy2 - Audigy 2 Value [SB0400]
                      Audigy 2 Value [SB0400] (rev.0, serial:0x10011102) at 
0x9000, irq 18
 1 [nForce2        ]: NFORCE - NVidia nForce2
                      NVidia nForce2 with ALC655 at irq 21
 2 [UART           ]: MPU-401 UART - MPU-401 UART
                      MPU-401 UART at 0x330, irq 10
  2:        : timer
  3: [ 2- 0]: raw midi
  4: [ 2]   : control
  5:        : sequencer
  6: [ 0- 0]: hardware dependent
  7: [ 0- 1]: raw midi
  8: [ 0- 0]: raw midi
  9: [ 0- 3]: digital audio playback
 10: [ 0- 2]: digital audio playback
 11: [ 0- 2]: digital audio capture
 12: [ 0- 1]: digital audio capture
 13: [ 0- 0]: digital audio playback
 14: [ 0- 0]: digital audio capture
 15: [ 0]   : control
 16: [ 0- 2]: hardware dependent
 17: [ 0- 2]: raw midi
 18: [ 0- 3]: raw midi
 19: [ 1- 2]: digital audio playback
 20: [ 1- 1]: digital audio capture
 21: [ 1- 0]: digital audio playback
 22: [ 1- 0]: digital audio capture
 23: [ 1]   : control
00-00: EMU10K1 (FX8010)
00-02: Emux WaveTable
 0 snd_emu10k1
 1 snd_intel8x0
 2 snd_mpu401
cat: /proc/asound/nForce2: Is a directory
cat: /proc/asound/oss: Is a directory
00-03: emu10k1 : Multichannel Playback : playback 1
00-02: emu10k1 efx : Multichannel Capture/PT Playback : playback 8 : capture 1
00-01: emu10k1 mic : Mic Capture : capture 1
00-00: emu10k1 : ADC Capture/Standard PCM Playback : playback 32 : capture 1
01-02: Intel ICH - IEC958 : NVidia nForce2 - IEC958 : playback 1
01-01: Intel ICH - MIC ADC : NVidia nForce2 - MIC ADC : capture 1
01-00: Intel ICH : NVidia nForce2 : playback 1 : capture 1
cat: /proc/asound/seq: Is a directory
G0: system timer : 1000.000us (10000000 ticks)
C0-0: EMU10K1 timer : 20.833us (1024 ticks)
P0-0-0: PCM playback 0-0-0 : SLAVE
P0-0-1: PCM capture 0-0-1 : SLAVE
P0-0-2: PCM playback 0-0-2 : SLAVE
P0-0-4: PCM playback 0-0-4 : SLAVE
P0-0-6: PCM playback 0-0-6 : SLAVE
P0-0-8: PCM playback 0-0-8 : SLAVE
P0-0-10: PCM playback 0-0-10 : SLAVE
P0-0-12: PCM playback 0-0-12 : SLAVE
P0-0-14: PCM playback 0-0-14 : SLAVE
P0-0-16: PCM playback 0-0-16 : SLAVE
P0-0-18: PCM playback 0-0-18 : SLAVE
P0-0-20: PCM playback 0-0-20 : SLAVE
P0-0-22: PCM playback 0-0-22 : SLAVE
P0-0-24: PCM playback 0-0-24 : SLAVE
P0-0-26: PCM playback 0-0-26 : SLAVE
P0-0-28: PCM playback 0-0-28 : SLAVE
P0-0-30: PCM playback 0-0-30 : SLAVE
P0-0-32: PCM playback 0-0-32 : SLAVE
P0-0-34: PCM playback 0-0-34 : SLAVE
P0-0-36: PCM playback 0-0-36 : SLAVE
P0-0-38: PCM playback 0-0-38 : SLAVE
P0-0-40: PCM playback 0-0-40 : SLAVE
P0-0-42: PCM playback 0-0-42 : SLAVE
P0-0-44: PCM playback 0-0-44 : SLAVE
P0-0-46: PCM playback 0-0-46 : SLAVE
P0-0-48: PCM playback 0-0-48 : SLAVE
P0-0-50: PCM playback 0-0-50 : SLAVE
P0-0-52: PCM playback 0-0-52 : SLAVE
P0-0-54: PCM playback 0-0-54 : SLAVE
P0-0-56: PCM playback 0-0-56 : SLAVE
P0-0-58: PCM playback 0-0-58 : SLAVE
P0-0-60: PCM playback 0-0-60 : SLAVE
P0-0-62: PCM playback 0-0-62 : SLAVE
P0-1-1: PCM capture 0-1-1 : SLAVE
P0-2-0: PCM playback 0-2-0 : SLAVE
P0-2-1: PCM capture 0-2-1 : SLAVE
P0-2-2: PCM playback 0-2-2 : SLAVE
P0-2-4: PCM playback 0-2-4 : SLAVE
P0-2-6: PCM playback 0-2-6 : SLAVE
P0-2-8: PCM playback 0-2-8 : SLAVE
P0-2-10: PCM playback 0-2-10 : SLAVE
P0-2-12: PCM playback 0-2-12 : SLAVE
P0-2-14: PCM playback 0-2-14 : SLAVE
P0-3-0: PCM playback 0-3-0 : SLAVE
P1-0-0: PCM playback 1-0-0 : SLAVE
P1-0-1: PCM capture 1-0-1 : SLAVE
P1-1-1: PCM capture 1-1-1 : SLAVE
P1-2-0: PCM playback 1-2-0 : SLAVE
cat: /proc/asound/UART: Is a directory
Advanced Linux Sound Architecture Driver Version 1.0.17.
============================
Now that I have abused the list with info overload just to prove it is all 
there for the picking, if it would just pick the choices already indicated by 
that and the contents of /etc/modprobe.conf telling it the hierarchy it 
should use.  But no, it thinks it knows better.  Or something.                          

That is the point I'm trying to make, there is more than enough info there for 
PA to work rather nicely, so why does it pick card1 as the only choice?  The 
fact that it is not working at the instant is immaterial, and probably 
because I've plugged the cables in wrong the last time I was working on it.  
As its (card1 above) setup for skype, & skype has now been compromised, I 
personally could care less, I just want the card *I* have assigned to be the 
default "card0" to work.

And that doesn't really seem like too much to ask.  To me, if it doesn't, its 
broken and to be removed, which I just did.

Now, with PA ripped out it seems I have more stuttering sound than before on 
cnn.com, but it is playing.  As is a local .mp4 I made with kino a couple of 
days ago when I send mplayer after it, but its not playing in FF, either 
version.  However, mplayer is set as the default player for .mp4's in 
kcontrol.  I probably have missed something else though.

Thanks Mikkel.

-- 
Cheers, Gene
"There are four boxes to be used in defense of liberty:
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