gentoo alsa problems

konqi · 12-06-2008, 07:37 AM

I have some sound problems with gentoo.
I created a kernel with genkernel and the configuration of the live cd, so the in-kernel alsa drivers should work.

I have used a gentoo installation on the same machine with the same kernel, so the kernel isn't the problem.

When i try to play a song with madplay, i get the following output:

Code:

MPEG Audio Decoder 0.15.2 (beta) - Copyright (C) 2000-2004 Robert Leslie et al.
ALSA lib dlmisc.c:118:(snd_dlsym_verify) unable to verify version for symbol _snd_pcm_plug_open
ALSA lib pcm.c:2108:(snd_pcm_open_conf) symbol _snd_pcm_plug_open is not defined inside [builtin]
audio: No such device or address

I have no idea what to do with it.
Does it have something to do with USE flags, ALSA_PCM_PLUGINS or ALSA_CARDS?

konqi · 12-07-2008, 04:05 AM

I have read a lot about /dev/dsp. But this is for OSS isn't it? I don't have /dev/dsp.

I also get an error window when I login to KDE, it says:

Code:

Sound server informational message:

Error while initializing the sound driver:

device: default can't be opened for playback (No such device or address)

The sound server will continue, using the null output device.

When i change the KDE sound system to OSS (with kcontrol) my sound in KDE works. When i chose the Threaded Open Sound System, it also works. But when i change it back to autodetect or alsa, it doesn't work and i get the error window.

And offcourse with KDE via OSS madplay still doesn't work.

I want to use KDE with alsa, whats wrong that it give me these errors?

Electro · 12-07-2008, 03:44 PM

In order for ALSA to work. The ALSA library have to be equal or greater than the ALSA drivers. Same goes true with ALSA utilities. After you update both the ALSA libraries and utilities, run the following command with root privileges.

revdep-rebuild --ignore --pretend

If anything comes up that needs to be re-installed, re-run it again by doing.

revdep-rebuild --ignore --ask --verbose

You may want to check $HOME/.asoundrc and /etc/asound.conf. If there is any lines in these files, comment each line by placing # in the beginning of each line.

Another problem is when ALSA libraries and ALSA utilities are compiled with a lower GNU gcc compiler version than the version that compiled ALSA drivers.

konqi · 12-20-2008, 12:31 PM

Sorry for the late reply, but i was short on time last weeks.

I don't know the version of the in-kernel alsa drivers, but my kernel version is 2.6.26-r3. My alsa-utils is 1.0.16 and alsa-lib is 1.0.16

Maybe it is something with the USE flags / ALSA_PCM_PLUGINS?

Code:

[ebuild   R   ] media-sound/alsa-utils-1.0.16  USE="midi -nls" 0 kB

[ebuild   R   ] media-libs/alsa-lib-1.0.16  USE="doc midi -alisp -debug" ALSA_PCM_PLUGINS="-adpcm -alaw -asym -copy -dmix -dshare -dsnoop -empty -extplug -file -hooks -iec958 -ioplug -ladspa -lfloat -linear -meter -mulaw -multi -null -plug -rate -route -share -shm -softvol" 0 kB

I did run revdep-rebuild --ignore --ask --verbose, but it didn't help.

I don't have any ~/.asoundrc or /etc/asound.conf files, I do have /etc/asound.state, but thats for the volumes isn't it?

The GCC version I used to compile should be the same, because I used genkernel for the kernel compilation.

Electro · 12-20-2008, 10:37 PM

Put the following in /etc/make.conf.

ALSA_PCM_PLUGINS="adpcm alaw asym copy dmix dshare dsnoop empty extplug file hooks iec958 ioplug ladspa lfloat linear meter mulaw multi null plug rate route share shm softvol"

The following should list the ALSA version of the module (driver).

cat /proc/asound/version

Even if you do not have the ALSA libraries, try using OSS as the audio output device instead of ALSA. An ALSA module is backwards compatible with OSS. The following is an example to output to OSS using mplayer.

mplayer -ao oss file

Try doing potage updates to use the latest stable programs.

konqi · 12-21-2008, 05:04 AM

ALSA is working right now, what i did is setting all of the ALSA_PCM_PLUGINS and then emerging alsa-lib, alsa-utils and alsa-tools.

When i run /etc/init.d/alsasound restart I get these errors:

Code:

 * Storing ALSA Mixer Levels ...                                          [ ok ]
 * Killing processes using ALSA ...                                       [ ok ]
 * Unloading ALSA modules ...                                             [ ok ]
 * Loading ALSA modules ...
WARNING: /etc/modprobe.conf line 69: ignoring bad line starting with 'alias'
 *   Loading: snd-card-0 ...
WARNING: /etc/modprobe.conf line 69: ignoring bad line starting with 'al  [ ok ]
 *   Loading: snd-pcm-oss ...
WARNING: /etc/modprobe.conf line 69: ignoring bad line starting with 'al  [ ok ]
 *   Loading: snd-seq-oss ...
WARNING: /etc/modprobe.conf line 69: ignoring bad line starting with 'al  [ ok ]
 *   Loading: snd-seq-midi ...
WARNING: /etc/modprobe.conf line 69: ignoring bad line starting with 'al  [ ok ]
 * Restoring Mixer Levels ...                                             [ ok ]

I will have a watch /etc/modprobe.conf for it.

When i run madplay while i listen music with amarok its says "audio: Device or resource busy". This has probably something to do with configuration. I'll search google for it.

Something i don't understand is why madplay (when amarok isn't active) plays the song with alot of disortion and way to fast, when amarok plays it ok.

Electro · 12-22-2008, 06:33 PM

The message "audio: Device or resource busy" means you are using OSS as the audio output device and your sound card can not handle multiple streams at once or KDE sound daemon is taking over and it is not using any sound mixing. For audio playing like chipmunks, your audio player is not set correctly to resample the audio to 48000 Hz. The ALSA library dmix does the sound mixing and by default it is set at 48000 Hz which may not be good thing for audiophile use.

For the error stating "WARNING: /etc/modprobe.conf line 69: ignoring bad line starting with 'alias'", you should check that line and find the file /etc/modules.d that has the line. Then comment it and do update-modules --force. Do not edit both /etc/modules.conf and /etc/modprobe.conf.