[gentoo-user] Sound... a known method to track down problems

[gentoo-user] Sound... a known method to track down problems

[Harry Putnam]

Sorry to just blurt right out with this... I'm in need of sound on my
unix box and kind of quickly.  I never even configure sound or want it
as a rule but now I need it to test some recording equipment on a
second winxp computer with m-audio delta-66 installed.

I get this message when starting kde.  I just ignore it normally but I
guess it is telling me something usefull for getting sound up:

Sound server informational message:
Error while initializing the sound driver:
device /dev/dsp can't be opened (No such file or directory)
The sound server will continue, using the null output device.

This is an Asus K8V mobo with soundmax built in.

Further info:
Attempting to `play' a *.wav file:
reader > play sonny_boy2a/TooCloseTogether_SonnyBoyWilliamson2.wav
ALSA lib confmisc.c:672:(snd_func_card_driver) cannot find card '0'
ALSA lib conf.c:3491:(_snd_config_evaluate) function snd_func_card_driver returned error: No such device
ALSA lib confmisc.c:392:(snd_func_concat) error evaluating strings
ALSA lib conf.c:3491:(_snd_config_evaluate) function snd_func_concat returned error: No such device
ALSA lib confmisc.c:1072:(snd_func_refer) error evaluating name
ALSA lib conf.c:3491:(_snd_config_evaluate) function snd_func_refer returned error: No such device
ALSA lib conf.c:3960:(snd_config_expand) Evaluate error: No such device
ALSA lib pcm.c:2107:(snd_pcm_open_noupdate) Unknown PCM default
sox: Failed writing default: cannot open audio device

-- 
gentoo-user@gentoo.org mailing list

Re: [gentoo-user] Sound... a known method to track down problems

[Alexander Puchmayr]

Hi Harry!

Did you load the alsa-modules before launching kde?

Try /etc/init.d/alsasound start as root and then have a look what dmesg is 
telling you and whether /proc/asound/cards contains anything different from 
a empty string.

Second, your should configure your kde to use alsa. Go into the control 
panel, audio settings (Sound&Multimedia), Sound-System, select the 
hardware-tab and make sure that	audio hardware is set to alsa and not oss.

Good luck
	Alex




Am Mittwoch, 1. März 2006 17:42 schrieb Harry Putnam:
> Sorry to just blurt right out with this... I'm in need of sound on my
> unix box and kind of quickly.  I never even configure sound or want it
> as a rule but now I need it to test some recording equipment on a
> second winxp computer with m-audio delta-66 installed.
>
> I get this message when starting kde.  I just ignore it normally but I
> guess it is telling me something usefull for getting sound up:
>
> Sound server informational message:
> Error while initializing the sound driver:
> device /dev/dsp can't be opened (No such file or directory)
> The sound server will continue, using the null output device.
>
> This is an Asus K8V mobo with soundmax built in.
>
> Further info:
> Attempting to `play' a *.wav file:
> reader > play sonny_boy2a/TooCloseTogether_SonnyBoyWilliamson2.wav
> ALSA lib confmisc.c:672:(snd_func_card_driver) cannot find card '0'
> ALSA lib conf.c:3491:(_snd_config_evaluate) function snd_func_card_driver
> returned error: No such device ALSA lib confmisc.c:392:(snd_func_concat)
> error evaluating strings ALSA lib conf.c:3491:(_snd_config_evaluate)
> function snd_func_concat returned error: No such device ALSA lib
> confmisc.c:1072:(snd_func_refer) error evaluating name
> ALSA lib conf.c:3491:(_snd_config_evaluate) function snd_func_refer
> returned error: No such device ALSA lib conf.c:3960:(snd_config_expand)
> Evaluate error: No such device ALSA lib
> pcm.c:2107:(snd_pcm_open_noupdate) Unknown PCM default
> sox: Failed writing default: cannot open audio device

-- 
gentoo-user@gentoo.org mailing list

Re: [gentoo-user] Sound... a known method to track down problems

[Christoph Eckert]

> Sorry to just blurt right out with this... I'm in need of sound on my
> unix box and kind of quickly.  I never even configure sound or want
> it as a rule but now I need it to test some recording equipment on a
> second winxp computer with m-audio delta-66 installed.

you've ALSA installed but it's not configured yet? Try 
editing /etc/modules.d/alsa manually or install alsa-utils and run 
alsaconf as root. After that add ALSA to your preferred runlevel.

I'm not sure if alsaconf will find your card, but as soon as it is 
something like AC '97 "complaint" it should work.


Best regards


ce

-- 
gentoo-user@gentoo.org mailing list

[gentoo-user] Re: Sound... a known method to track down problems

[Harry Putnam]

Alexander Puchmayr <alexander.puchmayr@linznet.at> writes:

> Hi Harry!
>
> Did you load the alsa-modules before launching kde?

I have now after following ChistophE's suggestions.

I still get nothing when attempting to play something.  But warnings
and erros that is.

I have an XMMS player on my kde menu.  It just doesn't work but
quietly no warning etc.  (Also it is so tiny I can hardly see it.. and
seems no way to enlarge it -- I use a large desktop resolution)


> Try /etc/init.d/alsasound start as root and then have a look what dmesg is 
> telling you and whether /proc/asound/cards contains anything different from 
> a empty string.

 cat /proc/asound/cards 
0 [V8237          ]: VIA8237 - VIA 8237
                     VIA 8237 with AD1980 at 0xc800, irq 201

> Second, your should configure your kde to use alsa. Go into the control 
> panel, audio settings (Sound&Multimedia), Sound-System, select the 
> hardware-tab and make sure that	audio hardware is set to alsa and not oss.

It was set to autodetect .. I changed it to alsa, but shouldn't that select
alsa anyway?  Soon as I changed it, I immediately got this waning
dialog box: 
  Sound Server informational message
Error while initializing the sound driver
device: default can't be opened for playback (No such device)
The sound server will continue using teh null output device.

Christoph Eckert <ce@christeck.de> writes:

>
> you've ALSA installed but it's not configured yet? Try 
> editing /etc/modules.d/alsa manually or install alsa-utils and run 
> alsaconf as root. After that add ALSA to your preferred runlevel.

I did install alsa-utils and ran alsaconf.  /etc/modules.d/alsa looks
like this:

  alias /dev/mixer snd-mixer-oss
  alias /dev/dsp snd-pcm-oss
  alias /dev/midi snd-seq-oss
  
  # Set this to the correct number of cards.
  # --- BEGIN: Generated by ALSACONF, do not edit. ---
  # --- ALSACONF version 1.0.11rc2 ---
  alias snd-card-0 snd-via82xx
  alias sound-slot-0 snd-via82xx
  # --- END: Generated by ALSACONF, do not edit. ---

Should the oss stuff be there?

I've put alsasound into run level 3 and rebooted.  

On starting kde I still get a dialog message about the sound server
being unavailable.  No play tools work.

(lsmod output at the end)

Running the command line util `play' on a wav file shows this:

   reader > play WestMemphisBlues_SonnyBoyWilliamson2.wav
ALSA lib confmisc.c:672:(snd_func_card_driver) cannot find card '0'
ALSA lib conf.c:3491:(_snd_config_evaluate) function
  snd_func_card_driver returned error: No such device
ALSA lib confmisc.c:392:(snd_func_concat) error evaluating strings
ALSA lib conf.c:3491:(_snd_config_evaluate) function snd_func_concat
  returned error: No such device
ALSA lib confmisc.c:1072:(snd_func_refer) error evaluating name
ALSA lib conf.c:3491:(_snd_config_evaluate) function snd_func_refer
  returned error: No such device
ALSA lib conf.c:3960:(snd_config_expand) Evaluate error: No such device
ALSA lib pcm.c:2107:(snd_pcm_open_noupdate) Unknown PCM default
sox: Failed writing default: cannot open audio device

lismod output:
root # lsmod|grep snd_
snd_pcm_oss            48160  0 
snd_mixer_oss          17664  1 snd_pcm_oss
snd_seq_dummy           4740  0 
snd_seq_oss            32256  0 
snd_seq_midi_event      8064  1 snd_seq_oss
snd_seq                50448  5 snd_seq_dummy,snd_seq_oss,snd_seq_midi_event
snd_via82xx            27544  0 
gameport               16264  1 snd_via82xx
snd_ac97_codec         84256  1 snd_via82xx
snd_ac97_bus            3328  1 snd_ac97_codec
snd_pcm                82052  3 snd_pcm_oss,snd_via82xx,snd_ac97_codec
snd_timer              24196  2 snd_seq,snd_pcm
snd_page_alloc         11528  2 snd_via82xx,snd_pcm
snd_mpu401_uart         8320  1 snd_via82xx
snd_rawmidi            24736  1 snd_mpu401_uart
snd_seq_device          9484  4 snd_seq_dummy,snd_seq_oss,snd_seq,snd_rawmidi
snd                    53604  11 snd_pcm_oss,snd_mixer_oss,snd_seq_oss,snd_seq,snd_via82xx,snd_ac97_codec,snd_pcm,snd_timer,snd_mpu401_uart,snd_rawmidi,snd_seq_device

-- 
gentoo-user@gentoo.org mailing list

Re: [gentoo-user] Re: Sound... a known method to track down problems

[Uwe Thiem]

On 02 March 2006 13:44, Harry Putnam wrote:
> Alexander Puchmayr <alexander.puchmayr@linznet.at> writes:
> > Hi Harry!
> >
> > Did you load the alsa-modules before launching kde?
>
> I have now after following ChistophE's suggestions.
>
> I still get nothing when attempting to play something.  But warnings
> and erros that is.

Go to KDE's Control Center -> Sound & Multimedia -> Sound -> Sound System -> 
Hardware. Tfhen play with the "Select audio device" setting.

Uwe

-- 
Why do consumers keep buying products they will live to curse?
-- 
gentoo-user@gentoo.org mailing list

Re: [gentoo-user] Re: Sound... a known method to track down problems

[Daniel da Veiga]

On 3/2/06, Harry Putnam <reader@newsguy.com> wrote:
> Alexander Puchmayr <alexander.puchmayr@linznet.at> writes:
>
> > Hi Harry!
> >
> > Did you load the alsa-modules before launching kde?
>
> I have now after following ChistophE's suggestions.
>
> I still get nothing when attempting to play something.  But warnings
> and erros that is.
>
> I have an XMMS player on my kde menu.  It just doesn't work but
> quietly no warning etc.  (Also it is so tiny I can hardly see it.. and
> seems no way to enlarge it -- I use a large desktop resolution)
>
>
> > Try /etc/init.d/alsasound start as root and then have a look what dmesg is
> > telling you and whether /proc/asound/cards contains anything different from
> > a empty string.
>
>  cat /proc/asound/cards
> 0 [V8237          ]: VIA8237 - VIA 8237
>                     VIA 8237 with AD1980 at 0xc800, irq 201
>
> > Second, your should configure your kde to use alsa. Go into the control
> > panel, audio settings (Sound&Multimedia), Sound-System, select the
> > hardware-tab and make sure that       audio hardware is set to alsa and not oss.
>
> It was set to autodetect .. I changed it to alsa, but shouldn't that select
> alsa anyway?  Soon as I changed it, I immediately got this waning
> dialog box:
>  Sound Server informational message
> Error while initializing the sound driver
> device: default can't be opened for playback (No such device)
> The sound server will continue using teh null output device.
>
> Christoph Eckert <ce@christeck.de> writes:
>
> >
> > you've ALSA installed but it's not configured yet? Try
> > editing /etc/modules.d/alsa manually or install alsa-utils and run
> > alsaconf as root. After that add ALSA to your preferred runlevel.
>
> I did install alsa-utils and ran alsaconf.  /etc/modules.d/alsa looks
> like this:
>
>  alias /dev/mixer snd-mixer-oss
>  alias /dev/dsp snd-pcm-oss
>  alias /dev/midi snd-seq-oss
>
>  # Set this to the correct number of cards.
>  # --- BEGIN: Generated by ALSACONF, do not edit. ---
>  # --- ALSACONF version 1.0.11rc2 ---
>  alias snd-card-0 snd-via82xx
>  alias sound-slot-0 snd-via82xx
>  # --- END: Generated by ALSACONF, do not edit. ---
>
> Should the oss stuff be there?
>
> I've put alsasound into run level 3 and rebooted.
>
> On starting kde I still get a dialog message about the sound server
> being unavailable.  No play tools work.
>
> (lsmod output at the end)
>
> Running the command line util `play' on a wav file shows this:
>
>   reader > play WestMemphisBlues_SonnyBoyWilliamson2.wav
> ALSA lib confmisc.c:672:(snd_func_card_driver) cannot find card '0'
> ALSA lib conf.c:3491:(_snd_config_evaluate) function
>  snd_func_card_driver returned error: No such device
> ALSA lib confmisc.c:392:(snd_func_concat) error evaluating strings
> ALSA lib conf.c:3491:(_snd_config_evaluate) function snd_func_concat
>  returned error: No such device
> ALSA lib confmisc.c:1072:(snd_func_refer) error evaluating name
> ALSA lib conf.c:3491:(_snd_config_evaluate) function snd_func_refer
>  returned error: No such device
> ALSA lib conf.c:3960:(snd_config_expand) Evaluate error: No such device
> ALSA lib pcm.c:2107:(snd_pcm_open_noupdate) Unknown PCM default
> sox: Failed writing default: cannot open audio device
>
> lismod output:
> root # lsmod|grep snd_
> snd_pcm_oss            48160  0
> snd_mixer_oss          17664  1 snd_pcm_oss
> snd_seq_dummy           4740  0
> snd_seq_oss            32256  0
> snd_seq_midi_event      8064  1 snd_seq_oss
> snd_seq                50448  5 snd_seq_dummy,snd_seq_oss,snd_seq_midi_event
> snd_via82xx            27544  0
> gameport               16264  1 snd_via82xx
> snd_ac97_codec         84256  1 snd_via82xx
> snd_ac97_bus            3328  1 snd_ac97_codec
> snd_pcm                82052  3 snd_pcm_oss,snd_via82xx,snd_ac97_codec
> snd_timer              24196  2 snd_seq,snd_pcm
> snd_page_alloc         11528  2 snd_via82xx,snd_pcm
> snd_mpu401_uart         8320  1 snd_via82xx
> snd_rawmidi            24736  1 snd_mpu401_uart
> snd_seq_device          9484  4 snd_seq_dummy,snd_seq_oss,snd_seq,snd_rawmidi
> snd                    53604  11 snd_pcm_oss,snd_mixer_oss,snd_seq_oss,snd_seq,snd_via82xx,snd_ac97_codec,snd_pcm,snd_timer,snd_mpu401_uart,snd_rawmidi,snd_seq_device
>
> --
> gentoo-user@gentoo.org mailing list
>
>

You should check the ALSA Guide from the Gentoo Docs and see if you
performed all steps, specially your kernel config. I have this same
MOBO, so I can assure you, it works... Just follow the guide.

I had KDE working with ALSA, but strangely, the "Test" button at KDE
config don't work, all other apps does using arts.

--
Daniel da Veiga
Computer Operator - RS - Brazil
-----BEGIN GEEK CODE BLOCK-----
Version: 3.1
GCM/IT/P/O d-? s:- a? C++$ UBLA++ P+ L++ E--- W+++$ N o+ K- w O M- V-
PS PE Y PGP- t+ 5 X+++ R+* tv b+ DI+++ D+ G+ e h+ r+ y++
------END GEEK CODE BLOCK------

-- 
gentoo-user@gentoo.org mailing list

Re: [gentoo-user] Re: Sound... a known method to track down problems

[Holly Bostick]

Harry Putnam schreef:
> 
> cat /proc/asound/cards 0 [V8237          ]: VIA8237 - VIA 8237 VIA 
> 8237 with AD1980 at 0xc800, irq 201
> 
> 
> I did install alsa-utils and ran alsaconf.  /etc/modules.d/alsa looks
>  like this:
> 
> alias /dev/mixer snd-mixer-oss alias /dev/dsp snd-pcm-oss alias 
> /dev/midi snd-seq-oss
> 
> # Set this to the correct number of cards. # --- BEGIN: Generated by 
> ALSACONF, do not edit. --- # --- ALSACONF version 1.0.11rc2 --- alias
>  snd-card-0 snd-via82xx alias sound-slot-0 snd-via82xx # --- END: 
> Generated by ALSACONF, do not edit. ---
> 
> Should the oss stuff be there?

Yes, it should (imo); many apps use ALSA's OSS emulation to play sounds.
So it's wise to have it unless you want to investigate every sound app
you use to make sure it's ALSA-capable.

> 
> I've put alsasound into run level 3 and rebooted.
> 
> On starting kde I still get a dialog message about the sound server 
> being unavailable.  No play tools work.
> 
> (lsmod output at the end)
> 
> Running the command line util `play' on a wav file shows this:
> 
> reader > play WestMemphisBlues_SonnyBoyWilliamson2.wav ALSA lib 
> confmisc.c:672:(snd_func_card_driver) cannot find card '0' <snip> 
> ALSA lib conf.c:3960:(snd_config_expand) Evaluate error: No such 
> device ALSA lib pcm.c:2107:(snd_pcm_open_noupdate) Unknown PCM 
> default sox: Failed writing default: cannot open audio device

OK, here's the thing. Forgive me if I'm going too far back to basics,
but....

The VIA 8237 is an onboard sound chip. I have one myself. As such, it's
controlled by the BIOS. Since you have previously not used sound on this
machine, it's within the realm of possibility (imo) that you disabled
the sound chip in the BIOS, which -- if that was the case-- would
possibly explain why the card is not being found when you actually try
to use it.

Have you checked, or would you check your BIOS and confirm that the
onboard sound is enabled there?

Holly
-- 
gentoo-user@gentoo.org mailing list

[gentoo-user] Re: Sound... a known method to track down problems

[Harry Putnam]

Holly Bostick <motub@planet.nl> writes:

> The VIA 8237 is an onboard sound chip. I have one myself. As such, it's
> controlled by the BIOS. Since you have previously not used sound on this
> machine, it's within the realm of possibility (imo) that you disabled
> the sound chip in the BIOS, which -- if that was the case-- would
> possibly explain why the card is not being found when you actually try
> to use it.
>
> Have you checked, or would you check your BIOS and confirm that the
> onboard sound is enabled there?

Have not, but will on next reboot.  However the chances are slim to
none.  This box only began its career as a gentoo box a few weeks ago
when my existing box gave up the chase ... a disk controller problem I
was to dumb to solve and scrapped the whole thing.

This box (athlon64 +3200) was previously an winxp video crunching
(Edit and transpose) box.  And had sound working all the time.

I've made no changes bios wise.  But will report what I find later. 

-- 
gentoo-user@gentoo.org mailing list

[gentoo-user] Re: Sound... a known method to track down problems

[Harry Putnam]

Harry Putnam <reader@newsguy.com> writes:

> . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... I'm in need of sound on my
> unix box and kind of quickly.  I never even configure sound or want it
> as a rule but now I need it to test some recording equipment on a
> second winxp computer with m-audio delta-66 installed.

This was solved by going thru the Alsa Guide.  But I got a sneaking
suspiciion that my main trouble was not understanding that play stuff
would only work for root.  So naturally anything in KDE desktop would
be my user.

I never thought to try playing as root.

So now all fixed and added my user to audio group as stipulated in
ALSA Guide.

-- 
gentoo-user@gentoo.org mailing list