[gentoo-user] ALSA_CARDS Variable in-kernel drivers?

[gentoo-user] ALSA_CARDS Variable in-kernel drivers?

[Jakob Buchgraber]

Hi!

I just read about the required ALSA_CARDS variable when using in-kernel 
drivers in the Gentoo Newsletter. Since I am using in-kernel ALSA 
drivers I would like to know what changed and why this is required? Is 
this explained somewhere? I am using vanilla-sources (not 
gentoo-sources). So do I need to set ALSA_CARDS when using 
vanilla-sources too?

Cheers,
Jay

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Re: [gentoo-user] ALSA_CARDS Variable in-kernel drivers?

[b.n.]

Jakob Buchgraber ha scritto:
> Hi!
> 
> I just read about the required ALSA_CARDS variable when using in-kernel
> drivers in the Gentoo Newsletter. Since I am using in-kernel ALSA
> drivers I would like to know what changed and why this is required? Is
> this explained somewhere? I am using vanilla-sources (not
> gentoo-sources). So do I need to set ALSA_CARDS when using
> vanilla-sources too?

The GWN seems clear:
"for users using the in-kernel drivers, they
should now properly set that variable"

I think that the other alsa packages must be aware of it. Anyway I think
setting it shouldn't harm.

m.

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Re: [gentoo-user] ALSA_CARDS Variable in-kernel drivers?

[Jakob Buchgraber]

b.n. wrote:
> Jakob Buchgraber ha scritto:
>   
>> Hi!
>>
>> I just read about the required ALSA_CARDS variable when using in-kernel
>> drivers in the Gentoo Newsletter. Since I am using in-kernel ALSA
>> drivers I would like to know what changed and why this is required? Is
>> this explained somewhere? I am using vanilla-sources (not
>> gentoo-sources). So do I need to set ALSA_CARDS when using
>> vanilla-sources too?
>>     
>
> The GWN seems clear:
> "for users using the in-kernel drivers, they
> should now properly set that variable"
>
> I think that the other alsa packages must be aware of it. Anyway I think
> setting it shouldn't harm.
>
> m.
>
>   
Thank you for your reply!

It's clear to me that setting the variable doesn't harm however I'd like 
to know why exactly. Does anybody have in-detail informations?

Cheers,
Jay

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Re: [gentoo-user] ALSA_CARDS Variable in-kernel drivers?

[Dan Farrell]

On Tue, 27 Feb 2007 20:59:21 +0100
Jakob Buchgraber <jakob.buchgraber@googlemail.com> wrote:

> b.n. wrote:
> > Jakob Buchgraber ha scritto:
> >   
> >> Hi!
> >>
> >> I just read about the required ALSA_CARDS variable when using
> >> in-kernel drivers in the Gentoo Newsletter. Since I am using
> >> in-kernel ALSA drivers I would like to know what changed and why
> >> this is required? Is this explained somewhere? I am using
> >> vanilla-sources (not gentoo-sources). So do I need to set
> >> ALSA_CARDS when using vanilla-sources too?
> >>     
> >
> > The GWN seems clear:
> > "for users using the in-kernel drivers, they
> > should now properly set that variable"
> >
> > I think that the other alsa packages must be aware of it. Anyway I
> > think setting it shouldn't harm.
> >
> > m.
> >
> >   
> Thank you for your reply!
> 
> It's clear to me that setting the variable doesn't harm however I'd
> like to know why exactly. Does anybody have in-detail informations?
> 
> Cheers,
> Jay
I use the kernel drivers exclusively, and never set ALSA_CARDS or
anything else for that matter.  Emerge alsa-utils and turn up the
volume and it always works for me.  Maybe there's a different reason
for ALSA_CARDS than I understand.  I know the x11 "VIDEO_CARDS" setting
helps not only X, but other programs too, decide which hardware to
support.  The same may be true of ALSA_CARDS.  I would think though,
that this would be most important for people using the ALSA-supplied
drivers, as in-kernel drivers are selected at kernel configuration
time and alsa-provided drivers must use another way to specify which
sound hardware to support.  
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Re: [gentoo-user] ALSA_CARDS Variable in-kernel drivers?

[Ryan Sims]

On 2/27/07, Dan Farrell <dan@spore.ath.cx> wrote:
> On Tue, 27 Feb 2007 20:59:21 +0100
> Jakob Buchgraber <jakob.buchgraber@googlemail.com> wrote:
>
> > b.n. wrote:
> > > Jakob Buchgraber ha scritto:
> > >
> > >> Hi!
> > >>
> > >> I just read about the required ALSA_CARDS variable when using
> > >> in-kernel drivers in the Gentoo Newsletter. Since I am using
> > >> in-kernel ALSA drivers I would like to know what changed and why
> > >> this is required? Is this explained somewhere? I am using
> > >> vanilla-sources (not gentoo-sources). So do I need to set
> > >> ALSA_CARDS when using vanilla-sources too?
> > >>
> > >
> > > The GWN seems clear:
> > > "for users using the in-kernel drivers, they
> > > should now properly set that variable"
> > >
> > > I think that the other alsa packages must be aware of it. Anyway I
> > > think setting it shouldn't harm.

Context from the GWN in question:

"In the past days there were a few changes to two ALSA packages,
media-sound/alsa-firmware-1.0.14_rc2-r1 and
media-sound/alsa-tools-1.0.14_rc1-r1. These two ebuilds now make use
of the ALSA_CARDS variable to decide which firmwares to install and
which tools to build."

So it looks to me like it has nothing to do with the kernel.  I can't
check the ebuilds right now, but my guess is that they would explain
what those two packages need the variable for, and what has changed.

-- 
Ryan W Sims
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Re: [gentoo-user] ALSA_CARDS Variable in-kernel drivers?

[Daniel Iliev]

Dan Farrell wrote:
> On Tue, 27 Feb 2007 20:59:21 +0100
> Jakob Buchgraber <jakob.buchgraber@googlemail.com> wrote:
>
>   
>> b.n. wrote:
>>     
>>> Jakob Buchgraber ha scritto:
>>>   
>>>       
>>>> Hi!
>>>>
>>>> I just read about the required ALSA_CARDS variable when using
>>>> in-kernel drivers in the Gentoo Newsletter. Since I am using
>>>> in-kernel ALSA drivers I would like to know what changed and why
>>>> this is required? Is this explained somewhere? I am using
>>>> vanilla-sources (not gentoo-sources). So do I need to set
>>>> ALSA_CARDS when using vanilla-sources too?
>>>>     
>>>>         
>>> The GWN seems clear:
>>> "for users using the in-kernel drivers, they
>>> should now properly set that variable"
>>>
>>> I think that the other alsa packages must be aware of it. Anyway I
>>> think setting it shouldn't harm.
>>>
>>> m.
>>>
>>>   
>>>       
>> Thank you for your reply!
>>
>> It's clear to me that setting the variable doesn't harm however I'd
>> like to know why exactly. Does anybody have in-detail informations?
>>
>> Cheers,
>> Jay
>>     
> I use the kernel drivers exclusively, and never set ALSA_CARDS or
> anything else for that matter.  Emerge alsa-utils and turn up the
> volume and it always works for me.  Maybe there's a different reason
> for ALSA_CARDS than I understand.  I know the x11 "VIDEO_CARDS" setting
> helps not only X, but other programs too, decide which hardware to
> support.  The same may be true of ALSA_CARDS.  I would think though,
> that this would be most important for people using the ALSA-supplied
> drivers, as in-kernel drivers are selected at kernel configuration
> time and alsa-provided drivers must use another way to specify which
> sound hardware to support.  
>   

For me actually it's enough when gentoo devs say "do it" ;-)

..but here's even something else:

If you don't set it, then portage sets it for you. Try "emerge --info |
grep ALSA" and you'll see that ALSA_CARDS has (may be) all the possible
values. If you set it by yourself, it would have only the value [or
values] you choose. I prefer the latter. ;-)


[*] - in case you have multiple cards


-- 
Best regards,
Daniel


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Re: [gentoo-user] ALSA_CARDS Variable in-kernel drivers?

[Boyd Stephen Smith Jr.]

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On Tuesday 27 February 2007, Jakob Buchgraber 
<jakob.buchgraber@googlemail.com> wrote about '[gentoo-user] ALSA_CARDS 
Variable in-kernel drivers?':
> I just read about the required ALSA_CARDS variable when using in-kernel
> drivers in the Gentoo Newsletter. Since I am using in-kernel ALSA
> drivers I would like to know what changed and why this is required? Is
> this explained somewhere? I am using vanilla-sources (not
> gentoo-sources). So do I need to set ALSA_CARDS when using
> vanilla-sources too?

Flameeyes has been blogging about this.  Basically, there are other 
packages (besides the out-of-tree kernel module package) that will now use 
this package to decide what to install.  Please set it in /etc/make.conf 
appropriately.

http://farragut.flameeyes.is-a-geek.org/articles/2007/02/17/alsa-and-disposable-power-tools
http://farragut.flameeyes.is-a-geek.org/articles/2007/02/17/alsa-again-alsa-tools-cleanup
http://farragut.flameeyes.is-a-geek.org/articles/2007/02/18/alsa-improvements-part-3

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