Dmix using more CPU than plug:hw

Dmix using more CPU than plug:hw

[Erik de Castro Lopo]

Note : Please CC me on responses as I am not subscribed to this 
list.

Hi all,

I'm playing around with Polypaudio (an EsoundD replacement) and
find that it works really well when I connect it to the plug:hw
and the CPU usage is as I would expect.

If on the other hand I connect Polypaudio to the plug:dmix1
(defined as below) device it attempts to chew up 100% of CPU and 
then dies.

The ALSA version is whatever is in the 2.6.11 kernel. I have also
seen this problem on two different systems (iBook/Tumbler and
ia32/CMI8738) so its not hardware specific.

Does anyone have any ideas as to why a dmix device behaves so
differently to plug:hw?

TIA,
Erik


pcm.dmix1 {
   type dmix
   ipc_key 1024
   slave {
       pcm "hw:0,0"            # make sure this matches the actual device
       #period_time 0          # not necessary since ALSA 1.0pre
       period_size 1024        # Use a power of 2
       buffer_size 4096        # must be a multiple of period_size
       #rate 44100             # not necessary; let alsa-lib handle this
   }
   bindings {
       0 0
       1 1                     # bind only the first 2 channels
   }
}
pcm.duplex
{
   type asym
   playback.pcm "dmix1"
   capture.pcm "dsnoop"
}
# Everything shall be dmix1ed, so redefine "default":
# Note that this is _not_ a good idea, since dmix1 doesn't allow mmap access currently
#pcm.!default {
#   type plug
#   slave.pcm "duplex"
#}
# OSS via aoss should d(mix)stroyed:
pcm.dsp0 {
   type plug
   slave.pcm "duplex"
}
ctl.dmix1 {
   type hw
   card 0
}


-- 
+-----------------------------------------------------------+
  Erik de Castro Lopo  nospam@mega-nerd.com (Yes it's valid)
+-----------------------------------------------------------+
"OS X is great that way.  I put a copy of OS X on my coffee table,
and it hasn't been hacked yet. Yes, I am using it as a server. I
serve several meals on it every week." -- Anthony Minkoff


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Re: Dmix using more CPU than plug:hw

[Takashi Iwai]

At Sat, 7 May 2005 09:53:46 +1000,
Erik de Castro Lopo wrote:
> 
> 
> Note : Please CC me on responses as I am not subscribed to this 
> list.
> 
> Hi all,
> 
> I'm playing around with Polypaudio (an EsoundD replacement) and
> find that it works really well when I connect it to the plug:hw
> and the CPU usage is as I would expect.
> 
> If on the other hand I connect Polypaudio to the plug:dmix1
> (defined as below) device it attempts to chew up 100% of CPU and 
> then dies.
> 
> The ALSA version is whatever is in the 2.6.11 kernel. I have also
> seen this problem on two different systems (iBook/Tumbler and
> ia32/CMI8738) so its not hardware specific.
> 
> Does anyone have any ideas as to why a dmix device behaves so
> differently to plug:hw?

Does it still happen with 1.0.9rc3?


Takashi


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Re: Dmix using more CPU than plug:hw

[Thierry Vignaud]

Takashi Iwai <tiwai@suse.de> writes:

> > I'm playing around with Polypaudio (an EsoundD replacement) and
> > find that it works really well when I connect it to the plug:hw
> > and the CPU usage is as I would expect.
> > 
> > If on the other hand I connect Polypaudio to the plug:dmix1
> > (defined as below) device it attempts to chew up 100% of CPU and
> > then dies.
> > 
> > The ALSA version is whatever is in the 2.6.11 kernel. I have also
> > seen this problem on two different systems (iBook/Tumbler and
> > ia32/CMI8738) so its not hardware specific.
> > 
> > Does anyone have any ideas as to why a dmix device behaves so
> > differently to plug:hw?
> 
> Does it still happen with 1.0.9rc3?

afaic artsd with alsa-lib-1.0.9rc3 eats quite lots cpu time. i've got
similar reports from people that previously reported that artsd was
using too much cpu time.



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Re: Dmix using more CPU than plug:hw

[Takashi Iwai]

At Wed, 11 May 2005 16:03:33 +0200,
Thierry Vignaud wrote:
> 
> Takashi Iwai <tiwai@suse.de> writes:
> 
> > > I'm playing around with Polypaudio (an EsoundD replacement) and
> > > find that it works really well when I connect it to the plug:hw
> > > and the CPU usage is as I would expect.
> > > 
> > > If on the other hand I connect Polypaudio to the plug:dmix1
> > > (defined as below) device it attempts to chew up 100% of CPU and
> > > then dies.
> > > 
> > > The ALSA version is whatever is in the 2.6.11 kernel. I have also
> > > seen this problem on two different systems (iBook/Tumbler and
> > > ia32/CMI8738) so its not hardware specific.
> > > 
> > > Does anyone have any ideas as to why a dmix device behaves so
> > > differently to plug:hw?
> > 
> > Does it still happen with 1.0.9rc3?
> 
> afaic artsd with alsa-lib-1.0.9rc3 eats quite lots cpu time. i've got
> similar reports from people that previously reported that artsd was
> using too much cpu time.

That's bad.  I hope it got fixed now.

Anyway, this high CPU usage is usually solved when you run without
rate conversion in alsa-lib.  Specify 48000Hz for artsd or polyaudio.


Takashi


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Re: Dmix using more CPU than plug:hw

[Thierry Vignaud]

Takashi Iwai <tiwai@suse.de> writes:

> > afaic artsd with alsa-lib-1.0.9rc3 eats quite lots cpu time. i've
> > got similar reports from people that previously reported that
> > artsd was using too much cpu time.
> 
> That's bad.  I hope it got fixed now.

oops, i wanted to mean "afaic artsd with alsa-lib-1.0.9rc3 eats quite
*LESS* cpu time than before." :-)



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Re: Dmix using more CPU than plug:hw

[Erik de Castro Lopo]

Note : I am now subscribed to the list. Please reply to the list
       and do not CC me. Thanks.

Takashi Iwai wrote:

> > > Does it still happen with 1.0.9rc3?

I haven't tried this yet. Whats involved with installing the alsa 
drivers under a 2.6 kernel?

> That's bad.  I hope it got fixed now.
> 
> Anyway, this high CPU usage is usually solved when you run without
> rate conversion in alsa-lib.  Specify 48000Hz for artsd or polyaudio.

With polypaudio I have tried forcing the rate to both 48000 and 44100
(which is the only rate my iBook/Tumbler hardware actually accepts).
In both cases, polypaudio chews up 100% if CPU time and gets killed
within about 10 seconds.

Is this something that 1.0.9rc3 is likely to fix?

Erik
-- 
+-----------------------------------------------------------+
  Erik de Castro Lopo  nospam@mega-nerd.com (Yes it's valid)
+-----------------------------------------------------------+
" ... new TV ad for Microsoft's Internet Explorer e-mail program which
uses the musical theme of the "Confutatis Maledictis" from Mozart's
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addictis,". This translates to "The damned and accursed are convicted
to the flames of hell."


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Re: Dmix using more CPU than plug:hw

[Takashi Iwai]

At Thu, 12 May 2005 20:08:48 +1000,
Erik de Castro Lopo wrote:
> 
> Takashi Iwai wrote:
> 
> > > > Does it still happen with 1.0.9rc3?
> 
> I haven't tried this yet. Whats involved with installing the alsa 
> drivers under a 2.6 kernel?

Installing alsa-driver 1.0.9rc3 is recommended together with alsa-lib
1.0.9rc3, but alsa-lib 1.0.9rc3 itself should work fine with alsa
drivers included in 2.6.11 or 12-rc* kernels.

> > That's bad.  I hope it got fixed now.
> > 
> > Anyway, this high CPU usage is usually solved when you run without
> > rate conversion in alsa-lib.  Specify 48000Hz for artsd or polyaudio.
> 
> With polypaudio I have tried forcing the rate to both 48000 and 44100
> (which is the only rate my iBook/Tumbler hardware actually accepts).
> In both cases, polypaudio chews up 100% if CPU time and gets killed
> within about 10 seconds.
> 
> Is this something that 1.0.9rc3 is likely to fix?

Might be...


Takashi


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Re: Dmix using more CPU than plug:hw

[Erik de Castro Lopo]

Takashi Iwai wrote:

> At Thu, 12 May 2005 20:08:48 +1000,
> Erik de Castro Lopo wrote:
>
> > Is this something that 1.0.9rc3 is likely to fix?
> 
> Might be...

Unfortunately not.

I installed alsa-driver-1.0.9rc3 and alsa-lib-1.0.9rc3. If I 
then run polypaudio it hangs, hard. So hard that I can't 
kill it. There's nothing in the system logs.

Erik
-- 
+-----------------------------------------------------------+
  Erik de Castro Lopo  nospam@mega-nerd.com (Yes it's valid)
+-----------------------------------------------------------+
"The earth is degenerating these days. Bribery and corruption abound.
Children no longer mind parents ...and it is evident that the end of
the world is approaching fast." -- Assyrian Tablet Engraved in 2800 B.C.


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Re: Dmix using more CPU than plug:hw

[Erik de Castro Lopo]

Erik de Castro Lopo wrote:

> Takashi Iwai wrote:
> 
> > At Thu, 12 May 2005 20:08:48 +1000,
> > Erik de Castro Lopo wrote:
> >
> > > Is this something that 1.0.9rc3 is likely to fix?
> > 
> > Might be...
> 
> Unfortunately not.
> 
> I installed alsa-driver-1.0.9rc3 and alsa-lib-1.0.9rc3. If I 
> then run polypaudio it hangs, hard. So hard that I can't 
> kill it. There's nothing in the system logs.

I backed out the driver but kept the new alsa-lib and polypaudio
now works, using a sensible amount of CPU.

Erik
-- 
+-----------------------------------------------------------+
  Erik de Castro Lopo  nospam@mega-nerd.com (Yes it's valid)
+-----------------------------------------------------------+
"TLC declared bankruptcy after they received less than 2 percent of the $175
million earned by their CD sales. That was about 40 times less than the
profit that was divided among their management, production and record
companies." -- Courtney Love on the REAL piracy


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Re: Dmix using more CPU than plug:hw

[Lee Revell]

On Thu, 2005-05-12 at 20:08 +1000, Erik de Castro Lopo wrote:
> Note : I am now subscribed to the list. Please reply to the list
>        and do not CC me. Thanks.
> 

The convention on this list is to use Reply-To-All.  So you won't have
much luck telling people not to CC you.  Better to set up a filter for
list mail, so you get one copy in your inbox and one in your alsa-devel
folder.

Lee



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