Tools to help install alsa.

Tools to help install alsa.

[James Courtier-Dutton]

Hi,

I have been helping a few people on #alsa on freenode.net.
Some points to note: -
1) It seems that alsa does not work when compiled into the kernel, but 
does work as modules.
2) For alsa to work in kernel 2.6, the first item in the OSS menu has to 
be set to M, otherwise module soundcore does not seem to exist. (This is 
unconfirmed, so might just be user error)
3) It would be nice if there was a test tool.
This test tool would test for: -
a) See if the user has loaded the kernel modules, so that a "card" 
exists in /proc/asound.
b) Test the mixer interface is functioning.
c) Display alsa-driver, and alsa-lib version numbers.
d) check access writes to /dev/snd/* are valid from the currently logged 
in user.
e) check /etc/modules.conf contains all the correct alias statements, to 
ensure the sound modules will load up again after a reboot.
f) check /etc/modules.conf is not still trying to load OSS drivers.
g) Make a simple test, by playing some white noise out of each speaker 
in turn, allowing for up to 6 speakers. Let the test go in a loop, so 
that the user can adjust mixer settings until they hear sound.
h) Provide some test so that alsa-lib can detect if interrupts are 
actually reaching the sound card or not. Some bugs in ACPI might mean 
that interrupts are not forwarded correctly.

After these tests, it could produce a nice simple message, telling the 
user what to do next to fix it.

Cheers
James



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Re: Tools to help install alsa.

[Måns Rullgård]

James Courtier-Dutton <James@superbug.demon.co.uk> writes:

> 2) For alsa to work in kernel 2.6, the first item in the OSS menu has
> to be set to M, otherwise module soundcore does not seem to
> exist. (This is unconfirmed, so might just be user error)

That is not the case.  It works fine here, without anything under OSS
selected.

-- 
Måns Rullgård
mru@users.sf.net



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Re: Tools to help install alsa.

[Takashi Iwai]

At Mon, 06 Oct 2003 19:14:10 +0100,
James Courtier-Dutton wrote:
> 
> Hi,
> 
> I have been helping a few people on #alsa on freenode.net.
> Some points to note: -
> 1) It seems that alsa does not work when compiled into the kernel, but 
> does work as modules.

hmm, in the case of PCI cards, the built-in driver should work without
problems.  in the case of ISA non-PnP cards, passing parameters is a
bit difficult, though.

> 2) For alsa to work in kernel 2.6, the first item in the OSS menu has to 
> be set to M, otherwise module soundcore does not seem to exist. (This is 
> unconfirmed, so might just be user error)

it must be ok without OSS.

> 3) It would be nice if there was a test tool.
> This test tool would test for: -
> a) See if the user has loaded the kernel modules, so that a "card" 
> exists in /proc/asound.
> b) Test the mixer interface is functioning.
> c) Display alsa-driver, and alsa-lib version numbers.
> d) check access writes to /dev/snd/* are valid from the currently logged 
> in user.
> e) check /etc/modules.conf contains all the correct alias statements, to 
> ensure the sound modules will load up again after a reboot.

JFYI: in the future version of 2.6 (once Rusty's patchset is merged),
aliases can be removed from /etc/modprobe.conf, since there are
built-in aliases now.

> f) check /etc/modules.conf is not still trying to load OSS drivers.
> g) Make a simple test, by playing some white noise out of each speaker 
> in turn, allowing for up to 6 speakers. Let the test go in a loop, so 
> that the user can adjust mixer settings until they hear sound.
> h) Provide some test so that alsa-lib can detect if interrupts are 
> actually reaching the sound card or not. Some bugs in ACPI might mean 
> that interrupts are not forwarded correctly.
> 
> After these tests, it could produce a nice simple message, telling the 
> user what to do next to fix it.
> 
> Cheers
> James


Takashi


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