[ALSA - driver 0001612]: Ubuntu5.10 not configured for Alsa device:surround51?

[bugtrack@alsa-project.org]

A NOTE has been added to this issue.
======================================================================
<https://bugtrack.alsa-project.org/alsa-bug/view.php?id=1612> 
======================================================================
Reported By:                Manolo
Assigned To:                
======================================================================
Project:                    ALSA - driver
Issue ID:                   1612
Category:                   1_OTHERS
Reproducibility:            always
Severity:                   major
Priority:                   normal
Status:                     new
Distribution:               Ubuntu 5.10 Breezy
Kernel Version:             Linux 2.6.12
======================================================================
Date Submitted:             12-02-2005 17:51 CET
Last Modified:              08-04-2006 15:18 CEST
======================================================================
Summary:                    Ubuntu5.10 not configured for Alsa
device:surround51?
Description: 
Hardware
  Motherboard: Abit Ic7, Audio: Onboard (Intel ICH5) RealTek
    ALC650F 6-Channel AC97 CODEC.
  uP: Pentium4, Hyperthreading, 3Ghz

Software
  Ubuntu 5.10
  Custom compiled kernel from 'linux-source-2.6.12 2.6.12-10.24'
    make menuconfig
      Device Drivers
        Sound
          <M> Sound card support
          Advanced Linux Sound Architecture --->
            <M> Advanced Linux Sound Architecture
            <M>   Sequencer support
            <M>     Sequencer dummy client
            <M>   OSS Mixer API
            <M>   OSS PCM (digital audio) API
            [*]   OSS Sequencer API
            <M>   RTC Timer support
            PCI devices --->
              <M>  All drivers <M> when option available.
          Open Sound System --->
            < > Open Sound System
  Compiled Alsa packages:
    alsa-driver-1.0.10
    alsa-lib-1.0.10
    alsa-utils-1.0.10 # configure --disable-nls: configure fails
otherwise.
    alsa-oss
    alsa-plugins-1.0.10 # configure,pcm/Makefile.in:Modified to compile
without
      jack.
    Note: At boot, if file /var/lib/alsa/asound.state does not exist,
file
      /etc/asound.state is overwritten with default values (No surround
sound!).
      Alsa package is not responsible for this (Ubuntu5.10 or
Kernel2.6.12??).

Sound Applications
  aplay (alsa-utils-1.0.10)
  audacity 1.2.3 #Device /dev/dsp
  xmms 1.2.10 #plugin /usr/lib/xmms/Input/libwav.so (does not accept
    5.1ChannelFile.wav) replaced by older version (Ubuntu 4.10).
  mplayer 4.0.2
  xine v0.99.3

esd daemon running:
  aplay -Dsurround51 File.wav #GnomePanel or gnome-terminal
    5.1ChannelFile.wav, 2ChannelFile.wav: Sound Ok.
    .xsession-errors fills with:
      ALSA lib pcm_dmix.c:819:(snd_pcm_dmix_open) unable to open slave
  aplay -Ddefault File.wav # GnomePanel or gnome-terminal
    2ChannelFile.wav: Sound Ok.
    No output sent to .xsession-errors
  audacity #GnomePanel
    Error Message: There was an error initializing the audio i/o
      layer. You will not be able to play or record audio.
      Error: Host error.
  audacity #gnome-terminal
    Most of the times application starts without error message.
  xmms #OutputPlugin:Alsa;AudioDevice:default.GnomePanel or
gnome-terminal
    Application starts without error message
    No output sent to .xsession-errors
    2ChannelFile.wav: Sound Ok.
  xmms #OutputPlugin:Alsa;AudioDevice:surround51.GnomePanel
    Error Message: Couldn't open audio. Please check that:
      Your soundcard is configured properly
      You have the correct output plugin selected
      No other program is blocking the soundcard.
    After several Play/ErrorMessage:
      5.1ChannelFile.wav, 2ChannelFile.wav: Sound Ok.
      .xsession-errors fills with:
        ALSA lib pcm_dmix.c:819:(snd_pcm_dmix_open) unable to open slave
  xmms #OutputPlugin:Alsa;AudioDevice:surround51.gnome-terminal
    Most of the times application starts without error message.
    5.1ChannelFile.wav, 2ChannelFile.wav: Sound Ok.
    .xsession-errors fills with:
      ALSA lib pcm_dmix.c:819:(snd_pcm_dmix_open) unable to open slave
  mplayer # 'mplayer -v -ao alsa:device=surround51 -channels 6'
    No StdError error messages (-v)
    All kinds of files and DVDs (Multichannel AC3) play Ok.
    .xsession-errors fills with:
      ALSA lib pcm_dmix.c:819:(snd_pcm_dmix_open) unable to open slave
  xine # 'xine --verbose --audio-driver
alsa';SpeakerArrangement:Surround5.1
    Error Message: The audio device is unavailable. Please verify if
another program
      already uses it.
    StdError error messages (--verbose):
      audio_alsa_out: snd_pcm_open() of plug:surround51:0 failed: Device
or
        resource busy
      audio_alsa_out: >>> check if another program already uses PCM <<<
    After several Play/ErrorMessage:
      All kinds of files and DVDs (Multichannel AC3) play Ok.
      .xsession-errors fills with:
        ALSA lib pcm_dmix.c:819:(snd_pcm_dmix_open) unable to open slave
  xine # 'xine --verbose --audio-driver
alsa';SpeakerArrangement:Stereo2.0
    No error Message
    No StdError error messages
    All kinds of files and DVDs play Ok. Multichannel AC3 downshifted to 2
Channels.
    No output sent to .xsession-errors

esd daemon NOT running (killall esd):
  aplay -Dsurround51 File.wav #GnomePanel or gnome-terminal
    5.1ChannelFile.wav, 2ChannelFile.wav: Sound Ok.
    .xsession-errors fills with:
      ALSA lib pcm_dmix.c:819:(snd_pcm_dmix_open) unable to open slave
  aplay -Ddefault File.wav # GnomePanel or gnome-terminal
    2ChannelFile.wav: Sound Ok.
    No output sent to .xsession-errors
  audacity #GnomePanel or gnome-terminal
    Application starts without error message
  xmms #OutputPlugin:Alsa;AudioDevice:default.GnomePanel or
gnome-terminal
    Application starts without error message
    No output sent to .xsession-errors
    2ChannelFile.wav: Sound Ok.
  xmms #OutputPlugin:Alsa;AudioDevice:surround51.GnomePanel or
gnome-terminal
    Application starts without error message
    5.1ChannelFile.wav, 2ChannelFile.wav: Sound Ok.
    .xsession-errors fills with:
      ALSA lib pcm_dmix.c:819:(snd_pcm_dmix_open) unable to open slave
  mplayer # 'mplayer -v -ao alsa:device=surround51 -channels 6'
    No StdError error messages (-v)
    All kinds of files and DVDs (Multichannel AC3) play Ok.
    .xsession-errors fills with:
      ALSA lib pcm_dmix.c:819:(snd_pcm_dmix_open) unable to open slave
  xine # 'xine --verbose --audio-driver
alsa';SpeakerArrangement:Surround5.1
    Error Message: The audio device is unavailable. Please verify if
another program
      already uses it.
    StdError error messages (--verbose):
      audio_alsa_out: snd_pcm_open() of plug:surround51:0 failed: Device
or
        resource busy
      audio_alsa_out: >>> check if another program already uses PCM <<<
    After several Play/ErrorMessage:
      All kinds of files and DVDs (Multichannel AC3) play Ok.
      .xsession-errors fills with:
        ALSA lib pcm_dmix.c:819:(snd_pcm_dmix_open) unable to open slave
  xine # 'xine --verbose --audio-driver
alsa';SpeakerArrangement:Stereo2.0
    No error Message
    No StdError error messages
    All kinds of files and DVDs play Ok. Multichannel AC3 downshifted to 2
Channels.
    No output sent to .xsession-errors

======================================================================

----------------------------------------------------------------------
 Manolo - 08-04-06 10:43 
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I don't have a customized .asoundrc

aplay reads and plays 6-channel wav files all right but sends error
messages to .xsession-errors if invoked with -Dsurround51.

Please read:
https://launchpad.net/distros/ubuntu/+source/alsa-lib/+bug/26483
which includes a lot of information about this bug.

I don't want to be an audio expert, I just want to use Linux.
I bought a set of 'Home Cinema' speakers and naively thought it would be a
matter of plug and play.
Well it was not. It took me more than one week of fiddling with ALSA,
Linux kernel, etc, until I could use my new speakers.
Now it works all right but still there is no master volume control -gnome
volume control only affects FrontLeft and FrontRight channels- and all
applications using surround51 send continuous error messages to
.xsession-errors. xine has an extra problem sometimes refusing to play
surround51 movies:
https://sourceforge.net/tracker/?func=detail&atid=109655&aid=1226595&group_id=9655

Forgive me if I am mistaken but I think ALSA should be more
'intelligent':
All audio streams carry number of channels information, neither user nor
applications need to specify the number of channels to ALSA (Why 'aplay
-Dsurround51 5.1File.wav'?). A line in ALSA configuration file specifying
the number of speakers available should be enough to have it map audio
channels into available output channels.



----------------------------------------------------------------------
 Raymond - 08-04-06 15:18 
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Post output of

cat /proc/asound/cards

cat /proc/asound/pcm

content of test.state after 'alsactl store -f test.state'

cat /proc/asound/card0/pcm0p/info

aplay -v stereo.wav

Issue History
Date Modified  Username       Field                    Change              
======================================================================
12-02-05 17:51 Manolo         New Issue                                    
12-02-05 17:51 Manolo         Distribution              => Ubuntu 5.10 Breezy
12-02-05 17:51 Manolo         Kernel Version            => Linux 2.6.12    
12-03-05 13:54 Manolo         Note Added: 0006898                          
07-28-06 05:39 Raymond        Note Added: 0011283                          
08-02-06 20:15 Manolo         Note Added: 0011390                          
08-03-06 03:56 Raymond        Note Added: 0011394                          
08-03-06 05:33 Raymond        Note Edited: 0011394                         
08-03-06 17:37 Manolo         Note Added: 0011405                          
08-03-06 18:20 Raymond        Note Added: 0011406                          
08-04-06 03:29 Raymond        Note Edited: 0011406                         
08-04-06 05:25 Raymond        Note Edited: 0011406                         
08-04-06 09:51 Raymond        Note Edited: 0011406                         
08-04-06 10:41 Manolo         Note Added: 0011418                          
08-04-06 10:43 Manolo         Note Edited: 0011418                         
08-04-06 15:18 Raymond        Note Added: 0011419                          
======================================================================



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