From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 From: Takashi Iwai Subject: Re: [ibm-acpi-devel] Adding a alsa mixer interface to ibm-acpi Date: Mon, 12 Mar 2007 13:03:15 +0100 Message-ID: References: <20070226174145.GF2909@khazad-dum.debian.net> <20070227015024.GF8154@thunk.org> <20070227021402.GC6828@khazad-dum.debian.net> <41840b750703071512o1d171dfy9d2a615382e5e635@mail.gmail.com> <20070307234240.GA12070@khazad-dum.debian.net> <1173311709.4531.30.camel@razman.gruemaster.com> <20070308003806.GC12070@khazad-dum.debian.net> <20070310035055.GB7606@khazad-dum.debian.net> Mime-Version: 1.0 (generated by SEMI 1.14.6 - "Maruoka") Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Return-path: In-Reply-To: <20070310035055.GB7606@khazad-dum.debian.net> List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Sender: alsa-devel-bounces@lists.sourceforge.net Errors-To: alsa-devel-bounces@lists.sourceforge.net To: Henrique de Moraes Holschuh Cc: ibm-acpi-devel@lists.sourceforge.net, alsa-devel@lists.sourceforge.net, Theodore Tso List-Id: alsa-devel@alsa-project.org At Sat, 10 Mar 2007 00:50:55 -0300, Henrique de Moraes Holschuh wrote: > > On Fri, 09 Mar 2007, Takashi Iwai wrote: > > > On Wed, 07 Mar 2007, Tobin Davis wrote: > > > > Another question comes to mind. Why would the volume need to be > > > > controlled if there is no sound driver to generate sound? I'm trying > > > > to understand the usage model here for that aspect. > > > > > > Because the firmware will happly beep away, and you may want to control the > > > volume of those beeps. And it also controls the volume of the PC buzzer > > > (the BIOS makes sure whatever sound hardware is in the machine lets that one > > > through by default). > > > > OTOH, from the usability POV, it's really annoying to have two > > individual "devices" for the very same output. That's why I'm in > > favor of either built-in-sound-driver or add-on style. > > Well, I have five choices: > > 1. No Linux support to change the thinkpad mixer at all unless the soundcard > drivers are loaded; > > 2. ThinkPad mixer support always available as a separate, mixer-only card; > > 3. ThinkPad mixer support available as a separate mixer-only card AND in the > real soundcard driver; > > 4. ThinkPad mixer support available as a separate mixer-only card while the > real soundcard driver is not loaded, and *only* in the real soundcard driver > after it is loaded; > > 5. ThinkPad mixer support available in the real soundcard driver, and as a > bunch of non-generic attributes on sysfs. > > > And, if you'll ALSA API for controlling volumes, it assumes that any > > sound system is running. So, it appears logical to me that the > > It seems to work just fine with the soundsystem running with a card that > only has a single monoaural volume control, and nothing else. > > > beep-control driver also belongs to a sound driver. > > Does ALSA have an interface that is sane for a hardware/firmware synthesizer > with a fixed set of tones? The MIDI sequencer doesn't count, it is unusable > for scripts. Otherwise, I will keep the non-generic ibm-acpi interface (a > sysfs attribute where you write the ID of the pattern you want it to beep). > > > Anyway, if you'd like a stand-alone implementation, we can introduce a > > Kconfig, too. But, note that one merit to use the add-on style > > (referring to the exported symbol of snd-intel8x0 driver) is that this > > dependency will resolve the module loading order, too. > > We still need to handle hotplug anyway, as modules can be removed and > readded. The problem I state here is only the usability. The implementation is no matter at all. When you look at KDE/GNOME, you'll find that the mixer applets really suck if you have multiple devices. It's especially confusing if the outputs from two different devices are identical... Takashi ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Take Surveys. Earn Cash. Influence the Future of IT Join SourceForge.net's Techsay panel and you'll get the chance to share your opinions on IT & business topics through brief surveys-and earn cash http://www.techsay.com/default.php?page=join.php&p=sourceforge&CID=DEVDEV