2.x: sound problem

[u54749]

OSS on TC2.0rc1: sound does not work.

When I run osstest I get a loud rattling noise for a couple of seconds and this output:

Sound subsystem and version: OSS 4.1 (b 1052/200904111036) (0x00040100)
Platform: Linux/i686 2.6.29.1-tinycore #1337 SMP Fri Apr 10 19:12:39 EEST 2009

*** Scanning sound adapter #-1 ***
/dev/oss/oss_cs461x0/pcm0 (audio engine 0): Crystal CS4630
- Performing audio playback test...
  <left> Device returned error: Input/output error

*** Some errors were detected during the tests ***


OSS sound works perfect with TC1.4 on the same system so this seems to be a 2.0 bug.

[jpeters]

OSS works fine on my setup as long as the alsa extensions are not loaded.  If they are, I'll get a semaphore error, and the computer will freeze when it attempts to load.   The conflict only occurs with 2.x.
I suspect the alsa issue is behind skype problems as well  (which loads for login, and then disappears...skype won't run without alsa libs,  even when  using OSS. ).  I haven't been able to get alsa running by itself with 2.x .....loads sound card, but no sound on speaker-test....works fine with tc1.4

[Jason W]

Are you using a recently downloaded alsa.tcel extension in 2.x?  It has been updated on 4/28.

[jpeters]

Are you using a recently downloaded alsa.tcel extension in 2.x?  It has been updated on 4/28.

just did.......same problems.  Maybe it's a kernel configuration issue ??   

[Jason W]

What is your soundcard, and the output of /usr/local/etc/init.d/alsasound start?

[jpeters]

What is your soundcard, and the output of /usr/local/etc/init.d/alsasound start?

intel8x0 82801CA/CAM   AC'97 Audio Controller (rev 02)

note: alsamixer showing volume...(unmuted, etc,,,,).

Code: [Select]

tc@box:~$ /usr/local/etc/init.d/alsasound start
Starting sound driver: snd-intel8x0 
Starting sound driver: snd-intel8x0m 
tc@box:~$


Code: [Select]

tc@box:~$ lsmod
Module                  Size  Used by
snd_seq_dummy            632  0
snd_seq_oss            17232  0
snd_seq_midi_event      2640  1 snd_seq_oss
snd_seq                25980  5 snd_seq_dummy,snd_seq_oss,snd_seq_midi_event
snd_seq_device          2788  3 snd_seq_dummy,snd_seq_oss,snd_seq
snd_pcm_oss            24620  0
snd_mixer_oss           8536  1 snd_pcm_oss
snd_intel8x0m           6804  0
snd_intel8x0           16780  0
snd_ac97_codec         66288  2 snd_intel8x0m,snd_intel8x0
snd_pcm                36852  4 snd_pcm_oss,snd_intel8x0m,snd_intel8x0,snd_ac97_codec
snd_timer              10340  2 snd_seq,snd_pcm
snd                    25936  10 snd_seq_oss,snd_seq,snd_seq_device,snd_pcm_oss,snd_mixer_oss,snd_intel8x0m,snd_intel8x0,snd_ac97_codec,snd_pcm,snd_timer
soundcore               2192  1 snd
ac97_bus                 408  1 snd_ac97_codec
snd_page_alloc          4028  3 snd_intel8x0m,snd_intel8x0,snd_pcm

Here's a comparison for tc1.4.  Why the big difference in size?   Both are loading tcz extensions.   (note: I'd be willing to pay more (size) for the optional "sound" feature..... .

Code: [Select]

tc@box:~$ lsmod
Module                  Size  Used by
snd_pcm_oss            34080  0
snd_mixer_oss          13696  1 snd_pcm_oss
snd_intel8x0m          13452  0
snd_intel8x0           26908  0
snd_ac97_codec         86560  2 snd_intel8x0m,snd_intel8x0
ac97_bus                2560  1 snd_ac97_codec
snd_pcm                57092  4 snd_pcm_oss,snd_intel8x0m,snd_intel8x0,snd_ac97_codec
snd_timer              17544  1 snd_pcm
snd                    42040  7 snd_pcm_oss,snd_mixer_oss,snd_intel8x0m,snd_intel8x0,snd_ac97_codec,snd_pcm,snd_timer
soundcore               6216  1 snd
snd_page_alloc          7688  3 snd_intel8x0m,snd_intel8x0,snd_pcm


[Jason W]

I googled and found this to be a common problem with alsa when you have both snd_intel8x0m and snd_intel8x0  loaded as they are conflicting modules.  Try blacklisting one of those modules at a time and that may help.  But if it is a problem in 2.x it should be a problem in 1.x I would think.

[jpeters]

no cigar....

I noticed when booting tc2, I get a popping noise,as if the sound modules were kicking in that doesn't occur when booting tc1.4.  I don't know if that has any relevance.   

[Jason W]

One last thing.  Maybe alsaconf is needed.  When running 2 soundcards, I blacklist the one I don't want and run alsaconf to set up the other.  Not the official alsa way, but it is simple.

Alsaconf and alsasound are custom for TC as the upstream originals will not work in TC so alsa in TC is still something of a work in progress.  The recently introduced autoloading of kernel modules when a tcem extension is loaded required more changes to alsasound, but it seems to by now be working well for most.  But maybe alsaconf along with perhaps blacklisting the unneeded module can do the trick.

[jpeters]

I removed the extra module prior to loading the soundcard with alsaconf.  Perhaps the autoloading is creating the conflict.  Re blacklisting....I tried about 4 different methods (commands entered in  /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.sh and /etc/modprobe.conf), but tne module was loaded anyway.   

[Jason W]

What did you place in /etc/modprobe.conf to blacklist the module?  Here is the entry I use:

alias snd_intel8x0 off

And here is me trying to load the module:

Code: [Select]

root@box:/home/tc# modprobe snd_intel8x0
FATAL: Module off not found.
root@box:/home/tc#



[jpeters]

What did you place in /etc/modprobe.conf to blacklist the module?  Here is the entry I use:

alias snd_intel8x0 off

And here is me trying to load the module:

Code: [Select]

root@box:/home/tc# modprobe snd_intel8x0
FATAL: Module off not found.
root@box:/home/tc#




There's a few other things you can do which won't work equally as well.  You can write this to /etc/modprobe.conf and also /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.   The second option is particularly useful, in that it creates a duplicate of what you already have in /etc/modprobe.conf (i.e....it re-writes the alias info, etc).   Whatever you do, rest assured it will still be there next time you check with lsmod. 

Code: [Select]

blacklist snd-intel8x0m
install snd-intel8x0m /bin/true


[Jason W]

My module does not get loaded when I made that entry to /etc/modprobe.conf.  You are saying your module gets loaded anyway, although an attempt to modprobe it gives the response "FATAL: Module off not found.".  You did rmmod the module or stop alsa (/usr/local/etc/init.d/alsasound stop) before you tried loading it again after blacklisting?

[jpeters]

My module does not get loaded when I made that entry to /etc/modprobe.conf.  You are saying your module gets loaded anyway, although an attempt to modprobe it gives the response "FATAL: Module off not found.".  You did rmmod the module or stop alsa (/usr/local/etc/init.d/alsasound stop) before you tried loading it again after blacklisting?

oh...I thought you were joking.   I think it's not finding the module because the alias command makes it look for "off" instead of "snd_intel8x0m"   If you lsmod, you'll see it's still there.  It can manually be removed with rmmod (not modprobe -r  because of the alias).   

I found there's no way to get alsa working once there's been a conflict,  so removing the module doesn't help.  I also tried removing the 'm' from alsa-modules.tcem, but  it seems to be autoloading anyway (I get a loud speaker click that doesn't occur in tc1 ).   

I'm not sure snd_intel8x0m is the problem anyway, since it's present in tc1.  It may be related to the autoloading feature. 

[3rail]

u54749,

Did you ever find a solution to your sound error?  I'm having the same issue in v2.2

root@box:~# osstest
Sound subsystem and version: OSS 4.1 (b 1052/200904111036) (0x00040100)
Platform: Linux/i686 2.6.29.1-tinycore #1337 SMP Fri Apr 10 19:12:39 EEST 2009

*** Scanning sound adapter #-1 ***
/dev/oss/oss_cs461x0/pcm0 (audio engine 0): Crystal CS461x
- Performing audio playback test...
  <left> Device returned error: Input/output error

*** Some errors were detected during the tests ***

TIA