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Topic: alsa.dsl for 2.0

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cbagger01

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Posts: 4264
Joined: Oct. 2003

Posted: Dec. 28 2005,19:39

System is probably a better area for it.

I think of "system" as the place for drivers, etc and multimedia as the place for A/V programs like mplayer and audacity,etc.

Just my $0.02

sarah

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Posts: 73
Joined: Sep. 2005

Posted: Dec. 29 2005,06:29

I'm getting the same error as Phinger (cool avatar). :o\ Downloaded alsa.deb "manually" (via firefox), checked the md5sums, and it matched. Tried the install, it runs right through, but still no sound. :o( I get a weird crackle from the speakers as it does the configuration.
If I start X again straight away I get the little volume control on the bottom of the dock. It (the mixer control) goes away on reboot, even if I've backed up.
I've used the alsa boot code and have gnu-utils (and dsl-dpkg) at start-up.

I was going to start a new thread, but since I came across this one, I thought others might too... ?
cbagger: thanks, I don't feel like such an idiot now ;o)

Cheers and beers,
Sarah

--------------
I've been told the best way to learn is to explain it to someone else in front of "experts". People who are knowledgable (and sometimes even if they're not!) on a topic will soon tell you if you're wrong, and love you for the opportunity to either show their prowess or make jokes at your expense!

clacker

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Posts: 570
Joined: June 2004

Posted: Dec. 29 2005,23:53

sarah, it sounds like you started with the dsl alsa boot option, loaded gnu-utils.dsl first, then loaded alsa.dsl. Did you run alsa setup from the mydsl menu (the right click menu)? If you don't do that then alsa isn't fully installed. The script creates some devices and searches for your card. Did the script run in a window and say that it was going to look for your sound card? Did you get a message saying it found your card? Did it think you have a legacy card?

!sLEEP

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Posts: 10
Joined: Sep. 2005

Posted: Dec. 30 2005,19:57

Maybe this should be here (sorry for cross-posting!):

Steps I found useful for setting up ALSA with an i810 device under DSL 2.0:

1. Verify that your card is detected during the bootup.
2. VERY IMPORTANT!! Use the 'dsl alsa' boot option at the boot prompt (see Note B below).
3. Using MyDSL, get the alsa.dsl package (in MyDSL->Multimedia).
4. Verify that alsa is installed-Right-click on the desktop and select MyDSL. Verify that 'Alsa Config' is there, but DO NOT run it yet.
5. Using MyDSL, get the gnu-utils.dsl package (in MyDSL->System).
6. Run 'Alsa Config' under MyDSL.
7. In the terminal app, choose the defaults. Once you are finished, it will close automatically.
8. Verify sound using xMMs. Pressing the play button should automatically link xMMs to SKY.FM Classical.

NOTES:
A. If you don't see that the sound device is detected (autoconf doesn't load 'i810_audio'), this post isn't for you. This device needs to be found before you can use sound and autodetect is having a problem finding it...possibly check BIOS to see that it's enabled.
B. You must use the 'dsl alsa' boot option. Alsa won't work if you don't use it (verified by me!). Also, This step is important because 'alsa' isn't listed on the option screen after you press 'F2' and it won't be obvious that it's available as a boot option.
C. For some reason, I needed to download the alsa.dsl package before downloading the gnu-utils.dsl package to make this work. If I downloaded the gnu-utils first, I would get a 'Download or Checksum error' after I downloaded the 'alsa.dsl' package. You can also download the alsa.dsl package using the package list, wget, and emelfm as outlined in the PDF doc that explains how to get other packages from the web.
D. I suggest not to use the alsadebs.dsl package in MyDSL->System because I couldn't get it to work and I stopped trying when I found the alsa.dsl package in MyDSL-Multimedia. Also, you need to download dsl-dpkg.dsl to use it and I think the alsa.dsl in Multimedia is newer. It really shouldn't matter because some may need to download dsl-dpkg.dsl anyway, but if you don't use this package or don't know if you're going to use it and you don't download it, the method outlined above will get sound working on your system faster.
E. If anyone knows why there is an error when downloading the alsa.dsl package after downloading gnu-utils, please post. I don't think this should be happening and it isn't obvious why it does. If you know of a link or post already explaining this, please post a link to it.
F. The method listed above may work for other devices other than the i810 sound device. If you get your sound device to work using this method, please post your results.
H. I did not need to use modprobe or change any IRQ settings. You may need to do this if still don't have any sound. I have seen other threads that explain how to do this. Also, I don't know that much about Alsa, but the Alsa Config may make these changes for you.

I have used DSL 1.4 and 1.5 on another machine and it worked great! The sound worked for it, but I was using a VIA-based chipset and Autoconfigure detected the VIA82xxx_audio device. I did not need to use the method listed above to get sound working. I popped in the CD, let the system boot up and I was off and running. I have not tried using DSL 2.0 with this system yet and I don't know if I need to use Alsa with it. Judging by the amout of posts (very little) I've seen throughout my research to get this sound device running, I don't think there will be a problem. If I do have to install Alsa to get the VIA audio device running, I'll post my results.

Anyway, I hope this helps some of those first trying out DSL 2.0. Remember, post your results if you get it to work.

sarah

Group: Members
Posts: 73
Joined: Sep. 2005

Posted: Jan. 03 2006,12:25

Hi all - Happy New Year!
Many thanks for the responses.

I have just tried (again) to get the alsa.deb package going, and still no luck with that.

OK, running DSL 2.0 from my CD rather than HD frugal install, just to be sure of what's happening. Boot with

Code Sample

dsl alsa norestore base vga=normal toram

Post-boot, mydsl-load madwifi.dsl(.) and nothing else other than the alsa.dsl and gnu-utils.dsl (as posted by !sLEEP above - thank you for passing on the tip!)

Clacker: Yes, I've run the ALSA setup script, selected all the defaults, and it appeared to select the card driver (emu10k1) which is the one that works fine under Knoppix 4.02 English version (autodetected on boot).

Oddly enough, when I boot without the alsa option, it seems to detect the card and driver needed (emu10k1), but I don't have sound, and the little mix app thingie doesn't appear in the dock. The card is a Creative SoundBlaster Audigy 2.

To whoever: I'll verify the workaround for downloading the alsa.deb package via mydsl (ie download it before gnu-utils, but don't run the script). Though I did grab it manually last time, it's useful to be able to verify stuff like that. Can we please add that to the .info file? Perhaps we could also add the note that the package is for DSL 2+ and if you're using DSL1.5 or earlier to try the alsadebs package? Can we also add to the alsadebs.dsl.info that it is for versions 0.8-1.5 and a suggestion to look in the system section if they want ALSA for 2+?

More information:
The card appears to be working according to XMMS. I've tried playing with volume settings, turning the sound right up (and I'm kind of glad it didn't work because it would have been deafening). Running xmms from the shell (so I can catch the errors because it was the easiest way I could think of) yielded:

Quote

Code Sample

dsl@box:~$ xmms
libmikmod.so.2: cannot open shared object file: No such file or directory
/usr/lib/xmms/Input/libcdread.so: undefined symbol: playlist_generate_shuffle_list
libGL.so.1: cannot open shared object file: No such file or directory

** CRITICAL **: udp_establish_listener(): unable to create socket

xmms is really giving every appearance of playing, as though I don't have the speakers on (which I do, and have verified by booting with other distros to test that they're connected, working and have the volume up).

I am still having to exit X and startx to see the mixer app after installation..? (restarting the window manager doesn't do it)

Also Clacker, just wanted to say cheers for the time you've put into the drivers so far :o) and to all others for their help and suggestions. This will be nailed!

By way of comparison, I'm going to test this in DSL2.1RC2 and DSL 1.5, and post back. As a side note too, the speaker test doesn't work either, but that could be because the test files seems to be absent. ;o)

Rebooting....

Cheers and beers!
Sarah

--------------
I've been told the best way to learn is to explain it to someone else in front of "experts". People who are knowledgable (and sometimes even if they're not!) on a topic will soon tell you if you're wrong, and love you for the opportunity to either show their prowess or make jokes at your expense!

42 replies since Nov. 01 2005,22:11

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Damn Small Linux Board » MyDSL Extensions » The Testing Area » alsa.dsl for 2.0