step-by-step configuring/testing a sound card

**oxy** · 02-20-2008

Hi all,
making my sound card work is being hard.
There are many forum threads, but none helps.
Can somebody tell me a step-by-step method of
configuring/testing a sound card?

In my Linux (Debian 2.6.18.dfsg.1-18etch) i do:

Code:

root%    aplay -vv song.wma
  ALSA lib pcm_dmix.c:864:(snd_pcm_dmix_open) unable to open slave
  aplay: main:550: audio open error: Device or resource busy

Code:

root%    cat /proc/asound/card0/codec#* | grep Codec
  Codec: Generic 11c1 Si3054
  Codec: Analog Devices AD1986A

Code:

root%     lspci | grep Audio
00:14.2 Audio device: ATI Technologies Inc SB450 HDA Audio (rev 01)

Code:

root%    lshw
            ...
            description: Audio device
            product: SB450 HDA Audio
            vendor: ATI Technologies Inc
            physical id: 14.2
            bus info: pci@00:14.2
            version: 01
            width: 64 bits
            clock: 33MHz
            capabilities: bus_master cap_list
            configuration: driver=HDA Intel latency=64
            resources: iomemory:d0400000-d0403fff irq:209

Code:

root%     lsmod|grep ^snd
snd_hda_intel          17332  1
snd_hda_codec         137856  1 snd_hda_intel
snd_pcm_oss            38368  1
snd_mixer_oss          15200  1 snd_pcm_oss
snd_pcm                68676  3 snd_hda_intel,snd_hda_codec,snd_pcm_oss
snd_timer              20996  1 snd_pcm
snd                    47012  6
snd_hda_intel,snd_hda_codec,snd_pcm_oss,snd_mixer_oss,snd_pcm,snd_timer
snd_page_alloc         10184  2 snd_hda_intel,snd_pcm

Many questions like this can be found, but no solution (at least for
me). Thanks.

**Japser** · 02-20-2008

aplay: main:550: audio open error: Device or resource busy

Your sound seems to be working, but something keeps it occupied.

Try:

lsof | grep snd

( lsof lists all open files )

--Japser.

**oxy** · 02-20-2008

Sorry but

lsof | grep snd

gives nothing as output

**Japser** · 02-20-2008

The regular alsa devices are in /dev/snd/...
Afaik there are two more possibilities: /dev/dsp* and /dev/audio for oss-compatibility

So, you can try: "lsof|grep dsp" and "lsof|grep audio"

I am curious...

**algorhythm** · 02-20-2008

Oxy -- I feel your pain.
In terms of step-by-step configuration, there is Matrix:Module-hda-intel - AlsaProject
-- I don't find that particularly helpful, but I'm not sure whether you need the module ( snd_pcm_dmix_open ) which is giving you trouble so it may be worth struggling through.

You've probably seen the following page: sound on hp pavilion tk1000 - LinuxQuestions.org
which offers a fix but not a solution (i.e., they pretty much just try a new kernel).

HTH

oz · 02-20-2008

Check this troubleshooting guide for some steps that might help you get your sound working.

**oxy** · 02-21-2008

Hi friends,
just some fast answers now ...

Code:

lsof|grep dsp
esd       3044      $USER    5w      CHR       14,3               5264 /dev/dsp

Code:

lsof|grep audio
x-session 2986      $USER  mem       REG        3,1   142408     395450 /usr/lib/libaudiofile.so.0.0.2
gnome-set 3042      $USER  mem       REG        3,1   142408     395450 /usr/lib/libaudiofile.so.0.0.2
gnome-set 3042      $USER  mem       REG        3,1    85240     398213 /usr/lib/libgstaudio-0.10.so.0.7.0
esd       3044      $USER  mem       REG        3,1   142408     395450 /usr/lib/libaudiofile.so.0.0.2
nautilus  3057      $USER  mem       REG        3,1   142408     395450 /usr/lib/libaudiofile.so.0.0.2
gnome-pan 3059      $USER  mem       REG        3,1   142408     395450 /usr/lib/libaudiofile.so.0.0.2
gnome-vol 3060      $USER  mem       REG        3,1   142408     395450 /usr/lib/libaudiofile.so.0.0.2
update-no 3062      $USER  mem       REG        3,1   142408     395450 /usr/lib/libaudiofile.so.0.0.2
gnome-cup 3064      $USER  mem       REG        3,1   142408     395450 /usr/lib/libaudiofile.so.0.0.2
gnome-ter 3069      $USER  mem       REG        3,1   142408     395450 /usr/lib/libaudiofile.so.0.0.2
wnck-appl 3081      $USER  mem       REG        3,1   142408     395450 /usr/lib/libaudiofile.so.0.0.2
gnome-pow 3084      $USER  mem       REG        3,1   142408     395450 /usr/lib/libaudiofile.so.0.0.2
notificat 3099      $USER  mem       REG        3,1   142408     395450 /usr/lib/libaudiofile.so.0.0.2
clock-app 3101      $USER  mem       REG        3,1   142408     395450 /usr/lib/libaudiofile.so.0.0.2
firefox-b 4701      $USER  mem       REG        3,1   142408     395450 /usr/lib/libaudiofile.so.0.0.2
epiphany  6744      $USER  mem       REG        3,1   142408     395450 /usr/lib/libaudiofile.so.0.0.2
gnome-ter 7019       root  mem       REG        3,1   142408     395450 /usr/lib/libaudiofile.so.0.0.2
xmms      9743      $USER  mem       REG        3,1    55648     484783 /usr/lib/xmms/Input/libcdaudio.so
xmms      9743      $USER  mem       REG        3,1   142408     395450 /usr/lib/libaudiofile.so.0.0.2

The troubleshooting guide was sort of what i was looking for.
But my system seems to pass fine most of the tests: permissions ok, alsamixer not muting.
Normally i try with XMMS setting output plugin to ALSA 1.2.10.
XMMS asks me to check configuration, and if there is no other
appliation blocking the soundcard.

I'll write with some more info latter ...

**Japser** · 02-21-2008

So esd ( esound ) is using your soundcard.
And it does it in the 'wrong' way.
First you can do "killall esd" and see if aplay works.
Second you can install libesd-alsa0 in the place of libesd0 .
Or remove esd and do without system sounds.
The background of these problems is the migration from oss to alsa.
--Japser.

**oxy** · 02-22-2008

Hi Japser,
you got a very good point. Killing esd allows aplay to work.
However my euphoria came down when no sound came up.
I installed libesd-alsa0, but libesd0 was showed by package
managers as not installed. So i dont know which library was
being used. Anyway i just renoved esound.
I googled for migration from oss to alsa but didnt find
concise information. Wiki alsa tips say sth about devfsd.conf
file. I do not have it in my system. My /etc/modules has only the
word loop, and /etc/modules.conf has a lot of oss lines, like

Code:

alias sound-service-0-0 snd-mixer-oss

Um, i will follow that troubleshooting guide again and post it here later.

For the moment, i have this ...

Code:

# aplay -vv song.wma
Playing raw data 'song.wma' : Unsigned 8 bit, Rate 8000 Hz, Mono
Plug PCM: Rate conversion PCM (48000, sformat=U8)
Its setup is:
  stream       : PLAYBACK
  access       : RW_INTERLEAVED
  format       : U8
  subformat    : STD
  channels     : 1
  rate         : 8000
  exact rate   : 8000 (8000/1)
  msbits       : 8
  buffer_size  : 2730
  period_size  : 170
  period_time  : 21333
  tick_time    : 0
  tstamp_mode  : NONE
  period_step  : 1
  sleep_min    : 0
  avail_min    : 170
  xfer_align   : 170
  start_threshold  : 2720
  stop_threshold   : 2730
  silence_threshold: 0
  silence_size : 0
  boundary     : 178913280
Slave: Route conversion PCM (sformat=S16_LE)
  Transformation table:
    0 <- 0
    1 <- 0
Its setup is:
  stream       : PLAYBACK
  access       : MMAP_INTERLEAVED
  format       : U8
  subformat    : STD
  channels     : 1
  rate         : 48000
  exact rate   : 48000 (48000/1)
  msbits       : 8
  buffer_size  : 16384
  period_size  : 1024
  period_time  : 21333
  tick_time    : 0
  tstamp_mode  : NONE
  period_step  : 1
  sleep_min    : 0
  avail_min    : 1024
  xfer_align   : 1024
  start_threshold  : 16384
  stop_threshold   : 16384
  silence_threshold: 0
  silence_size : 0
  boundary     : 1073741824
Slave: Direct Stream Mixing PCM
Its setup is:
  stream       : PLAYBACK
  access       : MMAP_INTERLEAVED
  format       : S16_LE
  subformat    : STD
  channels     : 2
  rate         : 48000
  exact rate   : 48000 (48000/1)
  msbits       : 16
  buffer_size  : 16384
  period_size  : 1024
  period_time  : 21333
  tick_time    : 0
  tstamp_mode  : NONE
  period_step  : 1
  sleep_min    : 0
  avail_min    : 1024
  xfer_align   : 1024
  start_threshold  : 16384
  stop_threshold   : 16384
  silence_threshold: 0
  silence_size : 0
  boundary     : 1073741824
Hardware PCM card 0 'HDA ATI SB' device 0 subdevice 0
Its setup is:
  stream       : PLAYBACK
  access       : MMAP_INTERLEAVED
  format       : S16_LE
  subformat    : STD
  channels     : 2
  rate         : 48000
  exact rate   : 48000 (48000/1)
  msbits       : 16
  buffer_size  : 16384
  period_size  : 1024
  period_time  : 21333
  tick_time    : 4000
  tstamp_mode  : NONE
  period_step  : 1
  sleep_min    : 0
  avail_min    : 1024
  xfer_align   : 1024
  start_threshold  : 1
  stop_threshold   : 1073741824
  silence_threshold: 0
  silence_size : 1073741824
  boundary     : 1073741824
##################################################+| 100% !clip

**Japser** · 02-22-2008

I think you must now look in your mixer settings.
Since aplay does not complain these modules should be o.k.
--Japser.

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