(old)Puppy Linux Discussion Forum

I see quite a few problems with ALSA setup on the forum, and I'm now wondering if some might be caused by the mismatch of ALSA modules, libraries, and utilities currently in Puppy.

What commonly happens is that with each kernel upgrade the ALSA modules are also upgraded, but there can then be compatibility problems with the older ALSA libraries.
alsamixer, for example, can start to display the sound card's features incorrectly. Or in one case I (when I compiled a new kernel in Vector Linux) alsamixer failed to launch with many error messages.
It appears to be good practice to match the version of ALSA libraries, utilities, and kernel modules.

So what's the current situation in Puppy?
Puppy 2.14 has ALSA modules from ALSA 1.0.12rc1, which it inherits from its 2.6.18.1 kernel. This can be seen in /<kernelsource>/include/sound/version.h

I don't know what source was used for the ALSA libraries and utilities, but I suspect that it was from the T2 source repository that Barry used to compile the main libraries when Puppy moved from version 2.02 to 2.10.
alsaconf is v1.0.8
alsamixer is v1.0.11

I suggest that it would be worthwhile upgrading the ALSA libraries and utilities to 1.0.12rc1, to match the ALSA modules.

Well, it seems my suggestion did not resonate with anyone having audio problems.
I have gone ahead and compiled the compatible ALSA libraries and utilites, and I suggest anyone having ALSA setup problems might do well to try them.
UPDATE: these ALSA libraries are compatible ONLY WITH Puppy 2.12-2.16.

EDIT March 28 2007: alsa-lib package fixed and re-attached.

EDIT April 15 2007: alsa-utils package fixed to remove "standard" alsaconf.
If you already installed this package earlier, re-install the Puppy-compatible alsaconf, available as attachment to later post.

tempestuous wrote:Well, it seems my suggestion did not resonate with anyone having audio problems.
I have gone ahead and compiled the compatible ALSA libraries and utilites, and I suggest anyone having ALSA setup problems might do well to try them.

Thanks, tempestuous. I have downloaded and will include with Puppy 2.15CE RC2/Final after testing.

Cheers

Oh, I was assuming that these packages might be tried in Puppy 2.14, rather than being added to a new Puppy version.
OK, it seems that Puppy 2.15 now includes these libraries.

A symlink was wrong in the alsa-lib package above. I just fixed it.
This problem was small, but serious.
The original package was downloaded 8 times, why did no one report the problem?

Have put a link here
http://puppylinux.org/wikka/sound

WhoDo,
Apologies! My alsa-utils package installed the "standard" alsaconf, which overwrote the customised version Barry provided to accommodate the way that Puppy's drivers load from the zdrv file.
Thus, alsaconf from my package will fail to work, and setup of the ALSA drivers will fail in many cases.

I have just fixed the alsa-utils package (April 15 2007) and re-attached it.
I now also attach the original alsaconf, which is Puppy-compatible, and should fix the problem in recent releases of 2.15, and for anyone else who installed my alsa-utils package before April 15.

I did the three ALSA downloads, but I don't know what to do or which/what to run? I ran the ALSA sound wizard, but it looks like
it is running what was already included in the distribution, huh?

cegil wrote:...but I don't know what to do or which/what to run

Here's what works for me:

Download all three of the dot-pets provided above, then install them in the order shown below:

For each one, go

1. Right-click "Download" in the forum dialog box.

2. Open in New Tab.

3. A dialog box willl appear, titled "Opening alsa...pet"
--Left-click "Save it to disk," then "OK"

4. On the first one (choose ALSA-lib-1.0.12rc1.pet), do the following (not necessary on the two others):
--Click "Browse for other folders"
--Click "root" button, then "my-applications", then "Save" (if you are in 2.14 using the jwm windowmanager, you may have to drag the window up a bit to see the "Save" button).

5. On the second two (alsaconf-original.pet and ALSA-utils-1.0.12rc1.pet), just click Save, the dialog box will already point to /root/my-applications.

6. After you download all three, now open a Rox window, go to /root/my-applications, and left-click-and-install them in this order:

ALSA-lib-1.0.12rc1.pet
alsaconf-original.pet
ALSA-utils-1.0.12rc1.pet

7. Menu - Shutdown - Restart X Server.

8. Menu - Utility - rxvt and issue the command

fixmenus

9. Again do Menu - Shutdown - Restart X Server.

Now you can do Menu - Setup - ALSA sound wizard.

I've tried this on a P3 running 2.14 and a P4 running 2.15CE-Final (patched) and it works; the P3 had the can't-find-ESS1868-ISA-card issue, and this cures it. Please note that it does take a few seconds for the "Driver Selection" window to appear, if you don't have a PCI card and choose to "Probe ISA cards."

HTH,
SHS

What I give above is a "one-size-fits-all" fix. I designed it to correct every problem I could think of and (***EDITED: well, actually that's giving myself too much credit; I should say, "I'm suggesting you install tempestuous's packages in this order and stop at the original alsaconf, because I believe this will solve the problem and just..."***) work no matter which of the various reported ways people have tangled their shoelaces. It addresses actually several reported losses of alsaconf or sound capability, some of which happened after a version upgrade, and others of which seem to spring from a conflict somehow with xvesa which I'm still tracking down.

If you want to see "version 1.0.12rc1" when you start alsaconf, so everything seems consistent, you can carry it one step further: do the above procedure, and then copy /usr/sbin/alsaconf in from the liveCD of 2.15CE. It may work. But I wouldn't guarantee it, particularly if you are using a version of 2.15CE prior to the last Final, or if you are using 2.14 or earlier, or if the problem stems from the xvesa bug.

If the procedure (without copying the 2.15CE alsaconf in) makes alsaconf work OK, and you then copy the 2.15CE alsaconf over, and now it doesn't work, then I would like to know:

1. In what manner does it fail?
and
2. What version of Puppy do you have, and how installed? Clean install, or an upgrade?
and
3. Are you using xorg or xvesa?

Rgds,
SHS

The correct version of alsaconf to use is the original one which Barry modified to be Puppy-compatible.
The actual version of this utility does not really matter. It's just a script.

The updated ALSA 1.0.12rc1 packages are most important for the core ALSA library, libasound.so.2.0.0, and alsamixer. All other ALSA utilities are not so important.

I haven't sorted out alsa..as in when it doesn't work on various setups, I don't know how to go about fixing it.. It either works or doesn't when I run live cd save file to HD on boot.

Mentioned it in another thread that on this desktop, had no sound with 2.12 &3 but once I booted with 2.15 Bingo had sound for the first time.
--------------------------------------------
Compaq Presario SR 2020NX Athlon 64

jonyo wrote:... had no sound with 2.12 &3 but once I booted with 2.15 Bingo had sound for the first time.

2.12, 2.13, and 2.14 have mismatched ALSA modules/libraries as I mentioned in the first post. 2.15 has updated libraries.
It appears that the new libraries achieve a critical benefit in this instance.

Hi,

I've just upgraded my box. Now it runs on nForce405 with ALC883 codec. I read in many places that:
1) the correct driver is snd-hda-intel
2) that it only works starting with 1.0.13

Unfortunately puppy 2.15CE only has 1.0.12 (thanks to tempestuous), and as a result = no sound in the new box. Running alsaconf doesn't detect it, and running modprobe snd-hda-intel loads the module but /proc/asound/cards shows nothing.

How difficult is it to upgrade to alsa 1.0.13 ?

Thanks !

A simple workaround its found in my posts in
http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewto ... 34&t=14108
Xan

jamesbond,
Of the many Puppy projects I have taken on, compiling a new ALSA version for the current Puppy (2.16) is not on my list, especially since 2.17 is not far from release.
Puppy 2.17 will have the latest ALSA, so it's probably worth waiting for this.
But if you're keen to have a recent ALSA in Puppy 2.15 or 2.16, I suggest you download the devx compiler addon, and compile ALSA yourself. I can talk you through the configuration process if you like.

Another report of these matched ALSA libraries fixing sound problem -
http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewto ... 099#123099

Thanks tempestuous.

I managed to compile it
For those who need it, it is here: http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=18239.

I have systems with the CS5535 and CS5536 audio chips. On the ALSA site I see fixes for these chips on 1.0.11 thru 1.0.16rc2.
On my systems when I run ALSA it say already running, finds correct CS5535 and then when it puts out test WOOF WOOF no sound. If I move volume or mixer PCM or volume I can get a click or pop but no other sounds. These systems have CE or XPE built in and sound works for those programs so I guess hardware ok.
So does puppy need a update on ALSA to get these chips to work and how would that be done? I see on this section of forum updates have been done.
I need help.

edit
I see on forum that PUP 2.17 should have ALSA 1.0.14 and thats what I use, with no sound for CS5535 chips, maybe they need newer 1.0.16rc2?