Puppy Studio: A Superior Technology

[walkad]

Having used Ubuntu Studio for some years and Puppy ever since Puppy 1xx, I am excited about Puppy Studio. Great distro!
But no sound! I can get sound on Windows and Ubuntu 10.10 but not on Puppy Studio or on Wary 092.
Printout of audio devices (onboard audio + Creative sound card) from lspci:

Onboard Audio

00:07.0 Audio device: nVidia Corporation MCP72XE/MCP72P/MCP78U/MCP78S High Definition Audio (rev a1)
Subsystem: Elitegroup Computer Systems Device 2646
Control: I/O- Mem+ BusMaster+ SpecCycle- MemWINV- VGASnoop- ParErr- Stepping- SERR- FastB2B- DisINTx-
Status: Cap+ 66MHz+ UDF- FastB2B+ ParErr- DEVSEL=fast >TAbort- <TAbort- <MAbort- >SERR- <PERR- INTx-
Latency: 0 (500ns min, 1250ns max)
Interrupt: pin A routed to IRQ 22
Region 0: Memory at fbf78000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=16K]
Capabilities: [44] Power Management version 2
Flags: PMEClk- DSI- D1- D2- AuxCurrent=0mA PME(D0-,D1-,D2-,D3hot+,D3cold+)
Status: D0 PME-Enable- DSel=0 DScale=0 PME-
Kernel driver in use: HDA Intel
Kernel modules: snd-hda-intel

Creative Sound Card

05:00.0 PCI bridge: Creative Labs [SB X-Fi Xtreme Audio] CA0110-IBG PCI to PCIe Bridge
Control: I/O- Mem+ BusMaster+ SpecCycle- MemWINV+ VGASnoop- ParErr- Stepping- SERR+ FastB2B- DisINTx-
Status: Cap+ 66MHz- UDF- FastB2B- ParErr- DEVSEL=fast >TAbort- <TAbort- <MAbort- >SERR- <PERR- INTx-
Latency: 0, Cache Line Size: 64 bytes
Bus: primary=05, secondary=06, subordinate=06, sec-latency=32
Memory behind bridge: fde00000-fdefffff
Secondary status: 66MHz- FastB2B+ ParErr- DEVSEL=medium >TAbort- <TAbort- <MAbort+ <SERR- <PERR-
BridgeCtl: Parity+ SERR+ NoISA+ VGA- MAbort- >Reset- FastB2B-
PriDiscTmr- SecDiscTmr- DiscTmrStat- DiscTmrSERREn-
Capabilities: [50] Power Management version 3
Flags: PMEClk- DSI- D1+ D2+ AuxCurrent=0mA PME(D0-,D1-,D2-,D3hot-,D3cold-)
Status: D0 PME-Enable- DSel=0 DScale=0 PME-
Bridge: PM- B3+
Capabilities: [60] Message Signalled Interrupts: Mask- 64bit+ Queue=0/4 Enable-
Address: 0000000000000000 Data: 0000
Capabilities: [80] Subsystem: Creative Labs Device 0010
Capabilities: [90] Express (v1) PCI/PCI-X Bridge, MSI 00
DevCap: MaxPayload 512 bytes, PhantFunc 0, Latency L0s <4us, L1 <64us
ExtTag- AttnBtn- AttnInd- PwrInd- RBE- FLReset-
DevCtl: Report errors: Correctable- Non-Fatal- Fatal- Unsupported-
RlxdOrd- ExtTag- PhantFunc- AuxPwr- NoSnoop+ BrConfRtry-
MaxPayload 128 bytes, MaxReadReq 512 bytes
DevSta: CorrErr- UncorrErr+ FatalErr- UnsuppReq+ AuxPwr- TransPend-
LnkCap: Port #0, Speed 2.5GT/s, Width x1, ASPM L0s L1, Latency L0 <1us, L1 <16us
ClockPM- Suprise- LLActRep- BwNot-
LnkCtl: ASPM Disabled; Disabled- Retrain- CommClk-
ExtSynch- ClockPM- AutWidDis- BWInt- AutBWInt-
LnkSta: Speed 2.5GT/s, Width x1, TrErr- Train- SlotClk+ DLActive- BWMgmt- ABWMgmt-
Capabilities: [100] Advanced Error Reporting <?>
Kernel modules: shpchp

I read somewhere that this Creative card is not supported by the Linux kernel so I ran "Set uup ALSA sound" choosing the onboard device.

Snipping what I think are the relevant lines from /var/log/messages (00:07.0 and 05:00.0), first from initial boot and later from re-running "Set up Alsa sound" from the "Set Up" menu:

Oct 30 22:34:49 puppypc user.debug kernel: pci 0000:00:07.0: reg 10: [mem 0xfbf78000-0xfbf7bfff]
Oct 30 22:34:49 puppypc user.debug kernel: pci 0000:00:07.0: PME# supported from D3hot D3cold
Oct 30 22:34:49 puppypc user.debug kernel: pci 0000:00:07.0: PME# disabled

Oct 30 22:34:49 puppypc user.debug kernel: pci 0000:05:00.0: supports D1 D2

Oct 30 22:34:49 puppypc user.info kernel: pci 0000:05:00.0: PCI bridge to [bus 06-06]
Oct 30 22:34:49 puppypc user.debug kernel: pci 0000:05:00.0: bridge window [mem 0xfde00000-0xfdefffff]

Oct 30 22:34:49 puppypc user.info kernel: pci 0000:05:00.0: PCI bridge to [bus 06-06]
Oct 30 22:34:49 puppypc user.info kernel: pci 0000:05:00.0: bridge window [io disabled]
Oct 30 22:34:49 puppypc user.info kernel: pci 0000:05:00.0: bridge window [mem 0xfde00000-0xfdefffff]
Oct 30 22:34:49 puppypc user.info kernel: pci 0000:05:00.0: bridge window [mem pref disabled]

Oct 30 22:34:49 puppypc user.debug kernel: pci 0000:05:00.0: setting latency timer to 64


Oct 30 22:34:49 puppypc user.info kernel: pci_hotplug: PCI Hot Plug PCI Core version: 0.5
Oct 30 22:34:49 puppypc user.info kernel: shpchp: Standard Hot Plug PCI Controller Driver version: 0.4
Oct 30 22:34:49 puppypc user.info kernel: HDA Intel 0000:00:07.0: power state changed by ACPI to D0
Oct 30 22:34:49 puppypc user.info kernel: HDA Intel 0000:00:07.0: power state changed by ACPI to D0
Oct 30 22:34:49 puppypc user.warn kernel: ACPI: PCI Interrupt Link [LAZA] enabled at IRQ 22
Oct 30 22:34:49 puppypc user.info kernel: HDA Intel 0000:00:07.0: PCI INT A -> Link[LAZA] -> GSI 22 (level, low) -> IRQ 22
Oct 30 22:34:49 puppypc user.info kernel: hda_intel: Disable MSI for Nvidia chipset
Oct 30 22:34:49 puppypc user.debug kernel: HDA Intel 0000:00:07.0: setting latency timer to 64

Oct 30 22:34:49 puppypc user.info kernel: input: PC Speaker as /devices/platform/pcspkr/input/input5
Oct 30 22:34:49 puppypc user.info kernel: HDA Intel 0000:06:00.0: PCI INT A -> Link[LN3A] -> GSI 17 (level, low) -> IRQ 17

After running “Set up ALSA sound

[l0wt3ch]

From the "Lucid Puppy 5.1.1 Bugs, Fixes, & Feedback" thread:

More than one sound card. There is a good chance that Lupu will get it right the first time, but if not....
Easiest way to block an unwanted soundcard
Run in terminal: less /proc/asound/modules #to list the soundcards
open etc/modprobe.d/alsa-base.conf #in a text editor
look for # Prevent abnormal drivers from grabbing index 0
At the bottom of the list type:
options snd_nameofunwantedsoundcard index=-2

Audacious with multiple sound cards.
Boot fresh without doing anything special to sound config.
Open a terminal and enter 'alsamixer'.
In alsamixer press F6.
For me, both (actually all 3) sound cards show up on the alsamixer list.
I have found that if they show up on this list then Audacious will play through them.
Then I hit ESC to close alsamixer without doing anything else.
Install Audacious from the Puppy Package Manager.
In Audacious, Menu, Preferences, Audio and the button Output plugin preferences.
There is a long list. I have been picking the first listing for each card, called default and the name of the card.
Then I have to go back to alsamixer F6, choose the bottom card and then raise the volume.

For studio audio work, you can easily select your audio card in JACK under "Interfaces".

Hope that helps!

[walkad]

@10wt3ch
Thanks for the lead.
alsa-base-conf shows 2 kernel modules loaded from previous computer!!
Seems Puppy Studio updated a previous .sfs file on its initial run.
Will try starting again tomorow with pfix=ram. (Now after midnight in Sydney!)

[l0wt3ch]

Puppy Studio began as an experiment: Was it possible to have a full-featured multimedia creation suite similar to Ubuntu Studio running on Puppy Linux? Puppy was fast, and ran entirely in RAM, so the realtime recording capabilities could be amazing. But would they?

My original hypothesis was correct. Puppy gave the studio vastly improved latency, by virtue of running in RAM and its small size, that were unmatched by any other OS. Then I compiled a custom realtime kernel, and performance went through the roof!

[l0wt3ch]

Then I discovered that Puppy allowed me to configure everything and remaster with the changes kept. That let me take all of the work out of setting up a Linux music studio so a user can get JACK running in realtime with a single click, often without ever touching the settings.

[nooby]

so the realtime recording capabilities could be amazing.

l0wt3ch how does one do such if one listen to local radio or TV and they play music and I want to record what the sound card put out?

[l0wt3ch]

I think you may have misunderstood. "Realtime" isn't for recording a stream, it's for studio-quality audio production work.

[nooby]

Ooops sorry, anyway cool that you and the others have this thread for those that get what it is.

I did dl the latest and will test if my Acer can stomach a whole music studio.

I have an Akai PTS something MIDI keyboard that need a prog to take midi in from USB and make sound out through the Soundboard.

so I am curious of this puppy would allow me to

[maans]

But only use it if the realtime kernel doesn't work for you.

Yep!!
The realtimeversion IS the way to go - I recomend that version, to everyone I know, for it's mere speed and good use of available "horsepower" - However I enjoy to have all the great music apps at my fingertips (for smaller projects and tasks) *AND* easy recognition of more hardware* with the standard core...
(*i.e. internal wifi-cards - I still haven't tested hardwarerecognition with my modest Maudio keyboard, and I don't use firewire audio cards privately - so I don't know anything about compability issues for that hardware - yet..)
Still, I have found a useful pcm-cia card, which I will use if & when I need the extra low latency.
Thank you very much for distributing a "standard-core" version of Puppy Studio as well!!
Puppy Studio, Browser Linux *AND* the newest Puppy ver. 5.1.1 (adding Ubuntu repositories) are the reasons why I use Puppy Linux today.
Thanks for making Puppy Linux capable of making music with some the greatest software available for Linux...
I'll give you at least ***** five stars!!!
Cheers Måns Mårtensson

[l0wt3ch]

@ maans: Cheers!

[artifus]

@nooby - the realtime aspect refers to audio latency - for example, if you were to connect up your midi keyboard in order to play a software synth you would experience a slight delay between pressing a key and hearing a sound which would obviously be quite off putting when playing. ditto when recording audio if you were monitoring via software rather than a hardware mixer or soundcard. running in realtime will greatly reduce that delay to barely perceptible, if at all, thanks to l0wt3chs' hard work. as for recording live audio streams i'm pretty sure you could use jack to connect the system output into one of the included audio recorders.

[artifus]

http://www.linuxmusicians.com/

[l0wt3ch]

@nooby - the realtime aspect refers to audio latency - for example, if you were to connect up your midi keyboard in order to play a software synth you would experience a slight delay between pressing a key and hearing a sound which would obviously be quite off putting when playing. ditto when recording audio if you were monitoring via software rather than a hardware mixer or soundcard. running in realtime will greatly reduce that delay to barely perceptible...

Yep, you said it!

This is one area where Puppy Studio really shines.

[r1tz]

http://www.linuxmusicians.com/

You might want to tell others about puppy studio there.
http://www.linuxmusicians.com/viewforum ... b4664d3372