[plug] Sound card problem

Craig Ringer craig at postnewspapers.com.au
Wed Jun 16 16:59:35 WST 2004


Cameron Patrick wrote:
> Craig Ringer wrote:
> 
> | you'll need to patch the kernel with the ALSA drivers as the option
> | won't even be there otherwise. I'm assuming you've used vanilla
> | sources - if you're using Debian sources, then I expect it'll be
> | included
> 
> Wha'?  As far as I know, ALSA doesn't require patching the kernel

Good point - IIRC it's also possible to compile the ALSA modules outside 
the main kernel tree. One way or another though, the ALSA kernel modules 
will be required to use ALSA ;-)

> Or as you said, use OSS, it's easier :-)

But not always better. My laptop - with i810 AC'97 sound - works 
/massively/ better with ALSA. With OSS all sorts of weird issues used to 
turn up - sound playing at double speed, as if the clock had been 
accelerated but only for the app with the sound device open ; apps 
writing to /dev/dsp hanging indefinitely, etc.

With OSS emulation under ALSA, it works great. Oddly, using native ALSA 
is the worst of the lot, barely working at all.

--
Craig Ringer




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