# gentoo-sources-2.6.24 alsa-driver (1.0.14 & 1.0.15) fails

## sverzel

After getting the new gentoo-sources and using the new kernel, media-sound/alsa-drivers fails to emerge (both 1.0.14 and 1.0.15).

Error log:

```

make -C /usr/src/linux M=/var/tmp/portage/media-sound/alsa-driver-1.0.15/work/alsa-driver-1.0.15 O=/lib/modules/2.6.24-gentoo/build CPP="i686-pc-linux-gnu-gcc -E" CC="i686-pc-linux-gnu-gcc" modules

make[1]: Entering directory `/usr/src/linux-2.6.24-gentoo'

/usr/src/linux-2.6.24-gentoo/scripts/Makefile.build:46: *** CFLAGS was changed in "/var/tmp/portage/media-sound/alsa-driver-1.0.15/work/alsa-driver-1.0.15/acore/Makefile". Fix it to use EXTRA_CFLAGS.  Stop.

make[3]: *** [/var/tmp/portage/media-sound/alsa-driver-1.0.15/work/alsa-driver-1.0.15/acore] Error 2

make[2]: *** [_module_/var/tmp/portage/media-sound/alsa-driver-1.0.15/work/alsa-driver-1.0.15] Error 2

make[1]: *** [sub-make] Error 2

make[1]: Leaving directory `/usr/src/linux-2.6.24-gentoo'

make: *** [compile] Error 2

 * 

 * ERROR: media-sound/alsa-driver-1.0.15 failed.

 * Call stack:

 *                   ebuild.sh, line 1701:  Called dyn_compile

 *                   ebuild.sh, line 1039:  Called qa_call 'src_compile'

 *                   ebuild.sh, line   44:  Called src_compile

 *   alsa-driver-1.0.15.ebuild, line  143:  Called die

 * The specific snippet of code:

 *      emake LDFLAGS="$(raw-ldflags)" HOSTCC="$(tc-getBUILD_CC)" CC="$(tc-getCC)" || die "Make Failed"

 *  The die message:

 *   Make Failed

```

Anyone experiencing the same problem? Advice?

----------

## gimpel

 *sverzel wrote:*   

> Advice?

 

Use in-kernel alsa drivers.

----------

## schachti

 *gimpel wrote:*   

> Use in-kernel alsa drivers.

 

In some cases, this might be not a good idea...

I have the same problem here...

EDIT: There is already a bugreport on this.

----------

## michel7

The same here, i dont like build-in alsa drivers. And media-sound/alsa-drivers fails to compile ...

----------

## bunder

Moved from Portage & Programming to Kernel & Hardware.

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## mantoo

i use the 999-version by unmasking in packages.mask and adding with "**" to packages.use,

really works fine; also recognized some optical improvements/changes in alsamixer  :Wink: 

give it a try

----------

## sverzel

To get around the problem I compiled alsa in the kernel and the driver as a module instead. Problem with alsa-driver persists. See bug, as linked by schachti: https://bugs.gentoo.org/show_bug.cgi?id=207427

----------

## michel7

is this issue still unsolved?

----------

## mantoo

depends... for the  modules 1.0.14 an 1.0.15 yeah, i dont know if there is a newer one one maybe now.. i used the unstable  (9999) and that worked for me

maybe i should  change the title not to "[solved]" but "[workaround]" ?

----------

## Paapaa

BTW, why don't people use the kernel driver?

----------

## keenblade

 *Paapaa wrote:*   

> BTW, why don't people use the kernel driver?

 

As a module it is updated more often, than a builtin kernel driver. And if you are a musician, than you are more obsessive about bleeding edge multimedia  :Smile: 

 *sverzel wrote:*   

> After getting the new gentoo-sources and using the new kernel, media-sound/alsa-drivers fails to emerge (both 1.0.14 and 1.0.15)...
> 
> Anyone experiencing the same problem? Advice?

 

Norberto Bensa's suggestion at bugzilla worked for me, too;

```

mv alsa-driver-1.0.15.ebuild to alsa-driver-1.0.16_rc1.ebuild

ebuild alsa-driver-1.0.16_rc1.ebuild digest

emerge alsa-driver

```

I did this on my local overlay, btw.

----------

## beatryder

 *keenblade wrote:*   

>  *Paapaa wrote:*   BTW, why don't people use the kernel driver? 
> 
> As a module it is updated more often, than a builtin kernel driver. And if you are a musician, than you are more obsessive about bleeding edge multimedia 
> 
>  *sverzel wrote:*   After getting the new gentoo-sources and using the new kernel, media-sound/alsa-drivers fails to emerge (both 1.0.14 and 1.0.15)...
> ...

 

This also seems to have worked for me.

----------

## Paapaa

 *keenblade wrote:*   

>  *Paapaa wrote:*   BTW, why don't people use the kernel driver? 
> 
> As a module it is updated more often, than a builtin kernel driver. And if you are a musician, than you are more obsessive about bleeding edge multimedia 

 

I don't think you necessarily get more "bleeding edge multimedia" if you use a slightly newer Alsa driver. Usually the driver either works, or doesn't.

And the latest kernel 2.6.24 has the latest ALSA 1.0.15. But true, 2.6.24 is not yet in stable. At least people with problems should try the in-kernel driver. That is what the kernel team also recommends. IIRC, there has also been some discussion whether to drop the separate drivers completely.

I don't understand why there is a separate ALSA module in the first place. Kernel should handle all the needed device drivers.

----------

## keenblade

 *Paapaa wrote:*   

> 
> 
> I don't think you necessarily get more "bleeding edge multimedia" if you use a slightly newer Alsa driver. Usually the driver either works, or doesn't.
> 
> And the latest kernel 2.6.24 has the latest ALSA 1.0.15. But true, 2.6.24 is not yet in stable. At least people with problems should try the in-kernel driver. That is what the kernel team also recommends. IIRC, there has also been some discussion whether to drop the separate drivers completely.
> ...

 

I like to use module, because;

If a version of alsa driver does not work for you, than you just emerge a previous or a working version easily, for the sake of low latency.

No need to compile all kernel, just alsa-driver. 

When I was a windows user, there was creative drivers for sblive soundcard. It was far better than ms ones. Then came kX drivers. It was better than all and pushed the card limits to all possibilities. Finaly, later asio4all driver was the nirvana for low latency audio. It was incredibly made my pc an effect processor for my guitar. Sometimes previous versions worked better.

So the sound driver is important for me. I don't think it is different for linux.

As you see using a module, I could use driver that is not in portage and in kernel. Isn't that wonderful? Possibly one can integrate the new driver into kernel himself, but thats to much work. I hope they provide the driver as a module in the future, too.

----------

## Paapaa

 *keenblade wrote:*   

> If a version of alsa driver does not work for you, than you just emerge a previous or a working version easily, for the sake of low latency.

 

Have actually you had a situation where the ALSA in the latest stable kernel doesn't work but an older one does? I'd like to know how possible this scenario is in actual life. Similarly we could have every single device driver both in kernel and in portage tree. What a mess would that be,

----------

## PaulBredbury

 *Paapaa wrote:*   

> an older one does?

 

I've seen loads of ALSA threads complaining that 1.0.15 breaks what used to work in 1.0.14

Then again, 1.0.15 fixes lotsa stuff.

----------

## Paapaa

 *PaulBredbury wrote:*   

> I've seen loads of ALSA threads complaining that 1.0.15 breaks what used to work in 1.0.14

 

But are we talking about 1.0.15 in kernel, not the 1.0.15 driver? Those are not, AFAIK, identical.

----------

## Fuchs

First of all: creating a 1.0.16_r1 or 1.0.16_r2 ebuild works, 

same goes for unmasking 9999, as this is a known 

problem which has been fixed in alsa-drivers svn. 

For in-kernel VS external: There are good reasons for using not the

in kernel alsa-drivers, as they might be, at least

if you are using a stable kernel, rather old. 

I have a new santa rosa intel chipset here, 

and the onboard sound (hda-intel) works

with >= 1.0.15 and there it is still buggy. 

The mute behaviour is correct now in 1.0.16_r2, 

while it wasn't even in 1.0.16_r1. 

So there are people who definitely have good reasons

for using the external alsa drivers. 

Fuchs

----------

## keenblade

 *Paapaa wrote:*   

> 
> 
> Have actually you had a situation where the ALSA in the latest stable kernel doesn't work but an older one does? I'd like to know how possible this scenario is in actual life. Similarly we could have every single device driver both in kernel and in portage tree. What a mess would that be,

 

I had not tried the latest in kernel alsa driver until now. But I have just tried. It compiled fine. Works fine. But performance is much better with the newer 1.0.16_r1 and r2. Just did a quick audacity benchmark. New alsa drivers is twice fast for audacity. Ok audacity is not a benchmark tool but, it shows new driver is faster. But I know some people could not compile in kernel alsa, too. So what is happening is an actual life scenario.

Also I agree there is no need to have every single device driver both in kernel and in portage tree. But sound and graphic are not one of them. I don't think this makes a mess. Gentoo is all about choices. Also what is wrong with being modular? Haven't xorg and kde gone better as being modular. Even internal  kernel alsa driver is built as a module, too. Thats the preferred way, other ways, it won't work. 

Being modular and using modules rock for me. That's freedom.

----------

## pappy_mcfae

Personally, I am not all that impressed with the alsa drivers that come with vanilla and gentoo-sources-2.6.24. Come to think of it, I'm not all that impressed with the new kernel at all. 

In my opinion, the driver for my new laptop sound chip (intel-hda) went backwards. The headphone jack still doesn't work properly, and when the new driver takes hold of the sound chip, it doesn't let go. Much like when I switch between Windoze and Gentoo, in order to get the sound to work, I have to power the system down. Same thing with the new drivers. If I use the 2.6.24 kernel, and swtich back to one that works (2.6.22.16), I get no sound, unless I completely power down.

I guess I'll have to be stuck at 2.6.22.16 until they fix the alsa drivers...oh, yeah, and that pesky broadcom wireless adapters no longer work thing, too. 

Color me unimpressed.

Blessed be!

Pappy

----------

## PaulBredbury

ALSA bugs should go in the ALSA bugzilla.

The people who are capable of fixing ALSA bugs don't read this forum, AFAICT.

----------

## schachti

 *Fuchs wrote:*   

> So there are people who definitely have good reasons
> 
> for using the external alsa drivers.

 

Right - see also http://polynomial-c.homelinux.net/pub/gentoo/documentation/alsa-driver.html for other reasons why one might prefer the separate package over the in-kernel drivers.

----------

## josedb

could anybody tell how do i install svn alsa-driver?

----------

## schachti

Add the following to /etc/portage/package.unmask:

```
=media-sound/alsa-driver-9999

=media-sound/alsa-headers-9999
```

Add the following to  /etc/portage/package.keywords:

```
=media-sound/alsa-driver-9999

=media-sound/alsa-headers-9999
```

emerge the latest version:

```
emerge =media-sound/alsa-driver-9999
```

----------

## josedb

alsa-driver already emerged but the problem persist, when i try to play any sound the program crash.

http://img513.imageshack.us/img513/2806/screenshotpc0.png

this is what i mean

http://img405.imageshack.us/img405/1783/screenshot1be8.png

localhost ~ # lsmod

Module                  Size  Used by

snd_hda_intel         356312  0 

snd_pcm                57032  1 snd_hda_intel

snd_timer              16712  1 snd_pcm

snd_page_alloc          7120  2 snd_hda_intel,snd_pcm

snd_hwdep               6408  1 snd_hda_intel

snd                    36424  4 snd_hda_intel,snd_pcm,snd_timer,snd_hwdep

nvidia               6997716  26 

soundcore               7584  1 sndLast edited by josedb on Sun Feb 17, 2008 4:35 pm; edited 2 times in total

----------

## schachti

Which program? Does it work with other programs / other sound files?

----------

## josedb

it doesnt. for instance, if you execute lagno (a game) when playing a sound, the program exit suddenly.

i was trying over several method i found over the internet for solving this conflictive sound card's problem,  and the only i get is playing sound via OSS, but as you know, oss can only manage 1 sound a time, so if iam not wrong, i have to install some other program as esd. am i right?

----------

## verticalrock

Might as well add my two cents to this issue.  I have just gotten a brand new Dell Inspiron D830 here at work.  A very sweet laptop in lots of ways (180 minutes to compile OOo) but the audio has got me buggered.

I have tried both (not at the same time) the in-kernel 2.6.24-r2 alsa driver and the alsa-driver-9999 (alsa-driver-1.0.15 craps out on emerge as per https://bugs.gentoo.org/show_bug.cgi?id=207427) with essentially the same results.

The sound is REALLY quiet even when every available mixer lever in alsamixer is at 100%.  The only difference AFAICT is that with the -9999 driver I get a Master Mixer slider (in alsamixer) whereas in the in-kernel driver I don't get that option.

lspci -v reveals:

```
00:1b.0 Audio device: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) HD Audio Controller (rev 02)

        Subsystem: Dell Unknown device 01fe

        Flags: bus master, fast devsel, latency 0, IRQ 21

        Memory at febfc000 (64-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=16K]

        Capabilities: [50] Power Management version 2

        Capabilities: [60] Message Signalled Interrupts: Mask- 64bit+ Queue=0/0 Enable-

        Capabilities: [70] Express Root Complex Integrated Endpoint, MSI 00

        Capabilities: [100] Virtual Channel <?>

        Capabilities: [130] Root Complex Link <?>

        Kernel driver in use: HDA Intel

        Kernel modules: snd-hda-intel
```

As per this helpful wiki entry, http://gentoo-wiki.com/HARDWARE_Dell_Latitude_D630_/_D830#Sound, I have used this configuration for the in-kernel driver:

```
Device Drivers  --->

    Sound  --->

        <*> Sound card support

            Advanced Linux Sound Architecture  --->

              <*> Advanced Linux Sound Architecture

                  PCI devices  --->

                    <M> Intel HD Audio

                    [*]   Build IDT/Sigmatel HD-audio codec support
```

Anyone got this figured out so I can listen to tunes (and other sound events) without having to have the volume at crazy high levels?  Cheers!

----------

## keenblade

 *verticalrock wrote:*   

> ...
> 
> Anyone got this figured out so I can listen to tunes (and other sound events) without having to have the volume at crazy high levels?  Cheers!

 

Lets go to through the Manually Specify Module Parameters section of HdaIntelSoundHowto. I am assuming you are using alsa-driver, not built in kernel. I don't think it will work otherwise.

What is the output of;

```

cat /proc/asound/card0/codec#* | grep Codec

```

----------

## verticalrock

Hey keenblade!  Thanks for the helpful link!  Yes, I am using alsa-driver-9999 at the moment and NOT the in kernel driver.  After adding the file /etc/modprobe.d/alsa-base with this:

```
options snd-hda-intel model=dell-m44
```

The volume seems to be set at reasonable levels.  I still cannot seem to get pidgin sounds to work properly with either ALSA or aplay, but that may be a different and unrelated issue.

Thanks for the help!

----------

## keenblade

verticalrock, glad that worked for you.

For pidgin I think it is a different issue. Using festival, pidgin even reads the messages aloud, here.

----------

## Kenji Miyamoto

Well, I'm having the same issues as above.  But unlike your situation, I can't upgrade past ALSA 1.0.15 due to OSSv4 lacking ABI compatibility with anything newer.  I only use it for SB X-Fi support (Creative's ALSA driver is even more broken).  Am I stuck with a 2.6.23 kernel?

----------

## acoul

this worked for me

 *Quote:*   

> 
> 
> workaround (works for me): 
> 
> mv alsa-driver-1.0.15.ebuild to alsa-driver-1.0.16_rc1.ebuild
> ...

 

----------

## djs

change your /etc/portage/package.keywords (remove the _rc1) and re-emerge.  That should work.

/djs

----------

