Multimedia :: Alsa boot option doesn't work



Now I've got my frugal hd installation up and running, I tried the alsa boot option.

The sound card is a Soundblaster 128 [Multimedia audio controller: Ensoniq ES1370 [AudioPCI] (rev 01)]

During boot, I get a message that alsa is autoconfiguring my sound card - after startup, I found the modules were not loaded.

I tried the following:

~$ sudo /etc/init.d/alsa-autoconfig
Preparing modules for alsa...
Building card database..
Configuring ens1370...
Running update-modules...
Creating snddevices...
Setting default volumes...
aumix:  MIXER_WRITE

But the modules were still not loaded. Finally I tried this and things worked:

~$ sudo rmmod audio
~$ sudo rmmod soundcore
~$ sudo /etc/init.d/alsa-autoconfig
Preparing modules for alsa...
Building card database..
Configuring ens1370...
Running update-modules...
Creating snddevices...
Setting default volumes...
dsl@box:~$ lsmod
Module                  Size  Used by    Not tainted
snd-mixer-oss          11280   0 (autoclean)
snd-ens1370             7904   0 (autoclean)
gameport                1388   0 (autoclean) [snd-ens1370]
snd-pcm                57504   0 (autoclean) [snd-ens1370]
snd-timer              15044   0 (autoclean) [snd-pcm]
snd-page-alloc          5584   0 (autoclean) [snd-ens1370 snd-pcm]
snd-rawmidi            12512   0 (autoclean) [snd-ens1370]
snd-seq-device          3716   0 (autoclean) [snd-rawmidi]
snd-ak4531-codec        5160   0 (autoclean) [snd-ens1370]
snd                    29988   0 (autoclean) [snd-mixer-oss snd-ens1370 snd-pcm snd-timer snd-rawmidi snd-seq-device snd-ak4531-codec]
soundcore               3428   3 (autoclean) [snd]
smbfs                  39408   1 (autoclean)

It appears the problem is that the alsa boot option stops the es1370 module being loaded but it is also required that the audio and soundcore modules should not be loaded?
The purpose of the alsa boot code is to call /etc/init.d/alsa-config
It does work on the half dozen cards that were tested.

But your's doesn't. Ok. A couple of things to try:

1. Try adding driver to boot option, e.g.,

alsa=es1370

2. Try booting with the nosound option, then after boot up

from a root shell or the equivalent /opt/bootlocal.sh

/etc/init.d/alsa-config

Let me know your results.
I tried your suggestions:

1. Boot option "alsa" or "alsa=es1370"

In both cases, after boot the alsa modules had not loaded, but I could get them loaded as follows:

~$ lsmod
...
audio                  42140   0
soundcore               3428   5 [audio]

~$ sudo rmmod audio    
~$ sudo /etc/init.d/alsa-autoconfig
Preparing modules for alsa...
Building card database..
Configuring ens1370...
Running update-modules...
Creating snddevices...
Setting default volumes...
dsl@box:~$ lsmod
Module                  Size  Used by    Not tainted
snd-mixer-oss          11280   0 (autoclean)
snd-ens1370             7904   0 (autoclean)
gameport                1388   0 (autoclean) [snd-ens1370]
snd-pcm                57504   0 (autoclean) [snd-ens1370]
snd-timer              15044   0 (autoclean) [snd-pcm]
snd-page-alloc          5584   0 (autoclean) [snd-ens1370 snd-pcm]
snd-rawmidi            12512   0 (autoclean) [snd-ens1370]
snd-seq-device          3716   0 (autoclean) [snd-rawmidi]
snd-ak4531-codec        5160   0 (autoclean) [snd-ens1370]
snd                    29988   0 (autoclean) [snd-mixer-oss snd-ens1370 snd-pcm snd-timer snd-rawmidi snd-seq-device snd-ak4531-codec]
...
soundcore               3428   3 [snd]


2. Boot option "nosound"

Strangely, this did not stop the sound modules loading, but I could get them loaded as follows:

~$ lsmod
Module                  Size  Used by    Not tainted
...
es1370                 30348   0
audio                  42140   0
soundcore               3428   9 [es1370 audio]

~$ sudo rmmod es1370
~$ sudo rmmod audio
~$ sudo /etc/init.d/alsa-autoconfig
Preparing modules for alsa...
Building card database..
Configuring ens1370...
Running update-modules...
Creating snddevices...
Setting default volumes...
dsl@box:~$ lsmod
Module                  Size  Used by    Not tainted
snd-mixer-oss          11280   0 (autoclean)
snd-ens1370             7904   0 (autoclean)
snd-pcm                57504   0 (autoclean) [snd-ens1370]
snd-timer              15044   0 (autoclean) [snd-pcm]
snd-page-alloc          5584   0 (autoclean) [snd-ens1370 snd-pcm]
snd-rawmidi            12512   0 (autoclean) [snd-ens1370]
snd-seq-device          3716   0 (autoclean) [snd-rawmidi]
snd-ak4531-codec        5160   0 (autoclean) [snd-ens1370]
snd                    29988   0 (autoclean) [snd-mixer-oss snd-ens1370 snd-pcm snd-timer snd-rawmidi snd-seq-device snd-ak4531-codec]
soundcore               3428   3 [snd]

On my system at least, it would appear that the boot option "alsa" stops the es1370 module being loaded but it needs to stop the audio module being loaded in order for the autoconfig to work. In addition, it appears the boot option "nosound" does not have any effect.

Anyway, thanks for the help - at least I know how to get alsa working - which is good since the es1370 module does not produce any sound...
Perhaps, I just need to test for audio module being loaded and if so rmmod before I call /etc/init.d/alsa-config?

From your posts only the audio needed to be rmmod'ed?

I will try this in v3.3RC1 to try to improve the auto alsa setup.

Thanks for this feedback. I hope you will test your setup when v3.3RC1 becomes available for testing.

original here.