[Pkg-alsa-devel] Bug#446968: alsa-base: Alsa only works after /etc/init.d/alsa restart, then fails again later

[Sean]

Package: alsa-base
Version: 1.0.14-2
Severity: grave
Justification: renders package unusable

After upgrading my kernel from 2.6.18-4 to 2.6.21 (now 2.6.22),
I noticed mplayer stoped playing video files, and stalled immediately 
after opening. I filed a bug report with mplayer (bug #445731). I later 
learned that the problem was not mplayer specific; any application that 
attempted to work with alsa stalled (including the gnome sound system). 
I tired building modules for alsa using module-assistant, and it 
appeared to work. However, I think it only appeared to work because 
it cause alsa to reload. After the system rebooted alsa still had the 
same problem. When the system is started, to prevent applications 
that work with alsa from stalling, I have to run 
/etc/init.d/alsa force-reload. This allows sound to start working again.

However, once sound is working again, if I try to play a movie file, 
mplayer works for a few seconds and stalls (as it did before alsa was 
reloaded). I tried this with totem, and, though it didn't stall, sound 
suddenly cut out. So, alsa starts working after the reload, but then 
stops again. If I try playing the file yet again, it will still play 
(without locking up immediately), but it still locks up later. I have 
tried reinstalling the alsa-base and alsa-utils packages, but 
nothing has worked so far.

-- Package-specific info:
--- Begin additional package status ---
Desired=Unknown/Install/Remove/Purge/Hold
| Status=Not/Installed/Config-files/Unpacked/Failed-config/Half-installed
|/ Err?=(none)/Hold/Reinst-required/X=both-problems (Status,Err: uppercase=bad)
||/ Name           Version        Description
+++-==============-==============-============================================
ii  libasound2     1.0.14a-2      ALSA library
--- End additional package status ---
--- Begin /proc/asound/version ---
Advanced Linux Sound Architecture Driver Version 1.0.14 (Thu May 31 09:03:25 2007 UTC).
--- End /proc/asound/version ---
--- Begin /proc/asound/cards ---
 0 [Tumbler        ]: PMac Tumbler - PowerMac Tumbler
                      PowerMac Tumbler (Dev 21) Sub-frame 0
--- End /proc/asound/cards ---
--- Begin /dev/snd/ listing ---
total 0
crw-rw---- 1 root audio 116,  0 2007-10-16 20:55 controlC0
crw-rw---- 1 root audio 116, 16 2007-10-16 20:55 pcmC0D0p
crw-rw---- 1 root audio 116, 33 2007-10-16 20:55 timer
--- End /dev/snd/ listing ---

-- System Information:
Debian Release: lenny/sid
  APT prefers testing
  APT policy: (500, 'testing')
Architecture: powerpc (ppc)

Kernel: Linux 2.6.22-2-powerpc
Locale: LANG=en_US.UTF-8, LC_CTYPE=en_US.UTF-8 (charmap=UTF-8)
Shell: /bin/sh linked to /bin/bash

Versions of packages alsa-base depends on:
ii  linux-sound-base           1.0.14-2      base package for ALSA and OSS soun
ii  lsof                       4.78.dfsg.1-3 List open files
ii  module-init-tools          3.3-pre11-4   tools for managing Linux kernel mo

Versions of packages alsa-base recommends:
ii  alsa-utils                    1.0.14-2   ALSA utilities

Versions of packages libasound2 depends on:
ii  libc6                         2.6.1-1    GNU C Library: Shared libraries

-- no debconf information