[Pkg-alsa-devel] Bug#614113: Bug#614113: alsa-base: alsa accepts cards names in /usr/share/alsa/alsa.conf but wants only numbers in /etc/asound.conf

[Elimar Riesebieter]

* sergey [110219 23:34 +0300]:
> Package: alsa-base Version: 1.0.23+dfsg-2 Severity: normal
> 
> 
> Excuse me for my bad English :-)
> 
> I have a well-known problem: device priorities that alsa sets is
> unacceptable for me.
> 
> $cat /proc/asound/cards 0 [ICH5           ]: ICH4 - Intel ICH5
> Intel ICH5 with AD1888 at irq 17 1 [HDMI           ]: HDA-Intel -
> HDA ATI HDMI HDA ATI HDMI at 0xff8ec000 irq 17
> 
> I have 2 sound devices as you an see. ICH5 is normal sound device,
> HDMI is problematic.  Now this devices stay in right order, but
> this changes from boot to boot.  Sound works/not works from boot
> to boot.  So I must to set priorities by hands to make sound works
> always.
> 
> I lost many time and found where I can write ICH5 as default
> device.  This is file /usr/share/alsa/alsa.conf: ....
> defaults.ctl.card ICH5 defaults.pcm.card ICH5 ....
> defaults.hwdep.card ICH5 ....  defaults.timer.card ICH5 ....
> 
> With this settings all work fine.
> 
> But it is non-standart way. Standart way is write this settings to
> /etc/asound.conf AFAIK.

No, standard is to read /usr/share/doc/alsa-base/README.Debian.gz
and follow the hints ;-)

> /etc/asound.conf is included from
> /usr/share/alsa/alsa.conf, so I expect that i can use same syntax
> in both files.
> 
> I try to use default /usr/share/alsa/alsa.conf with this
> /etc/asound.conf: defaults.ctl.card ICH5 defaults.pcm.card ICH5
> defaults.timer.card ICH5
> 
> Result when starting alsamixer:
> $ alsamixer
> ALSA lib conf.c:992:(parse_value) card is not a string
> ALSA lib conf.c:1661:(snd_config_load1) _toplevel_:8:24:???????????????????????? ????????????????
> ALSA lib conf.c:3441:(snd_config_hook_load) /etc/asound.conf may be old or corrupted: consider to remove or fix it
> ALSA lib conf.c:3302:(snd_config_hooks_call) function snd_config_hook_load returned error: ???????????????????????? ????????????????
> ALSA lib conf.c:3687:(snd_config_update_r) hooks failed, removing configuration
> cannot open mixer: ???????????????????????? ????????????????
> 
> I try to use default /usr/share/alsa/alsa.conf with this /etc/asound.conf:
> defaults.ctl.card 0
> defaults.pcm.card 0
> defaults.timer.card 0
> 
> Result is: alsamixer starts OK.
> So, the bug is: alsa accepts cards names in
> /usr/share/alsa/alsa.conf but not accepts names in
> /etc/asound.conf (only numbers). 

No, there is no bug.

> Why this is important? Because numbers can change from boot to
> boot, names can not change so quickly.

Again, follow /usr/share/doc/alsa-base/README.Debian.gz or read [0]

> If /etc/asound.conf will accept cards names then we will have
> simple solution of problem with cards priorities at list in case
> of 2 cards.

Elimar

[0] http://alsa.opensrc.org/FAQ026

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