Anyone Linux Compliant?

[Plotloss]

I'm somewhat lost you see...

What I'm trying to do is:

XMMS2>XMMS/Jack Output Plugin>Jack>ALSA

I'm using Debian and downloading packages using APT-GET

The soundcard in the machine is fairly old but also fairly well known, Debian doesnt come shipped with the module (driver in MS parlance?) for this particular soundcard and when I try to start Jack I get an error about ALSA.

Anyone have the faintest clue what I'm on about?

Anyone know any good sound driver resources for Linux/Debian?

Ta.

[Bodo]

I've never used Jack, so can't comment on that - but does sound generally work on your machine; eg. XMMS output directly to ALSA?

[Plotloss]

ALSA is the stumbling block, I think.

I should point out that I am trying to run the CLI version of XMMS2 so dont have a GUI which would no doubt make things easier.

[jitsukadave]

Plotloss said:

Anyone know any good sound driver resources for Linux/Debian? Ta.

I would say the usual places, but you sound like you know them already (JIC - you could start at linux.org or sf.net).

No expert with XMM etc, but linux modules/kernel.

I take it there's no reference to you card in OSS? That has most of the old school cards and new generic interface ones.

What get's listed with "lsmod"? It may be that you have a small config error in the module - though it may well require a kernel recompile with all the sound drivers that come with it as modules, and you test them one at a time.

Edit - Do you have sound already? what happens if you "cat /dev/snd0"?

>> Edited by jitsukadave on Monday 20th March 14:30

[Plotloss]

I freely admit that I am a complete linux numpty, my only previous experience being installing Asterisk which just worked.

I'll try those commands and see what happens...

[aldi]

ISTR the last time I installed debian 3.1 some of the ALSA libs weren't installed by default, which was a pain cause loads didnt work without them... you can check using 'aptitude' if you're feeling sado-masochistic or 'synaptic package manager' in the GUI if you're not. Both much easier than manual apt-get's though

Edit: Depending on how it was installed you might not have all the packages in your 'apt'; make sure the 'universe' web repository is enabled either from within the GUI package manager or by editing /etc/apt/sources.list

Id you don't mind me asking, how was Asterisk, and what hardware did you use?

>> Edited by aldi on Monday 20th March 15:11

[zumbruk]

I can't help you with your specific question, but have you looked at "Automatix", which is supposed to configure sound (among many other things) on Debian-based distros;

http://linux.slashdot.org/article.pl?

[Plotloss]

I'm using the Oxford University repositry (I think) and it was up to date the last time I fiddled with this.

Regarding Asterisk I just slung it on an old machine as a proof of concept, it installed using the apt-get fine and I could bring it up in line with the instructions. I got sidetracked on that though, its still here I just never got a SIP line to utilise it. Its on the task lisk though, I'll keep you updated.

Does that Automatix run under any distro or does it require Ubuntu specifically?

I'm not using X you see, as eventually I'll want this machine to run in a headless configuration.

[aldi]

Cool, one more thing that springs to mind is that Ubuntu is just debian with more up to date stuff in it, might be worth a shot.

[Plotloss]

Ah!

I was under the impression that Ubuntu is the Debian core with a load of apps on top ready to go, sort of like a Linux Numpty Bumper Fun Pack. Is this not the case?

[zumbruk]

Plotloss said:

I'm using the Oxford University repositry (I think) and it was up to date the last time I fiddled with this. Regarding Asterisk I just slung it on an old machine as a proof of concept, it installed using the apt-get fine and I could bring it up in line with the instructions. I got sidetracked on that though, its still here I just never got a SIP line to utilise it. Its on the task lisk though, I'll keep you updated. Does that Automatix run under any distro or does it require Ubuntu specifically? I'm not using X you see, as eventually I'll want this machine to run in a headless configuration.

Automatix is a shell script that installs shed-loads of stuff onto a Debian-based box to make it a numpty-proof desktop machine, IOW, Open Office, Firefox, Thunderbird, and (ta-da!) XMMS and the sound stuff. (Among lots of other things.)

AFAIK, Ubuntu is Debian with support & regular releases. Debian are notorious for the slow rate they update their stuff.

[Bodo]

zumbruk said:

Debian are notorious for the slow rate they update their stuff.

And all that under the coat of being stable and safe. A bit like a scamera partnership, really

[Plotloss]

This is probably half the issue.

XMMS doesnt do what I want.

The somewhat embryonic XMMS2 does, with consumate ease as well. Its just a bit unstable as far as I can make out.

Hmmmn, perhaps I'm running before I can stand upright...

[aldi]

Plotloss said:

Ah! I was under the impression that Ubuntu is the Debian core with a load of apps on top ready to go, sort of like a Linux Numpty Bumper Fun Pack. Is this not the case?

Yes and no, Debian also has loads of apps you can install depending on installation options but they're all about 12-18 months old in the stable release (still 3.1?) whereas Ubuntu releases every 6 months or so with massively bleeding edge stuff in it. Debian is more about stability than bleeding... which reminds me IIRC debian 3.1 also installs with a 2.4 kernel by default so you may find installing the 2.6 686 kernel with apt resolves your driver issue, if it is a driver issue. uname -r to find out what kernel you're in.

Re: Running headless, one thing you can do is have the gui installed and working for ease of admin but change the default runlevel to 3 rather than 5. 3 is basically everything but the GUI so its there if you need it but not running normally. My m8 said he got it to fire up the X server only when he connected to it with VNC, don't quite remember how he did it though, useful I know

[zumbruk]

aldi said:

My m8 said he got it to fire up the X server only when he connected to it with VNC, don't quite remember how he did it though, useful I know

[picky]The X *server* is the thing you're looking at/sitting in front of - the thing with the screen on it. The program providing the stuff inside the windows, Open Office for example, is an X *client*.[/picky]

Although this seems the wrong way round, it makes sense when you think X is a graphics server.

BTW, if you install X on a headless box, you can connect to it with XDMCP and have the headless box display on your local X server as if it really had a display.

Apologies that this has nada to do with the original request. I don't do sound on Linux machines.


>> Edited by zumbruk on Monday 20th March 16:27

[Pigeon]

aldi said:

IIRC debian 3.1 also installs with a 2.4 kernel by default so you may find installing the 2.6 686 kernel with apt resolves your driver issue, if it is a driver issue. uname -r to find out what kernel you're in.

Yes. 3.1 is installed with a 2.4 kernel by default. If you want ALSA you really want 2.6.

aldi said:

Re: Running headless, one thing you can do is have the gui installed and working for ease of admin but change the default runlevel to 3 rather than 5. 3 is basically everything but the GUI so its there if you need it but not running normally. My m8 said he got it to fire up the X server only when he connected to it with VNC, don't quite remember how he did it though, useful I know

With Debian the default runlevel is 2 but it doesn't matter because Debian doesn't use runlevels to determine whether you start the GUI or not. If you don't want the GUI starting there are several options but the best one for a headless box is simply not to install an X server on it. You don't need an X server on the remote box to run X clients on it - the clients will connect to the X server on the local machine - easiest way to establish the connection is with ssh -X.

[aldi]

Pigeon said:

With Debian the default runlevel is 2 but it doesn't matter because Debian doesn't use runlevels to determine whether you start the GUI or not.

Oops so it is, I was thinking in fedora there! Just ignore me