A question to all you linux users out there;

What's the best way to configure alsa? I have a Layla24 and there are device drivers in the kernel source. Should I configure my kernel so that ALSA and my drivers are included in the Kernel, or loaded as modules? If I compile my kernel with these as modules and

# modprobe snd-Layla-24

will it work? And what is with the alsa-firmware? Where does the firmware go? Is this a module as well?

(One more hairy point; my device is pcmcia. not pci. and the drivers seem to live in /etc/modules..../pci)

Sorry about all the question marks.

Nestor

$ alsaconf

(aka alsa-config on some systems)

It should guide you through the process with a "wizard" that does as much auto-detection as it can.

Okay, I've tried alsaconf in the past and gotten this when I try to use ALSA in PD:

output snd_pcm_delay failed: Input/output error
astate 0
audio I/O stuck... closing audio

Also, is there a -v option to alsaconf? I'd like to know what is going on other than just changing the .conf file.

Dunno what snd_pcm is returning there, but you should see a separate driver for the Layla24
like this

$ lsmod

snd-seq-midi 5152 0 (unused)
snd-virmidi 2080 0
snd-seq-virmidi 5128 0 [snd-virmidi]
snd-seq-midi-event 6240 0 [snd-seq-midi snd-seq-virmidi]
snd-seq 48784 0 [snd-seq-midi snd-seq-virmidi snd-seq-midi-event]
snd-layla24 149732 3 <--------*here*
snd-pcm 85860 2 [snd-layla24] <---and pcm is using it

You don't have to recompile kernel or anything, find a driver and use insmod

Apparently there's a utils package at Alsa Project website for the Echo Layla24 that sets up everything. Have you tried that one?

also, there's an ALSA Wiki up now that may help you

below you'll find my lsmod info. echomixer, the alsa-toolkit utility for echo audio products did work after doing [ # alsaconf ] however, I tried to test my config simply by doing this;

# aplay -vv *
ALSA lib confmisc.c:670:(snd_func_card_driver) cannot find card '0'
ALSA lib conf.c:3500:(_snd_config_evaluate) function snd_func_card_driver returned error: No such device
ALSA lib confmisc.c:391:(snd_func_concat) error evaluating strings
ALSA lib conf.c:3500:(_snd_config_evaluate) function snd_func_concat returned error: No such device
ALSA lib confmisc.c:1070:(snd_func_refer) error evaluating name
ALSA lib conf.c:3500:(_snd_config_evaluate) function snd_func_refer returned error: No such device
ALSA lib conf.c:3968:(snd_config_expand) Evaluate error: No such device
ALSA lib pcm.c:2143:(snd_pcm_open_noupdate) Unknown PCM default
aplay: main:550: audio open error: No such device

So therer is still a missing piece.

Module Size Used by
snd_layla24 36356 0
snd_seq_oss 40084 0
snd_seq_midi 9792 0
snd_seq_midi_event 8160 2 snd_seq_oss,snd_seq_midi
snd_seq 60456 5 snd_seq_oss,snd_seq_midi,snd_seq_midi_event
snd_rawmidi 28992 2 snd_layla24,snd_seq_midi
snd_seq_device 9708 4 snd_seq_oss,snd_seq_midi,snd_seq,snd_rawmidi
firmware_class 11744 1 snd_layla24
snd_pcm_oss 52032 0
snd_mixer_oss 20704 1 snd_pcm_oss
snd_pcm 91396 2 snd_layla24,snd_pcm_oss
snd_timer 26500 2 snd_seq,snd_pcm
snd 65908 9 snd_layla24,snd_seq_oss,snd_seq,snd_rawmidi,snd_seq_device,snd_pcm_oss,snd_mixer_oss,snd_pcm,snd_timer
soundcore 11204 1 snd
snd_page_alloc 11304 2 snd_layla24,snd_pcm