Re: pcsnd driver and Pentium
An update: I tried pretty much all Debian packages that play RAW or WAV
files and sinthetizers. The only good result is with "saytime", that says
the current time throug /dev/audio (minor 4).
Now, when I load the pcsnd module I get a message in kern.log saying
Jul 21 16:20:23 d6r2 kernel: PCSP on device 3
Jul 21 16:20:23 d6r2 kernel: PCSP mixer on device 0
so I guess that pcsnd is listening on /dev/dsp (minor 3) and not
/dev/audio... What's going on? I tried "ls -l" in the /dev directory to
make sure that one of them is not a link and it gives:
crw-rw---- 1 root audio 14, 3 Dec 9 1999 /dev/dsp
crw-rw---- 1 root audio 14, 4 Dec 9 1999 /dev/audio
(I didn't create the devices myself, but I assume that they were created
when I installed slink or upgraded to potato...)
Why does saytime work and the others don't? Anyone got any clue?
Thanks.
matteo
On Sat, 21 Jul 2001, Matteo Semplice wrote:
> Hi everyone,
> I am trying the pcsnd driver patch (from
> ftp://ftp.uk.linux.org/pub/people/dwmw2/pcsp/) on my Pentium 100MHz
> laptop. It is supposed to provide some basic sound through the PC speaker
> for those that think that their box is too old to deserve a sound card...
> (Running potato on 2.2.17 kernel here)
>
> Now, it doesn't work... Ok, I patched my 2.2.17 kernel source tree and
> built the driver as a module; I compiled also vplay in the pcsnd-kit that
> is at the same ftp site. The module loads ok and 'vplay' does indeed
> produce noise through the speaker... However playing the included
> enterprise.raw that is supposed to produce some StarTrek tune I get a
> FAX-like noise (you know, that sort of high-pitch rattling noise that you
> hear when you pick up the handset and discover it was a FAX...)
>
> A web search revealed that reading IDE devices interferes with the driver
> slowing it down, so I tried to play the tune while 'find / -name whatever'
> was running: it sounds a bit better but still far from giving the right
> frequencies!
>
> Ok, so does anyone have any experience out there?
>
> I had a look at the code and there are comments about the need of a
> time-delay loop when Pentiums will become common... (toghether with
> warnings that a 386SX may not be fast enough: as you guess the original
> code is rather old!) So do I need such a delay loop? On the other hand it
> is a mantained patch and I assume that people out there are using it on
> new machines...
>
> Of course it may just be a crap speaker...
>
> So, some success/unsuccess reports on machines equal or faster than mine
> would be much appreciated. Even better, if you have any idea on how this
> works and can diagnose my problem and/or have fixes to suggest...
>
> (Also, has anyone tried to build and use the mono or stereo DAC on
> parallel port that the driver is supposed to support?)
>
> matteo
>
> PS I read debian-user only in digest format, so please Cc replies to me if
> you are answering on that list only.
>
> ---------------
> Matteo Semplice
> Wadham College
> Oxford OX1 3PN
> U.K.
>
>
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>
---------------
Matteo Semplice
Wadham College
Oxford OX1 3PN
U.K.
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