[alsa-devel] ALSA versions versus kernel versions

Takashi Iwai tiwai at suse.de
Mon Jan 28 17:32:50 CET 2013 

At Mon, 28 Jan 2013 10:50:04 -0500,
Daniel Griscom wrote:
> 
> At 4:28 PM +0100 1/28/13, Takashi Iwai wrote:
> >At Fri, 25 Jan 2013 10:10:18 -0500,
> >Daniel Griscom wrote:
> >>
> >>  I never got a response to my query,
> >
> >... because you're hanging your post to an utterly irrelevant thread?
> >It's the second time, so I guess the previous time wasn't an
> >accident.
> 
> How so? Is there a hidden email field that tracks threads independent 
> of the thread titles? If so, my apologies: my (antique) email client 
> must be doing things behind my back.

Hmm, why doubled posts?

> >  > not even an RTFM (although I'm
> >>  pretty sure this isn't in the M). So, in case anyone else is
> >>  wondering, here's what I've since found:
> >>
> >>  - The kernel packages do NOT limit themselves to taking an entire
> >>  released ALSA package. In particular, the 3.6.X series has a number
> >>  of improvements and changes that aren't in the latest (year old)
> >>  alsa-driver 1.0.25 package. I'll guess that they're taken directly
> >>  from the alsa GIT repository, but it's hard to know.
> >
> >The 1.0.25 *released* tarball is what was released.  It won't change.
> >The tarball created from the latest GIT is called "snapshot".
> >
> >And note that the alsa-driver version number has been already
> >deprecated in the recent kernel.  The confusing number 1.0.25 was
> >dropped, finally.
> 
> Ah. Is there somewhere I could find out information such as this?

Track the kernel git tree.  All commits are found there.

> >In short, forget about alsa-driver released packages.  Stick with the
> >driver included in your kernel, or use alsa-driver snapshot tarball
> >(but carefully).
> >
> >>  - The alsa-driver package installs items that are NOT a part of the
> >>  kernel package. The alsasound startup script and the ALSA headers are
> >>  the examples I've found so far, but there may be more items.
> >
> >They are no longer necessary stuff, but kept there since they are
> >mostly harmless.  You can run "make install-modules" to install only
> >modules.
> 
> Is the installed /etc/init.d/alsasound not needed?

No, if you have already a similar one.  As mentioned, this is nothing
but a reference implementation.


Takashi

> It seems to do a 
> number of tasks when starting and stopping.
> 
> How do I install the ALSA headers without installing the rest of the 
> (obsolete) contents? "make install-headers" inside alsa-driver-1.0.25?
>
> And, does alsa-driver install anything else outside of the kernel modules?
>
> >  > - When installed, the alsa-driver package installs its modules into
> >>  the currently running kernel's directories. So, if you want to have
> >>  the latest system, you need to install the kernel, reboot into that
> >>  kernel, install alsa-driver, reinstall the kernel, and reboot again.
> >>  Ugh.
> >
> >Hm, did you read INSTALL file?  The installation to an update (or
> >extra) directory is suggested.  Pass a proper --with-moddir configure
> >option.
> 
> 
> 
> >  > <rant>
> >>  ALSA's Achilles heel has always been its documentation, whether for
> >>  developers (the Doxygen-generated documents are at times comically
> >>  uninformative) or for end-users (e.g. the lack of information such as
> >>  the above). Please: those of you in the know, spend some time
> >>  documenting this powerful and confusing system. Yes, you know how to
> >>  use it, but isn't the goal to have it support the thousands/millions
> >>  of audio users out there, and not just the dozen or so core ALSA
> >>  developers?
> >>  </rant>
> >
> >You seem to overestimate the numbers.  I dream of dozen of core
> >developers, too.
> >
> >Speaking of implicit feedback: it's been since 3.5, but lots of bug
> >fixes are found in 3.7.  So better to use 3.7, I guess.
> >
> >
> >HTH,
> >
> >Takashi
> >
> >>
> >>
> >>  Thanks,
> >>  Dan
> >>
> >>
> >>  At 4:12 PM -0500 1/17/13, Daniel Griscom wrote:
> >>  >We're working to build a consistent Linux audio environment for our
> >>  >embedded audio product,with known versions of both ALSA and the
> >>  >kernel (we're specifically considering kernel 3.6.6). We are not
> >>  >clear, however, exactly what version of the ALSA kernel-space tools
> >>  >are included with the kernel, nor are we clear on exactly what each
> >>  >ALSA package is used for.
> >>  >
> >>  >In order to simplify any responses, I'll give my best guess as to
> >>  >what's included in the kernel and each ALSA package: let me know
> >  > >where I went wrong.
> >>  >
> >>  >
> >>  >So, am I right that...
> >>  >
> >>  >- Kernel 3.6.6 includes exactly alsa-driver-1.0.25 (I'm actually
> >>  >guessing not, but let me know.)
> >>  >
> >>  >- alsa-driver-1.0.25 is all included in the kernel release, and 
> >>can be ignored
> >>  >
> >>  >- alsa-lib is the user-space library that we complile our tools
> >>  >against, and that communicates with ALSA in the kernel through the
> >>  >device and /proc tree (required)
> >>  >
> >>  >- alsa-utils are various generic ALSA command line tools, such as
> >>  >amixer, aplay, alsaconf, etc (required)
> >>  >
> >>  >- alsa-tools are various more obscure tools and loaders (probably
> >>  >not required)
> >>  >
> >>  >- alsa-firmware are binary drivers for various third-party products
> >>  >(probably not required)
> >>  >
> >>  >- alsa-plugins are plugins for various ALSA needs (e.g. Jack)
> >>  >(probably not required)
> >>  >
> >>  >- alsa-oss is the OSS compatibilty layer (not required)
> >>  >
> >>  >- pyalsa is the Python bindings for ALSA (not required)
> >>  >
> >>  >
> >>  >And, some final questions:
> >>  >
> >>  >- What version of ALSA and the kernel are needed to fully support
> >>  >implicit feedback?
> >>  >
> >>  >- Given our audio focus, what version kernel would you recommend?
> >>  >
> >>  >
> >>  >Thanks,
> >>  >Dan
> >>
> >>  --
> >>  Daniel T. Griscom             griscom at suitable.com
> >>  Suitable Systems              http://www.suitable.com/
> >>  1 Centre Street, Suite 204    (781) 665-0053
> >>  Wakefield, MA  01880-2400
> >>  _______________________________________________
> >>  Alsa-devel mailing list
> >>  Alsa-devel at alsa-project.org
> >>  http://mailman.alsa-project.org/mailman/listinfo/alsa-devel
> >>
> 
> 
> -- 
> Daniel T. Griscom             griscom at suitable.com
> Suitable Systems              http://www.suitable.com/
> 1 Centre Street, Suite 204    (781) 665-0053
> Wakefield, MA  01880-2400
>

More information about the Alsa-devel mailing list