[alsa-devel] snd_pcm_avail_update() needed before snd_pcm_delay() with hda-intel

[Takashi Iwai]

At Fri, 6 Jun 2008 20:46:12 -0400,
Lee Revell wrote:
> 
> On Fri, Jun 6, 2008 at 3:54 PM, Christian Morales Vega
> <cmorve69 at yahoo.es> wrote:
> > snd_pcm_avail_update() documentation says: "Using of this function is
> > useless for the standard read/write operations. Use it only for mmap
> > access. See to snd_pcm_delay."
> >
> > snd_pcm_delay() documentation says: "Note this function does not
> > update the actual r/w pointer for applications. The function
> > snd_pcm_avail_update() have to be called before any begin+commit
> > operation."
> >
> > My english is far from perfect, and so the problem can be that I
> > missunderstood the docs but:
> > 1- "Using of this function"? Should not be "Use of this function"?
> 
> I would just say "This function is useless for...".

Patch please ;)

> > 2- Is snd_pcm_avail_update() really useless when not using mmap?
> 
> The pcm.c example referenced right below that comment would indicate otherwise:
> 
> http://www.alsa-project.org/alsa-doc/alsa-lib/group___p_c_m.html#g41ca534658076885d9b077ad674750cd
> 
> > I have a SB Live! where snd_pcm_delay() always returns the correct
> > value, without any need for snd_pcm_avail_update(). But the same code
> > in the same machine with an hda-intel AD1988 needs a call to
> > snd_pcm_avail_update() before snd_pcm_delay() to give the correct
> > result. Without it snd_pcm_delay() always returns the value that *was*
> > correct in the last snd_pcm_writei() call.
> >
> > So should the "application frame position" be always updated, or only
> > in read/write operations? In the first case AD1988 fails, in the
> > second case perhaps SB Live! is making too mucho work ;-)
> 
> Is this with the latest ALSA HG sources?
> 
> The SBLive driver is better working and more mature, so I'd presume it
> to be correct.  Takashi-san?

It's unlikely a driver issue but an incompatibility of dmix, I guess.
But still I don't figure out why this happens.  The hwsync is done at
each snd_pcm_dmix_delay() call (as long as slowptr is set, and it's so
as default).  So, there shouldn't be any difference...

What happens if you use "hw" or "plughw"?


Takashi