Gentoo Archives: gentoo-amd64

From: Volker Armin Hemmann <volkerarmin@××××××××××.com>
To: gentoo-amd64@l.g.o
Subject: Re: [gentoo-amd64] Heads Up On Kernel-2.6.31 and Alsa
Date: Sun, 13 Sep 2009 09:07:12
Message-Id: 200909131107.06502.volkerarmin@googlemail.com
In Reply to: [gentoo-amd64] Heads Up On Kernel-2.6.31 and Alsa by Frank Peters
1 On Sonntag 13 September 2009, Frank Peters wrote:
2 > After configuring and compiling the new Linux kernel 2.6.31, my
3 > sound system and sound programs no longer functioned. I traced
4 > this to one configuration variable under the Alsa sound devices:
5 >
6 > SND_PCM_OSS_PLUGINS
7 >
8 > This variable represents a new option for the Alsa OSS API, and
9 > the default value seems to be "No." But I assumed that setting
10 > it to "Yes" would not make much difference, but it certainly did.
11 >
12 > I really don't know what this option is all about (unless one
13 > religiously follows all the minutiae of kernel development, Linux
14 > can be full of surprises.) The documentation says:
15 >
16 > " If you disable this option, the ALSA's OSS PCM API will not
17 > support conversion of channels, formats and rates. It will
18 > behave like most of new OSS/Free drivers in 2.4/2.6 kernels."
19 >
20 > So, apparently the improvement breaks all sound -- at least it
21 > did for me.
22 >
23 > If anyone has had a different experience, please report. The new
24 > option doesn't seem too thrilling. I'd rather do all such conversions
25 > using software in user space.
26 >
27 > Frank Peters
28 >
29
30 afaik it makes it possible to do exactly that - for oss using apps.