Re: [gentoo-amd64] Re: Alsa Config keeps disappearing

[David Fellows]

On Wed, 01 Jul 2009 11:49:34 -0400 
sean wrote -
> Duncan wrote:
> > So you're saying that it only happens as a regular user?
> No, it happens exactly the same even if logged in as root.
> I just restarted and tested.
>
> > Just to check, your user is in the audio group, right?
> yes
>
> > What's the permissions on all the components in the /dev/snd dir?  Check
> > both before and after running alsaconf, to see if there's a change,
> > either in devices listed or in permissions.
> >
> > Here's what I have here:
> >
> > ls -l /dev/snd
> > total 0
> > crw-rw---- 1 root audio 116,  0 2009-06-30 14:05 controlC0
> > crw-rw---- 1 root audio 116, 24 2009-06-30 14:05 pcmC0D0c
> > crw-rw---- 1 root audio 116, 16 2009-07-01 07:26 pcmC0D0p
> > crw-rw---- 1 root audio 116, 25 2009-06-30 14:05 pcmC0D1c
> > crw-rw---- 1 root audio 116,  1 2009-06-30 14:05 seq
> > crw-rw---- 1 root audio 116, 33 2009-06-30 14:05 timer
>
>
> Mine before running alsaconf
>
>  ls -l /dev/snd
> total 0
> crw-rw---- 1 root audio 116, 4 2009-07-01 07:35 controlC0
> crw-rw---- 1 root audio 116, 8 2009-07-01 07:35 controlC1
> crw-rw---- 1 root audio 116, 3 2009-07-01 07:35 pcmC0D0c
> crw-rw---- 1 root audio 116, 7 2009-07-01 07:35 pcmC1D0c
> crw-rw---- 1 root audio 116, 6 2009-07-01 07:35 pcmC1D0p
> crw-rw---- 1 root audio 116, 5 2009-07-01 07:35 pcmC1D1c
> crw-rw---- 1 root audio 116, 9 2009-07-01 07:35 seq
> crw-rw---- 1 root audio 116, 2 2009-07-01 07:35 timer

The above shows that after boot alsa thinks it has 2 sound cards.
Do you actually have two?

>
> Mine after running alsaconf
> ls -l /dev/snd
> total 0
> crw-rw---- 1 root audio 116, 6 2009-07-01 11:39 controlC0
> crw-rw---- 1 root audio 116, 5 2009-07-01 11:39 pcmC0D0c
> crw-rw---- 1 root audio 116, 4 2009-07-01 11:39 pcmC0D0p
> crw-rw---- 1 root audio 116, 3 2009-07-01 11:39 pcmC0D1c
> crw-rw---- 1 root audio 116, 7 2009-07-01 11:39 seq
> crw-rw---- 1 root audio 116, 2 2009-07-01 11:39 timer

After alsa thinks it has only one card. Furthermore, it appears that it is 
the second of your 2 cards.
alsaconf is really only intended to be run once on a new system its main 
function is to write the file /etc/modprobe.d/alsa
Secondarily it also kicks everything to reread the new parameters, etc, etc.

When I bashed my head against alsaconf 3 years ago it did a great job of 
detecting and configuring one sound card, but had no clue how to handle
a second card on the same system. I ended up hand-crafting the 
/etc/modprobe.d/alsa  file.

If you really have only one card I would  mv /etc/modprobe.d/alsa
to somewhere safe, just in case. Make sure it is gone from /etc/modprobe.
Then run alsaconf again. 

Do a diff between the saved and new /etc/modprobe.d/alsa
Also inspect /etc/modprobe.conf to see that it was updated with the contents
of the new /etc/modprobe.conf.  Check its timestamp too.
read man update-modules and consider if you need to run it. ALso check 
/etc/modules.d to see if there is any crud lying around that could be the 
source of the problem.

Try rebooting and see...


Regarding your timestamp anomaly - It looks like your hardware clock is 
keeping UTC but linux thinks that it is keeping local (eastern?) time. 
see man hwclock. Early in the boot the hw clock is read, 4 hours is 
subtracted to set linux's system clock, the  first set of files is is stamped,
then after your network is up an external time source is consulted and the 
system clock is reset +4 hours.

To set things up edit /etc/conf.d/clock
I recommend using UTC unless you  are dual booting windows,
I also recommend CLOCK_SYSTOHC="yes" to set your hardware clock to the 
current system time on shutdown.



Dave F