help with linux sound system

rmkay · 2014-02-04 12:44:40

hey there,
I know this is a little bit against the protocol but can somebody make a sentence with those words in it:

pulseaudio, alsa, jack, jackd, qjackctl, pcm, udev, hw:1, "resource busy"

it's not that I didn't read the docs, it's just that I'm just too stupid. sorry for that.
help soo much appreciated. the thing I don't get is how they are related.
thank you!

Last edited by rmkay (2014-02-04 17:11:26)

drcouzelis · 2014-02-04 12:54:01

"What can be said in this thread about pulseaudio, alsa, jack, jackd, qjackctl, pcm, udev, hw:1, and 'resource busy' that hasn't already been explained somewhere else on the Internet?"

If you're looking for help, then I think you should be a little more specific in your question. Also, explain why you are asking the question.

karol · 2014-02-04 13:08:22

Maybe https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Sound_system and related articles will help.

If you're having any specific issues, please post more info, error messages etc.

rmkay · 2014-02-04 13:41:46

I know I know this is not the preferred way to ask questions but what I want to know is not the specifics. I don't get the big picture. I read a lot of specific documentations of the components and they always are like

"start the server with 'pulseaudio --start', then do this and that."

I realized that I am too stupid to get the big picture from all these specifics, so I came here for help.
The Sound System article in the wiki tries to give a big picture but fails for me (I am just too stupid, and I think it's wrong in some detail, but that specifics already.)

You don't have to compensate for my stupidity, a little sentence would be enough. After that I'll be on my way.

karol · 2014-02-04 13:48:46

What is the problem? What do you want to do, what doesn't work?

tjarjour · 2014-02-04 13:50:32

Those words are just commands that you would type into a terminal. They all start some sort of process on your computer.

Trilby · 2014-02-04 14:07:47

Alsa is the only sound system I would want to use. It has a well documented configuration file that might contain lines including "hw:1" or "pcm". There are many other audio systems or tools that I have no interest in nor need for. These include jack, jackd, qjackctl, and pulseaudio. Each of these solve specific problems or acheive specific goals - if one doesn't have a reason to use these, they shouldn't be used ... though there are many good reasons to use some of these.

None of these are specifically related to udev, though udev does enumerate or name some devices that might be referred to in the previously mentioned alsa configuration file (and, I suspect, in the configuration files of the other tools I don't use.)

Last edited by Trilby (2014-02-04 14:08:35)

rmkay · 2014-02-04 14:53:09

ok, I have been on linux only for the last 6 years, 3 of those on Archlinux. I have a server environment working and work as a programmer (just that you know on which level to talk to me).

the thing that I totally don't get is sound on linux.

Usually I start with alsa, until I encounter a problem line simultaneous output of different sound applications (although I think I got this sorted out with alsa only in the past). the quick fix is pulseaudio which usually works out of the box. I have 2 sound cards of which I use the external usb one primarily which is part of my 2.0 speaker system. I like pavucontrol which lets me assign a divice quickly.

With alsa only the soundcards indexes switch randomly on reboot, I guess.

Then I realized that microphone input is stuttering EXTREMELY. For that I have to say that I work on very limited hardware. A 1,6GHz amd APU. But it worked in the past (I guess even with pulseaudio working at some point).

The other thing I want to do is stuff in the area of pro audio with jack. The things I'd like to use is renoise and pure data. Got renoise working only when there is no other sound application running and jack is started (It started automatically or was started but not used and "started lazy" by dbus* or whatever -- I have no idea.)

I'd like to record stuff that goes through jack, which is created using various jack-aware applications like the ones described above.

then I want to attach a subwoofer and extend the external usb-card-2.0-speaker-system by using the output of my onboard soundcard (thought about pa-simultaneous-output for that purpose but this has really no priority right now)

U see, these are like 1000 little specifics and I think I have to start with the big picture. This sentence I talked about would be a good start.

I promise I read a lot of docs and wiki entries.

Thanks Trilby, the information on udev was very useful (see below) and are part of my big picture now
------------------------------------
*it could be that I mixed udev with dbus

Last edited by rmkay (2014-02-04 15:01:16)

Sanne · 2014-02-04 16:26:34

For pro audio, here are two links that, aside from our wiki, might also help you:

Linux Musicians, a quite active forum about Linux audio.
Linux Audio Wiki

Last edited by Sanne (2014-02-04 16:27:13)

jasonwryan · 2014-02-04 16:29:59

Please change yout thread title to one that accurately reflects what it is you are asking:
https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Fo … ow_to_Post

rmkay · 2014-02-04 17:40:59

thanks for the links Sanne, I'll read on.

Arch Linux

#1 2014-02-04 12:44:40

help with linux sound system

#2 2014-02-04 12:54:01

Re: help with linux sound system

#3 2014-02-04 13:08:22

Re: help with linux sound system

#4 2014-02-04 13:41:46

Re: help with linux sound system

#5 2014-02-04 13:48:46

Re: help with linux sound system

#6 2014-02-04 13:50:32

Re: help with linux sound system

#7 2014-02-04 14:07:47

Re: help with linux sound system

#8 2014-02-04 14:53:09

Re: help with linux sound system

#9 2014-02-04 16:26:34

Re: help with linux sound system

#10 2014-02-04 16:29:59

Re: help with linux sound system

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Re: help with linux sound system

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