Re: small improvements for fedora 3: sound mixing

[Peter Backlund <peter.backlund@xxxxxxx>]

[snip]

> a default fc2 install doesn't mix sound events, i.e. i run xmms,
> rhythmbox, etc and my gaim sounds don't play (here the bug is most
> obvious). there is a simple fix for this, described on fedoranews.org:
> 
> http://fedoranews.org/contributors/andre_costa/alsa/
> 
> i didn't even have to do all the stuff mentioned there, i just had to
> create the .asoundrc file and put that into it:
> 
> pcm.!default {
> type plug
> slave.pcm "swmixer"
> }
> 
> pcm.swmixer {
> type dmix
> ipc_key 1234
> slave {
> pcm "hw:0,0"
> period_time 0
> period_size 1024
> buffer_size 4096
> rate 44100
> }
> } 

I have further suggestions: make the defult output device dmix, and
default input device dsnoop. Then create a default device with full
duplex, like this:

#
# DMIX input device
#
pcm.!output {
    type dmix
    ipc_key 1234
    slave {
        pcm "hw:0,0"
        period_time 0
        period_size 1024
        rate 44100
    }
}
                                                                                                                        
#
# DSNOOP output device
#
pcm.!input {
    type dsnoop
    ipc_key 1234
    slave {
        pcm "hw:0,0"
        period_time 0
        period_size 1024
        rate 44100
    }
}
                                                                                                                        
#
# ASYM duplex device
#
pcm.!duplex {
    type asym
    playback.pcm "output"
    capture.pcm "input"
}
                                                                                                                        
#
# Make the duplex device default
#
pcm.!default {
    type plug
    slave.pcm "duplex"
}
                                                                                                                        
#
# OSS Compability
#
pcm.!dsp0 {
    type plug
    slave.pcm "duplex"
}
                                                                                                                        
ctl.!mixer0 {
    type hw
    card 0
}

This should enable sound mixing - both input and ouput - to /just work/
for all supported cards.    

/Peter Backlund


> and then it worked without further configuration with all of xmms,
> rhythmbox, gaim, totem in all combinations.
> 
> sound mixing is, imho a very essential feature, because not having it
> makes fc2 look unpolished. if the fix is easy, i would suggest turning
> the mixing on for fc3. we have kernel 2.6, we have alsa, this should
> "just work".
> 
> regards,
> christian
> 
> 
-- 
Peter Backlund <peter.backlund@xxxxxxx>