I am using Gentoo Linux with a 2.6.24 kernel, and I want to try out the
Open Sound System. I have compiled the kernel with the SOUND_PRIME option as
a module.

My sound card is an ESS Solo 1 PCI card.

What modules do I need to load in order to use OSS? I don't seem to be
able to find a user manual.

I am aware of ALSA propeganda, but I really do want to try OSS.

I am using udev, and I currently have no /dev/dsp device, but I do have
a /dev/dspW device.

I issued the following commands:

modprobe soundcore
modprobe sound
modprobe sound_firmware # I guess I should do this, but who knows?

I also issues the following command:

modprobe sb_lib # I have no idea whether this is the right thing to do

I now type:

cat /dev/random > /dev/dspW

This gives an error:

sh: /dev/dspW: No such device

This is very strange.

ls -l /dev/dsp*
crw-rw---- 1 root audio 14, 5 Mar 29 11:08 /dev/dspW

whoami
mark

groups
wheel audio mark
^
|- I should be OK to use the audio device.

Thanks in advance to anyone who can help.

Mark.

--
Mark Hobley,
393 Quinton Road West,
Quinton, BIRMINGHAM.
B32 1QE.

Mark Hobley wrote:
> I am using Gentoo Linux with a 2.6.24 kernel, and I want to try out the
> Open Sound System. I have compiled the kernel with the SOUND_PRIME option as
> a module.
>
> My sound card is an ESS Solo 1 PCI card.
>
> What modules do I need to load in order to use OSS? I don't seem to be
> able to find a user manual.

Enable loadable module support[*] Automatic kernel module loading

Sound
< > Advanced Linux Sound Architecture
<M> Open Sound System (DEPRECATED)
<M> OSS sound modules
<M> Ensoniq SoundScape support
<M> 100% Sound Blaster compatibles (SB16/32/64, ESS, Jazz16) support

Then load the right module, if the kernel hasn't already loaded it.
All you need is to modprobe the driver for your sound card, everything else
that hasn't been loaded and the sound card driver depends on is loaded
automatically.


> I am aware of ALSA propeganda, but I really do want to try OSS.

Alsa has the OSS emulation and is a good option and allows you to use all
applications that relay on the OSS.




--

//Aho

Most of that looks good. I haven't use OSS in a long time. But if I
recall correctly, it went something like this:

modprobe sound
modprobe soundlow
modprobe soundcore
modprobe <module(s) for your card>

find /lib/module/`uname -r`/kernel/sound/ -iname '*.*o'

That's a bit dated though, it was a 2.4.x kernel back then. And ALSA has
OSS emulation now, so there's no real need to use OSS these days.

modprobe snd-pcm-oss

cat /dev/random > /dev/dsp
(doesn't give me a sound at all, but doesn't fail either)

cat /dev/zero > /dev/dsp
(does give an initial pop)

dd if=/dev/random of=/dev/dsp bs=512 count=1
(give me a quick pop)
(any larger and it hangs until I ^C it, then it pops on exit)

speaker-test -c 2
(an alsa util)

On Sat, 29 Mar 2008 18:08:05 GMT, Mark Hobley <markhobley@hotpop.donottypethisbit.com> wrote:
>I am using Gentoo Linux with a 2.6.24 kernel, and I want to try out the
>Open Sound System. I have compiled the kernel with the SOUND_PRIME option as
>a module.

>My sound card is an ESS Solo 1 PCI card.

>What modules do I need to load in order to use OSS? I don't seem to be
>able to find a user manual.
http://justfuckinggoogleit.com


>I am aware of ALSA propeganda, but I really do want to try OSS.
What the fuck is propeganda?
And what is a dictionary?

In comp.os.linux.misc AZ Nomad <aznomad.3@premoveobthisox.com> wrote:

> http://justfuckinggoogleit.com

The only documents that I can find are a programmers manual, and an API
reference, and some internals at http://manuals.opensound.com/sources/

What I need is a set of instructions to get this working with my
soundcard.

I found an official Users guide, but it reads as follows:

OSS v4.0 User's Guide

This guide is currently under construction

and the section for the ESS Solo-1 audio driver reads:

Open Sound System driver for ESS Solo1/1938/1968 audio controllers. ESS
Solo1 device characteristics:

* 8/16 bit playback/record
* mono/stereo playback/recording
* 8KHz to 48Khz sample rate.

OPTIONS

None

FILES

solo.conf Device configuration file

AUTHOR

4Front Technologies

Which isn't really very helpful. I need to know what modules to install,
and how to produce a test sound from my console.

> What the fuck is propeganda?

That is a typing error. It should have read propaganda.

I want to try out the OSS modules, rather than OSS emulation through
ALSA emulation if this is possible with the soundcard that I have.

Mark.

--
Mark Hobley,
393 Quinton Road West,
Quinton, BIRMINGHAM.
B32 1QE.

markhobley@hotpop.donottypethisbit.com (Mark Hobley) writes:

> In comp.os.linux.misc AZ Nomad <aznomad.3@premoveobthisox.com> wrote:
>
>> http://justfuckinggoogleit.com
>
> The only documents that I can find are a programmers manual, and an API
> reference, and some internals at http://manuals.opensound.com/sources/
>
> What I need is a set of instructions to get this working with my
> soundcard.
>
> I found an official Users guide, but it reads as follows:
>
> OSS v4.0 User's Guide
>
> This guide is currently under construction

That can't be.
I just read the OSS propaganda (blog) and he touts his
documentation as one of the reasons OSS is superior to ALSA.
To be fair, he does admit his isn't complete either.

>> What the fuck is propeganda?
>
> That is a typing error. It should have read propaganda.
>
> I want to try out the OSS modules, rather than OSS emulation through
> ALSA emulation if this is possible with the soundcard that I have.

I think all your ALSA stuff is going to break.

Good luck.
I recently installed FC8 and ran into the pulseaudio stuff.
The Linux world keeps coming up with new stuff.

markhobley@hotpop.donottypethisbit.com (Mark Hobley) writes:

>In comp.os.linux.misc AZ Nomad <aznomad.3@premoveobthisox.com> wrote:

>> http://justfuckinggoogleit.com

>The only documents that I can find are a programmers manual, and an API
>reference, and some internals at http://manuals.opensound.com/sources/

OSS was a proprietary sound system for Linux which also had an opensource,
somewhat outdated component. Alsa created an clone such that it could use
the OSS api which was then fed into ALSA. snd_seq_oss so that programs that
used oss (/dev/dsp) could also be played with alsa installed.

Now precisely what is it that you want to do? Do you want to program for
oss? The strong advice is "Don't" Program for alsa. Do you want to use a
program which uses /dev/dsp? Just install the snd_*_oss modules.



>What I need is a set of instructions to get this working with my
>soundcard.

Get WHAT working with your soundcard.


>I found an official Users guide, but it reads as follows:

>OSS v4.0 User's Guide

>This guide is currently under construction

>and the section for the ESS Solo-1 audio driver reads:

>Open Sound System driver for ESS Solo1/1938/1968 audio controllers. ESS
>Solo1 device characteristics:

> * 8/16 bit playback/record
> * mono/stereo playback/recording
> * 8KHz to 48Khz sample rate.

>OPTIONS

>None

>FILES

>solo.conf Device configuration file

>AUTHOR

>4Front Technologies

>Which isn't really very helpful. I need to know what modules to install,
>and how to produce a test sound from my console.

Don't.

Install alsa.



>> What the fuck is propeganda?

>That is a typing error. It should have read propaganda.

>I want to try out the OSS modules, rather than OSS emulation through
>ALSA emulation if this is possible with the soundcard that I have.

You want to do this why?

If you really want the oss, you might well find that there are no modules
for your distro. But the OSS modules were the /lib/modules/*/kernel/sound
modules. Or you pay the OSS people for their modules which are more up to
date that those included in the kernel.

Dan Espen <daneNO@MORE.mk.SPAMtelcordia.com> writes:

>markhobley@hotpop.donottypethisbit.com (Mark Hobley) writes:

>> In comp.os.linux.misc AZ Nomad <aznomad.3@premoveobthisox.com> wrote:
.....
>>
>> What I need is a set of instructions to get this working with my
>> soundcard.

modprobe "name_of_module"


>>
>> I found an official Users guide, but it reads as follows:
>>
>> OSS v4.0 User's Guide
>>
>> This guide is currently under construction

>That can't be.
>I just read the OSS propaganda (blog) and he touts his
>documentation as one of the reasons OSS is superior to ALSA.
>To be fair, he does admit his isn't complete either.

Well, that is not hard. The documentation for alsa is terrible. Yes, the
oss docs are much better. You can use it to figure out how to program for
oss. But it is not a handholding exercise. You need to figure out which
module and install it. You need to make sure that all your alsa stuff
(snd-) stuff is uninstalled. (rmmod)

On Sun, 30 Mar 2008 03:29:10 GMT, Unruh <unruh-spam@physics.ubc.ca> wrote:
>Dan Espen <daneNO@MORE.mk.SPAMtelcordia.com> writes:

>>markhobley@hotpop.donottypethisbit.com (Mark Hobley) writes:

>>> In comp.os.linux.misc AZ Nomad <aznomad.3@premoveobthisox.com> wrote:
>....
>>>
>>> What I need is a set of instructions to get this working with my
>>> soundcard.

>modprobe "name_of_module"
modinfo actually

In alt.os.linux.gentoo Unruh <unruh-spam@physics.ubc.ca> wrote:

> Get WHAT working with your soundcard.

I want some sound to come from my speakers whilst my kernel has OSS
modules loaded.

> You want to do this why?

I will be doing some OSS programming, and I will be replacing the OSS
code in the kernel with newer OSS code, which is available under GPL.

I may eventually switching kernel, and I would like to stick with
OSS, if possible.

In order to do this, I need a working system prior to making
modifications.

> If you really want the oss, you might well find that there are no modules
> for your distro. But the OSS modules were the /lib/modules/*/kernel/sound
> modules.

cd /lib/modules/2.6.24.3/kernel/sound
tree