Re: Basic information on alsa needed
chris hermansen <[email protected]> Sun, 27 Oct 2024 17:15:27 -0700
| Newsgroups | gmane.linux.alsa.user |
|---|---|
| Message-ID | <CACc2_6978wjf94E5bL=U+-ER_w6bcTRbTK1WN4wMSFvzWnnMbw@mail.gmail.com> |
--===============3301682516568182682== Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="0000000000004a639506257e5e69" --0000000000004a639506257e5e69 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Seamus and list, On Sun, Oct 27, 2024 at 4:51=E2=80=AFPM Seamus de Mora via Alsa-user < [email protected]> wrote: > I'm a bit confused about where & how 'alsa' fits in the "sound system" > on my Linux computers. > Why not have a read of this Wikipedia article? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advanced_Linux_Sound_Architecture > > I struggled for a long time to get sound working on my computers. I > finally heard of 'pipewire', and finally I can now play music on my > systems. > Once you've read the ALSA article above, you might follow the link in it to the Wikipedia pipewire article. ALSA is the lowest level component of the Linux sound system, a part of the kernel. Things like pipewire are sound servers that sit on top of ALSA and provide a greater range of functionality. I'm now been using 'cmus' for a few months, and very much enjoying that! > However, I've been comparing the configuration between two of my Linux > systems (one has 'cmus' installed, the other uses 'mpg123'), and the > differences are absolutely baffling to me. > Those are different music players. In general music players use some kind of lower level sound capability; could be ALSA or pipewire or others. You don't specify which configuration files you're reviewing that baffle you, so it's hard to help clear things up. > > Both systems are Debian-based, using the 'bookworm' release. One is a > "Raspberry Pi Zero 2W", the other a "Raspberry Pi 3A+". I opted for the > "Lite" version (aka headless) of the OS as these are lightweight > computers. The "sound system" consists of a single Bluetooth speaker for > each system. > > Initial questions are these: > > 1. What role does 'alsa' play on my systems? > > 2. Is alsa's role determined at all by the installation of 'pipewire'? > > 3. Why would two identically-installed OS (on the Pi Zero & Pi 3A+; both > with 'pipewire') have such different sound configurations? > > 4. Is there any intelligible documentation that discusses these questions= ? > The answers to the above questions should be more clear after reading the suggested articles. I also generally like the Arch Linux Wiki for the breadth of information provided. This could be useful: https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Sound_system You might also find these useful https://wiki.linuxaudio.org/wiki/start https://www.alsa-project.org/wiki/Main_Page --=20 Chris Hermansen =C2=B7 clhermansen "at" gmail "dot" com C'est ma fa=C3=A7on de parler. --0000000000004a639506257e5e69 Content-Type: text/html; charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <div dir=3D"ltr"><div dir=3D"ltr">Seamus and list,<br></div><br><div class= =3D"gmail_quote"><div dir=3D"ltr" class=3D"gmail_attr">On Sun, Oct 27, 2024= at 4:51=E2=80=AFPM Seamus de Mora via Alsa-user <<a href=3D"mailto:alsa= [email protected]">[email protected]</a>> wrote:= <br></div><blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8= ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex">I'm a bit c= onfused about where & how 'alsa' fits in the "sound system= " <br> on my Linux computers.<br></blockquote><div><br></div><div>Why not have a r= ead of this Wikipedia article?</div><div><br></div><div><a href=3D"https://= en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advanced_Linux_Sound_Architecture">https://en.wikiped= ia.org/wiki/Advanced_Linux_Sound_Architecture</a> <br></div><blockquote cla= ss=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid = rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex"> <br> I struggled for a long time to get sound working on my computers. I <br> finally heard of 'pipewire', and finally I can now play music on my= <br> systems.<br></blockquote><div><br></div><div>Once you've read the ALSA = article above, you might follow the link in it to the Wikipedia pipewire ar= ticle.</div><div><br></div><div>ALSA is the lowest level component of the L= inux sound system, a part of the kernel.</div><div>Things like pipewire are= sound servers that sit on top of ALSA and provide a greater range of funct= ionality.</div><div><br></div><blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"ma= rgin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:= 1ex"> I'm now been using 'cmus' for a few months, and very much enjoy= ing that! <br> However, I've been comparing the configuration between two of my Linux = <br> systems (one has 'cmus' installed, the other uses 'mpg123')= , and the <br> differences are absolutely baffling to me.<br></blockquote><div><br></div><= div>Those are different music players.=C2=A0 In general music players use s= ome kind of lower level sound capability; could be ALSA or pipewire or othe= rs.</div><div><br></div><div>You don't specify which configuration file= s you're reviewing that baffle you, so it's hard to help clear thin= gs up.<br></div><blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0px 0px 0= px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex"> <br> Both systems are Debian-based, using the 'bookworm' release. One is= a <br> "Raspberry Pi Zero 2W", the other a "Raspberry Pi 3A+".= I opted for the <br> "Lite" version (aka headless) of the OS as these are lightweight = <br> computers. The "sound system" consists of a single Bluetooth spea= ker for <br> each system.<br> <br> Initial questions are these:<br> <br> 1. What role does 'alsa' play on my systems?<br> <br> 2. Is alsa's role determined at all by the installation of 'pipewir= e'?<br> <br> 3. Why would two identically-installed OS (on the Pi Zero & Pi 3A+; bot= h <br> with 'pipewire') have such different sound configurations?<br> <br> 4. Is there any intelligible documentation that discusses these questions?<= br></blockquote><div><br></div><div>The answers to the above questions shou= ld be more clear after reading the suggested articles.</div><div><br></div>= <div>I also generally like the Arch Linux Wiki for the breadth of informati= on provided.=C2=A0 This could be useful:</div><div><br></div><div><a href= =3D"https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Sound_system">https://wiki.archlinux.o= rg/title/Sound_system</a></div><div><br></div><div>You might also find thes= e useful</div><div><br></div><div><a href=3D"https://wiki.linuxaudio.org/wi= ki/start">https://wiki.linuxaudio.org/wiki/start</a></div><div><a href=3D"h= ttps://www.alsa-project.org/wiki/Main_Page">https://www.alsa-project.org/wi= ki/Main_Page</a></div></div><br clear=3D"all"><br><span class=3D"gmail_sign= ature_prefix">-- </span><br><div dir=3D"ltr" class=3D"gmail_signature"><div= dir=3D"ltr">Chris Hermansen =C2=B7 clhermansen "at" gmail "= dot" com<br><br>C'est ma fa=C3=A7on de parler.</div></div></div> --0000000000004a639506257e5e69-- --===============3301682516568182682== Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Disposition: inline --===============3301682516568182682== Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Disposition: inline _______________________________________________ Alsa-user mailing list [email protected] https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/alsa-user --===============3301682516568182682==--