Re: Tragic State of FreeBSD Audio/Sound
Mario Marietto <[email protected]> Mon, 20 Jul 2026 14:51:47 +0200
| Newsgroups | gmane.os.freebsd.stable |
|---|---|
| Message-ID | <CA+1FSigAw7ajz-8yR1QLN7jnQAnDmqn9iYae341PSwjzvNOmUw@mail.gmail.com> |
--000000000000ad125c06570a603a Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable >Concerning MIDI, this is not arch-dependent but targeted cards are mostly rather >old PCI ones. I did not change any USB-audio code, which seems to work at least >on FreeBSD 13.x but is using its own MIDI implementation, because the official >MIDI sub-system was broken. You can see these changes here (wip): https://>github.com/n-p-soft/freebsd-src/tree/midi-all <https://github.com/n-p-soft/freebsd-src/tree/midi-all> Hip Hip Hurra', I want to inform everyone that I'm happy because me and Claude have been able to fix the HDMI sound of my FreeBSD phone in a very good way. Now it plays better than in Linux. Never surrender. On Mon, Jul 20, 2026 at 2:33=E2=80=AFPM np <[email protected]> wrote: > Concerning MIDI, this is not arch-dependent but targeted cards are mostly > rather old PCI ones. I did not change any USB-audio code, which seems to > work at least on FreeBSD 13.x but is using its own MIDI implementation, > because the official MIDI sub-system was broken. You can see these change= s > here (wip): https://github.com/n-p-soft/freebsd-src/tree/midi-all > > > Le 20 juillet 2026 14:16:38 GMT+02:00, Mario Marietto < > [email protected]> a =C3=A9crit : > >> >Hi, afaik there is a huge rework of the sound subsystem in progress, >> sponsored >by the FreeBSD foundation. But this should have been merged i= n >> one commit and >not in small steps, because changes seem deep. I persona= lly >> fix the MIDI part so >that it is working on FreeBSD 13.x, but I don't kn= ow >> what changes will be merged/>have been merged because the rework is now >> massive. >> >> Is that code valid also for ARM64 bit ? >> >> On Mon, Jul 20, 2026 at 2:06=E2=80=AFPM np <[email protected]> wrot= e: >> >>> Hi, afaik there is a hudge rework of the sound subsystem in progress, >>> sponsored by the FreeBSD foundation. But this should have been merged i= n >>> one commit and not in small steps, because changes seem deep. I persona= lly >>> fix the MIDI part so that it is working on FreeBSD 13.x, but I don't kn= ow >>> what changes will be merged/have been merged because the rework is now >>> massive. >>> >>> At worst, waiting until this job is achieved, you can take the code >>> under sys/sound from FreeBSD 13.x and use it under 15.0, with minor twe= aks >>> in the source tree. >>> >>> Regards, >>> >>> >>> Le 20 juillet 2026 02:04:25 GMT+02:00, vermaden <[email protected]> a >>> =C3=A9crit : >>> >>>> Hi. >>>> >>>> For a start lets define some TERMS. I use UPPERCASE not to shout - but= to underline a part of the sentence that is needed to be underlined - this= is plain email - I do not have Bold/Underscore/Italic options - keep that = in mind - now - to the core of the issue ... >>>> >>>> I always considered FreeBSD OSS audio/sound subsystem superior to all = ALSA/PulseAudio/PipeWire and other dramas from the Linux world ... but not = anymore. >>>> >>>> Somewhere between 14.3-RELEASE and 14.4-RELEASE things begin to get br= oken - I thought that upgrade to latest and greatest 15.1-RELEASE would sol= ve my issues - as there were LOTS of sound/audio related things. >>>> >>>> I will not even start about PITA syntax of mixer(1) which went into th= is: >>>> >>>> % mixer -f ${DEV} vol.volume=3D+0.05 >>>> >>>> ... from MUCH MORE friendly syntax. >>>> >>>> But these random 'boozing' sounds are just unacceptable ... and I can = not even tell where they came from ... is it OSS problem? Is is PulseAudio = problem? Something in between? Because there is NOTHING in the logs for aud= io. >>>> >>>> Its also possible to get that file from my personal 'mediafire.com' ac= count here: >>>> - https://mediafire.com/file/jw3cpk8g77rvks2/freebsd-tragic-audio-soun= d.mp4/file >>>> >>>> ... and its not some fancy laptop from yesterday ... its a ThinkPad T4= 80 from 2018 for fuck sake - hardware like that used to run smooth as Carlo= s Sainz 'smooth operator' in Singapore GP ... but not anymore. >>>> >>>> I do not even know what to add here ... its a message send our of desp= air ... as newer releases only made these things worse ... I have been repe= ating this over and over again - but its again probably the issue that 'too= less' FreeBSD developers use FreeBSD as their daily driver/desktop/laptop = system. >>>> >>>> Sorry to disappoint. >>>> >>>> Regards, >>>> vermaden >>>> >>>> >>>> >> --=20 Mario. --000000000000ad125c06570a603a Content-Type: text/html; charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <div dir=3D"ltr"><div>>Concerning MIDI, this is not arch-dependent but t= argeted cards are=20 mostly rather >old PCI ones. I did not change any USB-audio code, which= =20 seems to work at least >on FreeBSD 13.x but is using its own MIDI=20 implementation, because the official >MIDI sub-system was broken. You ca= n see these changes here (wip): <a href=3D"https://github.com/n-p-soft/freeb= sd-src/tree/midi-all" target=3D"_blank">https://>github.com/n-p-soft/fre= ebsd-src/tree/midi-all</a></div><div><br></div><div>Hip Hip Hurra',</di= v><div><br></div><div>I want to inform everyone that I'm happy because = me and Claude have been able to fix the HDMI sound of my FreeBSD phone in a= very good way. Now it plays better than in Linux. Never surrender.=C2=A0</= div></div><br><div class=3D"gmail_quote gmail_quote_container"><div dir=3D"= ltr" class=3D"gmail_attr">On Mon, Jul 20, 2026 at 2:33=E2=80=AFPM np <<a= href=3D"mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]</a>> wrot= e:<br></div><blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0px 0px 0px 0= .8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex"><div><div dir= =3D"auto">Concerning MIDI, this is not arch-dependent but targeted cards ar= e mostly rather old PCI ones. I did not change any USB-audio code, which se= ems to work at least on FreeBSD 13.x but is using its own MIDI implementati= on, because the official MIDI sub-system was broken. You can see these chan= ges here (wip): <a href=3D"https://github.com/n-p-soft/freebsd-src/tree/mid= i-all" target=3D"_blank">https://github.com/n-p-soft/freebsd-src/tree/midi-= all</a></div><br><br><div class=3D"gmail_quote"><div dir=3D"auto">Le 20 jui= llet 2026 14:16:38 GMT+02:00, Mario Marietto <<a href=3D"mailto:marietto= [email protected]" target=3D"_blank">[email protected]</a>> a =C3=A9cr= it :</div><blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8= ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex"> <div dir=3D"ltr"><div>>Hi, afaik there is a huge rework of the sound sub= system in progress,=20 sponsored >by the FreeBSD foundation. But this should have been merged i= n one commit and >not in small steps, because changes seem deep. I=20 personally fix the MIDI part so >that it is working on FreeBSD 13.x, but= I don't know what changes will be merged/>have been merged because th= e=20 rework is now massive.</div><div><br></div><div>Is that code valid also for= ARM64 bit ?</div></div><br><div class=3D"gmail_quote"><div dir=3D"ltr" cla= ss=3D"gmail_attr">On Mon, Jul 20, 2026 at 2:06=E2=80=AFPM np <<a href=3D= "mailto:[email protected]" target=3D"_blank">[email protected]</a= >> wrote:<br></div><blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0px= 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex"><di= v><div dir=3D"auto">Hi, afaik there is a hudge rework of the sound subsyste= m in progress, sponsored by the FreeBSD foundation. But this should have be= en merged in one commit and not in small steps, because changes seem deep. = I personally fix the MIDI part so that it is working on FreeBSD 13.x, but I= don't know what changes will be merged/have been merged because the re= work is now massive.<br><br>At worst, waiting until this job is achieved, y= ou can take the code under sys/sound from FreeBSD 13.x and use it under 15.= 0, with minor tweaks in the source tree.<br><br>Regards,</div><br><br><div = class=3D"gmail_quote"><div dir=3D"auto">Le 20 juillet 2026 02:04:25 GMT+02:= 00, vermaden <<a href=3D"mailto:[email protected]" target=3D"_blank">v= [email protected]</a>> a =C3=A9crit :</div><blockquote class=3D"gmail_q= uote" style=3D"margin:0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,2= 04);padding-left:1ex"> <pre><div dir=3D"auto">Hi.<br><br>For a start lets define some TERMS. I use= UPPERCASE not to shout - but to underline a part of the sentence that is n= eeded to be underlined - this is plain email - I do not have Bold/Underscor= e/Italic options - keep that in mind - now - to the core of the issue ...<b= r><br>I always considered FreeBSD OSS audio/sound subsystem superior to all= ALSA/PulseAudio/PipeWire and other dramas from the Linux world ... but not= anymore.<br><br>Somewhere between 14.3-RELEASE and 14.4-RELEASE things beg= in to get broken - I thought that upgrade to latest and greatest 15.1-RELEA= SE would solve my issues - as there were LOTS of sound/audio related things= .<br><br>I will not even start about PITA syntax of mixer(1) which went int= o this:<br><br>% mixer -f ${DEV} vol.volume=3D+0.05<br><br>... from MUCH MO= RE friendly syntax.<br><br>But these random 'boozing' sounds are ju= st unacceptable ... and I can not even tell where they came from ... is it = OSS problem? Is is PulseAudio problem? Something in between? Because there = is NOTHING in the logs for audio.<br><br>Its also possible to get that file= from my personal '<a href=3D"http://mediafire.com" target=3D"_blank">m= ediafire.com</a>' account here:<br>- <a href=3D"https://mediafire.com/f= ile/jw3cpk8g77rvks2/freebsd-tragic-audio-sound.mp4/file" target=3D"_blank">= https://mediafire.com/file/jw3cpk8g77rvks2/freebsd-tragic-audio-sound.mp4/f= ile</a><br><br>... and its not some fancy laptop from yesterday ... its a T= hinkPad T480 from 2018 for fuck sake - hardware like that used to run smoot= h as Carlos Sainz 'smooth operator' in Singapore GP ... but not any= more.<br><br>I do not even know what to add here ... its a message send our= of despair ... as newer releases only made these things worse ... I have b= een repeating this over and over again - but its again probably the issue t= hat 'too less' FreeBSD developers use FreeBSD as their daily driver= /desktop/laptop system.<br><br>Sorry to disappoint.<br><br>Regards,<br>verm= aden<br><br><br></div></pre></blockquote></div></div></blockquote></div><di= v><br clear=3D"all"></div></blockquote></div></div></blockquote></div><div>= <br clear=3D"all"></div><br><span class=3D"gmail_signature_prefix">-- </spa= n><br><div dir=3D"ltr" class=3D"gmail_signature">Mario.<br></div> --000000000000ad125c06570a603a--