[Gutsy] PCM 'lfloat' plugin broken, please sync alsa-lib from debian

[Conn O Griofa]

System info:
Dell Inspiron 510m laptop, Intel Pentium M Processor, Gutsy Tribe 4 & updates as of 12/8/2007.
Multimedia audio controller: Intel Corporation 82801DB/DBL/DBM (ICH4/ICH4-L/ICH4-M) AC'97 Audio Controller (rev 01)

Bug summary:
Gutsy's alsa-lib (libasound2) is missing support for the 'lfloat' plugin, which has broken ALSA's LADSPA plugin support.

Steps to reproduce:
1. Create .asoundrc file using a LADSPA plugin, e.g. as posted here: http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=476146
2. Play media using any ALSA-aware player, e.g. VLC

Expected results:
ALSA filters audio through the LADSPA plugin, as specified in the .asoundrc file.

Actual results:
conn@inspiron:~$ vlc '/home/conn/Desktop/04 All for me grog.mp3'
VLC media player 0.8.6c Janus
ALSA lib pcm_plug.c:746:(snd_pcm_plug_hw_refine_schange) Unable to find an usable slave format for 'plug:dmix'
ALSA lib pcm_plug.c:750:(snd_pcm_plug_hw_refine_schange) Format: FLOAT_LE
ALSA lib pcm_plug.c:755:(snd_pcm_plug_hw_refine_schange) Slave format: S16_LE
ALSA lib pcm_plug.c:840:(snd_pcm_plug_hw_refine_cchange) Unable to find an usable client format
ALSA lib pcm_plug.c:844:(snd_pcm_plug_hw_refine_cchange) Format: FLOAT_LE
ALSA lib pcm_plug.c:849:(snd_pcm_plug_hw_refine_cchange) Slave format: S16_LE
ALSA lib pcm_params.c:2152:(snd_pcm_hw_refine_slave) Slave PCM not usable
[00000281] main playlist: stopping playback

The audio will play, but the LADSPA plugin is bypassed entirely, leaving the audio unfiltered.

Please sync changes from Debian, they have pulled the fix from upstream. From: http://packages.debian.org/changelogs/pool/main/a/alsa-lib/alsa-lib_1.0.14a-2/changelog

 [ Elimar Riesebieter ]
   * PCM plugin `lfloat' not built: patch from Mark Wooding. The patch is
     applied upstream and should be disabled next rc release. (closes: #430833)

Debian's libasound2 from unstable (and testing) can be installed in gutsy and enables LADSPA functionality, so we need a merge from Debian (or upstream) to get this working natively.

[pete shorthose (kickback)]

just ftr, sweep is also affected by this problem and is unusable on gutsy at the moment as it relies on lfloat for playback.

[Daniel T Chen (crimsun)]

alsa-lib (1.0.15-1ubuntu1) hardy; urgency=low

  * Merge from Debian unstable, remaining changes:
    - Install/remove libasound2.p{ostinst,rerm};
    - Add lpia to the arch lists for libasound and libasound-dev;
    - Adhere to DebianMaintainerField;
  * Remove obsoleted changes:
    - Fix lfloat plugin logic error, LP: #132037;
    - Drop debian/patches/fix-sampling-bit-shifts.patch, fixed
      upstream;
    - Drop --with-plugindir=\$${prefix}/lib/alsa-lib \
      for configure targets in debian/rules.

alsa-lib (1.0.15-1) unstable; urgency=low

  * New upstream release

  [ Elimar Riesebieter ]
  * Removed mdw.patch. Applied from upstream.
  * Added python2.4-dev to BuildDepends.
  * Added Homepage header in debian/control.
  * Added --disable-python for crosscompiling 64bit flavour.
  * debian/rules biarch code doesn't work for new architectures. Patch from
    Martin Michlmayr (closes: #447879)

alsa-lib (1.0.14a-2) unstable; urgency=low

  [ Elimar Riesebieter ]
  * PCM plugin `lfloat' not built: patch from Mark Wooding. The patch is
    applied upstream and should be disabled next rc release. (closes: #430833)
  * For some reason quilt refreshed relibtoolise.patch.
  * debian/control: s/${Source-Version}/${binary:Version}/
  * debian/rules: s/-$(MAKE) distclean/[ ! -f Makefile ] || $(MAKE) distclean/

alsa-lib (1.0.14a-1) unstable; urgency=low

  [ Elimar Riesebieter ]
  * New upstream release
    - Fix plugin directory
    - Properly disable -Bsymbolic-functions if ld doesn't support
  * Revert passing --with-plugindir.

alsa-lib (1.0.14-2) unstable; urgency=low

  * debian/rules: pass --with-plugindir to configure, as a typo in
    configure.in sets a bad default (closes: #428334).

 -- Daniel T Chen <email address hidden> Sun, 28 Oct 2007 11:34:42 -0400

[Ludovico Cavedon (cavedon)]

This bug is causing also the problem described in bug #148308 in gutsy. Please release un update of alsa-lib for gutsy.

This update has reported as SRU rather than a backport in bug #164890

Thanks

[Ludovico Cavedon (cavedon)]

I uploaded the latest alsa-lib packages recompiled for gutsy to my PPA for testing:
https://edge.launchpad.net/~cavedon/+archive

They are woking right for me.

[loko (arph)]

Ludovico Cavedon:

It seems that in the meanwhile the bug returns. Your uploaded packages didn't work for me.

here is the output:

user@user-laptop:~/WengoPhone-2.2-minsizerel$ ./wengophone.sh
Fontconfig warning: "/etc/fonts/conf.d/53-monospace-lcd-filter.conf", line 17: invalid constant used : legacy
(warn) 10:27:17 [PhApi] : osip: /home/buildslave/slave/wp22/build/wifo/libosip2/src/osip2/osip_dialog.c:355: Remote UA is not compliant: missing a tag in response!
(warn) 10:27:17 [PhApi] : osip: /home/buildslave/slave/wp22/build/wifo/libosip2/src/osip2/osip_dialog.c:401: Remote UA is not compliant: missing a contact in response!
(error) 10:27:17 [PhApi] : osip: /home/buildslave/slave/wp22/build/wifo/eXosip/src/eXosip.c:3596: eXosip: No call here?
(warn) 10:27:17 [PhApi] : osip: /home/buildslave/slave/wp22/build/wifo/eXosip/src/jcallback.c:1394: The dialog has been replaced with the new one fro 200ok.
ALSA lib pcm.c:2106:(snd_pcm_open_conf) Cannot open shared library /usr/lib/alsa-lib/libasound_module_pcm_empty.so
(error) 10:27:17 [PhApi] : In phmedia-alsa.c, line 668:Cannot open pcm device alsa:IN=plughw OUT=default: No such file or directory
(error) 10:27:18 [PhApi] : osip: /home/buildslave/slave/wp22/build/wifo/eXosip/src/eXosip.c:3596: eXosip: No call here?
[h263p @ 0xb7d36f08]rc buffer underflow
user@user-laptop:~/WengoPhone-2.2-minsizerel$

aplay -l

Karte 0: Intel [HDA Intel], Gerät 0: ALC861 Analog [ALC861 Analog]
  Untergeordnete Geräte: 1/1
  Untergeordnetes Gerät '0: subdevice #0
Karte 0: Intel [HDA Intel], Gerät 1: ALC861 Digital [ALC861 Digital]
  Untergeordnete Geräte: 1/1
  Untergeordnetes Gerät '0: subdevice #0
Karte 0: Intel [HDA Intel], Gerät 6: Si3054 Modem [Si3054 Modem]
  Untergeordnete Geräte: 1/1
  Untergeordnetes Gerät '0: subdevice #0

Wengo doesn't work with sound, even your uploaded version of wengo does not.

Do you have an idea about that?

[Ludovico Cavedon (cavedon)]

loko,
this bug is not a wengophone bug, moreover you also reported the same problem in bug #148308, please see follow-up there.
Thanks