linux-kernel - Re: ALSA problems with 2.6.18-rc3

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Message-Id: <200608092328.47039.s0348365@sms.ed.ac.uk>
Date:	Wed, 9 Aug 2006 23:28:47 +0100
From:	Alistair John Strachan <s0348365@....ed.ac.uk>
To:	Lee Revell <rlrevell@...-job.com>
Cc:	Gene Heskett <gene.heskett@...izon.net>,
	linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org, Andrew Benton <b3nt@...nline.co.uk>,
	Takashi Iwai <tiwai@...e.de>,
	alsa-devel <alsa-devel@...ts.sourceforge.net>
Subject: Re: ALSA problems with 2.6.18-rc3

On Wednesday 09 August 2006 23:11, Lee Revell wrote:
> On Wed, 2006-08-09 at 23:07 +0100, Alistair John Strachan wrote:
[snip]
> > However, ALSA _has_ defaults for these controls, which I believe are
> > usually "off" or "zero". All I'm suggesting is that these defaults are
> > plainly suboptimal for emu10k1, and probably other cards to which this
> > statement simply does not apply. Shipping defaults is one thing, but
> > shipping useless defaults is quite another. We have policy all over
> > the kernel for providing "sane defaults" e.g. filesystem mount
> > options.
>
> I think muted is a sane default - the only sane default.  Otherwise you
> could damage speakers or hearing.  Also many devices will be noisier if
> unused inputs are enabled.  Is it really that hard for users to unmute
> the mixer or for distros to create their own config?

I think this argument is mostly deflated by the fact that other 
multimedia-centric operating systems do not ship with controls muted. If 
hardware is detected, all sliders are set to 50%. I think this is superior.

As you pointed out, it probably is best left to distros. I just can't help 
thinking that there might be some scope for improving the default state of 
boolean tunables, even if sliders are left at zero.

> Also, analog output on my emu10k1 works perfectly with "External
> Amplifier" disabled.

Interesting, evidence in your favour. It does not work here. It also did not 
work on the AC'97 in my HP NC6000, which also has External something-or-other 
and which also defaulted to "off".

Took some figuring out. :-)

-- 
Cheers,
Alistair.

Final year Computer Science undergraduate.
1F2 55 South Clerk Street, Edinburgh, UK.
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