Input/output error in Linux guest (VirtualBox)

[igadoter]

Hi,
I'm running Slackware 12.2 kernel version 2.6.27.7 in VirtualBox v. 4.1.18 (WinXP host). I've installed yesterday oss4 - binary package. There are problems. Here are all listing. Once I succeeded to pass osstest - but then osscore reported 'timed out' during playing.

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bash-3.1$ ossinfo
Version info: OSS 4.2 (b 2007/201207040354) (0x00040100) TRIAL
Platform: Linux/i686 2.6.27.7-smp #1 SMP Thu Nov 20 22:18:02 CST 2008 (enzo3)

Number of audio devices:        1
Number of audio engines:        6
Number of MIDI devices:         0
Number of mixer devices:        1


Device objects
0: osscore0 OSS core services
1: oss_ich0 Intel ICH (2415) interrupts=12053 (19979)
2: oss_usb0 USB audio core services

MIDI devices (/dev/midi*)

Mixer devices
0: ICH AC97 Mixer (STAC9700) (Mixer 0 of device object 1)

Audio devices
Intel ICH (2415)                  /dev/oss/oss_ich0/pcm0  (device index 0)

Nodes
  /dev/dsp -> /dev/oss/oss_ich0/pcm0
  /dev/dsp_in -> /dev/oss/oss_ich0/pcm0
  /dev/dsp_out -> /dev/oss/oss_ich0/pcm0
  /dev/dsp_ac3 -> /dev/oss/oss_ich0/pcm0
  /dev/dsp_mmap -> /dev/oss/oss_ich0/pcm0
  /dev/dsp_multich -> /dev/oss/oss_ich0/pcm0


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bash-3.1$ ossmix
Selected mixer 0/ICH AC97 Mixer (STAC9700)
Known controls are:
vol [<leftvol>:<rightvol>] (currently 75:75)
vol.rec ON|OFF (currently OFF)
pcm [<leftvol>:<rightvol>] (currently 75:75)
speaker <monovol> (currently 0)
line [<leftvol>:<rightvol>] (currently 32:32)
line.rec ON|OFF (currently ON)
mic <monovol> (currently 0)
mic.rec ON|OFF (currently OFF)
cd [<leftvol>:<rightvol>] (currently 75:75)
cd.rec ON|OFF (currently OFF)
igain [<leftvol>:<rightvol>] (currently 75:75)
aux1 [<leftvol>:<rightvol>] (currently 32:32)
aux1.rec ON|OFF (currently OFF)
phone [<leftvol>:<rightvol>] (currently 0:0)
phone.rec ON|OFF (currently OFF)
mono <monovol> (currently 75)
mono.rec ON|OFF (currently OFF)
video [<leftvol>:<rightvol>] (currently 0:0)
video.rec ON|OFF (currently OFF)
vmix0-enable ON|OFF (currently ON)
vmix0-rate <decimal value> (currently 48000) (Read-only)
vmix0-channels <Stereo|Multich> (currently Stereo)
vmix0-src <Fast|High|OFF> (currently Fast)
vmix0-outvol <monovol> (currently 25.0 dB)
vmix0-invol <monovol> (currently 25.0 dB)
vmix0.pcm1 [<leftvol>:<rightvol>] (currently 25.0:25.0 dB)
vmix0.pcm2 [<leftvol>:<rightvol>] (currently 25.0:25.0 dB)
vmix0.pcm3 [<leftvol>:<rightvol>] (currently 25.0:25.0 dB)
vmix0.pcm4 [<leftvol>:<rightvol>] (currently 25.0:25.0 dB)


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bash-3.1$ osstest
Sound subsystem and version: OSS 4.2 (b 2007/201207040354) (0x00040100)
Platform: Linux/i686 2.6.27.7-smp #1 SMP Thu Nov 20 22:18:02 CST 2008

*** Scanning sound adapter #-1 ***
/dev/oss/oss_ich0/pcm0 (audio engine 0): Intel ICH (2415)
- Performing audio playback test...
  <left> Device returned error: Input/output error

*** Some errors were detected during the tests ***


[cesium]

Some suggestions:

Try playing with vmix settings (turning it off, changing vmix0-src). Also, I recall VBox can emulate different soundcards.

Note also this bug report (though it deals only with recording).

[igadoter]

Thanks for reply.

Changing settings for vmix0-src doesn't work.

There are only two other emulated audio controllers in VIrtualBox: Intel HD Audio and SoundBlaster. I tried both. Now I'm stucj because both are not recognized nor the kernel neither the oss.

Maybe this help (I mean to find where is the bug): I also have an issue with sound on OpenBSD guest - downsampling. OpenBSD als uses emulated ICH AC97. Of course I know that OpenBSD doesn't use the oss by default. But maybe this phenomenon of the downsampling will help to explain why the thing doesn't work in the oss.

[cesium]

You can try toggling vmix0-enabled (when nothing in the guest is using the emulated card). Also, I do find it odd hdaudio isn't recognized... I think you need to run "ossdetect -v" to fix /usr/lib/oss/etc/installed_drivers and then restart OSS (soundoff && soundon), and then it will be recognized***.

*** Edit: then again we can just modprobe oss_hdaudio manaully once soundon starts osscore as the intention is just to check this...

[igadoter]

Strange but I don't have 'ossdetect' command....

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bash-3.1$ ossdetect
bash: ossdetect: command not found


These are all 'oss*' commands

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bash-3.1$ oss
ossinfo     osspartysh  ossplay     osstest     
ossmix      ossphone    ossrecord   ossxmix


[cesium]

It's at /usr/sbin (probably not included in your non-root path and that's probably why command expansion doesn't show it), and should be run as root (I should have mentioned that).

[igadoter]

Lets make cleanup. Now the guest is using 'SoundBlaster 16' emulated audio controller. (Not ICH AC97)

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bash-3.1# ossdetect -v
USB support available in the system, adding USB driver
Detected Generic USB audio/MIDI device (BETA)


[cesium]

OSSv4 doesn't support ISA devices like the sb16, but you can try hdaudio...

[igadoter]

OK..I switched to Intel HD Audio...I've got sound..all 'osstest' are passed...I can play music...But I cannot change the volume..

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bash-3.1$ rexima
rexima: mixer has no devices!
bash-3.1$ aumix


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bash-3.1# ossmix
Selected mixer 0/High Definition Audio STAC9221 A1
Known controls are:
jack.white.mode1 <front|input> (currently front)
jack.white.front [<leftvol>:<rightvol>] (currently 76.4:76.4 dB)
jack.int-mic.mode <rear|input> (currently rear)
jack.int-mic.rear [<leftvol>:<rightvol>] (currently 76.4:76.4 dB)
jack.int-white.mode1 <center/LFE|input> (currently center/LFE)
jack.int-white.center/lfe [<leftvol>:<rightvol>] (currently 76.4:76.4 dB)
jack.white.mode2 <side|input> (currently input)
jack.white.side1 [<leftvol>:<rightvol>] (currently 76.4:76.4 dB)
jack.white.side2 [<leftvol>:<rightvol>] (currently 76.4:76.4 dB)
jack.int-white.mode2 <spdif-out|rec1mux|adat> (currently spdif-out)
record.rec1mux.rec1mux1 [<leftvol>:<rightvol>] (currently 39.9:39.9 dB)
record.rec1mux.rec1mux2 <side|rear> (currently rear)
record.rec1mux [<leftvol>:<rightvol>] (currently 17.9:17.9 dB)
record.rec2mux.rec2mux1 [<leftvol>:<rightvol>] (currently 39.9:39.9 dB)
record.rec2mux.rec2mux2 <side|rear> (currently rear)
record.rec2mux [<leftvol>:<rightvol>] (currently 17.9:17.9 dB)
misc <-28.-8dB|-19.-2dB|-9.-6dB|0.0dB> (currently -28.-8dB)
vmix0-enable ON|OFF (currently ON)
vmix0-rate <decimal value> (currently 44100) (Read-only)
vmix0-channels <Stereo|Multich> (currently Stereo)
vmix0-src <Fast|High|OFF> (currently Fast)
vmix0-outvol <monovol> (currently 25.0 dB)
vmix0-invol <monovol> (currently 25.0 dB)
vmix0.pcm8 [<leftvol>:<rightvol>] (currently 25.0:25.0 dB)
vmix0.pcm9 [<leftvol>:<rightvol>] (currently 25.0:25.0 dB)
vmix0.pcm10 [<leftvol>:<rightvol>] (currently 25.0:25.0 dB)
vmix0.pcm11 [<leftvol>:<rightvol>] (currently 25.0:25.0 dB)


Added: I think I messed up something. Here 'ossinfo'

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bash-3.1# ossinfo
Version info: OSS 4.2 (b 2007/201207040354) (0x00040100) TRIAL
Platform: Linux/i686 2.6.27.7-smp #2 SMP Thu Nov 20 22:32:43 CST 2008 (enzo3)

Number of audio devices:        8
Number of audio engines:        12
Number of MIDI devices:         0
Number of mixer devices:        1

Device objects
0: osscore0 OSS core services
1: oss_hdaudio0 Intel HD Audio interrupts=87455 (87455)
    HD Audio controller Intel HD Audio
    Vendor ID    0x80862668
    Subvendor ID 0x83847680
     Codec  0: STAC9221 A1 (0x83847680/0x83847680)
2: oss_usb0 USB audio core services

MIDI devices (/dev/midi*)

Mixer devices
0: High Definition Audio STAC9221  (Mixer 0 of device object 1)

Audio devices
HD Audio play front               /dev/oss/oss_hdaudio0/pcm0  (device index 0)
HD Audio play center/LFE          /dev/oss/oss_hdaudio0/pcm1  (device index 1)
HD Audio play rear                /dev/oss/oss_hdaudio0/pcm2  (device index 2)
HD Audio play side                /dev/oss/oss_hdaudio0/pcm3  (device index 3)
HD Audio play spdif-out           /dev/oss/oss_hdaudio0/spdout0  (device index 4
)
HD Audio rec rec1mux              /dev/oss/oss_hdaudio0/pcmin0  (device index 5)
HD Audio rec rec2mux              /dev/oss/oss_hdaudio0/pcmin1  (device index 6)
HD Audio rec int-spdifin          /dev/oss/oss_hdaudio0/spdin0  (device index 7)

Nodes
  /dev/dsp -> /dev/oss/oss_hdaudio0/pcm0
  /dev/dsp_in -> /dev/oss/oss_hdaudio0/pcm0
  /dev/dsp_out -> /dev/oss/oss_hdaudio0/pcm0
  /dev/dsp_ac3 -> /dev/oss/oss_hdaudio0/spdout0
  /dev/dsp_mmap -> /dev/oss/oss_hdaudio0/pcm0
  /dev/dsp_multich -> /dev/oss/oss_hdaudio0/pcm0


From this listing I understand that the 'node' for mixer is '/dev/oss/oss_hdaudio0/mix0'
But I found in '/dev' another mixer

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bash-3.1# ls -l /dev/mixer
crw-rw-rw- 1 root root 246, 2 2012-09-05 22:00 /dev/mixer


........

[cesium]

The oss_hdaudio driver uses a different mixer API. You can try using ossmix / ossxmix to modify the volume.

[igadoter]

I tried

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bash-3.1$ ossmix vmix0.pcm8 50:50
Value of mixer control vmix0.pcm8 set to 25.0:25.0


But I must say despite all these issues - the sound quality is really great....

[cesium]

ossmix controls are often not 0 to 100, that control is from 0 to 25 (db).

[igadoter]

Thanks. you right. I was able to set 15:15 volume. ......