[Alsa-user] What's going wrong (SNDRV_TIMER_IOCTL_TREAD)?

[Jeroen N. <je...@ni...>]

Hello,

I recently installed Debian/etch/amd64 on my new PC -- but I've got great
troubles getting the sound working. Only xmms works; aplay
repeats itself 3 times a second, and tuxpaint doesn't play anything, and
hangs when I try to quit...

The sound card in question is the on-board chip of the 
ATI RS-480 motherboard (the motherboard in question is EQS M56K9-MLF),
the 'ATI Technologies Inc IXP SB400 AC'97 Audio Controller'
(Subsystem: PC Partner Limited: Unknown device 5215)

The kernel is Debian's linux-image-2.6-amd64-k8 , v.2.6.12-10;
the sound driver that is loaded is snd_atiixp. That is the right one,
it seems: xmms works (*).

Aplay gives a warning message, and then does play the beginning of a
file, but it repeats itself ~ 3 times a second:

>aplay teleport.wav

ALSA lib timer_hw.c:269:(snd_timer_hw_open) extended read is not supported (SNDRV_TIMER_IOCTL_TREAD)
Playing WAVE 'teleport.wav' : Unsigned 8 bit, Rate 8000 Hz, Mono


Tuxpaint uses OSS (/dev/dsp) it seems -- it doesn't  play anything, but
it does do something: with sound enabled, it hangs on exit. i.e. everything works, but if go through the exit dialog, it doesn't exit!


Any idea what could be the cause of the trouble?
Or what else you'ld need for diagnosing the problem?

Jeroen Nijhof