Flag Day: Boomer Audio Subsystem

Flag Day: Boomer Audio Subsystem

Date: Mon, 27 Apr 2009 23:44:52 -0700
From: "Garrett D'Amore" <Garrett.Damore at sun dot com>
To: onnv-gate at onnv dot eng dot sun dot com
Subject: Flag Day: Boomer Audio Subsystem

 The integration of PSARC 2008/318 Boomer: Next Generation Solaris
 Audio represents a flag day for all users of audio programs or
 devices on OpenSolaris.

 Boomer introduces many new features to the audio subsystem,
 including a new API, new hardware support, improved support for
 virtualization (VirtualBox support), and support for multi-channel
 surround sound on certain audio devices.

 This requires an update to the tools used to manage audio settings
 on the desktop.  The Gnome 2.26 distribution included in build 115
 has the necessary features.  If an update is performed without
 updating the Gnome/JDS components on the desktop, the
 gnome-volume-control and mixer_applet2 will not function.  Audio
 settings can be adjusted from the CLI using the mixerctl
 application, however.  mixerctl -h will show a help message that
 should be sufficient to assist you.  You can also install temporary
 gstreamer binaries located in the /ws/onnv-gate/public/gstreamer/
 directory, or on the Boomer web page at
 http://www.opensolaris.org/os/project/opensound/files

 Note that sdtaudiocontrol, as well as any other applications which
 use the legacy Sun audio(7i) interfaces to adjust audio settings may
 not behave as expected ~-- such settings are restricted to the
 application that issues the ioctl.  Global settings are possible
 only via the new OSSv4 mixer(7I) api.  A man page will be integrated
 for this.  I am happy to supply draft versions of the related API
 man pages upon request until the updated man consolidation is
 availalble.

 Also, the -m, -p, and -b options to audioplay and audiorecord are no
 longer available.  mixerctl offers a much richer set of capabilities
 to manage the settings of audio devices, and should be used instead.

 Users upgrading across this integration via BFU will need to run the
 update_audio script located in the /ws/onnv-gate/public/bin directory,
 or on the web page at
http://www.opensolaris.org/os/project/opensound/files

 Bugs with the new audio subsystem can be filed in
 solaris/audio/framework, or in the appropriate driver category (such
 as solaris/audio/driver-audiohd).