Well, I seem to recall that you said PortAudio reports only one interface.
If ALSA were enabled, you would see at least two interfaces: the OSS
emulated interface /dev/dsp, and the actual ALSA interface, like this:

Found 2 audio devices:
PortAudio device 0
  /dev/dsp
  Maximum channels in:     16
  Maximum channels out:    16
  Default sample rate:  44100.000
PortAudio device 1
  ESS Maestro3 PCI
  Maximum channels in:      2
  Maximum channels out:     2
  Default sample rate:  44100.000
Using Portaudio Device 1
Suggested PortAudio latency = 0.023220 seconds.
writing 5040-byte blks of shorts to dac1
 (raw)

Or if you built PortAudio with ONLY ALSA enabled, you would see this:

PortAudio version number = 1899
PortAudio version text = 'PortAudio V19-devel'
Number of devices = 1
--------------------------------------- device #0
[ Default Input, Default Output ]
Name                        = ESS Maestro3 PCI
Host API                    = ALSA
Max inputs = 2, Max outputs = 2
Default low input latency   =    0.023
Default low output latency  =    0.023
Default high input latency  =    0.372
Default high output latency =    0.372
Default sample rate         = 44100.00
Supported standard sample rates
 for half-duplex 16 bit 2 channel input =
         8000.00,  9600.00, 11025.00, 12000.00,
        16000.00, 22050.00, 24000.00, 32000.00,
        44100.00, 48000.00
Supported standard sample rates
 for half-duplex 16 bit 2 channel output =
         8000.00,  9600.00, 11025.00, 12000.00,
        16000.00, 22050.00, 24000.00, 32000.00,
        44100.00, 48000.00
Supported standard sample rates
 for full-duplex 16 bit 2 channel input, 2 channel output =
         8000.00,  9600.00, 11025.00, 12000.00,
        16000.00, 22050.00, 24000.00, 32000.00,
        44100.00, 48000.00
----------------------------------------------
[mkg@localhost csound5]$


I infer that PortAudio, OSS, and Csound do not play well together, but I 
guess that PortAudio, ALSA, and Csound may well be quite usable - I am
probably getting dropouts because my machine is still old and slow, just
not as old and slow as the old one! The aplay utility works just fine, so
does xmms.

Original Message:
-----------------
From: John ffitch jpff@cs.bath.ac.uk
Date: Sat, 15 May 2004 22:10:06 +0100 (BST)
To: csound-dev@eartha.mills.edu
Subject: [CSOUND-DEV:4725] Re: Linux audio


> This suggests that perhaps John ffitch has not actually enabled the ALSA
> driver on his machine.

Can you explain this?  I have been using ALSA on all my Linux machines for 
a very long time.
==John ff



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>>>>> "gogins@pipeline" == gogins@pipeline com  writes:

 gogins@pipeline> Well, I seem to recall that you said PortAudio
 gogins@pipeline> reports only one interface.

No, I see exactly 2 devices, /dev/dsp and the sound card, just like
you

 gogins@pipeline> I infer that PortAudio, OSS, and Csound do not play well together, but I 
 gogins@pipeline> guess that PortAudio, ALSA, and Csound may well be quite usable - I am
 gogins@pipeline> probably getting dropouts because my machine is still old and slow, just
 gogins@pipeline> not as old and slow as the old one! The aplay utility works just fine, so
 gogins@pipeline> does xmms.

Yes, aplay works correctly.  What does not is csound creating a mono
output, or a stereo file on the M-Audio (which is a 12 channel chip)
The PA setup does not look at the .asoundrc file and so in my set ups
I cannot select the SPDIF output on the Hamerfall or the analog output
on the M-Audio.

==John ffitch