BIT Linux 3.1 (1002), kubuntu 12.04, error 170: "Unsupported waveform audio..."

[EvilUser]

I have Kubuntu 12.04, fully updated. BIT 3.1 - 1002
I get this error:
Unsupported waveform audio format for output device

There are no additional details, even with TRACE - 2 logging.

The user manual does not outline any details for sound testing, and there are no details for the cause of error 170

The system plays system sounds just fine. Would like BIT to test sound, with OR without loopback. Either choice will work for me.

Please help

[Tim (PassMark)]

This error would occur if one of the initial underlying sound setup functions failed to run properly.

Could you please run BurnInTest in debug mode (using command line parameter -d), reproduce the error and email us a copy of the debug.log file that is created.

[EvilUser]

Sorry, I am not ready yet. I will have a debug log on Monday. Have a great weekend.

[mpesi]

I'm not the original poster, but I'm having the same issue. Tim, I sent my debug log to help {at} passmark, with subject line starting "For Tim".

[mpesi]

Is this a permissions issue?

I'm not the original poster, but I'm having the same issue. Tim, I sent my debug log to help {at} passmark, with subject line starting "For Tim".

Additional information: as long as we run BiT from a Linux hard drive on the computer in which it's installed, everything runs fine. If we try to run a PXE-booted computer, workstation or thin client, the audio tests always fail with the "unsupported waveform audio format...." error.

To diagnose I've tried running as root, and running after giving full RWX privileges to as much of the file system as Linux allows for the local OS.

Help! While the thin clients aren't a big issue for us since audio is not used, for the workstations this is a big issue.

[Tim (PassMark)]

Could you please try re-sending the log file to us, we haven't seen the email come in yet.

It's possible that yes this is a permission issue, several test in BurnInTest require root permissions to execute however the sound test generally isn't one of them. We've seen this error if something else is accessing the sound subsystem and preventing BurnInTest from using it (eg configuring the system sound settings at the same time).

It may be part of the sound subsystem that that BurnInTest requires (ALSA) is not being loaded properly during the PXE boot or the user itself doesn't have access to the sound functions when booting like this.

There is a Debian based FAQ about sound issues at https://wiki.debian.org/SoundFAQ that may help troubleshoot.

[mpesi]

Debug log resent. I'll look at the debian FAQ this afternoon.

[mpesi]

Looks like it won't run CWave to create the wave file?

Based on what I see in the debug log. Compared it to a debug log from a workstation booting the OS directly instead booting LTSP.

[mpesi]

Unfortunately, FAQ was no help

The sound circuitry is working fine - it picks up signals from the mic, and I can hear system sounds in the headset. BiT, however, still won't run the audio test.

[mpesi]

Any thoughts?

From the debug log:

Tue Mar 4 12:37:22 2014 - 671542 Test name: Sound
Tue Mar 4 12:37:22 2014 - 671561 Set text...
Tue Mar 4 12:37:22 2014 - 671581 Get tests and ops count...
Tue Mar 4 12:37:22 2014 - 671596 Done...
Tue Mar 4 12:37:22 2014 - 671609 Set cycles...0
Tue Mar 4 12:37:22 2014 - 671637 Setting table item text
Tue Mar 4 12:37:22 2014 - 671655 Ops count conversion - 0 : 1.000000
Tue Mar 4 12:37:22 2014 - 671680 1st case
Tue Mar 4 12:37:22 2014 - 671711 Set ops text
Tue Mar 4 12:37:22 2014 - 671729 Set err count
Tue Mar 4 12:37:22 2014 - 671750 Set err text
Tue Mar 4 12:37:22 2014 - 671770 Update table row done...
Tue Mar 4 12:37:22 2014 - 671786 Resize and sort table...
Tue Mar 4 12:37:22 2014 - 672317 Update event log...
Tue Mar 4 12:37:22 2014 - 672349 Event log tab...
Tue Mar 4 12:37:22 2014 - 672364 Clear extra lines...
Tue Mar 4 12:37:22 2014 - 672379 Lines displayed 2
Tue Mar 4 12:37:22 2014 - 672393 Current line 2
Tue Mar 4 12:37:22 2014 - 672407 Event log tab done...
Tue Mar 4 12:37:22 2014 - 672450 Start timerID_Update 620757001
Tue Mar 4 12:37:22 2014 - 672468 Start timerID_CheckBITComplete 637534216
Tue Mar 4 12:37:22 2014 - 672485 Start timerID_EnableStop 654311426
Tue Mar 4 12:37:22 2014 - 672644 Set ScriptTestStartFlag false
Tue Mar 4 12:37:22 2014 - 672704 slotStartTest finish
Tue Mar 4 12:37:22 2014 - 676296 Playback open error: No such file or directory
Tue Mar 4 12:37:22 2014 - 676553 Sound error: 170
Tue Mar 4 12:37:22 2014 - 676585 StartOutput failed
Tue Mar 4 12:37:22 2014 - 676647 END_LOOPBACKSOUND
Tue Mar 4 12:37:23 2014 - 672518 Timer Event timerID_EnableStop
Tue Mar 4 12:37:23 2014 - 672616 timerID_EnableStop Done
Tue Mar 4 12:37:24 2014 - 672516 Timer Event timerID_EnableStop
Tue Mar 4 12:37:24 2014 - 672614 timerID_EnableStop Done

[Tim (PassMark)]

Looking at the error being returned it is either some obscure permission issue when running form the PXE boot or the way the sound devices are being setup during the boot and the device name we're using isn't recognised.

Could you please try running this command;

speaker-test -c 2 -D plughw

and seeing if it will execute and output to the speakers on the PXE booted system.

[mpesi]

Looking at the error being returned it is either some obscure permission issue when running form the PXE boot or the way the sound devices are being setup during the boot and the device name we're using isn't recognised.

Could you please try running this command;

speaker-test -c 2 -D plughw

and seeing if it will execute and output to the speakers on the PXE booted system.

I get


speaker-test 1.0.25

Playback device is plughw
Stream parameters are 4800Hz, S16_LE, 2 channels
Using 16 octaves of pink noise
Failed to create random directory /tmp/pulse-PKdhtXMmr18n: Permission denied
Playback open error: -2,No such file or directory

If I run the command through sudo, same result, except line 4 changes to
Home directory /home/username not ours.

[mpesi]

If I change ownership and group of /home/username to root and root and run through sudo, I get


speaker-test 1.0.25

Playback device is plughw
Stream parameters are 4800Hz, S16_LE, 2 channels
Using 16 octaves of pink noise
playback open error: -2,No such file or directory

But, BiT sound test still fails. Looks like we're on the right track though!!!

[mpesi]

Tim, you still with me?

[Tim (PassMark)]

Sorry I was out of the office yesterday.

"plughw" is the interface we use in BurnInTest when trying to access the sound hardware. You could also try speaker-test with "default" or "hw:0,0" to see if any of these will work.

Also is the user part of the "audio" group?

We'll see if we can setup a PXE boot system to try and reproduce it.