[Openal] problems with surround under Linux

[Tomasz Noiński]

Hello,

I'm trying to set up 5+1 sound under Linux in an openal app
(based on Torque engine) we're developing.

I tried many combinations of different options in openalrc and none
worked.

At first, I verified my alsa settings are ok with non-openal apps:

I grabbed some "chan_id.wav" file, with 6 channels with someone saying
"right-left" etc. in the correct speakers.

1) aplay -Dsurround51 chan_id.wav
2) mplayer -ao alsa -channels 6 chan_id.wav

Both were 100% ok.

3) mplayer -ao oss -channels 6 chan_id.wav

I could hear only the front speakers.
I'm not sure it should work with oss too.
I guess I shoudn't have to use oss, anyway.

So, I believe my soundcard, driver, mixer settings and alsa settings are
ok.

I gather the best way to test openal is "altest". It has an option to test
surround sound.
I got very similar results earlier from inside Torque, but I tested it
with "altest" to eliminate the possibility it was Torque's fault.
Here are the results (always in some way incorrect):

4) "(define devices '(oss))"

Seems like 2 channels only (rear and front speakers sound the same).

5) "(define devices '(alsa))", "(define speaker-num 6)", "(define
alsa-out-device "surround51:0,0")"

Completely quiet!

6) speaker-num 5, surround50:0,0
7) speaker-num 5, surround41:0,0

Rear speakers were quiet and I heard in the front left speaker what was
supposed to be in rear-left only.

8) speaker-num 4, surround40:0,0

The same sound in rear and front speakers.


I don't know where I'm doing something wrong.
What could be the case?
Is it a known problem?

Oh, and some more data:
- Ubuntu Linux 6.06
- kernel 2.6.15 (from distro, with Ubuntu patches)
- openal 0.0.8 (from distro)
- soundcard is SB Audigy2

TIA,

Tomasz Noinski