[AG-TECH] Rat CPU load in Linux - soundcard problem ?

Andrew Daviel advax at triumf.ca
Wed Dec 15 02:38:15 CST 2004


I have noticed in several Linux systems that Rat (ratmedia) is using
100% of a CPU (if it can get it) in system state. This seems to
block the Venue client on a 1-CPU box.

The accepted wisdom in AG has been I think to get a "Soundblaster" card.
However, since a few years ago, soundblaster are no longer soundblaster,
they're Ensoniq. The systems we have appear to all be using the es1371
kernel module; most show an "Ensoniq 5880 AudioPCI" card while one shows
an "Ensoniq ES1371 [AudioPCI-97]". All of these use 100% CPU.

However, my computer at home, with a "real" ISA soundblaster card
identified as "Creative ViBRA16C", using the kernel module "sb", seems to
use a much more reasonable 2% of CPU.

I suspect everything is using the OSS modules. One is FC1, and I did
try running alsaconf, which says it can't find any supported cards. But
it's a 2.4 RedHat kernel and may not have ALSA configured.

So...

- does e.g the ALSA module for Ensoniq in the 2.6 kernel fix the 100% CPU
  problem ?

- What cards are there which will run properly full-duplex with Rat
  but not chew up all the CPU ?

-- 
Andrew Daviel, TRIUMF, Canada
Tel. +1 (604) 222-7376  (Pacific Time)
security at triumf.ca




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