Discuss: Mac OS X guest sound support driver

[hackersarchangel]

OmegaX:

I wanted to share with you my experience on the compiled driver: I compiled it using Xcode and it worked. Sort of. I'm running Leopard 10.5.7 using the Mac OSX 32-bit preset. In 64-bit mode it would cut in audio, only on the left channel. Most of the time I did without audio though. That being said, I then ran OSX under 32-bit, and it works a little better, with both channels, but it outputs to one channel louder than the other, and when I adjust the channel fader in System Preferences, it inverts the channel I'm trying to equalize with, and acts more like total volume control when it fades farther to either end of the bar.

That being said I'm going to try and reload the 32-bit driver with the installer and see if I faire a little better. I'll edit this post with results from that.

Edit: I installed the original audio driver you supplied, with worse results actually. It worked when setting arch=i386 during bootup, but behaved worse than the compiled version of the driver. At the present time I'm using the arch=i386 line and the compiled driver. It works, but the same results with a higher pitch than the audio rightfully should have. Also it appears to not work when playing videos in Quicktime or VLC. It works when browsing the Internet, and when Mac sets off audio alerts.

[OmegaX]

OmegaX:

I wanted to share with you my experience on the compiled driver: I compiled it using Xcode and it worked. Sort of. I'm running Leopard 10.5.7 using the Mac OSX 32-bit preset. In 64-bit mode it would cut in audio, only on the left channel. Most of the time I did without audio though. That being said, I then ran OSX under 32-bit, and it works a little better, with both channels, but it outputs to one channel louder than the other, and when I adjust the channel fader in System Preferences, it inverts the channel I'm trying to equalize with, and acts more like total volume control when it fades farther to either end of the bar.

That being said I'm going to try and reload the 32-bit driver with the installer and see if I faire a little better. I'll edit this post with results from that.

Edit: I installed the original audio driver you supplied, with worse results actually. It worked when setting arch=i386 during bootup, but behaved worse than the compiled version of the driver. At the present time I'm using the arch=i386 line and the compiled driver. It works, but the same results with a higher pitch than the audio rightfully should have. Also it appears to not work when playing videos in Quicktime or VLC. It works when browsing the Internet, and when Mac sets off audio alerts.

Known issues that I haven't had time to track down, it's why I provided the source so people could work on their own and not have to wait for me to make a solution, if I have a solution i'll post it here but at the time i'm swamped with many other things unfortunately.

I just wanted to get something into people's hands to be able to work with, maybe the devs will find the source useful for future additions.

[hackersarchangel]

Known issues that I haven't had time to track down, it's why I provided the source so people could work on their own and not have to wait for me to make a solution, if I have a solution i'll post it here but at the time i'm swamped with many other things unfortunately.

I just wanted to get something into people's hands to be able to work with, maybe the devs will find the source useful for future additions.

I understand that. I wanted to post what my experience was with it, so that if someone else with better programming skills wanted some information on user experiences it is available for them to use. If anyone has any questions PM me.

[junkinternetmail]

Using the compiled 10.4.1 audio kext for only AppleIntelICH posted on InsanelyMac via a link in this thread I was able to edit the kext with the id as stated by OmegaX.

This did give me audio in 32bit VM. Testing 64bit VM next.

What kexts or dsdt edits could we utilize in order to make the VM run even better than it already does?

I've been testing the latest FAKESMC v2.7 rev 218 along with EVOReboot and OpenHaltRestart -- neither for me fix the shutdown/reboot issues reported...

[junkinternetmail]

Preliminary tests seem that 3.2.6 final has indeed broken audio...trying a few things also plan to test Takwing's fakesmc replacement methods...

[coolyandy2]

playing radio off itunes but the sound is bit crackly but is fine but can this be fixed?

[takwing]

I would like to try compiling the audio driver... I have downloaded the code and have xCode installed (which should be installed as part of the iPhone SDK).

However, after opening the project, I compiled it but failed with a lot of compilation error!

I don't plan to give the error details... and I believe I just do have the development environment setup properly....
so, can anyone here share with my how to have the setup done?

[junkinternetmail]

@takwing

I can get you some pro help if you can join an irc channel...

irc.osx86.hu -j #hackint0sh

Once there ask for: nawcom

[takwing]

I have joined it.

Unfortunately, probably because of time-zone difference, I don't see you online.

Do you mind telling me what software I need to install (& where to get them) so that I can compile the project?

[junkinternetmail]

I should have told you my error:

/server chat.osx86.hu:6667 -j #hacktin0sh
-j #snowleopard

You will see me there any hour as I am always online -- a server admin and help support specialist.

[takwing]

OmegaX,

Finally, I can compile the kext.

While testing my compiled kext, I notice that in your screen dump, you are having a "AC97 Audio (PCM)" device listed as your Line Out device.
However, for me, I am having a "VirtualBox Audio (ICH AC97)".

Why there is such a difference? Is the "AC97 Audio" device that you have are obtained by "Enabling audio in the VM settings"?
I start thinking about if the sound problem that I have is actually something that cannot be "fixed" at the sound driver level.

[OmegaX]

OmegaX,

Finally, I can compile the kext.

While testing my compiled kext, I notice that in your screen dump, you are having a "AC97 Audio (PCM)" device listed as your Line Out device.
However, for me, I am having a "VirtualBox Audio (ICH AC97)".

Why there is such a difference? Is the "AC97 Audio" device that you have are obtained by "Enabling audio in the VM settings"?
I start thinking about if the sound problem that I have is actually something that cannot be "fixed" at the sound driver level.

Thats just the identification of the device for the sound settings display, I forgot to put that in the first binary package which is why it still has the default "AC97 Audio (PCM)".
"VirtualBox Audio (ICH AC97)" was added to better represent the device.

[war59312]

10.6.4 update broke the VM's audio. Has anyone encountered this problem and possibly figured out a solution?

Delete AppleIntelCPUPowerManagement.kext from /System/Library/Extensions/
and Extensions.mkext from /System/Library/Caches/com.apple.kext.caches/Startup/

Any major update will replace that kext which causes havoc with audio and performance in general on vbox.

Thanks now audio does not crackle nearly as much while playing. Still crackles on first play and though and when lowering or raising volume. But at least it's now listenable.

However, like others balance is reversed. Sadly though every time I boot up I have to open in preferances and move the slide to right or left for audio to start working.

And yes it's reversed and only 1 channel works at a time.

Oddly the balance controls the volume too. As you get closer to the center the louder the sound. So the closer you get to either side the lower the volume until you are all the way over when it gets muted.

[hackersarchangel]

Ok so some further info: I did some fiddling but not much, and it plays bass on one channel, depending on which side you have the balance opposite from. not much bass, but some. Other than that, I still cannot get 64-bit to work that well. It sucks completely lol. Some more fiddling will be ensue but no promises.

[OmegaX]

Ok so some further info: I did some fiddling but not much, and it plays bass on one channel, depending on which side you have the balance opposite from. not much bass, but some. Other than that, I still cannot get 64-bit to work that well. It sucks completely lol. Some more fiddling will be ensue but no promises.

Thats a new one, if only I knew exactly where the problem was in talking to the virtual card, I burned myself out a bit looking for it.
The same code for the driver seems to work fine when applied to other AC97 devices too so thats another mindf*ck.