Heh Paul!
Hi Mark,
I'm assuming that sound only works if linux or windows is booted first, then I'd expect it to keep working until a cold boot occurs.
ie Linux/Windows - then D: then F: would work. If this isn't what you're describing, please let me know.
Actually I have no Linux partitions, and the last time I booted my Windows partition (C:) was over six months ago on Manticore II.
D: is an ArcaOS partition running v5.0.7 - when I need Windows support on Manticore II I usually run VirtualBox on that partition. I use that partition exclusively for tasks like Internet search, messaging, playing games through ArcaOS (and DosBox running under ArcaOS), writing a lot of internal documents using Lotus Word Pro, Lotus Spreadsheets, etc. I also run VLC, SMPlayer, PM123, and various other multimedia software (including a rather neat legacy program call Warped Wave Editor (WaWE) and of course Tonigy). That partition is connected to the built-in AD1988B sound chipset as standard.
F: is a test partition running ArcaOS v5.0.7 and is dedicated solely to testing, although it has all the capabilities of the D: partition also installed - if I needed to (ie. something has screwed up with my working partition) I can switch to F: and run it successfully for days, until I can get the other partition working. Currently, I've left partition F: using the Recon3D through the 5:1 surround sound system, as I know AD1988B has no problems
Hyperfire is configured in exactly the same way, with two ArcaOS partitions, only it has the ALC892 sound chipset and the Sound Blaster Xi-Fi Titanium card. It also has a Windows partition (C:), which is rarely booted, and which I originally set up only to play games.
Just the emergency planner in me, Paul - I hate situations occurring where they can be planned for, but were not, and something serious occurred - my office is filled with battery back-ups, multiple surge protectors, etc., as well as a NetGear Server, for archive and back-up purposes.
So as to warm boot and it working on F: after cold booting to D: and then rebooting to F:, - the reason I mentioned it is that I can't see it enabling the firmware, the way the system is configured, as no Linux or Windows partition is involved at all.
The warm boot phenomenon is reproducible every time - so obviously something else is involved.
No idea what causes the Master Playback to show - what driver versions are in play? ca0132 support was added relatively recently...
As you know, I got into this sound testing late (only started in March) and at the time I wrote a long post which I had printed out and referred back to today - the first version I tested was 5.14.7-20211028. At the time, referring back, I wrote that Master Playback volume was reported under PMUnimix but was not controlling the sound, stereo sound was only present from the front speakers, and I had to turn down the sound using the surround sound hardware controls as sound was blasting out at max. It also would only work after a cold reboot.
The behavior with this card is the same right up to 5.19.9, which I tested last week, as well as 5.15.70. Having access to your archives I can test further back, if you wish.
It was the reason that I had great hopes that the ArchLinux post a few posts back now may have had a solution, as the patch for CA0132 (the Recon3D is one such board) was actually published in detail and the changelog at the time also indicated they committed that, and many other sound fixes to kernel 4.18 rc-1.
Best as always!
M