Re: [Discuss-gnuradio] Audio source cannot use 2 outputs (Stereo) in windows

[Marcus Müller]

Hey Geof,

somehow I've now been missing your reply. Thanks for all you do!

Best regards,
Marcus

On Mon, 2019-05-13 at 08:46 -0400, Geof Nieboer wrote:
> I apologize for missing this email chain.  
> 
> FYI, anytime you see a "Z:\gr-build" somewhere in a Windows install,
> know that that is the path I use when buildiing the installers, so
> exactly as was already deduced, that is a path that ended up being
> hardcoded someplace.  It's particular of the cultural difference
> between Linux/Win, as Linux tends to assume that code is running on
> the machine that built it.
> 
> The best approach to modification of environment variables specific
> to GR usage on Windows is to modify the "run_gr.bat" in C:\Program
> Files\Gnuradio-3.7\bin, which sets up a complete set of variable to
> support the custom python install etc., and will also then allow
> side-by-side of multiple installs (when we release a 3.8 version).
> 
> So I will create an issue on the scripts github to set this
> environment variable automatically in run_gr.bat in the next version
> (I'll also include the stereo source fix as well).
> 
> Geof
> 
> 
> 
> On Sat, May 11, 2019 at 5:48 AM Marcus Müller <
> address@hidden> wrote:
> > Hi Gary,
> > 
> > I'm sorry for the long silence, but just to let you know:
> > a) if you think you can get me fed up with you, you'll have to do
> > better than to patiently report bugs, take suggestions, give
> > feedback.
> > That's absolutely no way to annoy me!
> > b) Your work has led me to writing a small patch that we'll
> > hopefully
> > be able to roll out soon, see 
> > https://github.com/gnuradio/gnuradio/pull/2475
> > 
> > Best regards,
> > Marcus
> > 
> > On Mon, 2019-05-06 at 12:16 +0100, Gary.Simpkins wrote:
> > > Hi Marcus.
> > > 
> > > It was late last night and I missed the errors in the 
> > > grnradio-config-info -- prefsdir response.
> > > 
> > > It had the dirs twice. So I changed the Prefix in windows to be
> > just 
> > > GNUradio-3.7, and the tried again.
> > > 
> > > The prefs now has details includng portaudio.
> > > 
> > > When I start gnuradio companion  I now see lots of warnings about
> > > files 
> > > already existing.
> > > 
> > > When try to generate with the audio source I get a lot of audio
> > > config 
> > > lines. all to do with portaudio
> > > 
> > > BUT  ------IT Looks like portaudio is working for me on windows.
> > > 
> > > Certainly I get two outputs. If they are the I and Q Ioutputs t
> > is
> > > my 
> > > next test, but looking very good.
> > > 
> > > Many Many thanks.
> > > 
> > > Regards
> > > 
> > > Gary
> > > 
> > > 
> > > 
> > > 
> > > 
> > > 
> > > 
> > > 
> > > 
> > > 
> > > 
> > > 
> > > 
> > > 
> > > 
> > > 
> > > 
> > > 
> > > On 05/05/2019 17:43, Marcus Müller wrote:
> > > > Hi Gary,
> > > > 
> > > > > This confuses simple folk like me.
> > > > this confuses simple folks such as me, too!
> > > > 
> > > > That --prefsdir output is most defintely bogus. I can speculate
> > > > what
> > > > happened there, however:
> > > > 
> > > > > Z:gr-buildsrc-stage3staged_installReleaseetcgnuradioconf.d
> > > > That --prefsdir value is part of the source code that gets
> > compiled
> > > > into the tool/the GNU Radio libraries. Normally, you wouldn't
> > do
> > > > that,
> > > > "hardwiring" a directory path into a library, but write it in a
> > > > configuration file or something.
> > > > 
> > > > However, in this case, that's the place we start looking into
> > to
> > > > find
> > > > the configuration files. So, that's the one thing that actually
> > > > need to
> > > > hardwire.
> > > > 
> > > > So, there's a text string "Z:\gr-build\src-
> > > > stage3\staged_install\Release\etc\gnuradio\conf.d" in there,
> > which
> > > > is
> > > > probably a remnant of the machine that your GNU Radio got built
> > on
> > > > (again, how did you install that?).
> > > > Sadly, the "\" gets interpreted by the compiler to be "escape
> > > > symbol",
> > > > so that you can have things like "\n" for newline in strings.
> > > > Luckily,
> > > > none of the first letters of directory names combined with "\"
> > give
> > > > a
> > > > valid escape sequence, so the compiler just silently drops the
> > "\"
> > > > and
> > > > this is the string you end up with.
> > > > 
> > > > I'll admit it: that's funky, and I didn't know that happened.
> > We'll
> > > > most definitely will have to rewrite something to make this
> > work
> > > > under
> > > > windows (which uses backslashes for directory separation,
> > unlike
> > > > unixoids, which use forward slashes).
> > > > 
> > > > So, why does --userprefsdir work, but --prefsdir not?
> > > > 
> > > > Well, --userprefsdir is built from environment variables at
> > > > runtime, so
> > > > it's correct, not mangled by a compiler.
> > > > 
> > > > I hear you say, that's fine and all, and now?
> > > > 
> > > > Welllllll! I thought it strange that, although your
> > userprefsdir
> > > > seems
> > > > correct, GNU Radio didn't read the configuration file you
> > modified.
> > > > So,
> > > > down the rabbit hole it goes. Here's our culprit, in prefs.cc:
> > > > 
> > > >    std::vector<std::string>
> > > >    prefs::_sys_prefs_filenames()
> > > >    {
> > > >      std::vector<std::string> fnames;
> > > > 
> > > >      fs::path dir = prefsdir();
> > > >      if(!fs::is_directory(dir))
> > > >        return fnames; //<------------------------OUCH!
> > > > 
> > > >   […]
> > > > 
> > > >      // Find if there is a ~/.gnuradio/config.conf file and add
> > > > this to
> > > >      // the end of the file list to override any preferences in
> > the
> > > >      // installed path config files.
> > > >      fs::path userconf = fs::path(gr::userconf_path()) /
> > > > "config.conf";
> > > >      if(fs::exists(userconf)) {
> > > >        fnames.push_back(userconf.string());
> > > >      }
> > > > 
> > > >      return fnames;
> > > >    }
> > > > 
> > > > So what happens here is that if the prefsdir isn't a proper
> > > > directory,
> > > > and Z:gr-buildsrc-stage3staged_installReleaseetcgnuradioconf.d
> > > > bloody
> > > > well excels at not being a proper directory, it just throws the
> > > > towel
> > > > and doesn't try to scan the userprefsdir things for
> > configuration
> > > > files.
> > > > 
> > > > I'm fully away of the irony saying the following in a > 10
> > emails
> > > > thread that started with a sound card problem:
> > > > 
> > > > The solution should be simple.
> > > > 
> > > > There's a way of overriding the hardwired prefsdir! We don't
> > even
> > > > have
> > > > to set it to the *right* directory, just any path that is
> > actually
> > > > a
> > > > directory. The way to do that would be setting an environment
> > > > variable
> > > > "GR_PREFIX" that leads to the right place.
> > > > 
> > > > So, I don't actually know where these things get installed to
> > on
> > > > Windows, or on your individual machine, but: Can you look for a
> > > > directory "conf.d" in a path ending in etc\gnuradio\conf.d?
> > > > 
> > > > Let's say it's
> > > > C:\Progams\gnuradio\dragonsbehere\etc\gnuradio\conf.d .
> > > > 
> > > > then, you'd have to do something like
> > > > 
> > > > set GR_PREFIX=C:\Programs\gnuradio\dragonsbehere
> > > > gnuradio-config-info --prefsdir
> > > > 
> > > > If that now prints
> > > > C:\Progams\gnuradio\dragonsbehere\etc\gnuradio\conf.d, we're
> > almost
> > > > there. Try, from the same command window,
> > > > 
> > > > gnuradio-config-info --prefs
> > > > 
> > > > Does that work?
> > > > If it does, there's a way to permanently set environment
> > variables
> > > > under windows, but I've forgotten it. I can look it up, if you
> > > > want.
> > > > 
> > > > Best regards,
> > > > Marcus
> > > > 
> > > > On Sun, 2019-05-05 at 13:55 +0100, Gary.Simpkins wrote:
> > > > > Hi Marcus
> > > > > 
> > > > > --prefsdir returns
> > > > > 
> > > > > Z:gr-buildsrc-stage3staged_installReleaseetcgnuradioconf.d
> > > > > 
> > > > > I dont have a drive Z:
> > > > > 
> > > > > This confuses simple folk like me.  Willing to learn though.
> > > > > 
> > > > > Regards
> > > > > 
> > > > > Gary
> > > > > 
> > > > > On 05/05/2019 11:30, Marcus Müller wrote:
> > > > > > Hi Gary,
> > > > > > 
> > > > > > The "* " is good; when you take that full output of
> > gnuradio-
> > > > > > config…,
> > > > > > and replace the ";" with line breaks, you get a nice list
> > with
> > > > > > indented
> > > > > > subentries. In this case, the list entry of interest would
> > be
> > > > > > 
> > > > > > gr-audio
> > > > > > * portaudio
> > > > > > * windows
> > > > > > 
> > > > > > Nothing to do with windows vs UNIX, it's just the way we
> > output
> > > > > > things
> > > > > > (for historical reasons). I think it wasn't originally
> > meant to
> > > > > > be
> > > > > > all
> > > > > > on one line (I don't actually know), but you can't change a
> > > > > > "diagnostic" program's output to look better later on –
> > there
> > > > > > might
> > > > > > be
> > > > > > someone else's software depending on it being one line
> > (welcome
> > > > > > to
> > > > > > the
> > > > > > hell of popular software!).
> > > > > > 
> > > > > > > I saved and restarted the PC, but GNUradio is not using
> > > > > > > portaudio. So
> > > > > > > it
> > > > > > Huh! Interesting, to say the least. Can you check whether
> > > > > > `gnuradio-
> > > > > > config-info --prefs` actually shows the correct value (as
> > put
> > > > > > by
> > > > > > you
> > > > > > there)?
> > > > > > 
> > > > > > Best regards,
> > > > > > Marcus
> > > > > > 
> > > > > > On Sun, 2019-05-05 at 10:39 +0100, Gary.Simpkins wrote:
> > > > > > > Hi Marcus and any windows experts
> > > > > > > 
> > > > > > > Trying to get portaudio working in GNURadio (win10). can
> > you
> > > > > > > answer
> > > > > > > these simple questions.
> > > > > > > 
> > > > > > > Using  gnuradio-config-info  --enabled-components, I get
> > the
> > > > > > > following.
> > > > > > > 
> > > > > > > python-support;testing-
> > support;volk;doxygen;sphinx;gnuradio-
> > > > > > > runtime;gr-ctrlport;gr-blocks;gnuradio-companion;gr-
> > fec;gr-
> > > > > > > fft;gr-
> > > > > > > filter;gr-analog;gr-digital;gr-dtv;gr-atsc;gr-audio;*
> > > > > > > portaudio;*
> > > > > > > windows;gr-channels;gr-noaa;gr-pager;gr-qtgui;gr-
> > trellis;gr-
> > > > > > > uhd;gr-
> > > > > > > utils;gr-video-sdl;gr-vocoder;gr-fcd;gr-wavelet;gr-
> > wxgui;gr-
> > > > > > > zeromq.
> > > > > > > 
> > > > > > >     Is the * infront of portaudio significant?  Is it a
> > wild
> > > > > > > card?
> > > > > > > do
> > > > > > > you
> > > > > > > now what this means? (I know this is windows and not
> > UNIX)
> > > > > > > 
> > > > > > > gnuradio-config-info  --userprefsdir  responds with
> > > > > > > 
> > > > > > > C:\Users\Gary\AppData\Roaming\.gnuradio
> > > > > > > 
> > > > > > > In this directory is a config.conf file.  It was empty,
> > so I
> > > > > > > added
> > > > > > > 
> > > > > > > [audio]
> > > > > > > 
> > > > > > > audio_module = portaudio
> > > > > > > 
> > > > > > > I saved and restarted the PC, but GNUradio is not using
> > > > > > > portaudio. So
> > > > > > > it
> > > > > > > looks like it is not being used.
> > > > > > > 
> > > > > > > Regards
> > > > > > > 
> > > > > > > Gary
> > > > > > > 
> > > > > > > 
> > > > > > > 
> > > > > > > On 04/05/2019 14:39, Müller, Marcus (CEL) wrote:
> > > > > > > > Hey Gary,
> > > > > > > > please keep things on the list! Good news:
> > > > > > > > That's the exact opposite of what I wanted to convey!
> > *Use*
> > > > > > > > GNU
> > > > > > > > Radio's
> > > > > > > > existing portaudio interface; chances are that your GNU
> > > > > > > > Radio
> > > > > > > > installation supports that (which is why I asked how
> > you've
> > > > > > > > installed
> > > > > > > > it).
> > > > > > > > https://www.gnuradio.org/doc/doxygen/page_audio.html
> > tells
> > > > > > > > us
> > > > > > > > how
> > > > > > > > to do
> > > > > > > > that:
> > > > > > > > you just need to find your GNU Radio configuration (for
> > me
> > > > > > > > as
> > > > > > > > Unix
> > > > > > > > user
> > > > > > > > it's in ~/.gnuradio/config.conf, but yours is probably
> > > > > > > > somewhere
> > > > > > > > else;
> > > > > > > > running `gnuradio-config-info --userprefsdir` should
> > give
> > > > > > > > you
> > > > > > > > an
> > > > > > > > idea
> > > > > > > > where to look). Add, if not already in there, the
> > > > > > > > following:
> > > > > > > > 
> > > > > > > > [audio]
> > > > > > > > audio_module = portaudio
> > > > > > > > 
> > > > > > > > Done! That tells GNU Radio to not just try the first
> > best
> > > > > > > > guess
> > > > > > > > of
> > > > > > > > what
> > > > > > > > audio system you want to use (that being windows API
> > under
> > > > > > > > windows),
> > > > > > > > but to specifically use portaudio – and that should
> > have
> > > > > > > > the
> > > > > > > > features
> > > > > > > > you're looking for.
> > > > > > > > 
> > > > > > > > Still, the windows source not working as it should is a
> > > > > > > > pain.
> > > > > > > > We
> > > > > > > > should
> > > > > > > > fix that.
> > > > > > > > 
> > > > > > > > Best regards,
> > > > > > > > Marcus
> > > > > > > > 
> > > > > > > > On Sat, 2019-05-04 at 08:05 +0100, 
> > > > > > > > address@hidden
> > > > > > > > wrote:
> > > > > > > > > Many thanks for the explanation. Looks like I can go
> > no
> > > > > > > > > further.
> > > > > > > > > I do
> > > > > > > > > not have the skills to develope the audio source.
> > > > > > > > > 
> > > > > > > > > Gary
> > > > > > > > > 
> > > > > > > > > Sent from my Huawei Mobile
> > > > > > > > > 
> > > > > > > > > 
> > > > > > > > > -------- Original Message --------
> > > > > > > > > Subject: Re: [Discuss-gnuradio] Audio source cannot
> > use 2
> > > > > > > > > outputs
> > > > > > > > > (Stereo) in
> > > > > > > > > windows
> > > > > > > > > From: "M黮ler, Marcus (CEL)"
> > > > > > > > > To: address@hidden,
> > address@hidden
> > > > > > > > > CC:
> > > > > > > > > 
> > > > > > > > > 
> > > > > > > > > > Hi Gary!
> > > > > > > > > > 
> > > > > > > > > > > I have double checked and all the windows audio
> > > > > > > > > > > devices I
> > > > > > > > > > > have
> > > > > > > > > > > used
> > > > > > > > > > > for the audio source are 2 channels.
> > > > > > > > > > I never doubted that – all I wanted to point out
> > that
> > > > > > > > > > the I
> > > > > > > > > > think
> > > > > > > > > > it
> > > > > > > > > > was Windows that told the GNU Radio windows audio
> > > > > > > > > > source it
> > > > > > > > > > saw
> > > > > > > > > > only
> > > > > > > > > > one channel, and consequently the windows audio
> > source
> > > > > > > > > > only
> > > > > > > > > > enabled
> > > > > > > > > > one
> > > > > > > > > > output port.
> > > > > > > > > > 
> > > > > > > > > > I was wrong, it turns out! When you look at gr-
> > > > > > > > > > audio/liob/windows/windows_source.cc, you'll find
> > the
> > > > > > > > > > number of
> > > > > > > > > > output
> > > > > > > > > > streams of the block to be hardcoded to be between
> > 1
> > > > > > > > > > and 1,
> > > > > > > > > > so...
> > > > > > > > > > 1:
> > > > > > > > > > 
> > > > > > > > > > 
> > > > > > > > > > windows_source::windows_source(int sampling_freq,
> > > > > > > > > > const std::string
> > > > > > > > > > device_name)
> > > > > > > > > > : sync_block("audio_windows_source",
> > > > > > > > > > io_signature::make(0, 0, 0),
> > > > > > > > > > io_signature::make(1, 1,
> > > > > > > > > > sizeof(float))),
> > > > > > > > > > 
> > > > > > > > > > The last line does that.
> > > > > > > > > > So, that's a um, underdeveloped feature in the
> > windows
> > > > > > > > > > audio
> > > > > > > > > > source.
> > > > > > > > > > 
> > > > > > > > > > > They work fine with WSJT-X, or MAP65.
> > > > > > > > > > > 
> > > > > > > > > > > The stereo channels I wish to use are the I and Q
> > > > > > > > > > > outputs
> > > > > > > > > > > from
> > > > > > > > > > my
> > > > > > > > > > > SDRPLay Duo using virtual cables
> > > > > > > > > > > 
> > > > > > > > > > > (I have tried the speaker outputs from the PC
> > with
> > > > > > > > > > > GNURadio
> > > > > > > > > > > audio
> > > > > > > > > > > source
> > > > > > > > > > > and get the same problem)
> > > > > > > > > > > 
> > > > > > > > > > > Does the audio source work with two channels on
> > > > > > > > > > > linux?
> > > > > > > > > > Yes, (haven't tried today, but it /used/ to work),
> > but
> > > > > > > > > > it
> > > > > > > > > > sadly
> > > > > > > > > > shares
> > > > > > > > > > nearly no code with the windows audio source.
> > That's
> > > > > > > > > > due to
> > > > > > > > > > fact
> > > > > > > > > > that
> > > > > > > > > > Linux' ALSA and Windows' sound API and OS X's Core
> > > > > > > > > > Audio
> > > > > > > > > > are
> > > > > > > > > > pretty
> > > > > > > > > > different.
> > > > > > > > > > 
> > > > > > > > > > I do have an idea, though, which *might* be a
> > solution
> > > > > > > > > > to
> > > > > > > > > > your
> > > > > > > > > > problem,
> > > > > > > > > > but: untested; don't expect wonders.
> > > > > > > > > > 
> > > > > > > > > > Has your GNU Radio build portaudio enabled? As
> > said,
> > > > > > > > > > it's
> > > > > > > > > > not
> > > > > > > > > > tested,
> > > > > > > > > > but unlike the windows audio source, the portaudio
> > > > > > > > > > source
> > > > > > > > > > at
> > > > > > > > > > least
> > > > > > > > > > from
> > > > > > > > > > the state of the source code (far as I can tell)
> > > > > > > > > > enables as
> > > > > > > > > > many
> > > > > > > > > > maximum output streams as your card has.
> > > > > > > > > > > I am using the latest version of GNURadio
> > 3.7.13.4 on
> > > > > > > > > > > a
> > > > > > > > > > > 64bit
> > > > > > > > > > > win
> > > > > > > > > > 10
> > > > > > > > > > > PC.
> > > > > > > > > > > 
> > > > > > > > > > Built from source, or where did you happen across
> > it?
> > > > > > > > > > 
> > > > > > > > > > > I am really stuck here. Nothing I try allows the
> > > > > > > > > > > second
> > > > > > > > > > > output to
> > > > > > > > > > be
> > > > > > > > > > > enabled.
> > > > > > > > > > > 
> > > > > > > > > > Sorry to hear that! We'll try to get you unstuck :)
> > > > > > > > > > 
> > > > > > > > > > Best regards,
> > > > > > > > > > Marcus
> > > > > > > _______________________________________________
> > > > > > > Discuss-gnuradio mailing list
> > > > > > > address@hidden
> > > > > > > https://lists.gnu.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss-gnuradio
> > > > > _______________________________________________
> > > > > Discuss-gnuradio mailing list
> > > > > address@hidden
> > > > > https://lists.gnu.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss-gnuradio
> > > 
> > > _______________________________________________
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> > 
> > 
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