Newbie Problem: Failed to open Alsa

Help and Support
1

Hello,

sorry, if my english isn´t that correct.

System as following:
RPI 3B+
IQAudio Pi DigiAmp+
mpd_display plugin with a ssh1106 oled-display

My problem is as following, at first power up, Volumio displays an error “Failed to open “alsa” (alsa); Failed to open ALSA device “volumio”: Device or resource busy”

To get my system working, I enter System-Playback, turn off I2C and change the output device to “Headphone”, store this setting and switch I2C on again, select “IQAudio Pi DigiAmp+” and restart the system.
After the reboot, the system is working proberly without errors. Until I switch off. Then the procedure starts over again.
Switching off or deinstalation of mped-plugin makes no difference.

I´d like to know, if this is a problem with my DigiAMP or a volumio-error?

Greetings

Peter

2

please, give volumio version
Was it working without the screen wired?

3

Volumio Vers. 3.396

There is no difference wether the display is connected or not

4

I believe you Digiamp uses the same pins as MPD_OLED.
Please uninstall MPD_OLED and get first the Digiamp working.

5

I´ve seen, that there are some GPIOs used by both, so I changed them in the MPED interface.

Nonetheless, the result of testing it out is as following:
Disconnect OLED-Display → no change
Install older version of plugin → no change
Disable Plugin and disconnect display → working!

So it seems to be a plugin error to me?!
And why is it not working even with changing of used GPIO´s?

6

Please have a look here.

7

I´m not using I2C Device, it´s a SPI device.

8

Then I can’t help. Don’t have the hardware.

9

I have to warm up this thread again, because while retrofitting two of my volumio installations I have a similar problem: Hardware is Pi3+ with IqAudio Amp+ and a Pi4 with Iqaudio DAC Pro. Both work fine before installing the display (SH1106 128X64 1,3´´) and the plugin. Volumio is up to date ver. 3.785. After the installation of plugin and display - which ist working fine I get this "failed to open ALSA device volumio” problem. But not every time! Sometimes I booted the rasperry five times and on the sixt time I get this error. On both devices the same problem. Then booting one ore two times more and it worked back again. Other plugins that are installed are Autostart, MiniDLNA, Spotify, YoutubeMusic and SystemInformation.
What I noticed: When the error occured and I boot some more times (until it is working again) at “Playback options” the “kind of mixer” at “volume settings” is empty I have to define and save it again (hardware - analogue).
It´s annoying that together with the OLED plugin the ALSA driver is not reliable.

10

Try disabling the startup sound and Multiroom.
Shut down, pull the plug for 10 seconds and check again.
Enable multiroom again if you need it.
Shut down, pull the plug for 10 seconds and check again.

Please provide the output of:
cat /boot/config.txt
cat /boot/userconfig.txt

Had similar errors with the same display and a Hifiberry DAC+, after upgrading.

11 
volumio@volpi3:~$ cat /boot/config.txt
### DO NOT EDIT THIS FILE ###
### APPLY CUSTOM PARAMETERS TO userconfig.txt ###
initramfs volumio.initrd
gpu_mem=128
gpu_mem_256=32
gpu_mem_512=32
gpu_mem_1024=128
max_usb_current=1
[pi5]
usb_max_current_enable=1
[all]
include volumioconfig.txt
include userconfig.txt

#### Volumio i2s setting below: do not alter ####
dtoverlay=iqaudio-dacplus,unmute_amp

volumio@volpi3:~$ cat /boot/userconfig.txt
# Add your custom config.txt options to this file, which will be preserved during updates
dtparam=i2c_arm_baudrate=800000
dtparam=spi=on
dtoverlay=waveshare35c
12

PS: Multiroom was not enabeled. Disabling the start sound does not change anything in the behaviour.

13

you can try to increase “i2c_arm_baudrate”
dtparam=i2c_arm_baudrate=1000000

If that doesn’t work.
Change playback to headphone
Reboor
Select your DAC again
Reboot
Check.

You can also try the same with Raspberry Pi DAC+