From alsa-user-owner@alsa.jcu.cz  Sun Dec 20 19:38:47 1998
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Date: Sun, 20 Dec 1998 18:39:21 -0600
From: Shaw Terwilliger <sterwill@dogbert.io.nu>
To: alsa-user@alsa.jcu.cz
Subject: Re: My TB Malibu is _still_ Noisy
References: <19981219213022.A5915@dogbert.io.nu> <367CC233.E05@erols.com>
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In-Reply-To: <367CC233.E05@erols.com>; from Paul Winkler on Sun, Dec 20, 1998 at 04:24:03AM -0500
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On Sun, Dec 20, 1998 at 04:24:03AM -0500, Paul Winkler wrote:
> Another stab in the dark... I just found this in a thread on
> comp.os.linux.hardware...
> 
> from a post by josh@vortex.nyu.edu (Josh Fishman):
> 
> >  ...the dreaded Halting Problem :-)
> >     Linux hates to busy-wait (unless you're running SMP) so it halts
> >     your processor when it would've otherwise been idle. Then your
> >     processor wakes up, suddenly drawing more power. The power spike
> >     causes interference on your sound card (somehow).
> >     Cure: when you see the LILO: prompt, type `no-hlt'.
> >     CAVEAT: I've not tried this myself, only read about it (here).

Oops... well, I've got an SMP machine, so I guess that's not the
cause.  :)  The noise is much more common than just recovering
from a hlt.  For example, I can be playing Quake, find a dark 
corner, and stop moving (footstep sounds stop), and I can hear
the cycles in the right year.  I can guarantee you the CPUs are doing
something to render 640x480 @ 16bpp at 45 frames per second.  :)

However, SMP might be along the right track.  If my noise seems 
particularly worse compared to those with UP systems, maybe it
is a kernel or motherboard thing.

-- 
Shaw Terwilliger (twig@advancenet.net)

