# Do I have this right?



## Niatross (Dec 11, 2012)

Do I have this right?


```
Each sound device is assigned a unit number (ex: "pcm0", "pcm1", "pcm2", etc).
Each mixer device is assigned a unit number ("mixer0", "mixer1", "mixer2", etc).
Each sound device will have a mixer device assigned to it (ex: "pcm0" will be assigned to "mixer0", "pcm1" will be assigned to "mixer1", "pcm2" will be assigned to "mixer2").
The sound device and mixer device unit numbers correlate to one another.
```

If not, could somebody please correct it?

I'm trying to make sure I understand this.

I'm new to this and cannot find anything on the net to confirm this is correct. I have some FreeBSD books and they don't even make it clear if sound device and mixer device unit numbers correlate to one another.


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## fonz (Dec 11, 2012)

Niatross said:
			
		

> Each sound device is assigned a unit number (ex: "pcm0", "pcm1", "pcm2", etc).


For what it's worth: on the system I'm currently on (which is still running FreeBSD-8 so things may have changed since then) there are plenty of /dev/ entries such as /dev/mixer* and /dev/sndstat but *no* /dev/pcm* entries.

More to the point: why are you asking, do you have a specific problem or are you trying to accomplish something specific?

Fonz


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## Niatross (Dec 11, 2012)

fonz said:
			
		

> For what it's worth: on the system I'm currently on (which is still running FreeBSD-8 so things may have changed since then) there are plenty of /dev/ entries such as /dev/mixer* and /dev/sndstat but *no* /dev/pcm* entries.
> 
> More to the point: why are you asking, do you have a specific problem or are you trying to accomplish something specific?
> 
> Fonz



I'm just trying to understand the FreeBSD sound system better. I understand what your saying when you say there are no "/dev/pcm" entries, but if you look in your system message buffer (DMESG), you will see that your sound devices are assigned a PCM unit number.


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## fonz (Dec 12, 2012)

I'm not 100% sure, but it's highly likely that your pcm*X* devices and /dev/mixer*X* entries will match (in terms of *X*). In fact, I'd be very surprised if they didn't.

Fonz


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