scikits audiolab installation error

Question

I am using mint Linux Mint 13 maya (linux 3.2.0-23-generic x86-64)
I am trying to install scikits.audiolab for performing some audio signal processing. I have downloaded all prerequisites ie (python-dev python-numpy python-setuptools libsndfile-dev). I have made site.cfg as

[sndfile]
include_dirs = /usr/include/
library_dirs = /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/

I get following error

SndfileInfo:
    FOUND:
libraries = ['sndfile']
library_dirs = ['/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/']
include_dirs = ['/usr/include/']

    AlsaInfo:
libraries asound not found in /usr/local/lib
libraries asound not found in /usr/lib
scikits/audiolab/soundio/setup.py:21: UserWarning: Alsa not found - alsa backend not build
warnings.warn("Alsa not found - alsa backend not build")
CoreAudioInfo:
scikits/audiolab/soundio/setup.py:31: UserWarning: CoreAudio not found - CoreAudio backend not build
warnings.warn("CoreAudio not found - CoreAudio backend not build")

when I do '$locate asound' i get

/usr/include/alsa/asoundef.h
/usr/include/alsa/asoundlib.h
/usr/include/alsa/sound/asound_fm.h
/usr/include/linux/ultrasound.h
/usr/include/sound/asound.h
/usr/include/sound/asound_fm.h
/usr/include/sys/asoundlib.h
/usr/include/sys/ultrasound.h
/usr/include/x86_64-linux-gnu/sys/ultrasound.h
/usr/lib/i386-linux-gnu/libasound.so.2
/usr/lib/i386-linux-gnu/libasound.so.2.0.0
/usr/lib/i386-linux-gnu/alsa-lib/libasound_module_conf_pulse.so
/usr/lib/i386-linux-gnu/alsa-lib/libasound_module_ctl_arcam_av.so
/usr/lib/i386-linux-gnu/alsa-lib/libasound_module_ctl_bluetooth.so
/usr/lib/i386-linux-gnu/alsa-lib/libasound_module_ctl_oss.so
/usr/lib/i386-linux-gnu/alsa-lib/libasound_module_ctl_pulse.so
/usr/lib/i386-linux-gnu/alsa-lib/libasound_module_pcm_bluetooth.so
/usr/lib/i386-linux-gnu/alsa-lib/libasound_module_pcm_jack.so
/usr/lib/i386-linux-gnu/alsa-lib/libasound_module_pcm_oss.so
/usr/lib/i386-linux-gnu/alsa-lib/libasound_module_pcm_pulse.so
/usr/lib/i386-linux-gnu/alsa-lib/libasound_module_pcm_speex.so
/usr/lib/i386-linux-gnu/alsa-lib/libasound_module_pcm_upmix.so
/usr/lib/i386-linux-gnu/alsa-lib/libasound_module_pcm_usb_stream.so
/usr/lib/i386-linux-gnu/alsa-lib/libasound_module_pcm_vdownmix.so
/usr/lib/i386-linux-gnu/alsa-lib/libasound_module_rate_samplerate.so
/usr/lib/i386-linux-gnu/alsa-lib/libasound_module_rate_samplerate_best.so
/usr/lib/i386-linux-gnu/alsa-lib/libasound_module_rate_samplerate_linear.so
/usr/lib/i386-linux-gnu/alsa-lib/libasound_module_rate_samplerate_medium.so
/usr/lib/i386-linux-gnu/alsa-lib/libasound_module_rate_samplerate_order.so
/usr/lib/i386-linux-gnu/alsa-lib/libasound_module_rate_speexrate.so
/usr/lib/i386-linux-gnu/alsa-lib/libasound_module_rate_speexrate_best.so
/usr/lib/i386-linux-gnu/alsa-lib/libasound_module_rate_speexrate_medium.so
/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libasound.so
/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libasound.so.2
/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libasound.so.2.0.0
/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/alsa-lib/libasound_module_conf_pulse.so
/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/alsa-lib/libasound_module_ctl_arcam_av.so
/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/alsa-lib/libasound_module_ctl_bluetooth.so
/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/alsa-lib/libasound_module_ctl_oss.so
/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/alsa-lib/libasound_module_ctl_pulse.so
/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/alsa-lib/libasound_module_pcm_bluetooth.so
/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/alsa-lib/libasound_module_pcm_jack.so
/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/alsa-lib/libasound_module_pcm_oss.so
/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/alsa-lib/libasound_module_pcm_pulse.so
/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/alsa-lib/libasound_module_pcm_speex.so
/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/alsa-lib/libasound_module_pcm_upmix.so
/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/alsa-lib/libasound_module_pcm_usb_stream.so
/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/alsa-lib/libasound_module_pcm_vdownmix.so
/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/alsa-lib/libasound_module_rate_samplerate.so
/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/alsa-lib/libasound_module_rate_samplerate_best.so
/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/alsa-lib/libasound_module_rate_samplerate_linear.so
/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/alsa-lib/libasound_module_rate_samplerate_medium.so
/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/alsa-lib/libasound_module_rate_samplerate_order.so
/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/alsa-lib/libasound_module_rate_speexrate.so
/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/alsa-lib/libasound_module_rate_speexrate_best.so
/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/alsa-lib/libasound_module_rate_speexrate_medium.so
/usr/share/doc/libasound2
/usr/share/doc/libasound2-dev
/usr/share/doc/libasound2-plugins
/usr/share/doc/libasound2/NEWS.Debian.gz
/usr/share/doc/libasound2/changelog.Debian.gz
/usr/share/doc/libasound2/copyright
/usr/share/doc/libasound2/examples
/usr/share/doc/libasound2/examples/asoundrc.txt.gz
/usr/share/doc/libasound2-plugins/README-arcam-av
/usr/share/doc/libasound2-plugins/README-jack
/usr/share/doc/libasound2-plugins/README-maemo.gz
/usr/share/doc/libasound2-plugins/README-pcm-oss
/usr/share/doc/libasound2-plugins/README-pulse
/usr/share/doc/libasound2-plugins/a52.txt
/usr/share/doc/libasound2-plugins/changelog.Debian.gz
/usr/share/doc/libasound2-plugins/copyright
/usr/share/doc/libasound2-plugins/examples
/usr/share/doc/libasound2-plugins/lavcrate.txt
/usr/share/doc/libasound2-plugins/samplerate.txt
/usr/share/doc/libasound2-plugins/speexdsp.txt
/usr/share/doc/libasound2-plugins/speexrate.txt
/usr/share/doc/libasound2-plugins/upmix.txt
/usr/share/doc/libasound2-plugins/vdownmix.txt
/usr/share/doc/libasound2-plugins/examples/a52.conf_pulse
/usr/share/doc/libasound2-plugins/examples/asound.conf_jack
/usr/share/doc/libasound2-plugins/examples/asound.conf_oss
/usr/share/local-repository/binary/lib32asound2_1.0.25-1ubuntu10_amd64.deb
/usr/src/linux-headers-3.2.0-23/include/linux/ultrasound.h
/usr/src/linux-headers-3.2.0-23/include/sound/asound.h
/usr/src/linux-headers-3.2.0-23/include/sound/asound_fm.h
/usr/src/linux-headers-3.2.0-23/include/sound/asoundef.h
/usr/src/linux-headers-3.2.0-23/sound/oss/dmasound
/usr/src/linux-headers-3.2.0-23/sound/oss/dmasound/Kconfig
/usr/src/linux-headers-3.2.0-23/sound/oss/dmasound/Makefile
/usr/src/linux-headers-3.2.0-23-generic/include/linux/ultrasound.h
/var/cache/apt/archives/libasound2-dev_1.0.25-1ubuntu10.1_amd64.deb
/var/lib/alsa/asound.state
/var/lib/dpkg/info/libasound2-dev.list
/var/lib/dpkg/info/libasound2-dev.md5sums
/var/lib/dpkg/info/libasound2-dev.postinst
/var/lib/dpkg/info/libasound2-plugins:amd64.list
/var/lib/dpkg/info/libasound2-plugins:amd64.md5sums
/var/lib/dpkg/info/libasound2-plugins:i386.list
/var/lib/dpkg/info/libasound2-plugins:i386.md5sums
/var/lib/dpkg/info/libasound2:amd64.list
/var/lib/dpkg/info/libasound2:amd64.md5sums
/var/lib/dpkg/info/libasound2:amd64.postinst
/var/lib/dpkg/info/libasound2:amd64.postrm
/var/lib/dpkg/info/libasound2:amd64.preinst
/var/lib/dpkg/info/libasound2:amd64.shlibs
/var/lib/dpkg/info/libasound2:amd64.symbols
/var/lib/dpkg/info/libasound2:i386.list
/var/lib/dpkg/info/libasound2:i386.md5sums
/var/lib/dpkg/info/libasound2:i386.postinst
/var/lib/dpkg/info/libasound2:i386.postrm
/var/lib/dpkg/info/libasound2:i386.preinst
/var/lib/dpkg/info/libasound2:i386.shlibs
/var/lib/dpkg/info/libasound2:i386.symbols

How do I make the setup.py find the libraries. Is there something I am missing ? I have seen http://forum.ubuntu-fr.org/viewtopic.php?pid=3748397 and scikits.audiolab on Ubuntu Oneiric - ImportError: No module named _sndfile

This is causing so much frustation

UPDATE

In one of my PC's this error was removed on completely un-installing the scikits-audiolab and alsa and then updating the apt-get before re-installing alsa and scikits-audiolab.

Answer 1

The following made the alsa audio backend work for me on Ubuntu.

As directed in http://cournape.github.io/audiolab/installing.html#installation-from-sources , install alsa headers:

$ sudo apt-get install libasound2-dev

In the source directory either,

/path-to/scikits.audiolab-0.11.0/

or, if using pip (source is downloaded by default to /tmp)

/tmp/pip-build/scikits.audiolab

create a site.cfg file, and in addition to the [sndfile] section create an [alsa] section:

[sndfile]
include_dirs = /usr/include
library_dirs = /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/
[alsa]
include_dirs = /usr/include/alsa
library_dirs = /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu

Use locate or apt-file list to find where asoundlib.h (include_dirs) and libasound.so (library_dirs) are located in your system.

Well, after doing all this and trying to reinstall, it still didn't work. I kept getting the same frustrating message:

SndfileInfo:
  FOUND:
    libraries = ['sndfile']
    library_dirs = ['/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu']
    include_dirs = ['/usr/include']

AlsaInfo:
  alsa not found
scikits/audiolab/soundio/setup.py:21: UserWarning: Alsa not found - alsa backend not build
  warnings.warn("Alsa not found - alsa backend not build")

So, I had to use this hack. Open the file /path-to/scikits.audiolab-0.11.0/scikits/audiolab/soundio/setup.py and replace

14 alsa_info = info_factory('alsa', ['asound'], ['alsa/asoundlib.h'],
15                          classname='AlsaInfo')()

with

alsa_info = info_factory('alsa', ['asound'], ['asoundlib.h'],
                         classname='AlsaInfo')()

If this works for more people, we can ask David Cournapeau (scikits.audiolab author) to make this patch.