Finding (elaborated) error codes - found in dmesg (resolved)

Having Knoppix, now Debian, v3.3 hard drive installed, and trying to gain knowledge in finding my "own" answers to questions in this "new" Operating System, I have dedicated my "existance" -now- to finding out what, and how, to resolve some error codes, and messages, I find within a listing of DMESG...

One of these is coming from my audio sound card, a on-board, motherboard mounted, sound card.

The message displayed in dmesg is as follows:
via_audio: ignoring drain playback error -11

I have tried to locate error numbers in "info", "man", and also, posting those errors here in this forum - to no avail. I have tried to find system errors, and messages, as well as the error numbers themselves, no luck.

I would guess that this "message" is not important, by the outcome of assistance, in it. But, would like to know why it is happening, and if possible, how to resolve it. Just for the ability to further my knowledge of Linux/Debian/Knoppix. This "is" my OS, and all others can just go to hell, as far as I am concerned. For that reason, I want to know more about it, to "grasp" and "retain" this knowledge of my OS, and to grow further with it.

Is this error/message comming from my sound card, or my sound mixer (KMix), is it internal to the OS, or something I don't have configured right? What? I think the error is "non-important:, if not for the knowledge behind it, or knowing what, and why it is happening, mostly.

I have come many miles so far, from the new and shinny OS from the CD, safe, and non-threatening - to hard drive installed and the ONLY OS I use. Immersion of sorts, and a attituide of "I am going to run this, and learn everything I can about it", for good and for bad. To learn as much as I can, and to become as competent in it as I was within my previous OS.

Can someone either tell me about this message, or seriously take the attituide of helping someone who wants to become more than a dedicated to posting for answers to their problems in this OS, point-of-view? Show me how to fish, and not just hand me a fish, kind of thing :D

I am greatly appreciative to anyone on this issue, and maybe, someday, I may be capable of showing someone else "how to fish",
Thanks in advance,
Cuddles

Cuddles,

I can understand you curiosity in trying to get more information on this error message. Hopefully your sound card is working however. I don't know exactly what is going on, but I have found one of the best methods of resolving error messages that are not addressed in these forums is to search on the message or parts of the message in Google. This has helped me out a number of times. You may want to try putting quotation marks around the error message or around parts of it.

According to Alan Cox in this patch it is a bogus warning that has not been fixed in 2.4 kernels yet. BTW you will drive yourself nuts with trying to figure out those warnings that have no effect on the functioning of the system, they happen far too often and are the main argument for hiding the boot messages from people with a splash screen.

Thank you Aay and Stephen,

That helps, I can resolve this now. As far as I can tell, the sound card IS working as expected. I can done "patch" recording from all "record" sources available on the KMix "mixer", and they work, and, even though I don't know what half of the "play" volume settings are in KMix, they "appear" to all be working. So, as far as I know, this error message that seems to be popping up in dmesg is actually, as you say, bogus.

With that knowledge, I can rest on the subject. I was just concerned that this "message" meant something was wrong, or something wasn't working as it should be - as seen from the OS.

Thank you both for, not only the resource to check on other messages, but also the fact that "this" message is a ghost, and not worth chasing after.

That is something new about a new OS, you see everything as being something to be concerned with, like the one everyone seems to be concerned with currently in these forums: Only One Processor Found, during the boot up. I, for that matter, know I only have ONE, and thus, am not concerned when it reports this. IF, on the other hand, it reported I had MORE than ONE, then I WOULD be concerned. [giggle]

Thanks again, both of you, you have put this concern where it belongs, I will simply "overlook", and "ignore" this message, as the OS appears it is as well :D
Cuddles