Description of problem:

Let's say I have the following configuration:

pcm.pulse {
    type pulse
    hint.description "PulseAudio Sound Server"
}

Since this has a description it should be listed in alsa -L output.
But in case I have no physical sound hardware id doesn't.

Version-Release number of selected component (if applicable):

alsa-lib-1.0.16-2.fc9

Steps to Reproduce:
1. Copy the configuration above into your ALSA configuration
2. Remove the sound modules
3. Issue a "aplay -L"
  
Actual results:


Expected results:

pulse
    PulseAudio Sound Server

Additional info:

This is where the pulse device gets dragged into the list if I have a sound card:

(gdb) bt
#0  hint_list_add (list=0x7fff3b066370, name=0x61c340 "pulse",
description=0x615460 "PulseAudio Sound Server") at namehint.c:52
#1  0x00002aaaaab03f0b in try_config (list=0x7fff3b066370, base=0x4093c1 "pcm",
name=<value optimized out>) at namehint.c:378
#2  0x00002aaaaab0458c in add_card (list=0x7fff3b066370, card=0) at namehint.c:457
#3  0x00002aaaaab04846 in snd_device_name_hint (card=0, iface=<value optimized
out>, hints=0x7fff3b066450) at namehint.c:552
#4  0x00000000004042f2 in pcm_list () at aplay.c:272
#5  0x0000000000408c66 in main (argc=2, argv=0x7fff3b0666f8) at aplay.c:558
#6  0x0000003d3a61e074 in __libc_start_main (main=0x408530 <main>, argc=2,
ubp_av=0x7fff3b0666f8, init=<value optimized out>, fini=<value optimized out>, 
    rtld_fini=<value optimized out>, stack_end=0x7fff3b0666e8) at libc-start.c:220
#7  0x00000000004030f9 in _start ()
(gdb) 

alsa-lib-1.0.16/src/control/namehint.c:

451                 if (err < 0) {
452                         list->device = -1;
453                         err = try_config(list, list->siface, str);
454                 }
455                 if (err < 0) {
456                         list->card = -1;
457                         err = try_config(list, list->siface, str);
458                 }

Why is that try_config() called there without any relation to the card specified
when calling add_card(), but rather overriding it with -1 (meaning "any"?)?
Wouldn't it make more sense if it was called from snd_device_name_hint()
regerdless of existence of a physical sound card?

Setting priority to high since snd_device_name_hint() is about the only sane way
to get list of pcms, and since Fedora 8 our default sound device isn't a
physical ALSA device. Please correct me if I am wrong. Thanks!