ALSA version 0.9.7
 With my snd-via82xx driver, the alsasink plugin doesn't work.  It fails here :
  ret = snd_pcm_sw_params (this->handle, sw_param);

The error given is:
ALSA lib pcm_hw.c:370:(snd_pcm_hw_sw_params) SNDRV_PCM_IOCTL_SW_PARAMS
failed: Invalid argument

  I discovered that the error appears only if the silence size sw property
is set.  I uncommented this block to make it work:

  ret = snd_pcm_sw_params_set_silence_size (this->handle, sw_param,
this->buffer_frames);
  if (ret < 0) {
    g_warning ("could not set silence size: %s", snd_strerror (ret));
    return FALSE;
  }

  Setting the parameter to zero also works.

  I am not claiming it's gstreamer's fault, because I simply do not know. 
What do you think?