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Odd Debian Sound Issue [solved]

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mikeg113
Posts: 3
Joined: 2007-07-24 20:43

Odd Debian Sound Issue [solved]

#1 Post by mikeg113 »

I have Debian Etch installed on 2.4 Ghtz P4 with 1GB of RAM. Everything is working great (even Compiz-Fusion). The only problem I have is with the system sounds enabled, I have no audio on videos in VLC or in Iceweasal flash (YouTube). When I disable system sounds the audio for the videos is fine. I know the system sounds are kinda lame but I'm a bit partial to them. Is there some way I can configure Debian so they both work simultaneously? Here is the output from "cat /dev/sndstat".
> cat /dev/sndstat
> Sound Driver:3.8.1a-980706 (ALSA v1.0.12rc1 emulation code)
> Kernel: Linux debiandesktop01 2.6.18-6-686 #1 SMP Sun Feb 10 22:11:31 UTC 2008 i686
> Config options: 0
>
> Installed drivers:
> Type 10: ALSA emulation
>
> Card config:
> Intel 82801DB-ICH4 with AD1981A at 0xf8500400, irq 209
>
> Audio devices:
> 0: Intel 82801DB-ICH4 (DUPLEX)
>
> Synth devices: NOT ENABLED IN CONFIG
>
> Midi devices: NOT ENABLED IN CONFIG
>
> Timers:
> 7: system timer
>
> Mixers:
> 0: Analog Devices AD1981A
Last edited by mikeg113 on 2008-04-01 15:47, edited 1 time in total.
Mike

Japser
Posts: 173
Joined: 2008-02-13 13:21

#2 Post by Japser »

Code: Select all

 find /dev -group audio  
This command shows all your audio-devices.
( ignore the errormessage )

Code: Select all

 
lsof -w $( find /dev -group audio 2>/dev/null )
With this command you can see which apps uses which devices.

If an app uses /dev/dsp* then that one might be the problem.
All apps should use the alsa devices in /dev/snd/* to work simultaniously.

--Japser.

mikeg113
Posts: 3
Joined: 2007-07-24 20:43

#3 Post by mikeg113 »

Thank you for your reply, Jasper.

Code: Select all

lsof -w $( find /dev -group audio 2>/dev/null )
COMMAND    PID USER   FD   TYPE DEVICE SIZE NODE NAME
esd       3222 herb    5w   CHR   14,3      4686 /dev/dsp
mixer_app 3294 herb   40u   CHR  116,0      4699 /dev/snd/controlC0

It looks like esd is the culprt. I believe this is the "Enable software sound mixing (ESD)" in the sound preferences. If this is not enabled my system sounds don't play. How would I go about configuring it to use /dev/snd/*?
Mike

Japser
Posts: 173
Joined: 2008-02-13 13:21

#4 Post by Japser »

Esd can be installed in 2 ways: with 'libesd0' -or- with 'libesd-alsa0'.

So my question is: is libesd-alsa0 installed ?

Code: Select all

apt-cache policy libesd-alsa0
--Japser.

mikeg113
Posts: 3
Joined: 2007-07-24 20:43

#5 Post by mikeg113 »

'libesd-alsa0' was not installed. Installing it fixed the problem. Thank you kindly, Jasper!
Mike

Japser
Posts: 173
Joined: 2008-02-13 13:21

#6 Post by Japser »

Great!

Only keeps me wondering why the installer did not do this in the first place.

Anyway, Linux is a moving target. --Japser.

OmniCloud
Posts: 146
Joined: 2008-04-15 16:57
Location: New Jersey

#7 Post by OmniCloud »

Ok...I'm having the same problem, where I can't have more than one sound playing at a time. If I'm playing music, I can't here my gaim sounds. If i'm on the net, I can't here my music. My sound works ok, but it doesn't play simultaneously. I ran the command to see what kind of devices for sound my apps were using.
omnicloud@debian:~$ su
Password:
debian:/home/omnicloud# lsof -w $( find /dev -group
audio 2>/dev/null )
COMMAND PID USER FD TYPE DEVICE SIZE NODE
NAME
operaplug 22037 omnicloud mem CHR 116,16 5557
/dev/snd/pcmC0D0p
operaplug 22037 omnicloud 6r CHR 116,33 5375
/dev/snd/timer
operaplug 22037 omnicloud 11u CHR 116,16 5557
/dev/snd/pcmC0D0p
operaplug 22037 omnicloud 13u CHR 116,0 5577
/dev/snd/controlC0

Do I have to install esd as well to enable simultaneously sounds?
"But know this, that in the last days critical times hard to deal with will be here. For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, haughty, blasphemers, without love of goodness...."

Seek truth...

Japser
Posts: 173
Joined: 2008-02-13 13:21

#8 Post by Japser »

There are two issues:

1: Does alsa allow more than 1 app at the same time ?

In other words: does it default to 'dmix' ?
What is your alsa version ?
Is there a /etc/asound.conf ?
Is there a .asoundrc ?
If yes, what is in it ?

2: For -every- application: where does it send its output to ?

If 1 app sends its output to /dev/dsp this might work, but stops other apps. OTOH: if 1 app uses /dev/snd/* then /dev/dsp does not work.

Ideally you have all your apps simultaneously on /dev/snd/* one of which might be esd. Esd does not solve your problem, it only adds to it. ( the original idea of esd is to solve it: all apps send their output to esd, esd to /dev/dsp. Alsa itself should do that now, esd is something of the past. )

--Japser.

OmniCloud
Posts: 146
Joined: 2008-04-15 16:57
Location: New Jersey

#9 Post by OmniCloud »

My alsa base package is 1.0.13-5

there is definitely no asoundrc or asound.conf in my /etc directoy.

Im my sound option, it says "enable software sound mixing (ESD)" However, none of the system sounds work and I installed gnome-audio like it directed me to. Login, beep, none of that works, and like I said, it seems like I can't display sound for two sources at once.

Image
"But know this, that in the last days critical times hard to deal with will be here. For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, haughty, blasphemers, without love of goodness...."

Seek truth...

Japser
Posts: 173
Joined: 2008-02-13 13:21

#10 Post by Japser »

Your alsa version is new enough to do 'dmix'.
.asoundrc is a hidden ( note the . ) file in your home-directory.
-If- it exists it is interesting to know what is in it.
For system-sounds you need esd, but as I said: it is part of the problem. If it is installed, make sure it uses libesd-alsa0 and not libesd0.

As I said: it also depends on where your applications send their output to.

To help troubleshoot I have a script that simply repeats the command that you have used before, showing which app(s) use the soundcard. Paste it into a file called 'card-use' and make it executable:
#####################

#!/bin/bash

test "$1" != "--help" || {

echo "card-use [interval(=5)] shows which processes access any device in the group audio"

exit

}

seconds=5
test -z "$1" || seconds=$1

while true
do

clear

echo
echo -- processes using devices in the group audio:
echo

lsof -w $( find /dev -group audio 2>/dev/null )

echo
echo
echo \( refresh every $seconds sec. \)

sleep $seconds

done

read

#####################

It sure is possible to have more sounds at the same time !

--Japser.

OmniCloud
Posts: 146
Joined: 2008-04-15 16:57
Location: New Jersey

#11 Post by OmniCloud »

Thank you for your speedy reply man...hopefully i won't need it anymore, but I'll refer to you advice if I do.

I'm trying to upgrade from Etch to Lenny, and having a few problems. I can't seem to get out of a text-based session which seems to be the default.

Dude, I'm freakin dead!!!

http://forums.debian.net/viewtopic.php?t=26031&start=15
"But know this, that in the last days critical times hard to deal with will be here. For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, haughty, blasphemers, without love of goodness...."

Seek truth...

Elvard
Posts: 4
Joined: 2008-08-03 04:19

#12 Post by Elvard »

I follow all instructions but unfortunatelly I still have a problem with sound in flash in firefox.

I have Debian/Lenny, 2.6.18-6-486, but I'm not using Gnome, only Ion3 as WM.

I've installed flash plugin from .tar.gz (downloaded from adobe), and all packages mentioned here.
When I run browser and try

Code: Select all

lsof -w $( find /dev -group audio 2>/dev/null )
I get nothing. But when I run mpd with ncmpc, sound works perfectly.

Code: Select all

lsof -w $( find /dev -group audio 2>/dev/null ) 
COMMAND  PID   USER  FD   TYPE DEVICE SIZE NODE NAME
mpd     6103 elvard mem    CHR 116,16      5490 /dev/snd/pcmC0D0p
Does anybody know what I'm doing wrong?

Thank you

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