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lykaner

Member

Registered: 2012-08-30

Posts: 44

[Solved] Pulseaudio - HDMI device busy

Hi all,

I have a problem configuring Pulseaudio with my HDMI port.

When using just ALSA with no Pulseaudio started I can play sound with my internal laptop speakers and via HDMI with my external monitor via aplay. Recognizing that it is not possible to switch devices easily with ALSA I decided to install Pulseaudio. But when it's started I can play sound only with my laptop speakers and for the HDMI port I get the message that the device or ressource is busy. Two things are weird, too:

* Shortly after the start it's possible to get sound via HDMI, maybe there is something loaded by Pulseaudio what blocks it after it's fully loaded?
* In Pavucontrol I've just one device called HDMI/Displayport (plugged in) even if the monitor is plugged out

Would be great if someone can help,

lykaner

Edit: After playing around I get HDMI sound working with ALSA (i.e. without pulseaudio started) but I can't adjust the volume, even muting master let the sound volume at 100%. I can just mute it by muting S/PDIF which has not the ability to adjust the volume. But maybe I'm near the solution...?

Last edited by lykaner (2013-12-04 16:07:20)

teekay

Member

Registered: 2011-10-26

Posts: 271

Re: [Solved] Pulseaudio - HDMI device busy

For HDMI out you need a software volume control. For plain ALSA see http://alsa.opensrc.org/Softvol

If pulseaudio complains that a device is busy, usually some process is actually using it (may it be locked only, with nothing playing sound)

lykaner

Member

Registered: 2012-08-30

Posts: 44

Re: [Solved] Pulseaudio - HDMI device busy

Thanks for your reply.

If it's possible to get a plain ALSA solution I would prefer that. I read a little bit about softvol and came to the following ~/.asoundrc:

pcm.hdmi_hw {
     type softvol
     control.name "hdmi_volume"
     control.card 0
     control.device = 3
}

ctl.!default {
  type hw
  card 0
}

pcm.!default {
     type hw
     card 0 
     device 0
     slave {
           pcm "hdmi_hw"
     }
}

But know I can hear no sound from both. At first I had a control called hdmi_volume but it was not possible to adjust the volume for HDMI with it. After a little bit playing aroung I get the following

ALSA lib simple_none.c:1549:(simple_add1) helem (MIXER,'hdmi_volume',0,3,0) appears twice or more

I don't know how to reset ALSA configs, I deleted .asoundrc, /var/lib/alsa/*, killed the alsa-store-daemon, but nothing helped.

If it helps:

[grayfox@outer_haven ~]$ aplay -l
**** Liste der Hardware-Geräte (PLAYBACK) ****
Karte 0: PCH [HDA Intel PCH], Gerät 0: ALC269VC Analog [ALC269VC Analog]
  Sub-Geräte: 1/1
  Sub-Gerät #0: subdevice #0
Karte 0: PCH [HDA Intel PCH], Gerät 3: HDMI 0 [HDMI 0]
  Sub-Geräte: 1/1
  Sub-Gerät #0: subdevice #0
[grayfox@outer_haven ~]$ aplay -L
null
    Discard all samples (playback) or generate zero samples (capture)
pulse
    PulseAudio Sound Server
sysdefault:CARD=PCH
    HDA Intel PCH, ALC269VC Analog
    Default Audio Device
front:CARD=PCH,DEV=0
    HDA Intel PCH, ALC269VC Analog
    Front speakers
surround40:CARD=PCH,DEV=0
    HDA Intel PCH, ALC269VC Analog
    4.0 Surround output to Front and Rear speakers
surround41:CARD=PCH,DEV=0
    HDA Intel PCH, ALC269VC Analog
    4.1 Surround output to Front, Rear and Subwoofer speakers
surround50:CARD=PCH,DEV=0
    HDA Intel PCH, ALC269VC Analog
    5.0 Surround output to Front, Center and Rear speakers
surround51:CARD=PCH,DEV=0
    HDA Intel PCH, ALC269VC Analog
    5.1 Surround output to Front, Center, Rear and Subwoofer speakers
surround71:CARD=PCH,DEV=0
    HDA Intel PCH, ALC269VC Analog
    7.1 Surround output to Front, Center, Side, Rear and Woofer speakers
hdmi:CARD=PCH,DEV=0
    HDA Intel PCH, HDMI 0
    HDMI Audio Output

It's german output that stands for: I have an analog output (my internal speakers I would guess) at card 0 device 0 and HDMI output at card 0 device 3, that's why I choosed .asoundrc this way.

Edit: Don't know what I did but I get sound from internal speakers even with plugged HDMI cable. But the other problems are still remaining.

Edit2: Giving Pulseaudio a second try, it works now for reasons I can't understand. Just had to use another profile in pavucontrol (wasn't shown before). But the problem with alsamixer still exists, so if someone has a hint, just say.

Last edited by lykaner (2013-12-04 16:07:04)