Arch Linux

Greycloack

Member

Registered: 2004-03-05

Posts: 166

A solution for the Skype dmix problem (possible)

Hi,

I had problems running skype with aoss, and also with the fact skype keeps hijacking the dsp device. Anyway I was looking around in the skype forums and found a solution that works, at least for me.

note: I did not write this, I just found it and thought other people might use it.

If you have dmix enabled (It should be in the default install) create a .asoundrc file in your home directory and put this code in it :

pcm.asymed { 
         type asym 
         playback.pcm "dmix" 
         capture.pcm "dsnoop" 
 } 
 pcm.!default { 
         type plug 
         slave.pcm "asymed" 
 } 
pcm.!dmix { 
        type dmix 
        ipc_key 1024 
ipc_key_add_uid yes 
        slave { 
            pcm "hw:0,0" 
            period_time 0 
            period_size 1024 
            buffer_size 4096 
            rate 48000 
        } 
        bindings { 
            0 0 
            1 1 
        } 
    } 
 pcm.!dsnoop { 
         type dsnoop 
         ipc_key 5778293 
         ipc_key_add_uid yes 
         slave { 
                 pcm "hw:0,0" 
                 period_time 0 
                 period_size 128 
                 buffer_size 2048 
                 format S16_LE 
                 rate 48000 
         } 
 }

afterwards run skype with 'aoss skype' this should allow you to use skype with alsa and dmix and you'll be able to hear music simultaniously with skype, not to mention hear when someone calls you.

This it the orginal post in the skype forums :
http://forum.skype.com/viewtopic.php?t=43604

Grey

iphitus

Forum Fellow

From: Melbourne, Australia

Registered: 2004-10-09

Posts: 4,927

Re: A solution for the Skype dmix problem (possible)

Great post, maybe chuck this up in the wiki, im sure it will help someone else!!

Pajaro

Member

Registered: 2004-04-21

Posts: 884

Re: A solution for the Skype dmix problem (possible)

i found this, that seems to make OSS aps go through dmix without having to use "aoss".

http://floatingsun.net/articles/howtos/ … -dmix.html

I'm on win, so i can't try right now

MAC!EK

Member

Registered: 2005-09-27

Posts: 267

Re: A solution for the Skype dmix problem (possible)

I think it's not working for me
When I run amarok it can't initialize xine. mplayer/gmplayer can't play audio using alsa:

alsa-init: using device default
alsa-lib: conf.c:1179:(parse_def) dsnoop is not a compound
alsa-lib: conf.c:1592:(snd_config_load1) _toplevel_:35:12:Invalid argument
alsa-lib: conf.c:2837:(snd_config_hook_load) /home/macieks/.asoundrc may be old or corrupted: consider to remove or fix it
alsa-lib: conf.c:2700:(snd_config_hooks_call) function snd_config_hook_load returned error: Invalid argument
alsa-lib: conf.c:3066:(snd_config_update_r) hooks failed, removing configuration
alsa-init: playback open error: Invalid argument
Could not open/initialize audio device -> no sound.
Audio: no sound

The sound in firefox is OK, but it can't be played in the same time when mplayer uses oss

EDIT:
Tryied other programs shiped with alsa:

$ aplay 001249.WAV
ALSA lib conf.c:1179:(parse_def) dsnoop is not a compound
ALSA lib conf.c:1592:(snd_config_load1) _toplevel_:35:12:Zły argument
ALSA lib conf.c:2837:(snd_config_hook_load) /home/macieks/.asoundrc may be old or corrupted: consider to remove or fix it
ALSA lib conf.c:2700:(snd_config_hooks_call) function snd_config_hook_load returned error: Zły argument
ALSA lib conf.c:3066:(snd_config_update_r) hooks failed, removing configuration
aplay: main:544: audio open error: Zły argument

shadowhand

Member

From: MN, USA

Registered: 2004-02-19

Posts: 1,142

Website

Re: A solution for the Skype dmix problem (possible)

I'm not trying to be mean, but I do mean this:

Get a sound card made by Creative (SoundBlaster line of cards). Make sure it's an Audigy2, Audigy, or Live 5.1. All of them use the emu10k1 alsa driver, which supports hardware mixing of channels. The card is never "locked" by any sound app (force with 'aoss appname').

I have a 4-5 years old SoundBlaster Live 5.1 card that is still good to this day. It's very well supported in Linux and actually might be better than in Windows. Think of it like nVIDIA vs ATI (where nVIDIA is Creative) for you Linux computer. 8)

---

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Pajaro

Member

Registered: 2004-04-21

Posts: 884

Re: A solution for the Skype dmix problem (possible)

I'm thinking about the old sound blaster sollution, since i don't have money for nothing better.

how can i make it work with the laptop they borrow me in my company?

(i'm also not being mean)

_Gandalf_

Member

Registered: 2006-01-12

Posts: 735

Re: A solution for the Skype dmix problem (possible)

I'm not sure why you're complicating things with this? why do you just use skype_dsp_hijacker Works great with me, nothing stop working this way...

---

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MAC!EK

Member

Registered: 2005-09-27

Posts: 267

Re: A solution for the Skype dmix problem (possible)

I'm not sure why you're complicating things with this? why do you just use skype_dsp_hijacker Works great with me, nothing stop working this way...

But when I want to view flash in firefox when amarok is playing I can't. I must run firefox with aoss. But it sometimes hangs.

EDIT:
I found this bug report:
https://bugtrack.alsa-project.org/alsa- … hp?id=1545
I'll combile new alsa packages to check it.

EDIT 2:
I think release versions fixed this problem. Here you have PKGBUILD for rc4/3 versions or PKG files if you want binaries.
http://o.dyn.pl/~macieks/arch/aoss_firefox/

EDIT3:
Works OK so far, I was testing the aoss firefox with this flash game:
http://www.newsandentertainment.com/curveball.swf

revertex

Member

Registered: 2006-08-09

Posts: 10

Re: A solution for the Skype dmix problem (possible)

this version http://aur.archlinux.org/packages.php?K=skype-beta has full alsa support, works out of the box

JGC

Developer

Registered: 2003-12-03

Posts: 1,664

Re: A solution for the Skype dmix problem (possible)

I'm not trying to be mean, but I do mean this:

Get a sound card made by Creative (SoundBlaster line of cards). Make sure it's an Audigy2, Audigy, or Live 5.1. All of them use the emu10k1 alsa driver, which supports hardware mixing of channels. The card is never "locked" by any sound app (force with 'aoss appname').

I have a 4-5 years old SoundBlaster Live 5.1 card that is still good to this day. It's very well supported in Linux and actually might be better than in Windows. Think of it like nVIDIA vs ATI (where nVIDIA is Creative) for you Linux computer. 8)

Agree, I'll never replace this good old SBLive 1024 I have over here, no 7.1 channel onboard sound with better quality that beats it on linux support