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#1 2012-10-07 07:11:17

whoops
Member
Registered: 2009-03-19
Posts: 891

[solved] Pulseaudio, multiple users, audio group?

Hello!

I'm trying to get pulseaudio working for multiple users. According to the pulseaudio documentation, no user should be in the audio group which should theoretically make it work. I think I've also seen that information in a file distributed with the official archlinux package somewhere... But without users in that group, I'm not getting any sound at all.

$ ls -l /dev/snd
total 0
drwxr-xr-x  2 root root       60  5. Okt 23:13 by-path
crw-rw----+ 1 root audio 116,  7  5. Okt 23:13 controlC0
crw-rw----+ 1 root audio 116,  6  5. Okt 23:13 hwC0D0
crw-rw----+ 1 root audio 116,  5  6. Okt 21:12 pcmC0D0c
crw-rw----+ 1 root audio 116,  4  6. Okt 21:11 pcmC0D0p
crw-rw----+ 1 root audio 116,  3  5. Okt 23:15 pcmC0D1p
crw-rw----+ 1 root audio 116,  2  5. Okt 23:13 pcmC0D2c
crw-rw----+ 1 root audio 116,  1  5. Okt 23:13 seq
crw-rw----+ 1 root audio 116, 33  5. Okt 23:13 timer

That should - according to pusleaudio docu - mean, that HAL and/or polkit will be handling user switching & stuff but it can be overridden by the audio group...? Well it does not seem to be working that way.

So... where do I start? Can't find any relevant information... everything on the subject seems to be either obsolete or just not working...


Thanks!

Last edited by whoops (2012-11-03 13:21:52)

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#2 2012-10-07 23:42:41

ngoonee
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From: Between Thailand and Singapore
Registered: 2009-03-17
Posts: 7,354

Re: [solved] Pulseaudio, multiple users, audio group?

How do you login?


Allan-Volunteer on the (topic being discussed) mailn lists. You never get the people who matters attention on the forums.
jasonwryan-Installing Arch is a measure of your literacy. Maintaining Arch is a measure of your diligence. Contributing to Arch is a measure of your competence.
Griemak-Bleeding edge, not bleeding flat. Edge denotes falls will occur from time to time. Bring your own parachute.

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#3 2012-10-08 07:22:28

whoops
Member
Registered: 2009-03-19
Posts: 891

Re: [solved] Pulseaudio, multiple users, audio group?

I log into a tty and let xfce handle the rest. Which means the first user's X gets started by startxfce4, the second user by xinit + xfce4-session (because I don't know how to make startxfce4 use another display).

I thought those two should handle everything correctly? I took a look at the sources a while back - looked pretty complicated to me: the scripts were checking for the status of needed stuff + trying to launch everything correctly.

But I'll try it manually again next time I get to it to make sure, that ck-launch-stuff is really handled correctly. Thanks for the hint!

Last edited by whoops (2012-10-08 07:22:51)

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#4 2012-10-08 08:12:36

ngoonee
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From: Between Thailand and Singapore
Registered: 2009-03-17
Posts: 7,354

Re: [solved] Pulseaudio, multiple users, audio group?

Pulseaudio is not really gnome-specific, but it DOES require consolekit (and I guess polkit, haven't checked that out recently) to work properly. If you use gdm or something it should 'just work (tm)' but when you startx things get more complicated.


Allan-Volunteer on the (topic being discussed) mailn lists. You never get the people who matters attention on the forums.
jasonwryan-Installing Arch is a measure of your literacy. Maintaining Arch is a measure of your diligence. Contributing to Arch is a measure of your competence.
Griemak-Bleeding edge, not bleeding flat. Edge denotes falls will occur from time to time. Bring your own parachute.

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#5 2012-10-08 09:55:59

whoops
Member
Registered: 2009-03-19
Posts: 891

Re: [solved] Pulseaudio, multiple users, audio group?

Oh, yes, it looks like the ck session is only registered correctly for one of the two users. So xfce-session isn't taking care of that any more (I could swear it used to, not sure though).

Also, the whole of it looks like a HUGE mess at the moment. Or is it only my impression?

I don't really need this to work badly ATM... Does it make sense to ignore all issues with "session stuff" and pulseaudio until that whole systemd thing gets a little less... volatile? If I understand it right, policy-/consolekit might not make it much longer anyway?

Last edited by whoops (2012-10-08 09:57:04)

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#6 2012-10-09 00:57:24

ngoonee
Forum Fellow
From: Between Thailand and Singapore
Registered: 2009-03-17
Posts: 7,354

Re: [solved] Pulseaudio, multiple users, audio group?

Your issue here isn't really systemd, its that pulseaudio relies on ck (and/or polkit, not sure) to get current user information. It uses that to assign 'ownership' of the sound card. While the 'big' DMs (gdm etc.) handle this for you, xfce-session or whatever is much more fragile.

Not related to systemd, partially related to pulseaudio, mostly related to ck/polkit. I have no idea what the upcoming changes (ck going away etc) would mean for that, but if I were you I'd just use gdm or something if you're not violently against it.


Allan-Volunteer on the (topic being discussed) mailn lists. You never get the people who matters attention on the forums.
jasonwryan-Installing Arch is a measure of your literacy. Maintaining Arch is a measure of your diligence. Contributing to Arch is a measure of your competence.
Griemak-Bleeding edge, not bleeding flat. Edge denotes falls will occur from time to time. Bring your own parachute.

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#7 2012-11-03 13:21:24

whoops
Member
Registered: 2009-03-19
Posts: 891

Re: [solved] Pulseaudio, multiple users, audio group?

Yes, I sort of do hate gdm...

But the pulse-audio problems fixed themselves now that I'm using logind and removed all users from all (now) useless groups and stuff (see systemd wiki page etc). Totally worth waiting big_smile

=> [solved]

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