Arch Linux

mathfreak

Member

Registered: 2013-01-21

Posts: 6

[solved] Some programs cause problems for sound in other programs.

Today I noticed that audio has stopped working in some applications, but not others. The programs that I know where it doesn't work are:

• Hotline Miami (game)

• VLC

• Dungeons of Dredmor (game)

• Uplink (game)

Programs where I know it works are:

• mplayer / smplayer (on the same files where vlc does not work)

• mpd

• Programs run through wine

• Standalone flash player and the firefox flash plugin

Additionally, when I run a program where audio doesn't work, I have to restart programs where it does. For example, I'll pause mpd, open Hotline Miami, and then quit. When I try to unpause mpd, I'll get the error message "Failed to open audio output". But if I try a couple times, it will eventually resume. It's a similar situation for mplayer. I'll have to quit and restart mplayer a couple times after trying one of the other programs before audio will work.

Further complicating the matter is that there are no error messages for the programs where audio does not work. I can't seem to track down the problem. I also don't do much with sound beyond using mpd and mplayer, so I don't know when this started.

My hardware is a Lenovo IdeaPad z580 with integrated Intel HDA audio.

EDIT: I just noticed that the problem is not what I thought. Part of the problem was simply due to volume. So I can get sound in the listed programs. However, running those programs does still cause the problem for the mplayer and mpd where I have to restart them.

Last edited by mathfreak (2014-03-10 13:27:10)

Rexilion

Member

Registered: 2013-12-23

Posts: 784

Re: [solved] Some programs cause problems for sound in other programs.

Seems like a pulseaudio vs alsa conflict. Pulseaudio wants full control of audio if I'm not mistaken.

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fs/super.c : "Self-destruct in 5 seconds.  Have a nice day...\n",

brebs

Member

Registered: 2007-04-03

Posts: 3,742

Re: [solved] Some programs cause problems for sound in other programs.

Failed to open audio output

See config in my sig, for ideas and debugging.

mathfreak

Member

Registered: 2013-01-21

Posts: 6

Re: [solved] Some programs cause problems for sound in other programs.

Gah. It does appear to have been a pulseaudio thing. I hadn't even realized it was installed, let alone running. I've fixed it. Thanks for the help! And thanks, brebs, for the asoundrc file. I think it'll help a lot.

Rexilion

Member

Registered: 2013-12-23

Posts: 784

Re: [solved] Some programs cause problems for sound in other programs.

If pulseuadio is auto started, you could put a pulseaudio executable in /usr/local/bin that is just an empty bash script.

But since Arch does not hard require the pulseaudio server, this is not needed (yet).

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fs/super.c : "Self-destruct in 5 seconds.  Have a nice day...\n",