You are not logged in.
My laptop has an integrated sound card, but I lately got a USB headset (headphones+mic, which works with linux btw, I tested it with GizmoProject which lets me choose which /dev/dspXX I want): http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=U200&cpc=SCH
So, how do I change the default audio device for *all* desktop sounds to the headphones? I tried the two gnome sound properties, and when I select the headset device they let me configure it but ALSA still uses the internal audio card. Why isn't there a way to easily select which device you want for your sounds as there is for BeOS, Windows and OSX?
Offline
My laptop has an integrated sound card, but I lately got a USB headset (headphones+mic, which works with linux btw, I tested it with GizmoProject which lets me choose which /dev/dspXX I want): http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=U200&cpc=SCH
So, how do I change the default audio device for *all* desktop sounds to the headphones? I tried the two gnome sound properties, and when I select the headset device they let me configure it but ALSA still uses the internal audio card.
The desktop sounds use ESD, so take a look through gconf-editor and see if there's a relevant option.
You could probably also edit /etc/esd.conf and start a systemwide esd by adding it to rc.conf, and they should use that.
Why isn't there a way to easily select which device you want for your sounds as there is for BeOS, Windows and OSX?
Well, because the developers didnt include one. Complain to them.
Offline
Actually, this is a bit of an Arch problem. You see, Fedora has a GUI to select the audio device you want. I don't know about ubuntu. I don't expect Arch to have a GUI (it's not its style), but a CLEAN text-way should exist. Or a wiki article at least.
My esd.conf does not have any option that I can edit to tell it to use /dev/dsp2 or something. This whole thing is so blurry.
Offline
[esd]
auto_spawn=1
spawn_options=-terminate -nobeeps -as 2 -d default # <====
spawn_wait_ms=100man esdand change the spawn options. Out of the box the device is 'default' which is the alsa default device, which works fine with any dmixing you may have happening.
As for Arch not having the GUI, find the source and put a PKGBUILD on the AUR, if people care enough, i'm sure it'll be adopted into the repositories. Otherwise, right above is the command line way.
Last edited by iphitus (2007-02-24 07:54:54)
Offline
Well, it's still not good enough. I have to restart Gnome to get this thing working. Other OSes *automatically* can use an alternative device. But if I change ESD, I will have to restart Gnome, no?
Offline
Well, it's still not good enough.
We can't satisfy everyone. What you want is a corner case. For most people ALSA and dmix works appropriately, and that is what esd uses by default. We cannot document and automate every configuration possible. That's up to the users.
However, if you don't want to restart gnome, try the below... I make a few assumptions, but even if they're wrong, they're hardly difficult to work around.
Just copy the /etc/esd.conf to ~/.esd.conf, make your change, then do killall esd. Presumably gnome will restart esd, and it ought to read your local config. If it doesnt, start it yourself.
Feel free to write a script that automates this, or document it on the wiki.
I have to restart Gnome to get this thing working. Other OSes *automatically* can use an alternative device. But if I change ESD, I will have to restart Gnome, no?
Well, if you try my suggestion above, no. You can restart esd yourself. And that's what all the other distros do, except with some fancy GUI.
James
Offline
>What you want is a corner case.
It was a corner case in 1998. It was a semi-corner case in 2002. But not anymore. There are many USB headsets, VoIP handsets, Bluetooth headsets etc that create their own device in the system these days. As time goes by, the *easy* change-around of sound devices becomes a must. And as far as I am concerned, other OSes have this "feature" for many years now.
Last edited by Eugenia (2007-02-24 08:26:16)
Offline
>What you want is a corner case.
It was a corner case in 1998. It was a semi-corner case in 2002. But not anymore. There are many USB headsets, VoIP handsets, Bluetooth headsets etc that create their own device in the system these days. As time goes by, the *easy* change-around of sound devices becomes a must. And as far as I am concerned, other OSes have this "feature" for many years now.
I just offered a solution. If you don't like that solution, then Arch musnt be the distro for you.
We've yet to have had a bug or feature request filed about this, so it obviously is a corner case, or people are able to work it out themselves.
There's a solution. If you think it's important, wikify it like everyone else, and if you want to simplify it, write a patch/script yourself and chuck it on the aur/bug tracker like everyone else does.
Last edited by iphitus (2007-02-24 08:51:44)
Offline