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chochem

Member

From: Denmark

Registered: 2008-03-02

Posts: 176

Website

PulseAudio issues: Manual 'initialisation' + Flash 10

I have a PulseAudio isntallation that on the whole is functioning quite well. I've installed mplayer-pulse, mpd-pulse and libao-pulse and all is configured for Pulse and all is well.

However, two minor issues:
- Despite starting the pulseaudio daemon at startup, I need to manually mute and unmute the output device in pavucontrol in order for pulse to work. Up until I do this, the device works as a straight ALSA output, e.g. I can play an MP3 by running 'mplayer -ao ALSA filename.mp3' with nothing showing up in pavucontrol. Running mplayer without the ao option would use the mplayer output default of pulse which doesn't work at this point. My interpretation of this is that for some reason pulseaudio doesn't automatically assert control despite my running the daemon.
- The wiki says that flash-plugin 10 should automatically pick up on pulse without having to resort to the hacking that apparently was needed for flash 9. Nevertheless, here's what firefox outputs to the command line when I try to play a youtube video:

ALSA lib pcm_dmix.c:1008:(snd_pcm_dmix_open) unable to open slave

Obviously it persists in using ALSA - even when I add

export FLASH_FORCE_PULSEAUDIO="1" && firefox

to the mix... Note that this is always the case - also after I've done the mute-unmute routine.

To my mind it looks like there's a missing global pulseaudio link here.... Some setting or other that would automatically make Pulse take control and make Flash discover it rather than perversely persisting in its oldfashioned ALSA ways...? I can get Flash sound output by installing alsa-plugins and adding the bits from the ALSA wiki but it still annoys me, knowing that it shouldn't be necessary....

chochem

Member

From: Denmark

Registered: 2008-03-02

Posts: 176

Website

Re: PulseAudio issues: Manual 'initialisation' + Flash 10

anybody?

DonVla

Member

From: Bonn, Germany

Registered: 2007-06-07

Posts: 997

Re: PulseAudio issues: Manual 'initialisation' + Flash 10

pulseaudio is a big mystic piece of software.
same problem and incredible audio/video laggyness made me stop using pulseaudio.
sadly.
and no, i have no solution.

chochem

Member

From: Denmark

Registered: 2008-03-02

Posts: 176

Website

Re: PulseAudio issues: Manual 'initialisation' + Flash 10

I hear you - this is the third time I tried my hand at PA... The thing is it works apart from these minor inconveniences. Which aren't actually so minor since I do like running all TTY (no X) sessions and no PA developer has apparently cared to make a PA controller for the command line or ncurses, at least what I've found.... So I can't unlock it on those occasions

DonVla

Member

From: Bonn, Germany

Registered: 2007-06-07

Posts: 997

Re: PulseAudio issues: Manual 'initialisation' + Flash 10

The thing is it works apart from these minor inconveniences.

yes, pulseaudio worked for me out-of-the-box. but especially the lagging made video watching almost impossible and pulseaudio unusable.

Which aren't actually so minor since I do like running all TTY (no X) sessions and no PA developer has apparently cared to make a PA controller for the command line or ncurses, at least what I've found.... So I can't unlock it on those occasions

i think there are cli commands to controls pulseaudio. so you have to write them in a small bash (whatever) script.

vlad