Arch Linux

khoma

Member

Registered: 2011-02-08

Posts: 11

[SOLVED]Trouble selecting correct ALSA output

Hi

By default, ALSA outputs all sound through my headset. My speakers are connected through S/PDIF, and I'd like the sound there instead. Unfortunately, that doesn't seem to work. KDE, through Phonon/GStreamer is able to select the correct ALSA output but any app that uses ALSA directly ends up playing sound only through the headset.

I have followed the walkthrough on https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Alsa#Configuration but it doesn't really help.

Some info on my current config:

lsmod|grep snd
snd_seq_dummy           1479  0 
snd_seq_oss            29240  0 
snd_seq_midi_event      5516  1 snd_seq_oss
snd_seq                50562  5 snd_seq_dummy,snd_seq_oss,snd_seq_midi_event
snd_seq_device          5281  3 snd_seq_dummy,snd_seq_oss,snd_seq
snd_hda_codec_realtek   295589  1 
snd_hda_intel          21837  4 
snd_hda_codec          74609  2 snd_hda_codec_realtek,snd_hda_intel
snd_hwdep               6222  1 snd_hda_codec
snd_pcm                72321  3 snd_hda_intel,snd_hda_codec
snd_timer              19537  3 snd_seq,snd_pcm
snd                    58906  15 snd_seq_oss,snd_seq,snd_seq_device,snd_hda_codec_realtek,snd_hda_intel,snd_hda_codec,snd_hwdep,snd_pcm,snd_timer
soundcore               6161  1 snd
snd_page_alloc          7361  2 snd_hda_intel,snd_pcm

aplay -l
**** List of PLAYBACK Hardware Devices ****
card 0: Intel [HDA Intel], device 0: ALC889A Analog [ALC889A Analog]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 0: Intel [HDA Intel], device 1: ALC889A Digital [ALC889A Digital]
  Subdevices: 0/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0

.asoundrc looks like this:

pcm.!default {
type hw
card 0
device 1
}
ctl.!default {
type hw
card 0
device 1
}

speaker-test 

speaker-test 1.0.24.2

Playback device is default
Stream parameters are 48000Hz, S16_LE, 1 channels
Using 16 octaves of pink noise
Playback open error: -16,Device or resource busy

What am I missing? Edit: With the above config, I get no default sound from ALSA at all and alsamixer will not run. Only way to get any default ALSA sound is to delete .asoundrc, but then I'm back to only headphone sound in any application that doesn't rely on phonon.

Last edited by khoma (2011-03-11 14:08:30)

jdarnold

Member

From: Medford MA USA

Registered: 2009-12-15

Posts: 485

Website

Re: [SOLVED]Trouble selecting correct ALSA output

Here's my .asoundrc that I have set up to make sure it uses my HDA Intel instead of any USB headphones that are plugged in:

 $ aplay -l
**** List of PLAYBACK Hardware Devices ****
card 0: Audio [Plantronics Wireless Audio], device 0: USB Audio [USB Audio]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 1: Intel [HDA Intel], device 0: ALC888 Analog [ALC888 Analog]
  Subdevices: 0/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 1: Intel [HDA Intel], device 1: ALC888 Digital [ALC888 Digital]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0

$ cat ~/.asoundrc
defaults.ctl.!card Intel
defaults.pcm.!card Intel
defaults.ctl.device 0
defaults.pcm.device 0

khoma

Member

Registered: 2011-02-08

Posts: 11

Re: [SOLVED]Trouble selecting correct ALSA output

Thank you! Seems to be working perfectly Edit: I only changed the device from 0 to 1 to get S/PDIF output, and now everything seems to be just as I want it

Last edited by khoma (2011-03-11 13:51:44)

jdarnold

Member

From: Medford MA USA

Registered: 2009-12-15

Posts: 485

Website

Re: [SOLVED]Trouble selecting correct ALSA output

Glad to hear it is working! At this point, I don't even remember how I uncovered it, but happy I can pass it along.