[solved] Problems with multiple applications running sound...

unr3st · 2011-05-31 06:35:59

Multiple programs on my system are unable to use sound at the same time. When any two programs that are supposed to output sound run together, the program that started the output first prevents the other from outputing. I read the Wiki page on ALSA, but have had no luck so far in identifying the problem. I do believe that I am using alsa, as the sound of the program with sound does change as I adjust the alsa mixer volumes.

This started happening when I reinstalled arch this moring with XFCE (I needed to add more space to root partition and replace my DE, and fealt it would be easiest to just reinstall the OS.) In the few days I was using KDE, the sound worked fine. I also previously used Ubuntu on this system in which the sound worked fine.

I am inclined to believe that It is either something I have not configured properly (however I did not do anything to sound setup in the KDE install) or a package that did not install with XFCE, but does with KDE-base.

EDIT: Also, If the sounds are coming from the same application they can both play, IE I can hear 2 youtube videos at the same time but not a youtube video and VLC or Skype.

Last edited by unr3st (2011-05-31 08:26:28)

brebs · 2011-05-31 06:54:23

Run fuser.

Lots of info in my ~/.asoundrc

Last edited by brebs (2011-05-31 06:55:32)

karol · 2011-05-31 07:02:56

You can try https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Fl … d_playback

unr3st · 2011-05-31 07:15:17

brebs wrote:

Run fuser.
Lots of info in my ~/.asoundrc

Here is the output,

[unrest@Uberschlecht ~]$ fuser -v /dev/snd/* /dev/dsp*
Specified filename /dev/dsp* does not exist.
USER PID ACCESS COMMAND
/dev/snd/controlC0: unrest 1423 F.... pulseaudio
unrest 1483 f.... xfce4-mixer-plu
unrest 1541 F.... plugin-containe
/dev/snd/pcmC0D0p: unrest 1541 F...m plugin-containe
/dev/snd/timer: unrest 1541 F.... plugin-containe

There are no process in /dev/dsp

It may be worth adding that I had no .asoundrc in my home directory

I have also just discovered that flash seems to be the program that causes the interferences, as VLC and Skype run fine together. I am going to try the instructions by Karol, reboot, and report the results.

karol · 2011-05-31 07:39:01

If blocking snd_pcm_oss doesn't work, try the other way round - to enable it

modprobe snd_pcm_oss

(run it with 'sudo' or as root)
This should give you dev/dsp.

brebs · 2011-05-31 07:39:23

Show the state of the opened audio:

cat /proc/asound/card0/pcm0p/sub0/hw_params

unr3st · 2011-05-31 07:53:17

flash video open:

access: MMAP_INTERLEAVED
format: S32_LE
subformat: STD
channels: 2
rate: 48000 (48000/1)
period_size: 1024
buffer_size: 8192

VLC playing an MP3

access: MMAP_INTERLEAVED
format: S16_LE
subformat: STD
channels: 2
rate: 44100 (44100/1)
period_size: 8192
buffer_size: 16384

unr3st · 2011-05-31 08:06:38

karol wrote:

If blocking snd_pcm_oss doesn't work, try the other way round - to enable it
modprobe snd_pcm_oss
(run it with 'sudo' or as root)
This should give you dev/dsp.

Didn't solve the problem. Also, there are still only snd, no dsp

fuser while playing a video on youtube:
/dev/snd/controlC0: unrest 1422 F.... pulseaudio
unrest 1481 f.... xfce4-mixer-plu
unrest 1571 F.... plugin-containe
/dev/snd/pcmC0D0p: unrest 1571 F...m plugin-containe
/dev/snd/timer: unrest 1571 F.... plugin-containe

unr3st · 2011-05-31 08:23:14

Sort-of solved. I installed gnash-gtk and it works well now, maybe I will try it later next time flashplugin or alsa are updated.

brebs · 2011-05-31 08:37:42

Oh God, not pulseaudio again. Its job is to confuse us.

S32_LE is interesting, I'll default to that in my config, and see if anyone moans that it doesn't work. Hopefully it will improve audio quality sometimes.

Try my config, which standardizes the output, so dmix will actually work.

Dartoms · 2011-05-31 10:21:18

I figure out that I have the same problem.

I was thinking it was just a problem between MPD and others applications, that's why I posted this topic.

But I made more tests and I realized that I can't play sound from 2 different applications in the same time.

I tried your asoundrc brebs, but I didn't solve the problem...

Tofeeq · 2014-09-11 07:05:19

Follow this link, i have solved my problem following this one
-- url redacted - Trilby --

Last edited by Trilby (2014-09-11 13:37:54)

emeres · 2014-09-11 10:03:29

@Tofeeq You dig up old posts, that are already solved, to link to a blog, which has two relevant lines, that you could have posted here directly, that are not the definite solution?

Trilby · 2014-09-11 13:27:51

Closing: please do not necrobump - and heed the other advice offered by emeres.

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#1 2011-05-31 06:35:59

[solved] Problems with multiple applications running sound...

#2 2011-05-31 06:54:23

Re: [solved] Problems with multiple applications running sound...

#3 2011-05-31 07:02:56

Re: [solved] Problems with multiple applications running sound...

#4 2011-05-31 07:15:17

Re: [solved] Problems with multiple applications running sound...

#5 2011-05-31 07:39:01

Re: [solved] Problems with multiple applications running sound...

#6 2011-05-31 07:39:23

Re: [solved] Problems with multiple applications running sound...

#7 2011-05-31 07:53:17

Re: [solved] Problems with multiple applications running sound...

#8 2011-05-31 08:06:38

Re: [solved] Problems with multiple applications running sound...

#9 2011-05-31 08:23:14

Re: [solved] Problems with multiple applications running sound...

#10 2011-05-31 08:37:42

Re: [solved] Problems with multiple applications running sound...

#11 2011-05-31 10:21:18

Re: [solved] Problems with multiple applications running sound...

#12 2014-09-11 07:05:19

Re: [solved] Problems with multiple applications running sound...

#13 2014-09-11 10:03:29

Re: [solved] Problems with multiple applications running sound...

#14 2014-09-11 13:27:51

Re: [solved] Problems with multiple applications running sound...

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