Wolfenstein: no Sound as User

olias · 11-09-2003, 09:29 PM

I'm using Slackware 9.1 and just installed the Linux binaries for Return to Castle Wolfenstein. When I launch the game as 'root' I get sound. When I launch it as a user I get NO sound. All sounds in XMMS and Xine work... why not when I run it as a user?

Thanks, olias

olias · 11-09-2003, 09:37 PM

*** more info ***

I just ran it from the Konsole and found this error...

Code:

------- sound initialization -------
/dev/dsp: Permission denied
Could not open /dev/dsp
------------------------------------

What do I do now?? Getting closer

mondaypickle · 11-09-2003, 09:43 PM

u can either chmod 777 /dev/dsp (possibly creating a security hole) or u can do this thing with groups. some one explained it before, try searching for sound permissions or something similar on these boards

olias · 11-09-2003, 09:47 PM

I had to do this as 'root' ...

Code:

chmod 666 /dev/dsp

How do things like this get screwed up?

linuxbotx · 11-09-2003, 09:49 PM

login as root
type chmod 660 /dev/dsp

log out from root
login as your user
play wolfenstein. Your sound should work

have fun

olias · 11-09-2003, 09:51 PM

Thanks mondaypickle... eek, a security hole!!! I seem to remember having a 'sound' group in Mandrake but nothing like this in Slack.

linuxbotx · 11-09-2003, 09:53 PM

The chmod 660 will get rid of the security hole. 666/777 is a little bit of leakage!

olias · 11-09-2003, 09:55 PM

Thanks linuxbotx but now I have more questions...

1) How do things like this get screwed up?
2) Where did the 'sound' group go in Slack?
3) What are these permissions like 777, 666 and 660?

Thanks again, olias

linuxbotx · 11-09-2003, 10:33 PM

1) Things like this happen based upon your distro. In your case, Slackware sets permissions to certin files so only certin users can read/write/execute the files. Sometimes you have to manually change some files. This is good for security.

2) I don't use slack, so I don't know. You may have to create your own group

3) Permissions tell Linux who has what kinds of access to the files. Read has a value of 4, write has a value of 2, and execute has value of 1. For example, a value of 660 would look like this: (660, the first 6 is for user, the second 6 is for group, and the last 0 is for other)

Read Write Execute
User [X] [X] [ ]
Group [X] [X] [ ]
Others [ ] [ ] [ ]

If you open up Konquor and right click on a file in any directory on your hard drive, you can see the permissions of the file. So a 777 would give everyone who uses the system full read write, and execute access to the file.

olias · 11-10-2003, 04:41 PM

Wow linuxbotx, thanks for the great explanation on permissions. I set it to 660 rather than giving others access to the file.

Linux has renewed my interest in computers and I was so dog tired of Windows with all its holes, patches, pop-ups, viruses and spy-ware.