Hi !

Each time after I start my system and enter the Xmms Music Player the program gives me an error message about the sound driver. If I have the ALSA sound driver then I have to change to the OSS sound driver to make Xmms play. And the opposite, if I have the OSS driver I have to shift to the ALSA driver.

Why does this happen?

What can I do to correct it?

Thankful for some help.

Have you tried upgrading to a more recent version of Xmms, if available ?

Else, start xmms from a console/konsole, so that the "real" error message will display...

Thanks Sabinou !

I run the most recent version, 1.2.10.

Here is the output:

thort@thortsystem:~$ xmms
Message: device: default

** WARNING **: oss_open(): Failed to open audio device (/dev/dsp): No such device

Why this message? I have the /dev/dsp file. And I have the OSS driver installed?

What more can I do to solve this?

Is something already playing sound? Sometimes the sound device can be in use and "locked" and won't work.

No. As I understand, there isn't anything else using the sound driver. I start Xmms as the first program after system bootup.

I can't understand why Linux can't open the audio device.

Here is a list of all processes running on the system:

thort@thortsystem:~$ sudo pstree
Password:
init─┬─acpid
├─apache───5*[apache]
├─atd
├─beagled─┬─beagled-helper───5*[{beagled-helper}]
│ └─7*[{beagled}]
├─bonobo-activati
├─clock-applet
├─cron
├─cupsd
├─2*[dbus-daemon]
├─dbus-launch
├─dd
├─dhclient3
├─events/0
├─exim4
├─firefox-bin───4*[{firefox-bin}]
├─gconfd-2
├─gdm───gdm─┬─Xorg
│ └─x-session-manag───ssh-agent
├─gedit
├─6*[getty]
├─gnome-keyring-d
├─gnome-panel───{gnome-panel}
├─gnome-power-man
├─gnome-settings-───{gnome-settings-}
├─gnome-terminal─┬─bash───pstree
│ ├─gnome-pty-helpe
│ └─{gnome-terminal}
├─gnome-vfs-daemo───{gnome-vfs-daemo}
├─gnome-volume-ma
├─hald───hald-runner─┬─hald-addon-acpi
│ ├─hald-addon-keyb
│ └─6*[hald-addon-stor]
├─hcid
├─khelper
├─kjournald
├─klogd
├─krfcommd
├─ksoftirqd/0
├─kswapd0
├─kthread─┬─aio/0
│ ├─kacpid
│ ├─kblockd/0
│ ├─kgameportd
│ ├─khubd
│ ├─kseriod
│ ├─2*[pdflush]
│ └─scsi_eh_0
├─mail-notificati
├─mapping-daemon
├─mdadm
├─metacity
├─mixer_applet2
├─nautilus───{nautilus}
├─netmon_applet
├─sdpd
├─shpchpd_event
├─syslogd
├─trashapplet───{trashapplet}
├─udevd
├─update-notifier
├─watchdog/0
├─xmms───2*[{xmms}]
└─xscreensaver

Is there any process that might be using the ALSA sound driver?

Have you tried changing to the ALSA output plugin in the preferences dialog in xmms and do you have the alsa-oss package installed?

Yes, this is the method I have to use to make Xmms play. When Xmms can't use the OSS-driver I change to the ALSA-driver, and when it's the ALSA-driver I change to the OSS-driver.

Ok you do not say which desktop you are using KDE or Gnome and whether you have alsa-oss installed. If using KDE then you can check in the control center sound and multimedia -> sound system to seewhich it is starting on login if Gnome I have no clue other than it is most likely using esd for the sound. You may also want to try using arts for the sound output in xmms and see if that helps.

Thanks HappyTux!

Gnome

Both ALSA and OSS sound drivers are installed and available as output plugins in Xmms.

Right now I use the OSS plugin. But next time I start my system it might not work, and I have to change to the ALSA plugin

Don't know how to check in my gnome whether if I use esd.

Is arts a sound driver? If so, how do I install it as a output plugin in Xmms?

Typing apt-get install arts in the Console tells me I already have the latest version of arts.

ps xa | grep esd should tell you if it is running.


The arts is used by kde to communicate with the sound system for the plugin for xmms you need the xmms-arts package but I doubt that you are going to need it running gnome, you could always install and try it though you can always change the plugin back to the one that is working at the time. I thought you had kde because I used to get the same all the time when it was running. Can you post the output of lsmod so we can see the modules loaded on the system.

thort@thortsystem:~$ ps xa | grep esd
6086 pts/0 S+ 0:00 grep esd

This is hard for me to understand, but I assume it means esd is running?

thort@thortsystem:~$ lsmod
Module Size Used by
binfmt_misc 12296 1
rfcomm 40216 0
l2cap 26244 5 rfcomm
bluetooth 49892 4 rfcomm,l2cap
ipt_limit 2432 8
iptable_mangle 2944 0
ipt_LOG 6912 8
ipt_MASQUERADE 3456 0
ip_nat 19628 1 ipt_MASQUERADE
ipt_TOS 2560 0
ipt_REJECT 5632 1
ip_conntrack_irc 6768 0
ip_conntrack_ftp 7792 0
ipt_state 2048 6
ip_conntrack 51500 5 ipt_MASQUERADE,ip_nat,ip_conntrack_irc,ip_conntrack_ftp,ipt_state
nfnetlink 6552 2 ip_nat,ip_conntrack
iptable_filter 3072 1
ip_tables 22400 8 ipt_limit,iptable_mangle,ipt_LOG,ipt_MASQUERADE,ipt_TOS,ipt_REJECT,ipt_state,iptable_filter
ppdev 9220 0
speedstep_lib 4484 0
cpufreq_userspace 4696 0
cpufreq_stats 5636 0
freq_table 4740 1 cpufreq_stats
cpufreq_powersave 1920 0
cpufreq_ondemand 6428 0
cpufreq_conservative 7332 0
video 16260 5
tc1100_wmi 6916 0
sony_acpi 5644 5
pcc_acpi 12416 0
hotkey 11556 65
dev_acpi 11140 0
container 4608 0
button 6672 5
acpi_sbs 19980 5
battery 9988 6 acpi_sbs
ac 5252 6 acpi_sbs
i2c_acpi_ec 5120 1 acpi_sbs
ipv6 265728 6
nls_iso8859_1 4224 3
nls_cp437 5888 3
vfat 13440 3
fat 53020 1 vfat
dm_mod 58936 1
md_mod 72532 0
lp 11844 0
rsrc_nonstatic 13440 0
pcmcia_core 42640 1 rsrc_nonstatic
af_packet 22920 2
tsdev 8000 0
snd_usb_audio 79296 5
snd_usb_lib 16640 1 snd_usb_audio
parport_pc 35780 1
parport 36296 3 ppdev,lp,parport_pc
snd_emu10k1_synth 7296 0
snd_emux_synth 37376 1 snd_emu10k1_synth
snd_seq_virmidi 7680 1 snd_emux_synth
snd_seq_midi_emul 7168 1 snd_emux_synth
snd_seq_dummy 3844 0
snd_seq_oss 33536 0
snd_seq_midi 9376 0
snd_seq_midi_event 7552 3 snd_seq_virmidi,snd_seq_oss,snd_seq_midi
snd_seq 51984 9 snd_emux_synth,snd_seq_virmidi,snd_seq_midi_emul,snd_seq_dummy,snd_seq_oss,snd_seq_midi,snd_seq_midi _event
snd_emu10k1 117284 35 snd_emu10k1_synth
snd_rawmidi 25504 4 snd_usb_lib,snd_seq_virmidi,snd_seq_midi,snd_emu10k1
snd_ac97_codec 93088 1 snd_emu10k1
snd_ac97_bus 2304 1 snd_ac97_codec
snd_pcm_oss 53664 1
snd_mixer_oss 18688 1 snd_pcm_oss
snd_pcm 89864 4 snd_usb_audio,snd_emu10k1,snd_ac97_codec,snd_pcm_oss
snd_seq_device 8716 8 snd_emu10k1_synth,snd_emux_synth,snd_seq_dummy,snd_seq_oss,snd_seq_midi,snd_seq,snd_emu10k1,snd_rawm idi
snd_timer 25220 3 snd_seq,snd_emu10k1,snd_pcm
snd_page_alloc 10632 2 snd_emu10k1,snd_pcm
snd_util_mem 4608 2 snd_emux_synth,snd_emu10k1
snd_hwdep 9376 3 snd_usb_audio,snd_emux_synth,snd_emu10k1
pcspkr 2180 0
floppy 62148 0
snd 55268 377 snd_usb_audio,snd_emux_synth,snd_seq_virmidi,snd_seq_oss,snd_seq,snd_emu10k1,snd_rawmidi,snd_ac97_co dec,snd_pcm_oss,snd_mixer_oss,snd_pcm,snd_seq_device,snd_timer,snd_hwdep
nvidia 4550772 35
i2c_core 21904 2 i2c_acpi_ec,nvidia
emu10k1_gp 3840 0
gameport 15496 2 emu10k1_gp
fealnx 19720 0
soundcore 10208 2 snd
mii 5888 1 fealnx
rtc 13492 0
psmouse 36100 0
serio_raw 7300 0
shpchp 45632 0
pci_hotplug 29236 1 shpchp
intel_agp 22940 1
agpgart 34888 2 nvidia,intel_agp
sg 37920 0
evdev 9856 1
ext3 135688 1
jbd 58772 1 ext3
ide_generic 1536 0
ehci_hcd 34184 0
uhci_hcd 33680 0
ohci_hcd 21892 0
usbcore 130692 6 snd_usb_audio,snd_usb_lib,ehci_hcd,uhci_hcd,ohci_hcd
ide_cd 33028 0
cdrom 38560 1 ide_cd
ide_disk 17664 6
piix 11012 1
generic 5124 0
sd_mod 19984 0
aic7xxx 183124 20
scsi_transport_spi2 24960 1 aic7xxx
scsi_mod 139496 4 sg,sd_mod,aic7xxx,scsi_transport_spi2
thermal 13576 5
processor 23360 6 thermal
fan 4868 5
capability 5000 0
commoncap 7296 1 capability
vga16fb 13704 1
vgastate 10368 1 vga16fb
fbcon 42784 72
tileblit 2816 1 fbcon
font 8320 1 fbcon
bitblit 6272 1 fbcon
softcursor 2304 1 bitblit

No that is showing you the command you just ran.
For something actually running.
So you are running some kind of Sound Blaster card like a Live or one of the Audigy's right. I see the snd_usb_audio is loaded do you have some kind of usb sound device as well?

Yes. A sound Blaster card.

And a Logitech QuickCam Fusion webcamera with microfone.

You might want to try it without the camera plugged in then and see if the symptoms go away.

• I disconnected my webcam.

.

• Went into Xmms and changed output plugin from OSS to ALSA. Error message and no sound.

.

• Even rebooted my system. Still no sound when using ALSA

.

Do you have some more suggestions?

Well. If you don't have some more suggestions, I can use Xmms with the OSS output plugin.

The problem is, as I stated in the beginning of the thread, suddenly, often after I start my system the OSS plugin stops working, and I must shift to the ALSA plugin to get sound.

Do you have a suggestion what to look into when the now working OSS plugin stops working?

Or, I can post a new reply in the thread when the OSS driver stops working.

I'm thankful for your help. I've learned little more about Linux when trying to sort this problem out, and that's good.