When I am logging in to Ubuntu 7.10, I am getting the following message repeatedly :

"Sound server fatal error:
Error while initializing the sound driver:
device: default can't be opened for playback (Operation not permitted)"

This is not there when I first installed it and started using. But I feel may be when I have installed few applications like Amarok, MPlayer, Noatun), the problem started then.

I have also noted that when the system starts the process monitor shows a lot of artsd in the list. Then one after another error messages showing the above message comes up in the screen.

It seems there is a conflict between artsd and Alsa. I am getting the login sound but nothing after that.

Please help to solve this.

Check post #2
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=351067

Thanks for the link.

I have done something similar to that and it has started working again. I followed this link : https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Arts. Now I can play Noatun, MPlayer both. Audio, Video everything is working fine again.