Distro: Debian Sarge.
kernel: uname -r =2.6.8-2-k7
desktop: KDE 3.3.2

symptoms:
1) some sound apps work. I can play an mp3 from my cdrw dev/hdc aka /media/cdrom0 with Noatun, Kabodle, Totem movie player (all by right clicking the .mp3 and selecting the app).

2)
a. some sound apps don't work. XMMS complains:
Couldn't open audio Please check that: Your soundcard is configured properly You have the correct output plugin selected No other program is blocking the soundcard"
b. Rythmbox Music Player also can't play and complains:
1st error box -- "could not pause playback"
2nd error box -- "Device "/dev/dsp" does not exist"

3) Return to Castle Wolfenstein graphics load but not the sound: "Could not open /dev/dsp". I opened a root terminal and browsed to /dev but didn't see 'dsp' anywhere.

4) ps aux output lists several items including aRts which I know is associated to sound:
beebleq 4750 0.3 0.8 21884 8328 ? S 07:48 2:01 /usr/bin/artsd -F 10 -S 4096 -d -m artsmessage -c drkonqi -l 3 -f

Mmmkay. How do I configure my sound properly? It's onboard nforce sound on Abit NF7-S ver.2 (Nforce2 ultra).

MEPIS didn't give me any problems with sound -- anyone know how to parrot on Debian what MEPIS does by default?

you have sound. you just have some settings off in xmms. right click xmms and look over the audio settings in preferences or something like that

There may be a chance that the permissions on /dev/dsp are set too strictly. I've had that problem before but with slackware. If the user is unable to access /dev/dsp, then you will get those kind of errors. Changing the permissions may do the trick.

Matt

but Noatun, Kabodle, Totem works, so i don't think it's permissions. also look to make sure that /dev/dsp is your sound card and not /dev/snd or something similar

bosewicht: I think before I start changing settings in there I'd better get more specific feedback. I actually did try switching between Alsa, esound output plugin and OSS, but nothing changed (still get error). I don't think it's XMMS because at least two other apps also don't work.

Maestro485: nothing can be hidden from root and that's how I browsed to see no /dev/dsp. So I don't think it's a permission issue (not permissions with root). I do have these devices(?) under dev/snd:
debian:/dev/snd# ls -la
total 0
drwxr-xr-x 2 root root 160 2006-01-24 21:15 .
drwxr-xr-x 12 root root 3920 2006-01-24 21:16 ..
crw-rw---- 1 root audio 116, 0 2006-01-24 21:15 controlC0
crw-rw---- 1 root audio 116, 24 2006-01-24 21:15 pcmC0D0c
crw-rw---- 1 root audio 116, 16 2006-01-24 21:15 pcmC0D0p
crw-rw---- 1 root audio 116, 25 2006-01-24 21:15 pcmC0D1c
crw-rw---- 1 root audio 116, 18 2006-01-24 21:15 pcmC0D2p
crw-rw---- 1 root audio 116, 33 2006-01-24 21:15 timer

Anyone think this is trying to be /dev/dsp?

funny. you posted in that 4.5 minute interval that I did...

Ok, so /dev/snd IS relevant. Now what do I do with it?

ok, so in xmms change the dev from /dev/dsp to /dev/snd the apps are defaulting to /dev/dsp and there is none, hence the errors. You have sound, it works, those apps are looking at the wrong device.

No. We're getting no joy here. It's more than one solitary application(XMMS). What's the connecting master application that affects XMMS, Rhythmbox, OSS based games like RTCW? Anyone?

this may be a udev thing, so there may be a udev way to fix it, but do you have /dev/dsp0, /dev/dsp1, etc.? if so, did you try linking /dev/dsp to /dev/dsp0:

ln -s /dev/dsp0 /dev/dsp

(do as root, and check permissions are ok)

Wait a second...

debian:/dev# lsmod
Module Size Used by
nls_cp437 5760 1
isofs 37752 1
iptable_filter 2944 0
ip_tables 18368 1 iptable_filter
fglrx 451840 7
ipv6 262532 10
autofs4 19908 0
af_packet 22600 2
floppy 60304 0
pcspkr 3688 0
rtc 12728 0
shpchp 100716 0
pciehp 97388 0
pci_hotplug 34352 2 shpchp,pciehp
i810_audio 37204 0
ac97_codec 18700 1 i810_audio
joydev 9856 0
usbhid 32000 0
usblp 13056 0
nvidia_agp 7836 1
snd_intel8x0 36140 2
snd_ac97_codec 69508 1 snd_intel8x0
snd_pcm 97480 3 snd_intel8x0
snd_timer 25668 1 snd_pcm
snd_page_alloc 11720 2 snd_intel8x0,snd_pcm
gameport 4736 1 snd_intel8x0
snd_mpu401_uart 8000 1 snd_intel8x0
snd_rawmidi 25316 1 snd_mpu401_uart
snd_seq_device 8264 1 snd_rawmidi
snd 57380 9 snd_intel8x0,snd_ac97_codec,snd_pcm,snd_timer,sn d_mpu401_uart,snd_rawmidi,snd_seq_device
soundcore 10336 2 i810_audio,snd
forcedeth 17792 0
ehci_hcd 31364 0
ohci_hcd 21380 0
usbcore 118308 6 usbhid,usblp,ehci_hcd,ohci_hcd
agpgart 34536 2 nvidia_agp
tsdev 7360 0
mousedev 10444 1
evdev 9600 0
capability 4616 0
commoncap 7296 1 capability
psmouse 20232 0
ide_cd 42528 1
cdrom 40284 1 ide_cd
ext3 126696 1
jbd 61848 1 ext3
mbcache 9284 1 ext3
ide_generic 1472 0
ide_disk 19264 3
amd74xx 14108 1
ide_core 138724 4 ide_cd,ide_generic,ide_disk,amd74xx
sd_mod 21696 0
ata_piix 8132 0
libata 41412 1 ata_piix
scsi_mod 124748 2 sd_mod,libata
unix 28660 410
font 8448 0
vesafb 6688 0
cfbcopyarea 3840 1 vesafb
cfbimgblt 3072 1 vesafb
cfbfillrect 3712 1 vesafb

aaaaaaand...
debian:/dev# lspci
0000:00:00.0 Host bridge: nVidia Corporation nForce2 AGP (different version?) (rev c1)
0000:00:00.1 RAM memory: nVidia Corporation nForce2 Memory Controller 1 (rev c1)
0000:00:00.2 RAM memory: nVidia Corporation nForce2 Memory Controller 4 (rev c1)
0000:00:00.3 RAM memory: nVidia Corporation nForce2 Memory Controller 3 (rev c1)
0000:00:00.4 RAM memory: nVidia Corporation nForce2 Memory Controller 2 (rev c1)
0000:00:00.5 RAM memory: nVidia Corporation nForce2 Memory Controller 5 (rev c1)
0000:00:01.0 ISA bridge: nVidia Corporation nForce2 ISA Bridge (rev a4)
0000:00:01.1 SMBus: nVidia Corporation nForce2 SMBus (MCP) (rev a2)
0000:00:02.0 USB Controller: nVidia Corporation nForce2 USB Controller (rev a4)
0000:00:02.1 USB Controller: nVidia Corporation nForce2 USB Controller (rev a4)
0000:00:02.2 USB Controller: nVidia Corporation nForce2 USB Controller (rev a4)
0000:00:04.0 Ethernet controller: nVidia Corporation nForce2 Ethernet Controller (rev a1)
0000:00:05.0 Multimedia audio controller: nVidia Corporation nForce MultiMedia audio [Via VT82C686B] (rev a2)
0000:00:06.0 Multimedia audio controller: nVidia Corporation nForce2 AC97 Audio Controler (MCP) (rev a1)
0000:00:08.0 PCI bridge: nVidia Corporation nForce2 External PCI Bridge (rev a3)
0000:00:09.0 IDE interface: nVidia Corporation nForce2 IDE (rev a2)
0000:00:1e.0 PCI bridge: nVidia Corporation nForce2 AGP (rev c1)
0000:02:00.0 VGA compatible controller: ATI Technologies Inc Radeon R350 [Radeon 9800 Pro]
0000:02:00.1 Display controller: ATI Technologies Inc Radeon R350 [Radeon 9800 Pro] (Secondary)

I think my problem is that Sarge didn't automatically load nforce sound stuff. It loaded intel drivers, which is incorrect.

MY NEW QUESTION: how do I configure my sound card so that I get nvidia drivers instead of intel?

Idea -- gonna disable the onboard sound in BIOS and see if Linux can fix it. BRB.

maybe this has already been addressed but have you checked in `alsamixer`, i know there are many settings available on my nforce2 board..

also did you install the nvidia nforce drivers? IIRC, I leave all sound options blank except for AC97 in the kernel config and then install the nforce drivers, otherwise there were some weird conflicts.. i cant remember though for sure.. havent recompiled in a couple months..

i would check `alsamixer` atleast youll see what card is being detected by alsa..

Anyone having sound problems in Wolfenstein Enemy territory or other games can try the suggestions here. https://help.ubuntu.com/community/EnemyTerritory I am running Debian Etch, not Ubuntu, but the suggestions work for most distros. If not, change the commands a little bit to fit your distro. Let me know if this helps.

you guys are awesome I never actually got it fixed, and I think it was because I hadn't installed the drivers. thx for keeping it alive -- just installed Xandros a few days ago and plan on getting it to work.

the biggest thing that helped me with sound is switching from oss to alsa

please, i Have already posted a thread about it, and I got no answer