i just noticed this yesterday, and i'm stumped.

fc4, using alsa.

when i open a media player (vlc or xmms, so far, haven't tried any others yet), sysmon show the correct process open. however, as soon as a file, url, etc, is played, a second, identical process is opened, with the same command line options as the first instance.

however, no sound comes from the second instance, and if i close the first instance, the second also closes. the reverse is not true. if i kill the second process, the original process continues unabated (which is what i want...)

in digging deeper into the gnome system monitor gui, it shows that the second process has opened only a couple of files.

here's the open files for the initial instance:
0: /dev/null
1: pipe
2: pipe
3: pipe
4: pipe
5: local socket
6: network connection 192.xxxxxxxx : port
7: /dev/snd/timer
8: /dev/snd/pcmC0D0p

and for the second instance:
7: local socket /dev/alsa-dmix-15633-1142461391-748301
8: /dev/snd/pcmC0D0p

so, can this be avoided (the memory use for each process is similar, 130mb or so)?

how, and why is it happening?

would you like cream with your coffee?

cheers,