[SOLVED] Kde 4.4.5: Use custom Alsa device in Phonon

Vookimedlo · 01-15-2011, 02:15 PM

Hi,

I'd like to ask you how to configure Phonon in Kde 4.4.5 to use custom Alsa device specified in my ~/.asoundrc.

Code:

pcm.duplicate {
type route
slave.pcm surround51
slave.channels 6
ttable.0.0 1
ttable.1.1 1
ttable.0.2 1
ttable.1.3 1
ttable.0.4 0.5
ttable.1.4 0.5
ttable.0.5 0.5
ttable.1.5 0.5

  hint {
    show on
    description "Duplicate"
  }

}

Device is working correctly for mplayer, XMMS, .... However, I'd like to use this device in Amarok 2.x which unlike Amarok 1.4 uses only Phonon.

Thanks a lot.

serafean · 01-27-2011, 05:59 PM

Hi, which phonon backend are you using? Did you enable "show advanced devices"?
Under 4.4 I had very good experience with ALSA "hints" and the xine backend.

Serafean

Vookimedlo · 01-29-2011, 02:28 PM

My backend is xine, and I have enabled "show advanced devices".
However, I can only choose "SB Live! EMU10k1 Analog stereo" device.

Could you show me your asoundrc file? Maybe I have wrong "hint" section.

Thanks.

serafean · 01-29-2011, 04:21 PM

Actually, what I do is create the device systemwide in /etc/asound.conf

Code:

pcm.dmixer{
        type dmix
        ipc_key 1024
        slave{  
                pcm "optical"
                period_size 2048
                buffer_size 8192
                rate 44100
        }
        ipc_key_add_uid false
        ipc_perm 0666
        bindings{
                0 0
                1 1
        }
}

and then put the hint into my ~/.asoundrc

Code:

pcm.opticaldmix{
        type plug
        slave.pcm "dmixer"
        hint{   show on
                description "Dmix plugin for optical"
        }
}

I think that you need to have the hint in the config of a plug device, just my $0.02 (btw, just checked and it alsoo works with the VLC backend)

Vookimedlo · 01-30-2011, 05:14 PM

Still no luck even I use hinting in PCM having "plug" type.

BTW: My original content of .asoundrc works flawlessly with mplayer and audacious. But KDE is a devil.

What's you version of KDE, Phonon and Alsa?

serafean · 01-30-2011, 05:25 PM

Right now, I'm using KDE-4.6, phonon 4.4.4 with the VLC backend. But up to a month ago, I was using KDE-4.4, phonon 4.4.3 with the xine backend, and it was also working. Yes, I've been there, with CLI apps getting the device correctly, and kde not. At the beginning I worked around it by making the device I wanted phonon to use the pcm.!default

Dumb question : you do log out an back in after every change to .asoundrc? I know that made me loose some hair.

Serafean

Edit : attaching my working asound.rc and my system asound.conf

Vookimedlo · 01-30-2011, 05:39 PM

Got it. Now it works.

It was pulseaudio which suppressed my devices even no pulseaudio daemon was running. I removed whole 'pa' and now I see all SB Live HW Devices including my self defined PCMs.

Thank you for your help.