Audio Configuration on Slackware 13

kernel-P4N1C · 09-16-2009, 09:18 PM

Hello folks.

since I've been "training" for improving my starcraft skills while watching videos; I've notice that my soundcard is bussy and only allow me to listen thru the first application I have open; either mplayer or Virtualbox or Amarok...

Dunno if this is just at is is supposed to be; or if there's something i can configure to have more than one application thru the soundcard and stuff.

By the way; this pc is a new build (my old hardware died on me)
This is what I have on bash when I use mplayer and try to play something

Code:

bash-3.1$ aplay /usr/share/sounds/k3b_success1.wav
ALSA lib pcm_dmix.c:1008:(snd_pcm_dmix_open) unable to open slave
aplay: main:590: audio open error: Device or resource busy

I think the following may be usefull...

Code:

bash-3.1# lsmod
Module                  Size  Used by
snd_emu10k1           150944  0 
snd_ac97_codec        121496  1 snd_emu10k1
ac97_bus                1920  1 snd_ac97_codec
snd_util_mem            3968  1 snd_emu10k1
vboxnetadp            100268  0 
vboxnetflt            107692  0 
vboxdrv              1712140  1 vboxnetflt
snd_seq_dummy           3172  0 
snd_seq_oss            33536  0 
snd_seq_midi_event      7264  1 snd_seq_oss
snd_seq                56320  5 snd_seq_dummy,snd_seq_oss,snd_seq_midi_event
snd_pcm_oss            42976  1 
snd_mixer_oss          16768  1 snd_pcm_oss
ipv6                  288704  22 
pcmcia                 36824  0 
pcmcia_core            36804  1 pcmcia
sg                     29920  0 
lp                     11972  0 
fuse                   60096  3 
snd_hda_codec_atihdmi     4000  1 
snd_usb_audio          97408  0 
snd_usb_lib            17728  1 snd_usb_audio
snd_rawmidi            22784  2 snd_emu10k1,snd_usb_lib
snd_hda_codec_realtek   253956  1 
snd_seq_device          7188  5 snd_emu10k1,snd_seq_dummy,snd_seq_oss,snd_seq,snd_rawmidi
fglrx                2294348  45 
snd_hda_intel          27176  1 
gspca_zc3xx            51616  0 
snd_hda_codec          60192  3 snd_hda_codec_atihdmi,snd_hda_codec_realtek,snd_hda_intel
gspca_main             25344  1 gspca_zc3xx
snd_hwdep               8456  3 snd_emu10k1,snd_usb_audio,snd_hda_codec
videodev               43168  1 gspca_main
snd_pcm                80872  6 snd_emu10k1,snd_ac97_codec,snd_pcm_oss,snd_usb_audio,snd_hda_intel,snd_hda_codec
v4l1_compat            15364  1 videodev
ppdev                   8488  0 
v4l2_compat_ioctl32    10912  1 videodev
snd_timer              22256  3 snd_emu10k1,snd_seq,snd_pcm
thermal                18880  0 
parport_pc             28200  1 
psmouse                46748  0 
i2c_piix4              10448  0 
snd                    65000  15 snd_emu10k1,snd_ac97_codec,snd_seq_oss,snd_seq,snd_pcm_oss,snd_mixer_oss,snd_usb_audio,snd_rawmidi,snd_hda_codec_realtek,snd_seq_device,snd_hda_intel,snd_hda_codec,snd_hwdep,snd_pcm,snd_timer
rtc_cmos               11928  0 
processor              43960  1 thermal
parport                36752  3 lp,ppdev,parport_pc
serio_raw               6116  0 
wmi                     7456  0 
rtc_core               19652  1 rtc_cmos
r8169                  37860  0 
soundcore               7168  2 snd
evdev                  11392  6 
rtc_lib                 2880  1 rtc_core
thermal_sys            13088  2 thermal,processor
usblp                  13568  0 
snd_page_alloc          9616  3 snd_emu10k1,snd_hda_intel,snd_pcm
button                  7328  0 
mii                     5216  1 r8169
hwmon                   2728  1 thermal_sys

My system is build on a gigabyte GA-MA780G-UD3H (rev .1.0) with sound chip ALC889A running Slackware64 multilib.

# CPU type:AMD Phenom(tm) 9850 Quad-Core Processor
# CPU Speed (GHz):2.52
# System memory (GB):7.998
# Graphics card model:ATI Radeon HD 2400 PRO

vik · 09-17-2009, 04:49 PM

Since you haven't had any replies, I'll take a stab at this. I don't usually have 2 audio streams running at once, but you could try using software mixing since it doesn't seem like the hardware driver supports it. Here's a link:
http://www.mythtv.org/wiki/Configuri...rc.2C_Properly.

I don't recommend this. I tried this with mythtv and the sound ended up getting behind the video; I saw mouths moving but didn't hear anything for a split second. The longer I watched TV the further the sound got behind.

To verify if your sound card supports hardware mixing or not, go to alsa's site and check under the intel card supported card list. I'm pretty sure it doesn't though, as I have the same chipset on one of my machines. You might look into buying a nicer sound card that supports alsa hardware mixing (even a cheap soundblaster card has alsa hardware mixing support).