Chris
XMMS is grabbing the /dev/dsp device exclusively. This is a general
hardware limitation that has been overcome through the use of software
like esd (E and Gnome) and artsd (KDE). How these daemons work around
the limitation is to capture the output of sound programs and mix the
sound channels with whatever else is also playing. The daemon then
takes the combined stream and sends that to /dev/dsp.
XMMS is esd aware, but not artsd aware, or at least not the version I
have. For applications that are esd or artsd aware, they will attach to
the daemon (if it is running) and channel their sound output directly.
For non-esd or artsd aware applications, there are helper apps that are
started with the application that capture and channel the sound output.
Mandrake simplifies this one step further by providing a soundwrapper
script that will start the appropriate wrapper (esddsp and artsdsp
counterpart) based on whichever daemon you are running. So to capture
XMMS:
[user@host user]$ soundwrapper xmms
Note that since xmms is esd aware, this is not required if you run esd
but this should still work regardless and it should allow xmms to use
artsd. Other esd aware apps include realplayer, but I find the output
is somewhat less optimal in esd native mode.
To use the esd or artsd specific wrappers directly:
[user@host user]$ esddsp xmms
[user@host user]$ artdsp xmms
Chances are that you either created your own xmms 'shortcut' or link and
did not include invoking the wrapper as should the default menu links or
you have removed the soundwrapper script or possibly the *dsp
application itself. It is also possible that you unintentionally told
KDE to not start artsd on load. Make sure you have KDE starting its
daemon. It is somewhere in the KDE preferences, but not having used KDE
since the 1.x days, I cannot tell you where.
This was probably more explanation than you wanted, but it should have
given you a good overview and starting point for your troubleshooting.
Enjoy,
Woody
On Thu, 2002-09-05 at 06:55, Chris wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I think I remember being able to hear both KDE System messages (sound) while
> playing XMMS, or even run multiple instances of XMMS. Now I can't and XMMS
> even stops between tracks quit often and says /dev/dsp is busy.
>
> Is this a hardware limitation or some other setting in KDE?
>
> I'm running MDK 8.2 with KDE 3.0.3. XMMS uses OSS driver 1.2.7 (no other
> output plugins works).
>
>
> Thanks in advance,
> Chris
--
Woody
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Gatewood Green Network/System Administrator
Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
http://www.linif.org/ Linux in Idaho Falls Linux User Group
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