here are some further details from my discussions with Gavin McCullagh from the edubuntu users list
I checked the export settings when starting programs from the menu and > I'm seeing: > export ESPEAKER='192.168.0.150:16001' > so that looks good. > I dont seem to be able to repeat my previous results now the only > sound that works on the client are: > -the test tones in sound preferences > -mouseover on an mp3 file on the desktop (top shows this as mpg123) So mpg123 is respecting the ESPEAKER and sending output to the thin client. > So I wonder if this is hogging the sound device. Assuming ESD is running, ESD hogs the sound device so nothing else could. mpg123 would have to play via esd. If you think about it, mpg123 isn't even running on the thin client so it has no direct access to sound card to hog it. > I tried to uninstall mpg123 but apt says its not installed - I suspect > its part of another package, It's probably mpg321 (a re-implementation with better license). But don't remove it, it's one of the things that _is_ working right. > in any case I disabled it by renaming the binary and rebooting - no joy > sound still comes out of the server. hmmm... Sound from what program? Your problem seems to be at least one of: 1. Individual programs are not respecting the ESPEAKER variable. Instead they're ignoring it and sending sound output to the server sound card. 2. The ESPEAKER variable is not actually set in the environment of the programs your running. You mentioned that totem's sound worked when you started it from the command line. This might indicate the ESPEAKER variable is not set except from the command line. This is why I suggested adding the debug line to /usr/bin/firefox -- so you can see what ENV vars are set. 3. esd is not behaving well on the thin client, eg crashing. If a program consistently plays through the server sound card, it seems the issue must be [1] or [2]. If you can figure out which, that would be a big help. If it's [2] we need to fix the environment, if it's [1] we need to report a bug against that program. What would be best is if you could compile a list of programs you've tested, which work properly, which play to the server and whether they work better when you set the env var and run from the command line. Also, if there's any reliability issues, ie [3], we need to know about them too. Ok, so far the apps that send sound out of the server are: -xmms -realplay -totem Sounds that come out on the thin client are: -mouse over on mp3 file on desktop(mpg123) -test button in sound preferences I put the export line in the realplay script as suggested and found : export ESPEAKER='192.168.0.150:16001' in the output file so I think this maybe rules out possibility 2 Also I have not been able to get any to the top three to work again from the command line, so Im not sure whats happening there - its probably dependant on some sequence of events i had done in the lead up to that testing that made them work... -- Sound coming out of server instead of terminal in ltsp edubuntu https://launchpad.net/bugs/73346 -- ubuntu-bugs mailing list [email protected] https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-bugs
