[solved] Problems with multiple applications running sound...

Question

Multiple programs on my system are unable to use sound at the same time. When any two programs that are supposed to output sound run together, the program that started the output first prevents the other from outputing. I read the Wiki page on ALSA, but have had no luck so far in identifying the problem. I do believe that I am using alsa, as the sound of the program with sound does change as I adjust the alsa mixer volumes.
This started happening when I reinstalled arch this moring with XFCE (I needed to add more space to root partition and replace my DE, and fealt it would be easiest to just reinstall the OS.) In the few days I was using KDE, the sound worked fine. I also previously used Ubuntu on this system in which the sound worked fine.
I am inclined to believe that It is either something I have not configured properly (however I did not do anything to sound setup in the KDE install) or a package that did not install with XFCE, but does with KDE-base.
EDIT: Also, If the sounds are coming from the same application they can both play, IE I can hear 2 youtube videos at the same time but not a youtube video and VLC or Skype.
Last edited by unr3st (2011-05-31 08:26:28)

Answer 1

brebs wrote:
Run fuser.
Lots of info in my ~/.asoundrc
Here is the output,
[unrest@Uberschlecht ~]$ fuser -v /dev/snd/* /dev/dsp*
Specified filename /dev/dsp* does not exist.
                     USER        PID ACCESS COMMAND
/dev/snd/controlC0:  unrest     1423 F.... pulseaudio
                     unrest     1483 f.... xfce4-mixer-plu
                     unrest     1541 F.... plugin-containe
/dev/snd/pcmC0D0p:   unrest     1541 F...m plugin-containe
/dev/snd/timer:      unrest     1541 F.... plugin-containe
There are no process in /dev/dsp
It may be worth adding that I had no .asoundrc in my home directory
I have also just discovered that flash seems to be the program that causes the interferences, as VLC and Skype run fine  together. I am going to try the instructions by Karol, reboot, and report the results.