Re: [gentoo-user] problem trying to play sound when pulse audio is enabled

[Kevin Thompson]

On Mon, Apr 29, 2013 at 04:43:46AM -0400, covici@××××××××××.com wrote:
> Canek Peláez Valdés <caneko@×××××.com> wrote:
>
> > On Mon, Apr 29, 2013 at 12:35 AM,  <covici@××××××××××.com> wrote:
> > > Canek Peláez Valdés <caneko@×××××.com> wrote:
> > >
> > >> On Sun, Apr 28, 2013 at 11:57 PM,  <covici@××××××××××.com> wrote:
> > >> > Canek Peláez Valdés <caneko@×××××.com> wrote:
> > >> >
> > >> >> On Sun, Apr 28, 2013 at 11:08 PM,  <covici@××××××××××.com> wrote:
> > >> >> > Canek Peláez Valdés <caneko@×××××.com> wrote:
> > >> >> >
> > >> >> >> On Sun, Apr 28, 2013 at 10:07 PM,  <covici@××××××××××.com> wrote:
> > >> >> >> > Canek Peláez Valdés <caneko@×××××.com> wrote:
> > >> >> >> >
> > >> >> >> >> On Sun, Apr 28, 2013 at 7:56 PM,  <covici@××××××××××.com> wrote:
> > >> >> >> >> > Hi.  I have not used pulseaudio at all, but with gnome 3.8 I guess it
> > >> >> >> >> > must be there, but when I try to play a sound using either mplayer from
> > >> >> >> >> > the console which works fine withalsa, or even aplay, I get no sound
> > >> >> >> >> > unless I change the /etc/pulse/client.conf to spawn=no .
> > >> >> >> >>
> > >> >> >> >> Unless you have a very specific setup, you should not need to touch
> > >> >> >> >> the files under /etc/pulse. Also, are you trying to run the
> > >> >> >> >> system-wide PulseAudio service? Because that's basically wrong:
> > >> >> >> >>
> > >> >> >> >> http://www.freedesktop.org/wiki/Software/PulseAudio/Documentation/User/WhatIsWrongWithSystemWide
> > >> >> >> >>
> > >> >> >> >> > Anyway to fix this?
> > >> >> >> >>
> > >> >> >> >> If you are running PA as a normal user (as you should), then perhaps
> > >> >> >> >> the per-application volume for MPlayer is muted. While playing
> > >> >> >> >> something with MPlayer, go to Settings -> Sound, then select the
> > >> >> >> >> Applications tab, and there should be a volume slider for all the
> > >> >> >> >> applications using audio. Just adjust as necessary.
> > >> >> >> >
> > >> >> >> > I got no sound when pa was run as a user.  I am running these apps from
> > >> >> >> > the console -- apps such as aplay or anything which uses alsa.  So I
> > >> >> >> > can't adjust any volumes under gnome, etc.
> > >> >> >>
> > >> >> >> Also, from the console you can use pactl. To play a sample sound there, do:
> > >> >> >>
> > >> >> >> pactl play-sample 0
> > >> >> >> pactl play-sample 1
> > >> >> >>
> > >> >> >> It should work. You can also set the volume from here:
> > >> >> >>
> > >> >> >> pactl set-sink-volume 0 "100%"
> > >> >> >>
> > >> >> >> 0 is usually the "master" volume.
> > >> >> >>
> > >> >> >> Check out man pactl.
> > >> >> >
> > >> >> > Well, in either system or user mode, root can play sound whereas a
> > >> >> > regular user gets silent, but without pulseaudio -- spawn=no, then a
> > >> >> > regular user can play sound.  Does this give a clue?
> > >> >>
> > >> >> Not really; as I said, the PA documentation clearly says that if you
> > >> >> use system mode "You are on your own. You need to know you way around,
> > >> >> be able to write init scripts, dbus policies, to fix up device
> > >> >> permissions, and unix users, you need to pass around security cookies
> > >> >> and more."
> > >> >>
> > >> >> I haven't ever used system-wide PA.
> > >> >>
> > >> >> I think of the following; try to delete both /root/.pulse and
> > >> >> $HOME/.pulse, and rebooting (probably a logout/login should suffice,
> > >> >> but you never know).
> > >> >>
> > >> >> Another thing: if you installed PA since GNOME 3.8 needs it, why are
> > >> >> you using it without GNOME? If you use GNOME, the session manager will
> > >> >> automatically start PA as a user for you, and everything should work.
> > >> >> If you are not running GNOME, why do you run PA? If you are at the
> > >> >> console without X running, just don't use PA. Use mplayer -ao alsa or
> > >> >> whatever.
> > >> >>
> > >> >> Or do you want to run several audio apps in the console?
> > >> >
> > >> > I want to run apps from the console, but to start gnome when I need it.
> > >>
> > >> Then do that. When you start GNOME, it will start PA automatically:
> > >> you don't need to do anything. Don't try to start PA yourself; it's
> > >> DBus activated.
> > >>
> > >>
> > >> > I am running pa as a user and things are still not working, except for
> > >> > the root user who can play sounds.
> > >>
> > >> I repeat: you don't need to run PA. GNOME will start it for you.
> > >
> > > But will that workif I have spawn=no in my /etc/pulse/client.conf which
> > > I have to have for regular apps to work from theconsole?  Or is there
> > > some other way to make this happen?
> >
> > I don't understand the question. If you don't run PA by yourself, then
> > it will be started only when using GNOME. And if you are using GNOME,
> > you can use the nice sound settings dialog to get your sound.
> >
> > If you don't start GNOME, then PA will not be started. If you don't
> > have sound in your console even without PA running, then is for some
> > issue completely unrelated to PA.
> >
> > PA should not be started if you only log in through the console.
> > Unless you are still running it system-wide, which is basically
> > unsupported.
>
> OK, we will see what happens, so I have set spawn=no which should work
> to prevent pa except in gnome, so hopefully that should work.
>
> Thanks for clarifying this for me.
>
>
> --
> Your life is like a penny.  You're going to lose it.  The question is:
> How do
> you spend it?
>
>          John Covici
>          covici@××××××××××.com
>

I had the same issue here when installing pulseaudio. I don't use GNOME,
so that does take part of the equation away. The problem was solved by
changing permissions to /dev/snd and it's containing files. After
chmodding /dev/snd/* to 666, I was able to play sounds as a normal user.
In the Gentoo guide, it mentions this, and it also mentions taking your
user out of the audio group if you're currently in it. Please see
http://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/PulseAudio#Root_can_play_sound.2C_other_users_cannot
for more detailed information.

Very Respectfully,

Kevin Thompson