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

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.
I am running pa as a user and things are still not working, except for
the root user who can play sounds. 

Thanks so much for all of your help.

-- 
Your life is like a penny.  You're going to lose it.  The question is:
How do
you spend it?

         John Covici
         covici@××××××××××.com