Sound problem -- better defined

[David A. Bandel]

On Fri, 1 Mar 2002 22:55:20 -0500
begin  Tim Wunder <tim at thewunders.org> spewed forth:

> I posted a message on a previous thread (Adding window managers)
> regarding a problem I'm having with a multimedia app (The Gnome Wave
> Cleaner) having trouble with playback of WAV files. I described the
> problem thusly: The app plays WAV files beautifully when run from xfce
> started in runlevel 3, but doesn't when run from KDE, xfce and gnome
> started by kdm in runlevel 5 and doesn't when run from gnome started
> from gdm in runlevel 5.
> 
> I compared the output of 'ps -ax' when the app would work and when it 
> wouldn't and found what I think is the problem, a running remote X
> session. It seems my son was logged into a remote X session from the
> upstairs PC during the time I've been experiencing the problem (not
> actually DOING anything mind you, just logged in...). When I changed to
> runlevel 3, he was no longer logged in, the app worked. He's no longer
> logged in now and the app is running fine from runlevel 5.
> 
> So this appears to be a remote X issue.  Any ideas on
> troubleshooting/fixing that?
> 
> I guess I could update X to 4.2.0 and hope the problem is magically
> solved...
> 
> What are the chances that this is a kernel problem?

Not a kernel problem (or even an X problem -- X doesn't control sound,
only screen, video card, and mouse).

This is a window manager problem.  KDE is much like Windoze in the way it
assumes whoever is logged in is the only user.  As such, it does some
nasty things.  Take a look at your sound files (ownership, permissions) as
different folks log in and out.  KDE chowns the sound files to the last
user logging.  It then attaches a sound device to that /dev/dsp device. 
I'm not talking about just using the device, KDE grabs it for exclusive
use.  Gnome may or may not do the same.  This is incredibly rude and
arrogant, especially for a system that is designed to be multi-user.

Ciao,

David A. Bandel
-- 
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