switched off sound & video

English Install/Boot/Login
#1

This is just a data point because these observations are semi-irreproducible results:

  • sound. Sometimes the sound cuts out and no sound producing applications are able to use sound. I do not see any evidence for what happened in /var/log/messages. If there is something else I should look at, it would be nice to know. Nothing in the alsa stuff jumps out as a way to trace the activity, so I don’t know how to provide any diagnostic info. After several reboots, it eventually restores itself and works correctly.

  • video. Sometimes when I boot up, the secondary monitor has residual trash on the boot up/login screen. Other times, it is switched off entirely and I only get one monitor functioning when the desk top is finally up. Rebooting a few times clears this up, too.

The clear-up reboot requires a full shut down, not just a KDE restart. That is always ineffective when these problems present themselves, so these are likely driver level issues.

I do not know where developers get their suggestions, but here’s one: for each subsystem, have some well-named “I need diagnostics for this” thing available under the yast administrator stuff. That would turn on diagnostics for the subsystem. Then, I could turn it on for X and get something a bit better than the .xsession-errors (which showed nothing obvious for this problem) and for sound (aka “alsa” for those in the know). So, for now, if I have anything useful, I do not know what or where. Sorry.

#2

My guess would be some other application has seized the audio device and is refusing to share it. To see what application has the audio device, run the following:

lsof /dev/dsp* /dev/audio* /dev/mixer* /dev/snd/*

do that a number of times, and eventually you will learn what it means for various applications

They get them from here: https://features.opensuse.org/ With your forum user name and password you can log on and make suggestions.

#3

I was about to try your “lsof” (list open file) suggestion, but I’ve got to reboot again. Firing up a console yields a popup:

> KLauncher could not be reached via DCOP

This started today. As far as I know, you gotta recycle KDE.
Of course, the sound is working at the moment…Just not
app. starts in KDE. I will also take your suggestion to where
developers hang out. Thanks!

#4

Have you check you file system?

Also may be mixed packages post

zypper lr -d

#5

Note in KDE you can control the order of sound devices under Kmenu (kickoff application launcher) > Configure desktop > multimedia … I always use the xine backend, and I replace the Novell/SuSE-GmbH packaged version of libxine1 with the packman packager packaged version of libxine1 (where one can tell packman packaged versions by the “pm” in the version number).

#6

Thank you all for your continued suggestions!

My sound is currently off, so per previous requests:

$ zypper lr -d ; sound-hog

| Alias | Name | Enabled | Refresh | Priority | Type | URI | Service

–±----------------±----------------------±--------±--------±---------±-------±----------------------------------------------------------------±-------
1 | openSUSE 11.1-0 | openSUSE 11.1-0 | Yes | No | 99 | yast2 | cd:///?devices=/dev/sr0 |
2 | repo-debug | openSUSE-11.1-Debug | No | Yes | 100 | NONE | Index of /debug/distribution/11.1/repo/oss |
3 | repo-non-oss | openSUSE-11.1-Non-Oss | Yes | Yes | 100 | yast2 | Index of /distribution/11.1/repo/non-oss |
4 | repo-oss | openSUSE-11.1-Oss | Yes | Yes | 100 | yast2 | Index of /distribution/11.1/repo/oss |
5 | repo-source | openSUSE-11.1-Source | No | Yes | 100 | NONE | Index of /source/distribution/11.1/repo/oss |
6 | repo-update | openSUSE-11.1-Update | Yes | Yes | 20 | rpm-md | Index of /update/11.1 |
COMMAND PID USER FD TYPE DEVICE SIZE/OFF NODE NAME
kmix 5432 bkorb 10u CHR 116,4 0t0 5138 /dev/snd/controlC0
kmix 5432 bkorb 11u CHR 116,10 0t0 5203 /dev/snd/controlC1
pulseaudi 5462 bkorb 20u CHR 116,10 0t0 5203 /dev/snd/controlC1
pulseaudi 5462 bkorb 27u CHR 116,10 0t0 5203 /dev/snd/controlC1
pulseaudi 5462 bkorb 32u CHR 116,4 0t0 5138 /dev/snd/controlC0

RE: 11.1 – I know 11.2 is current, but a fresh install is DOA.
I had to go back. And, no, I avoid any special customizations so (to my knowledge) I’ve not done anything especially peculiar.

RE: openers of the /dev/snd/controlC? – yesterday, when all was fine and dandy, there were only 2 pulseaudio opens. Today, it has two opens on /dev/snd/controlC1 and it is not working.

#7

Do you have 2 sound cards installed?

Pulseaudio does not work well with KDE. It should be disabled. Do the multimedia stuff here

Multi-media and Restricted Format Installation Guide - openSUSE Forums

Check in yast search for pulseaudio and remove all except libpuls0

#8

I needed to run this many times, at different times, with different apps using my audio, before I could figure it out what it means on my PC. If you can run that once on your PC, and have it all figured out, then my hat is OFF to you.

For example, my PC with no audio playing:

COMMAND   PID   USER   FD   TYPE DEVICE SIZE/OFF NODE NAME
knotify4 3101 oldcpu   12u   CHR  116,7      0t0 5517 /dev/snd/controlC0
kmix     3851 oldcpu   10u   CHR  116,7      0t0 5517 /dev/snd/controlC0
kmix     3851 oldcpu   12u   CHR  116,9      0t0 5592 /dev/snd/controlC1

Now with firefox playing a video on youtube:


COMMAND    PID   USER   FD   TYPE DEVICE SIZE/OFF NODE NAME
knotify4  3101 oldcpu   12u   CHR  116,7      0t0 5517 /dev/snd/controlC0
kmix      3851 oldcpu   10u   CHR  116,7      0t0 5517 /dev/snd/controlC0
kmix      3851 oldcpu   12u   CHR  116,9      0t0 5592 /dev/snd/controlC1
npviewer. 6494 oldcpu  mem    CHR  116,4          5503 /dev/snd/pcmC0D0p
npviewer. 6494 oldcpu   12u   CHR  116,2      0t0 5169 /dev/snd/timer
npviewer. 6494 oldcpu   13u   CHR  116,4      0t0 5503 /dev/snd/pcmC0D0p
npviewer. 6494 oldcpu   14u   CHR  116,7      0t0 5517 /dev/snd/controlC0

Now with xine playing a video:

COMMAND   PID   USER   FD   TYPE DEVICE SIZE/OFF  NODE NAME
knotify4 3101 oldcpu   12u   CHR  116,7      0t0  5517 /dev/snd/controlC0
kmix     3851 oldcpu   10u   CHR  116,7      0t0  5517 /dev/snd/controlC0
kmix     3851 oldcpu   12u   CHR  116,9      0t0  5592 /dev/snd/controlC1
xine     6971 oldcpu    6r   CHR   14,0      0t0 12290 /dev/mixer
xine     6971 oldcpu    8w   CHR   14,3      0t0 12314 /dev/dsp

and now smplayer playing a video:

COMMAND   PID   USER   FD   TYPE DEVICE SIZE/OFF NODE NAME
knotify4 3101 oldcpu   12u   CHR  116,7      0t0 5517 /dev/snd/controlC0
kmix     3851 oldcpu   10u   CHR  116,7      0t0 5517 /dev/snd/controlC0
kmix     3851 oldcpu   12u   CHR  116,9      0t0 5592 /dev/snd/controlC1
mplayer  7022 oldcpu  mem    CHR  116,4          5503 /dev/snd/pcmC0D0p
mplayer  7022 oldcpu    5r   CHR  116,2      0t0 5169 /dev/snd/timer
mplayer  7022 oldcpu    6u   CHR  116,4      0t0 5503 /dev/snd/pcmC0D0p
mplayer  7022 oldcpu    7u   CHR  116,7      0t0 5517 /dev/snd/controlC0

and now both smplayer and xine playing a video at the same time:


COMMAND   PID   USER   FD   TYPE DEVICE SIZE/OFF NODE NAME
knotify4 3101 oldcpu   12u   CHR  116,7      0t0 5517 /dev/snd/controlC0
kmix     3851 oldcpu   10u   CHR  116,7      0t0 5517 /dev/snd/controlC0
kmix     3851 oldcpu   12u   CHR  116,9      0t0 5592 /dev/snd/controlC1
mplayer  7022 oldcpu  mem    CHR  116,4          5503 /dev/snd/pcmC0D0p
mplayer  7022 oldcpu    5r   CHR  116,2      0t0 5169 /dev/snd/timer
mplayer  7022 oldcpu    6u   CHR  116,4      0t0 5503 /dev/snd/pcmC0D0p
mplayer  7022 oldcpu    7u   CHR  116,7      0t0 5517 /dev/snd/controlC0
xine     7031 oldcpu  mem    CHR  116,4          5503 /dev/snd/pcmC0D0p
xine     7031 oldcpu    5u   CHR  116,7      0t0 5517 /dev/snd/controlC0
xine     7031 oldcpu    8r   CHR  116,2      0t0 5169 /dev/snd/timer
xine     7031 oldcpu    9u   CHR  116,4      0t0 5503 /dev/snd/pcmC0D0p
xine     7031 oldcpu   10u   CHR  116,7      0t0 5517 /dev/snd/controlC0
#9

Pulse audio IS disabled by default in openSUSE-11.2 KDE4.

#10

> Do you have 2 sound cards installed?

Not unless there are two sound chip sets on the mother board.

> Check in yast search for pulseaudio and remove all except libpuls0

“Nothing found”

> $ rpm --query --all --list|fgrep pulseaudio|sed -n '$p'
> /usr/share/man/man1/pulseaudio.1.gz
> $ rpm --query --file /usr/share/man/man1/pulseaudio.1.gz
> pulseaudio-0.9.14-2.2.1

Yast cannot disable what it cannot find. Should the package
be removed?

RE:

> $ cat $(which sound-hog)
> #! /bin/bash
>
> lsof /dev/dsp* /dev/audio* /dev/mixer* /dev/snd/*

I ran it twice: once when I could run sound apps, once when not and noted the difference. Two opens on controlC1 was obvious. FYI, I’ve been playing with computers since before the beginning of time. (aka Jan 1, 1970)

Anyway, next time it locks up, I’ll try a ``su -c “pkill -TERM pulseaudio”’’, pending confirmation that I should just nuke the whole package.

#11

I know but it is showing up as the attached process in the OP’s list. It should not be.

#12

Hmmm …

… by chance are you using Gnome ?

I confess I tried Gnome out on my sandbox PC for a few months, removing it only a week or so ago. I really liked Gnome’s interface (aside from double click which I hated, and I disliked its YaST implementation, as KDE has IMHO a superior one). I liked Gnome so much I went around changing my KDE desktops to look like Gnome. But in the end I removed Gnome from my sandbox PC and did NOT update any of my other PCs to Gnome despite my liking its appearance. Why? Its sound implementation with pulse audio is simply too quirky and was far too irritating. KDE does NOT have the sound problems that Gnome has.

… anyway, Murphy says you have KDE, even though the characteristics you describe read to me to be like Gnome. Is Murphy correct? (ie you have KDE ? ) … or have you installed both desktops ?

#13

Sometimes, I fail to knock out Gnome when I do an install and I have both. Not this time – plain KDE, plus the non-desktop Gnome stuff that seems to come whether you want it or not. The pieces that Yast finds associated with “gnome” and are installed are: – ahem – below. I started out thinking there would not be that many. I was wrong. I do kind-of wonder how relevant many of these are in a non-Gnome environment…How they all got there would be a question for the openSuSE packaging guys.

atk-devel
bundle-lang-gnome-en
desktop-data-openSUSE (KDE and Gnome)
dia
dia-lang
gconf2
gconf2-branding-openSUSE
glib2-branding-openSUSE
gnome-icon-theme
gnome-keyring
gnome-print-sharp
gnome-sharp2
gnome-spell2
gnome-vfs2
gnome-vfs-sharp2
graphviz-gnome
gstreamer-0_10
gstreamer-0_10-utils
gstreamer-utils
gtk-sharp2-complete
libbonobo
libbonoboui
libesd0
libglade2
libgnome
libgnomecanvas
libgnomecups
libgnomeprint
libgnomeprintui
libgnomesu
libgnomesu0
libgnomeui
libgsf-1-114
libgsf-1-114-32bit
libgstreamer-0_10-0
libgstreamer-0_10-0-32bit
libxine1-gnome-vfs
mozilla-xulrunner190-gnomevfs
NetworkManager-gnome
pango-devel
PolicyKit-gnome-libs
python-gnome
#14

That doesn’t look tooooo bad. I think I have worse. :slight_smile: … but my sound is working fine. I am still puzzled why you are getting an indication that pulse is running …

By chance do you have pulse selected as your main audio device under Kickoff Application Launcher > Configure Desktop > Multimedia ?

#15

By chance do you have pulse selected as your main audio device under Kickoff Application Launcher > Configure Desktop > Multimedia ?

Beats heck out of me. When I fire up the “configure desktop” application, my “sound/multimedia” selection shows that the sound system is enabled, runs with real time priority and should auto-suspend after 5 seconds (“General” tab). The hardware tab shows that it should auto-detect devices. There should be only one device and it is on the motherboard.

By the way, I am working my way through

http://forums.opensuse.org/new-user-how-faq-read-only/407184-multi-media-restricted-format-installation-guide.html

. After a timeout on a dependent package, I’ve got libdvdcss now. Thank you!

<<time passes…>>

However, I am also running into many dependency errors going through the “You now need to mark for installation the following” list. So, neither amarok-packman nor any xine stuff.

#16

IMHO you should choose Packman packaged apps where there are both Novell/SuSE-GmbH and Packman packaged versions for the same apps. Choose the packman ones.

You may get a dependency warning about a vendor or packager change (or words to that effect) and simply select yes to the packman packager.

#17

I’ve now followed all the instructions and there are (surprise) problems. The precise script that triggers the following output follows at the bottom:

$ mk-script ck-multi-media;ck-multi-media
sed '1s@^#! *^ ]*@#! /bin/bash@' ck-multi-media.sh > ../ck-multi-media
ck-multi-media warning:
These packages should not come from the VideoLAN Project
libmpeg2-0 -> VideoLAN Project (http://www.videolan.org)
libavfilter1 -> VideoLAN Project (http://www.videolan.org)
libkate1 -> VideoLAN Project (http://www.videolan.org)
libmp3lame0 -> VideoLAN Project (http://www.videolan.org)
libx264-devel -> VideoLAN Project (http://www.videolan.org)
libx264-80 -> VideoLAN Project (http://www.videolan.org)
libmp4v2-devel -> VideoLAN Project (http://www.videolan.org)
libdvdcss-debuginfo -> VideoLAN Project (http://www.videolan.org)
x264 -> VideoLAN Project (http://www.videolan.org)
faac -> VideoLAN Project (http://www.videolan.org)
libdvdcss-devel -> VideoLAN Project (http://www.videolan.org)
libfaac0 -> VideoLAN Project (http://www.videolan.org)
libproxy0 -> VideoLAN Project (http://www.videolan.org)
libxvidcore-devel -> VideoLAN Project (http://www.videolan.org)
libmodplug0 -> VideoLAN Project (http://www.videolan.org)
libass4 -> VideoLAN Project (http://www.videolan.org)
libmad0 -> VideoLAN Project (http://www.videolan.org)
libmp3lame-devel -> VideoLAN Project (http://www.videolan.org)
libdvdcss-debugsource -> VideoLAN Project (http://www.videolan.org)
libdca0 -> VideoLAN Project (http://www.videolan.org)
libmp4v2-0 -> VideoLAN Project (http://www.videolan.org)
libfaac-devel -> VideoLAN Project (http://www.videolan.org)
libffmpeg-devel -> VideoLAN Project (http://www.videolan.org)

ck-multi-media warning:
libxine1 is not from packman
libxine1-pulse-1.1.15-23.3.3-x86_64 -> openSUSE
libxine1-1.1.15-23.4.1-x86_64 -> openSUSE
libxine1-gnome-vfs-1.1.15-23.3.3-x86_64 -> openSUSE

ck-multi-media warning:
6 gstreamer packages were not from packman
gstreamer-0_10-plugins-good-0.10.10-3.22.1-x86_64 -> openSUSE
gstreamer-utils-0.10.21-3.13-x86_64 -> openSUSE
gstreamer-0_10-0.10.21-3.13-x86_64 -> openSUSE
gstreamer-0_10-plugins-base-0.10.21-2.21.2-x86_64 -> openSUSE
gstreamer-0_10-utils-0.10.21-3.13-x86_64 -> openSUSE
gstreamer-0_10-schroedinger-1.0.5-2.20-x86_64 -> openSUSE

There were some config problems.  The installed relevant packages:
MPlayer-1.0rc2_r30099-2.pm.5.3-x86_64 -> http://packman.links2linux.de
gst-fluendo-mp3-2-37.3-x86_64 -> openSUSE
gstreamer-0_10-0.10.21-3.13-x86_64 -> openSUSE
gstreamer-0_10-plugins-base-0.10.21-2.21.2-x86_64 -> openSUSE
gstreamer-0_10-plugins-good-0.10.10-3.22.1-x86_64 -> openSUSE
gstreamer-0_10-schroedinger-1.0.5-2.20-x86_64 -> openSUSE
gstreamer-0_10-utils-0.10.21-3.13-x86_64 -> openSUSE
gstreamer-utils-0.10.21-3.13-x86_64 -> openSUSE
libavc1394-0-0.5.3-129.6-x86_64 -> openSUSE
libavc1394-devel-0.5.3-129.6-x86_64 -> openSUSE
libavcodec52-0.5.21861svn-0.pm.1.2-x86_64 -> http://packman.links2linux.de
libavdevice52-0.5.21861svn-0.pm.1.2-x86_64 -> http://packman.links2linux.de
libavfilter1-0.5.0.20969-1.1-x86_64 -> VideoLAN Project (http://www.videolan.org)
libavformat52-0.5.21861svn-0.pm.1.2-x86_64 -> http://packman.links2linux.de
libavutil50-0.5.21861svn-0.pm.1.2-x86_64 -> http://packman.links2linux.de
libgstinterfaces-0_10-0-0.10.21-2.21.2-x86_64 -> openSUSE
libgstreamer-0_10-0-0.10.21-3.13-x86_64 -> openSUSE
libpostproc51-0.5.21861svn-0.pm.1.2-x86_64 -> http://packman.links2linux.de
libswscale0-0.5.21861svn-0.pm.1.2-x86_64 -> http://packman.links2linux.de
libvlc2-1.0.5-1.pm.3.11-x86_64 -> http://packman.links2linux.de
libvlccore2-1.0.5-1.pm.3.11-x86_64 -> http://packman.links2linux.de
libxine1-1.1.15-23.4.1-x86_64 -> openSUSE
libxine1-gnome-vfs-1.1.15-23.3.3-x86_64 -> openSUSE
libxine1-pulse-1.1.15-23.3.3-x86_64 -> openSUSE
phonon-backend-gstreamer-0_10-4.2.0-40.18-x86_64 -> openSUSE
vlc-1.0.5-1.pm.3.11-x86_64 -> http://packman.links2linux.de
vlc-noX-1.0.5-1.pm.3.11-x86_64 -> http://packman.links2linux.de
vlc-qt-1.0.5-1.pm.3.11-x86_64 -> http://packman.links2linux.de
xinetd-2.3.14-129.35-x86_64 -> openSUSE

The script – check multi-media in one step:

#! /bin/bash

main_pid=$$
prog=$(basename $0 .sh)

die()
{
    printf "${prog} error:
%s

" "$*" >&2
    kill -TERM ${main_pid}
    exit 1
}

warn()
{
    printf "${prog} warning:
%s

" "$*"
    exitcode=1
}

init()
{
    LC_ALL=C

    export LC_ALL

    exitcode=0
}

init

text=$(zypper ve) 2>/dev/null
res=$(echo "${text}" | \
    grep 'Dependencies of all installed packages are satisfied')

test ${#res} -eq 0 && die $'your dependencies are broken:
'"${text}"

text=$(rpm -qa --queryformat '%{NAME} -> %{VENDOR}
' | \
    grep -i 'VideoLAN Project')

test ${#text} -eq 0 && \
    die 'You do not have any VideoLAN Project packages'

text=$(echo "$text" | grep -v '^libdvdcss -')
test ${#text} -ne 0 && \
    warn $'These packages should not come from the VideoLAN Project
'"${text}"

text=$(rpm --verify --query --all 'libav*' 'libpostproc*' 'libswscale*')
test ${#text} -ne 0 && \
    die $'Basic multimedia ceck fails.  The following is not empty:
'"${text}"

allpkgs=$(rpm --query --all --queryformat \
    '%{NAME}-%{VERSION}-%{RELEASE}-%{ARCH} -> %{VENDOR}
')

text=$(echo "${allpkgs}" | egrep '^libxine1')
res=$(echo "${text}" | fgrep ' -> packman.' | wc -l)
test ${res} -eq 2 || \
    warn $'libxine1 is not from packman
'"${text}"

text=$(echo "${allpkgs}" | egrep '^xine')
test ${#text} -eq 0 && \
    warn 'there are no xine packages'

text=$(echo "${allpkgs}" | egrep '^gstreamer')
test ${#text} -eq 0 && {
    warn 'there are no gstreamer packages'
} || {
    ct1=$(echo "${text}" | wc -l)
    ct2=$(echo "${text}" | fgrep ' -> packman.' | wc -l)
    test ${ct1} -ne ${ct2} && \
        warn "$(( ct1 - ct2 )) gstreamer packages were not from packman" \
            $'
'"${text}"
}

text=$(rpm --verify --query --all '*gst*' 2>&1)
test $? -ne 0 -o ${#text} -ne 0 && \
    warn "broken gstreamer packages"$'
'"${text}"

text=$(rpm --verify MPlayer 2>&1)
test $? -ne 0 -o ${#text} -ne 0 && \
    warn "broken MPlayer package"$'
'"${text}"

text=$(rpm --verify --query --all '*vlc*' 2>&1)
test $? -ne 0 -o ${#text} -ne 0 && \
    warn "broken vlc packages"$'
'"${text}"

text=$(rpm --verify w32codec-all 2>&1)
test $? -ne 0 -o ${#text} -ne 0 && \
    warn "broken w32codec-all package"$'
'"${text}"

test ${exitcode} -eq 0 && {
    echo everything looks wonderful
} || {
    echo "There were some config problems.  The installed relevant packages:"
    echo "${allpkgs}" | \
        grep -E '^libav|^libpostproc*|^libswscale|xine|gst|^MPlayer|vlc' | \
        grep -v avahi | \
        sort
}

exit ${exitcode}
#18

I never recommend using the 1 click install.

Instead I recommend to add the packman repository such that one has 4 and only 4 repositories: OSS, Non-OSS, Update and packman and just those 4. No others. None. Only those 4: OSS, Non-OSS, Update and packman. Adding more than those 4 can cause problems.

Then install via YaST and do NOT use the 1 click install. If one uses the 1 click install and is not careful one can add more repositories and that will cause problems. So don’t use it.

Guidance here: Multi-media and Restricted Format Installation Guide - openSUSE Forums

#19

Not “one click install” but “one script validation”.

Also, because I am unfortunate enough to be using the disparaged
“nvidia” video controller chip, I do need some nvidia repo.
I had “debug” and “source” repos also because I figured it would
be useful when things go awry. They always do. So I am down to
those four, plus the DVD “repo”. These are all now ordered and
prioritized per the Please observe carefully the Priority settings! comment.
The problem now, of course, is telling Yast it needs to go out and get the packages from the new sources.
Looking at the YaST2 GUI, there doesn’t seem to be an obvious
trivial way to tell it to do that…

#20

Don’t exactly know why I didn’t think of it before:

su -c “/etc/init.d/alsasound restart”

Afterward, the “sound-hog” script shows no openers of sound
devices and the sound working perfectly. I am really tempted to:

rpm --erase pulseaudio-0.9.14-2.2.1

but I won’t do it without some assurance it won’t deal a
death blow to my installation. :slight_smile:

P.S. the garbage-in-the-wallpaper and shut down right monitor
are still hanging out there, but it happens much less frequently.