(OT?) what is blocking my sound system?

Hi,
I recently installed skype on my slack12 system. I have a built in
intel sound card and a usb audio adapter. When I finally got skype
configured correctly using the usb audio system it worked but my intel
sound got blocked. Every application that I try gives back the /dev/dsp
device or resorce busy message. I have used lsof and fuser with no useful
info. Something is using /dev/dsp but I can't find it. Alsactl restore
returns the message: No state is present for card system.
Also I have checked /etc/asound.state and it looks like it has been
corrupted but I don't know what to do about that. I have rebooted and even
turned the computer off but the problem remains.
I need help in turning this frustration into a learning experience.
Thanks, jwc

john connolly wrote:[color=blue]
> Hi,
> I recently installed skype on my slack12 system. I have a built in
> intel sound card and a usb audio adapter. When I finally got skype
> configured correctly using the usb audio system it worked but my intel
> sound got blocked. Every application that I try gives back the /dev/dsp
> device or resorce busy message. I have used lsof and fuser with no useful
> info. Something is using /dev/dsp but I can't find it. Alsactl restore
> returns the message: No state is present for card system.
> Also I have checked /etc/asound.state and it looks like it has been
> corrupted but I don't know what to do about that. I have rebooted and even
> turned the computer off but the problem remains.
> I need help in turning this frustration into a learning experience.
> Thanks, jwc[/color]
Take a look at alsamixer, as 'normal' in Slackware it has under the bars
a little square with two 'M's in it. When highlighting any position
first press letter 'm', the M's should turn into 'toilet' designation
'OO', meaning that this position is now 'active'.

HTH

Stanislaw.

Stanislaw Flatto wrote:
[color=blue]
> john connolly wrote:[color=green]
>> Hi,
>> I recently installed skype on my slack12 system. I have a built
>> in
>> intel sound card and a usb audio adapter. When I finally got skype
>> configured correctly using the usb audio system it worked but my intel
>> sound got blocked. Every application that I try gives back the /dev/dsp
>> device or resorce busy message. I have used lsof and fuser with no useful
>> info. Something is using /dev/dsp but I can't find it. Alsactl restore
>> returns the message: No state is present for card system.
>> Also I have checked /etc/asound.state and it looks like it has
>> been
>> corrupted but I don't know what to do about that. I have rebooted and
>> even turned the computer off but the problem remains.
>> I need help in turning this frustration into a learning
>> experience.
>> Thanks, jwc[/color]
> Take a look at alsamixer, as 'normal' in Slackware it has under the bars
> a little square with two 'M's in it. When highlighting any position
> first press letter 'm', the M's should turn into 'toilet' designation
> 'OO', meaning that this position is now 'active'.
>
> HTH
>
> Stanislaw.[/color]

The alsamixer readout is ok.
jwc

On Sun, 02 Dec 2007 15:04:55 -0600, john connolly <jconnolly@kc.rr.com> wrote:[color=blue]
> Hi,
> I recently installed skype on my slack12 system. I have a built in
> intel sound card and a usb audio adapter. When I finally got skype
> configured correctly using the usb audio system it worked but my intel
> sound got blocked. Every application that I try gives back the /dev/dsp
> device or resorce busy message. I have used lsof and fuser with no useful
> info. Something is using /dev/dsp but I can't find it. Alsactl restore
> returns the message: No state is present for card system.[/color]

Do "alsaconf" then "alsactl store" that should fix /etc/asound.state.
I moved asound.state to asound.state.bak and then did the alsaonf, alsctl
store and ended up with a new asound.state with the camera mic in the
last items of the file just like the original file. Go out of X-windows
to do this, which should dump whatever is holding up dsp.
I can also do alsamixer -c 1 and look at the settings for the
camera(USB) mic.
I am using the beta version of Skype and my video does not work but the
Camera mic works fine on the echo test. I have the camera mic selected
for Sound In(Camera (hw:Camera,0)) and Sound Out is left at default device
as is Ringing.
I can give you the output of asound.state if that will help. My
built in sound is HDA intel.
[color=blue]
> Also I have checked /etc/asound.state and it looks like it has been
> corrupted but I don't know what to do about that. I have rebooted and even
> turned the computer off but the problem remains.
> I need help in turning this frustration into a learning experience.
> Thanks, jwc[/color]


--
Ken P

Ken P wrote:
[color=blue]
> On Sun, 02 Dec 2007 15:04:55 -0600, john connolly <jconnolly@kc.rr.com>
> wrote:[color=green]
>> Hi,
>> I recently installed skype on my slack12 system. I have a built
>> in
>> intel sound card and a usb audio adapter. When I finally got skype
>> configured correctly using the usb audio system it worked but my intel
>> sound got blocked. Every application that I try gives back the /dev/dsp
>> device or resorce busy message. I have used lsof and fuser with no useful
>> info. Something is using /dev/dsp but I can't find it. Alsactl restore
>> returns the message: No state is present for card system.[/color]
>
> Do "alsaconf" then "alsactl store" that should fix /etc/asound.state.
> I moved asound.state to asound.state.bak and then did the alsaonf, alsctl
> store and ended up with a new asound.state with the camera mic in the
> last items of the file just like the original file. Go out of X-windows
> to do this, which should dump whatever is holding up dsp.
> I can also do alsamixer -c 1 and look at the settings for the
> camera(USB) mic.
> I am using the beta version of Skype and my video does not work but the
> Camera mic works fine on the echo test. I have the camera mic selected
> for Sound In(Camera (hw:Camera,0)) and Sound Out is left at default device
> as is Ringing.
> I can give you the output of asound.state if that will help. My
> built in sound is HDA intel.
>[color=green]
>> Also I have checked /etc/asound.state and it looks like it has
>> been
>> corrupted but I don't know what to do about that. I have rebooted and
>> even turned the computer off but the problem remains.
>> I need help in turning this frustration into a learning
>> experience.
>> Thanks, jwc[/color]
>
>[/color]
This is one of the entries in asound.state after following your procedure:
control.14 {
comment.access read
comment.type IEC958
comment.count 1
iface MIXER
name 'IEC958 Playback Con Mask'

value '0fff000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000'
I don't think this is correct.
jwc

On Sun, 02 Dec 2007 18:21:28 -0600, john connolly <jconnolly@kc.rr.com> wrote:[color=blue]
> Ken P wrote:
>[color=green]
>> I can give you the output of asound.state if that will help. My
>> built in sound is HDA intel.
>>
>>
>>[/color]
> This is one of the entries in asound.state after following your procedure:
> control.14 {
> comment.access read
> comment.type IEC958
> comment.count 1
> iface MIXER
> name 'IEC958 Playback Con Mask'
>
> value '0fff000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
> 000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
> 000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000'
> I don't think this is correct.
> jwc[/color]

Mine:

control.39 {
comment.access read
comment.type IEC958
comment.count 1
iface MIXER
name 'IEC958 Playback Con Mask'
value '0fff000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
000000000000000'

control.40 {
comment.access read
comment.type IEC958
comment.count 1
iface MIXER
name 'IEC958 Playback Pro Mask'
value '0f000000000000000000000000.....

control.41 {
comment.access 'read write'
comment.type IEC958
comment.count 1
iface MIXER
name 'IEC958 Playback Default'
value '0400000000000000000000000.....

Control 1 -46 intel sound "Intel 82801H (ICH8 Family)
control 1 -3 camera

--
Ken P

john connolly wrote:
[color=blue]
> Hi,
> I recently installed skype on my slack12 system. I have a built in
> intel sound card and a usb audio adapter. When I finally got skype
> configured correctly using the usb audio system it worked but my intel
> sound got blocked. Every application that I try gives back the /dev/dsp
> device or resorce busy message. I have used lsof and fuser with no useful
> info. Something is using /dev/dsp but I can't find it. Alsactl restore
> returns the message: No state is present for card system.
> Also I have checked /etc/asound.state and it looks like it has
> been
> corrupted but I don't know what to do about that. I have rebooted and even
> turned the computer off but the problem remains.
> I need help in turning this frustration into a learning
> experience.
> Thanks, jwc[/color]

Hi again,
This one is all on me and it's embarrassing! The dsp thing was apparently
an oss vs alsa thing and not the real problem. I have a rat's nest of
cables on my desk and I hooked up the speakers to the mike cable instead of
the line out cable. Once that got corrected things worked ok.
Thanks to the responders and I apologize for the original post.
jwc

john connolly wrote:
[color=blue]
> Hi again,
> This one is all on me and it's embarrassing! The dsp thing was
> apparently
> an oss vs alsa thing and not the real problem. I have a rat's nest of
> cables on my desk and I hooked up the speakers to the mike cable instead
> of the line out cable. Once that got corrected things worked ok.
> Thanks to the responders and I apologize for the original post.
> jwc[/color]

Ah, yes. The first rule of troubleshooting. "It works best if it's plugged
in." We've all done it.

--
Old Man

"Swagger isn't courage." Lee Iacocca