Problem with no sound in games

[troberts]

I am not able to hear sound while playing games and I am not sure how to track down the problem. I am using the SoundBlaster Live! 24-bit sound card which, from what I have gathered, is not FreeBSD "friendly". Since I cannot use one of the sound drivers that come with FreeBSD I am using the OSS driver, the one in ports, not from 4front Technologies. To get the sound working with XMMS, Sonata (i.e. MPD), MPlayer I added the line ln -sf /dev/oss/audigyls0/pcm1 /dev/dsp in my /usr/local/etc/rc.d/oss file. The entire file is:

#!/bin/sh

# PROVIDE: oss
# REQUIRE: DAEMON
# KEYWORD: nojail shutdown

. /etc/rc.subr

name="oss"
rcvar=`set_rcvar`

stop_cmd="oss_stop"
start_cmd="oss_start"

load_rc_config $name

: ${oss_enable=NO}

oss_start()
{
	echo "Starting Open Sound System"
	/usr/local/sbin/soundon
	ln -sf /dev/oss/audigyls0/pcm1 /dev/dsp
}

oss_stop()
{
	echo "Stopping Open Sound System"
	/usr/local/sbin/soundoff
}

run_rc_command "$1"

The output of osstest is:

Sound subsystem and version: OSS 4.0 (b1016/200807160409) (0x00040003)
Platform: FreeBSD/i386 7.0-STABLE FreeBSD 7.0-STABLE #1: Wed Jul 16 14:44:12 EDT 2008     root@:/usr/obj/usr/src/sys/GENERIC

*** Scanning sound adapter #-1 ***
/dev/oss/audigyls0/pcm0 (audio engine 0): AudigyLS front
- Performing audio playback test... 
  <left> Device returned error: Input/output error
/dev/oss/audigyls0/pcm1 (audio engine 1): AudigyLS front (VMIX0)
- Performing audio playback test... 
  <left> OK <right> OK <stereo> OK <measured srate 47946.00 Hz (-0.11%)> 
/dev/oss/audigyls0/pcm2 (audio engine 2): AudigyLS front (VMIX0)
- Skipping virtual device (use -V to force test)
/dev/oss/audigyls0/pcm3 (audio engine 3): AudigyLS front (VMIX0)
- Skipping virtual device (use -V to force test)
/dev/oss/audigyls0/pcm4 (audio engine 4): AudigyLS front (VMIX0)
- Skipping virtual device (use -V to force test)
/dev/oss/audigyls0/pcm5 (audio engine 5): AudigyLS (shadow)
- Skipping device (card already tested)
/dev/oss/audigyls0/pcm6 (audio engine 6): AudigyLS center/lfe
- Performing audio playback test... 
  <left> Device returned error: Input/output error
/dev/oss/audigyls0/pcm7 (audio engine 7): AudigyLS surround
- Performing audio playback test... 
  <left> Device returned error: Input/output error
/dev/oss/audigyls0/pcm8 (audio engine 8): AudigyLS 5.1 output
- Skipping multi channel device

*** Some errors were detected during the tests ***

The output of ls -l /dev/dsp* is:

lrwxr-xr-x  1 root  wheel  23 Jul 18 14:29 dsp -> /dev/oss/audigyls0/pcm1
lrwxr-xr-x  1 root  wheel  23 Jul 18 14:29 dsp0 -> /dev/oss/audigyls0/pcm0
lrwxr-xr-x  1 root  wheel  23 Jul 18 14:29 dsp1 -> /dev/oss/audigyls0/pcm1
lrwxr-xr-x  1 root  wheel  19 Jul 18 14:29 dsp10 -> /dev/oss/vmix0/pcm5
lrwxr-xr-x  1 root  wheel  19 Jul 18 14:29 dsp11 -> /dev/oss/vmix0/pcm6
lrwxr-xr-x  1 root  wheel  19 Jul 18 14:29 dsp12 -> /dev/oss/vmix0/pcm7
lrwxr-xr-x  1 root  wheel  23 Jul 18 14:29 dsp13 -> /dev/oss/audigyls0/pcm5
lrwxr-xr-x  1 root  wheel  23 Jul 18 14:29 dsp14 -> /dev/oss/audigyls0/pcm6
lrwxr-xr-x  1 root  wheel  23 Jul 18 14:29 dsp15 -> /dev/oss/audigyls0/pcm7
lrwxr-xr-x  1 root  wheel  23 Jul 18 14:29 dsp16 -> /dev/oss/audigyls0/pcm8
lrwxr-xr-x  1 root  wheel  23 Jul 18 14:29 dsp2 -> /dev/oss/audigyls0/pcm2
lrwxr-xr-x  1 root  wheel  23 Jul 18 14:29 dsp3 -> /dev/oss/audigyls0/pcm3
lrwxr-xr-x  1 root  wheel  23 Jul 18 14:29 dsp4 -> /dev/oss/audigyls0/pcm4
lrwxr-xr-x  1 root  wheel  19 Jul 18 14:29 dsp5 -> /dev/oss/vmix0/pcm0
lrwxr-xr-x  1 root  wheel  19 Jul 18 14:29 dsp6 -> /dev/oss/vmix0/pcm1
lrwxr-xr-x  1 root  wheel  19 Jul 18 14:29 dsp7 -> /dev/oss/vmix0/pcm2
lrwxr-xr-x  1 root  wheel  19 Jul 18 14:29 dsp8 -> /dev/oss/vmix0/pcm3
lrwxr-xr-x  1 root  wheel  19 Jul 18 14:29 dsp9 -> /dev/oss/vmix0/pcm4
lrwxr-xr-x  1 root  wheel  23 Jul 18 14:29 dsp_ac3 -> /dev/oss/audigyls0/pcm0
lrwxr-xr-x  1 root  wheel   8 Jul 18 14:29 dsp_in -> /dev/dsp
lrwxr-xr-x  1 root  wheel  23 Jul 18 14:29 dsp_mmap -> /dev/oss/audigyls0/pcm0
lrwxr-xr-x  1 root  wheel  23 Jul 18 14:29 dsp_multich -> /dev/oss/audigyls0/pcm4
lrwxr-xr-x  1 root  wheel  23 Jul 18 14:29 dsp_out -> /dev/oss/audigyls0/pcm0

When I use xterm to start lbreakout2 it displays a list of the sound files it tried to open and at the end, in parenthesis, is says (Audio device hasn't been opened).

[graudeejs]

I have same sound card...... for some reason (i don't remember what it was) i don't use it....
I use my integrated ICH sound card

It'll try to find out, why i gave up on SB

[Carpetsmoker]

What games don't have sound?

For some linux games (i.e. Q3, ET) you need to set:
# sysctl hw.snd.compat_linux_mmap=1

[troberts]

LBreakout2 - When I start it from a terminal it lists all the sound files it tried to open and at the end of each line it has (Audio device hasn't been opened). After I exit the game it displays the following:

Client finalized
GUI finalized
STK finalized
SDL finalized

BurgerSpace - The message *** Sound device not available *** appears on the game screen.

LTris - This gives the messages:

audio_open: can't open audio device: Couldn't set audio blocking mode
sound_chunk_load: cannot load WAV 'click.wav' as audio device isn't initiated properly

Game - No audio: Couldn't set audio blocking mode

LMarbles - Similar to LTris

sound_chunk_load: cannot load WAV 'teleport.wav' as audio device isn't initiated properly

[TerryP]

Some thing may be blocking it,

for example if you are running aRts (common on KDE) and launch TeamSpeak, aRts will sometimes prevent TS from accessing the sound device.

[troberts]

I am using neither GNOME nor KDE. My system is GTK-based. After posting last time I installed Heretic and it has sound. Before I jump out of the frying pan and into the fire how does the AC97 audio codec work in FreeBSD 7.0-STABLE #1?

I forgot to include the /dev/sndstat output so here it is:

OSS 4.0 (b1016/200807160409) BSD (C) 4Front Technologies 1996-2008
Kernel: FreeBSD 7.0-STABLE #1: Wed Jul 16 14:44:12 EDT 2008
    root@:/usr/obj/usr/src/sys/GENERIC


Audio devices:
0: AudigyLS front (DUPLEX)
   Engine 1 opened INOUT by VMIX/0 @ 48000/48000 Hz Fragment: 2048/192000 (10.6 msec)
   Engine 2 opened OUT by mpd/3421 @ 44100/48000 Hz Fragment: 2048/192000 (10.6 msec)
1: AudigyLS front (VMIX0) (DUPLEX)
   Engine 1 opened OUT by mpd/3421 @ 44100/48000 Hz Fragment: 2048/192000 (10.6 msec)
2: AudigyLS front (VMIX0) (DUPLEX)
3: AudigyLS front (VMIX0) (DUPLEX)
4: AudigyLS front (VMIX0) (DUPLEX)
5: (Undefined or removed device)
6: (Undefined or removed device)
7: (Undefined or removed device)
8: (Undefined or removed device)
9: (Undefined or removed device)
10: (Undefined or removed device)
11: (Undefined or removed device)
12: (Undefined or removed device)
13: AudigyLS (shadow) (DUPLEX)
14: AudigyLS center/lfe (OUTPUT)
15: AudigyLS surround (OUTPUT)
16: AudigyLS 5.1 output (OUTPUT)

Mixers:
0: AudigyLS Mixer

History:
/dev/oss/audigyls0/pcm1.01: pid 3421 cmd 'mpd' OUT 
/dev/oss/audigyls0/pcm1.01: pid 3421 cmd 'mpd' OUT 
/dev/oss/audigyls0/pcm1.01: pid 3421 cmd 'mpd' OUT 
/dev/oss/audigyls0/pcm1.01: pid 3421 cmd 'mpd' OUT 
/dev/oss/audigyls0/pcm1.01: pid 3421 cmd 'mpd' OUT 


WARNING! Legacy device numbering in /dev/sndstat is different from actual device numbering

[graudeejs]

My AC97 Works fine on 6.1, 6.2, 7.0 release
It SHOULD work fine

[Carpetsmoker]

Why are you using OSS from ports? Why not just use the OSS that comes with FreeBSD?
In my experience it usually works better and it's a lot easier to set up...

[troberts]

Originally Posted by Carpetsmoker

Why are you using OSS from ports? Why not just use the OSS that comes with FreeBSD?

I did not know FreeBSD came with its own OSS. Where is it and where do I find the documentation to get it set up? I tried the man pages (man oss) but nothing was shown.

[adamk]

Originally Posted by Carpetsmoker

Why are you using OSS from ports? Why not just use the OSS that comes with FreeBSD?
In my experience it usually works better and it's a lot easier to set up...

The OSS in ports is the version directly from 4Front. It supports more audio cards, including the AudigyLS & Live! 24-bit, which is what the OP is using. None of the drivers that come with FreeBSD support that chipset.

Adam