Re: [Alsa-xmms-user] xmms-alsa does not work with esd on

[Gaurang Khetan]

On Tue, 2003-07-29 at 19:38, Aaron M. Ucko wrote:
> Gaurang Khetan <address@hidden> writes:
> 
> > However, with esd daemon running, XMMS can play music with ESD output
> > plugin, but not with alsa output plugin.  The xmms-alsa plugin only
> > works when esd daemon is not running. 
> 
> That's not surprising; typically only one or two programs can access
> the sound card at a time, so if ESD's active, it can certainly shut
> alsa-xmms out.  (Incidentally, you may be able to use "esdctl standby"
> and "esdctl resume" instead of fully stopping and starting it.)

Actually this is pretty confusing (for me) - the /dev/dsp device (i.e.
OSS driver) I suppose cannot be used by more than one application at the
same time, so when the esd or artsd daemons are running, no other device
can talk to the OSS driver. However, the daemons themselves support
mixing from multiple sources, so many applications who know how to talk
to esd can run simulatenously with their music getting mixed.

Now with this alsa thing, the esd daemon just runs on an OSS
"compatibility layer" - multiple esd-speaking apps will be able to still
run. But now from the experience I wrote in my mail, when esd is running
then the xmms alsa plugin cannot get hold of alsa directly since it is
being already used by esd. 

But this is then a step back since that means alsa does not support
multiple streams mixing: it will only be possible through using esd via
the OSS (backward) compatibility layer.

Please correct me.

-Gaurang.

-- 
The highest result of education is tolerance.
- Hellen Keller, American author, blind and deaf.