VMware

This Question is Answered

1 "correct" answer available (10 pts) 2 "helpful" answers available (6 pts)
5 Replies Last post: May 9, 2006 10:15 PM by mingus  

Failure to open sound /dev/dsp problem (new mystery with old problem) posted: Apr 14, 2006 2:23 PM

Click to view mingus's profile Novice 9 posts since
Apr 14, 2006
There have been a lot of posts with this particular problem, with a variety of causes. I have discovered something on my system that I haven't seen referred to in any other post, perhaps there is a clue here that can help others besides myself . . .

Error msg: "Failure to open sound device /dev/dsp. Device or resource busy" Most suggestions are that the problem is either with (a) arts or esd, or (b) a conflicting application tieing up /dev/dsp.

What I have discovered is that the problem is somehow connected to something that is happening running KDE as a user but not as root. If I open a single session as root, there is no error running vmplayer. If I open two root sessions, there is no conflict. However, if I open a session as the user, then a second session as root and run the player in the root session, I encounter the error. Or if in the user session I run vmplayer with root priviledge, I also get the error.

So it looks as if something is running under the user session that ties up /dev/dsp, right? But I can't find what it is . . .

#fuser /dev/dsp* shows no process using the device
#lsof | grep dsp shows no process opening the file
changing all KDE sound settings incl turning audio I/O or sound system off - no effect
assigning user to all groups, including giving the user root priviledge - no effect
changing the .vmdk and related file permissions - no effect
changing the .vmx file sound statements - no effect
changing permissions to /dev/dsp - no effect

I killed every user process, except the minimum required by KDE (kdeinit, kded, kwin, kdesud, kicker, kdesktop, ksmserver, startkde & kwrapper [under kdm], dbus, dcopserver) - no effect

I should add that when I first installed the player on SuSE 10.0 with KDE 3.4, worked fine. Also works fine on my other box, SuSE 10.0 and KDE 3.5.1 (although not the smp kernel). I just updated my primary box to 3.5.2, no help.

I did not try the vmwaredsp-1.3.tar.gz fix because (a) I saw anothe post indicating it does not work with KDE 3.5 and (b) I don't know how to back it out if it borks something.

I'm stuck. Can any of you experts help???

Thanks in advance.

mingus
VMWare Player (build 19317), SuSE 10.0, KDE 3.5.2, 2.6.13-15.8-smp
Click to view nick.couchman's profile Champion 4,969 posts since
Jan 13, 2006
Does the sound device actually work in KDE with a non-root account - that is, can you play sound with something like XMMS?
Click to view Keith_Reed's profile Lurker 1 posts since
Apr 28, 2006
Mingus,
Did you ever find a resolution for this. My SUSE10/Workstation 5.5 system is exhibiting the exact same behavior.

VMware Developer

SDKs, APIs, Videos, Learn and much more in the Developer community.

Learn More

Developer Sample Code

Increase your developer productivity with VMware API sample code.

Learn More

VMworld Sessions & Labs

Online access to the latest VMworld Sessions & Labs and online services.

Learn more

Purchase PSO Credits Online

Purchase credits to redeem training and consulting services online.

Buy Now

Community Hardware Software

View reported configurations or report your own.

Learn More

VMware vSphere

Come witness the next giant leap in virtualization.

Register Today

Communities