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dbrich
Contributor
Contributor

Failed to open sound device /dev/dsp openSUSE

Hi, I have vmware 6.5.3 running on openSUSE 11.1. (host). Everything seems to run fine, but if some other application - in my case it is Skype (I believe) uses sound device, the vmware disconects the sound device from my virtual machine (guest is Windows 2003 server) and if I try to connect it by hand I am getting the error message:

"Failed to open sound device /dev/dsp: Device or resource busy Failed to connect virtual device sound."

Is there any way to set it up that I can use the sound device from more applications simultanously?

Btw, the sound is uisng alsa, I had to remove Pulse as there are troubles with it in Skype.

Thanks for advice

Richard

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dbrich
Contributor
Contributor

The problem is still there, further investigation showed that in system log, if I try to re-connect the device I get the message:

kernel: /dev/vmmon[27822]: /dev/rtc enable interrupt failed: -13

Anybody has an idea?

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chucktr
Contributor
Contributor

Hello, Unfortunately this audio problem has been around for a long time. The one person, Petr Vandrovec, who seems to put out good fixes seems to have disappeared from the fix-its. Petr if you are reading this ... we need your help again. With this latest VMware 7 I am having a problem similar to ones in the past. I have a WebPage that has a Flash Header with Buttons on it: http://www.trcompu.com If you move your cursor over one of the buttons, it changes colors and beeps. This causes problems with VMware audio... it disconnects. Conditions are as follows:

Host: openSuSE 11.2 Guest: Win2K or Win Vista

1. Clean Linux desktop ... fire up VMware and then a Windows Guest. VM Audio OK.

2. With VMware still going ... fire up Linux Firefox and DO NOT use any Flash Sound. VM Audio still OK.

3. With VMware still going ... bring up a WebPage in Linux Firefox with Flash Sound on it. DO NOT use Flash Sound. VM Audio still OK. 4. With VMware still going ... Use the Flash Sound inside the Linux Firefox. Audio in VMware gets disconnected. VM Audio NOT OK.

5. With VMware still going ... With the Linux WebPage still showing try to connect VMware sound. Will get the /dev/dsp busy error. VM Audio NOT OK

6. With VMware still going ... Keep Firefox going -but- Back off the Linux WebPage. Try to connect VMware sound ... and it will. VM Audio OK

7. Or you can exit Firefox and use the VMware connect and then the VMware Audio will be ok.

Firefox version is 3.5.6 and Flash is 10.0 r42 (What's reported in the about:plugin. However, the Software/Repositories claim 10.0.42.34-0.1.1-i586)

When my system is first booted up both ESD and aRts are NOT running. In the past, pulse audio was the probelm -but- it is also NOT running. So it appears that the problem is between VMware and alsa and Flash. Yes ... I have tried starting and using ESD and/or aRTs and have tried some of the previous fixes ... all with no satisfactory results. The following Community Discussion has some info:

http://communities.vmware.com/thread/4648?start=0&tstart=0

If anyone has anymore ideas they would be appreciated.

Thanks, Chuck

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dbrich
Contributor
Contributor

Thank you for the research you did on this problem - I am also using Firefox 3.5, PulseAudio is deinstalled... so far I didn't figure out who is actualy blocking the audio device, but I will observe it farther.

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chucktr
Contributor
Contributor

Do we have any possible fixes yet ... or directions on where to investigate further???

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chucktr
Contributor
Contributor

Just updated to VMware 7.1 and it has the same problem with the sound. Can we get a fix or at least some hints on where we might look to help investigate and fix this probelm?? It is not really a new problem. This /dev/dsp busy status has plagued us before.

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admin
Immortal
Immortal

ALSA is supported on Workstation 7.0 and above with ALSA version 1.0.16 and above.

Can you post vmware.log of the VM?

-Bankim.

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chucktr
Contributor
Contributor

Hi Bankim,

Sorry to be so slow in posting this... but here is a log from just a few minutes ago

Thanks for your time,

Chuck

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admin
Immortal
Immortal

/dev/dsp has been explicitly selected and hence OSS will be used.

Click Sound/Speaker icon on Workstation UI (bottom-right corner) -> Settings-> Use physical sound card-> Select "Autodetect"

This way by default ALSA will be used and the "/dev/dsp busy" message should go away.

Bankim.

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admin
Immortal
Immortal

Additional details on using ALSA with Workstation can be found here

< a href=http://bankimbhavsar.blogspot.com/2009/10/alsa-sound-support-for-vmware.html> http://bankimbhavsar.blogspot.com/2009/10/alsa-sound-support-for-vmware.html</a>;

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chucktr
Contributor
Contributor

Hi Bankim,

Well Gollleee!! Thanks. It fixed my problem. Now IF I have my WebPage up and go across one of the Flash buttons that produce a sound, I no longer loose sound in VMware. Thanks. Didn't know it would be this simple. In the past when the same thing happened, patches were required.

Once again Thanks,

Chuck

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