1

Topic: Post Install - Audio In Iceweasel

Hi All,

Have successfully installed Milky Way v0.3 to the CLI.

Had one stumper trying to launch xenocara from the CLI.  It was not at all clear to me that I needed to install "xenocara-init" to invoke the X desktop.  After some investigation, online hints led me to find the init package and give it a try.  So far so good as JWM is running just fine.

However, instead of stumbling in the dark again, I would like some feedback on sound in Iceweasel-uxp.  The web browser launches and runs fine, though without sound.  Presently, I have only "alsa-utils" and "alsa-lib" packages installed.  ALSA has been added to openrc with the "rc-update add alsasound default" command and sound is generated successfully at the CLI with this test "speaker-test -t wav -c 6".

Investigation into mozilla derivative browsers suggests that "pulseaudio" is required for sound in the browser.  However, there are also some online suggestions that "sndio" is a replacement for "pulseaudio" and will solve the browser sound problem.

So the question is what packages and configuration are required to generate sound in Iceweasel-uxp?

Thanks for all the help in advance.

TAT

2

Re: Post Install - Audio In Iceweasel

tat wrote:

Hi All,

Have successfully installed Milky Way v0.3 to the CLI.

Had one stumper trying to launch xenocara from the CLI.  It was not at all clear to me that I needed to install "xenocara-init" to invoke the X desktop.  After some investigation, online hints led me to find the init package and give it a try.  So far so good as JWM is running just fine.

However, instead of stumbling in the dark again, I would like some feedback on sound in Iceweasel-uxp.  The web browser launches and runs fine, though without sound.  Presently, I have only "alsa-utils" and "alsa-lib" packages installed.  ALSA has been added to openrc with the "rc-update add alsasound default" command and sound is generated successfully at the CLI with this test "speaker-test -t wav -c 6".

Investigation into mozilla derivative browsers suggests that "pulseaudio" is required for sound in the browser.  However, there are also some online suggestions that "sndio" is a replacement for "pulseaudio" and will solve the browser sound problem.

So the question is what packages and configuration are required to generate sound in Iceweasel-uxp?

Thanks for all the help in advance.

TAT

Alsa works for me, and sndio will be an option in the future.

I am a bit confused why alsa doesn't work for you given my own experiences.  ps, for other web browsers you would need apulse.

For iceweasel-uxp, it usually works automatically, sound I mean.

HyperbolaBSD: The Future of Secure Libre Lightweight Operating Systems!

3

Re: Post Install - Audio In Iceweasel

As of Hyperbola v0.3 (stable) only ALSA is used. However, ALSA doesn't allow multiple applications to share the same audio device at one time. This means you will loose sound if another program has an audio lock. The solution is a sound server (pulse or sndio). Since PulseAudio was removed per the current roadmap there isn't overly reliable sound in the browser on stable repos at the moment. We have already replaced it with snido in the testing repository and it is working well.

When the next stable version of Hyperbola comes out, you will want to install: aucatctl, alsa-sndio, sndio packages.

Then simply run:

aucatctl master=85 icewease0=100 (max master volume 85 and Iceweasel to 100, you can tweak this as you like)

You can try this out now on testing, but we would not recommend using it as a daily runner for stability reasons unless you keep frequent backups. There are a lot of changes occurring on that branch.

This process will be streamlined more in the future and we are currently planning a GUI similar to pavucontrol for sndio users.

4

Re: Post Install - Audio In Iceweasel

g4jc wrote:

As of Hyperbola v0.3 (stable) only ALSA is used. However, ALSA doesn't allow multiple applications to share the same audio device at one time. This means you will loose sound if another program has an audio lock. The solution is a sound server (pulse or sndio). Since PulseAudio was removed per the current roadmap there isn't overly reliable sound in the browser on stable repos at the moment. We have already replaced it with snido in the testing repository and it is working well.

When the next stable version of Hyperbola comes out, you will want to install: aucatctl, alsa-sndio, sndio packages.

Then simply run:

aucatctl master=85 icewease0=100 (max master volume 85 and Iceweasel to 100, you can tweak this as you like)

You can try this out now on testing, but we would not recommend using it as a daily runner for stability reasons unless you keep frequent backups. There are a lot of changes occurring on that branch.

This process will be streamlined more in the future and we are currently planning a GUI similar to pavucontrol for sndio users.

Thanks for the info, I had no idea that was a problem.

HyperbolaBSD: The Future of Secure Libre Lightweight Operating Systems!

5

Re: Post Install - Audio In Iceweasel

Nice one and giving an idea about working with sndio. Thanks, g4jc!

Human being in favor with clear principles and so also for freedom in soft- and hardware!

Certainly anyone who has the power to make you believe absurdities has the power to make you commit injustices: For a life of every being full with peace and kindness, including diversity and freedom. Capitalism is destroying our minds, the planet itself and the universe in the end!

6 (edited by tat 2019-11-06 04:12:12)

Re: Post Install - Audio In Iceweasel

Hi All,

Thank you for the insightful replies regarding the future of sound in Hyperbola.

I did some more digging and discovered a simple command that has solved the sound problem in Iceweasel-uxp.

From the CLI as root, run the following command:

"usermod -a -G audio username"

This adds the specified user to the audio group.

Apparently, without this simple declaration, some part of the system does not understand how to route audio.

One can determine which groups a user belongs to by using the following command:

"groups username"

Hope this helps for those that may need the assistance.

TAT

7 (edited by Mesh Malachi 2023-06-01 05:31:26)

Re: Post Install - Audio In Iceweasel

I have sound on my system but not in iceweasel-uxp. My user account is in the audio group.

g4jc wrote:

Then simply run:

aucatctl

Outputs

snd/0: couldn't open MIDI device

I have aucatctl, alsa-sndio, and sndio installed. I tried installing portmidi too.

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Re: Post Install - Audio In Iceweasel

Please take a research on your soundcard, follow-up a thread for reading: https://forums.hyperbola.info/viewtopic.php?id=790

Human being in favor with clear principles and so also for freedom in soft- and hardware!

Certainly anyone who has the power to make you believe absurdities has the power to make you commit injustices: For a life of every being full with peace and kindness, including diversity and freedom. Capitalism is destroying our minds, the planet itself and the universe in the end!

9

Re: Post Install - Audio In Iceweasel

throgh wrote:

Please take a research on your soundcard, follow-up a thread for reading: https://forums.hyperbola.info/viewtopic.php?id=790

My soundcard is working. Only iceweasel lacks sound.

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Re: Post Install - Audio In Iceweasel

maybe other applications can cause this, for example wen i run badwolf with iceweasel-uxp i loose sound after a few minutes in iceweasel-uxp,
did you try to run it alone without other applications runing at the same time.

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Re: Post Install - Audio In Iceweasel

Mesh Malachi wrote:

My soundcard is working. Only iceweasel lacks sound.

doas rc-update | grep sndiod

??

12

Re: Post Install - Audio In Iceweasel

That is quite more simple:

rc-status default

Bringing up all services at this current runlevel and their current state.

Human being in favor with clear principles and so also for freedom in soft- and hardware!

Certainly anyone who has the power to make you believe absurdities has the power to make you commit injustices: For a life of every being full with peace and kindness, including diversity and freedom. Capitalism is destroying our minds, the planet itself and the universe in the end!

13

Re: Post Install - Audio In Iceweasel

throgh wrote:
rc-status default

dhcpcd                                                                            [  started  ]
alsasound                                                                         [  started  ]
guix-daemon                                                                       [  started  ]
ntpd                                                                              [  started  ]
privoxy                                                                           [  started  ]
sndiod                                                                            [  started  ]
agetty.tty9                                                           [  started 00:25:41 (0) ]
agetty.tty8                                                           [  started 00:25:41 (0) ]
agetty.tty7                                                           [  started 00:25:41 (0) ]
agetty.tty6                                                           [  started 00:25:41 (0) ]
agetty.tty5                                                           [  started 00:25:41 (0) ]
agetty.tty4                                                           [  started 00:25:40 (0) ]
agetty.tty3                                                           [  started 00:25:40 (0) ]
agetty.tty2                                                           [  started 00:25:40 (0) ]
agetty.tty12                                                          [  started 00:25:40 (0) ]
agetty.tty11                                                          [  started 00:25:40 (0) ]
agetty.tty10                                                          [  started 00:25:40 (0) ]
agetty.tty1

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Re: Post Install - Audio In Iceweasel

rachad wrote:

did you try to run it alone without other applications runing at the same time.

Yes, still no sound.

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Re: Post Install - Audio In Iceweasel

So I guess that is the version 0.4.x you have installed, right? As guix is surely not provided from any repository here, I want to make sure that we are not talking about 0.3. I have posted the link (https://forums.hyperbola.info/viewtopic.php?id=790) with the intention that you go deeper into research. It does not seem that sndiod is working and please have in mind that you have both audiosystems running. So stating that your "sound" is working is not the final result of any analysis. Have you tested any game using for example openal? For example: extremetuxracer. Check also the output in a local terminal-session.

Human being in favor with clear principles and so also for freedom in soft- and hardware!

Certainly anyone who has the power to make you believe absurdities has the power to make you commit injustices: For a life of every being full with peace and kindness, including diversity and freedom. Capitalism is destroying our minds, the planet itself and the universe in the end!

16

Re: Post Install - Audio In Iceweasel

throgh wrote:

So I guess that is the version 0.4.x you have installed, right?

Yes. Guix has a package manager that can be installed alongside any distro without interference. The audio problem existed before I installed guix.

https://forums.hyperbola.info/viewtopic.php?id=790) with the intention that you go deeper into research.

I misunderstood.

doas sndiod -dd -L localhost -j off -a off -e s16 -r 48000 -f rsnd/0 -m play,rec -v 118 -s default

output

snd0.default: rec=0:1 play=0:1 vol=23170
localhost: failed to bind socket
couldn't open play stream: No such file or directory
couldn't open play stream: No such file or directory
couldn't open rec stream: No such file or directory
app/iceweas0.level=127 at 1 -> slot_level:iceweas0: added
snd0: trying rsnd/0
snd0: failed to open audio device

 aplay -L
null
    Discard all samples (playback) or generate zero samples (capture)
sndio
    sndio sound server on ALSA PCM interface
hw:CARD=Generic,DEV=3
    HD-Audio Generic, HDMI 0
    Direct hardware device without any conversions
plughw:CARD=Generic,DEV=3
    HD-Audio Generic, HDMI 0
    Hardware device with all software conversions
hdmi:CARD=Generic,DEV=0
    HD-Audio Generic, HDMI 0
    HDMI Audio Output
dmix:CARD=Generic,DEV=3
    HD-Audio Generic, HDMI 0
    Direct sample mixing device
hw:CARD=Generic_1,DEV=0
    HD-Audio Generic, ALC269VC Analog
    Direct hardware device without any conversions
plughw:CARD=Generic_1,DEV=0
    HD-Audio Generic, ALC269VC Analog
    Hardware device with all software conversions
default:CARD=Generic_1
    HD-Audio Generic, ALC269VC Analog
    Default Audio Device
sysdefault:CARD=Generic_1
    HD-Audio Generic, ALC269VC Analog
    Default Audio Device
front:CARD=Generic_1,DEV=0
    HD-Audio Generic, ALC269VC Analog
    Front output / input
surround21:CARD=Generic_1,DEV=0
    HD-Audio Generic, ALC269VC Analog
    2.1 Surround output to Front and Subwoofer speakers
surround40:CARD=Generic_1,DEV=0
    HD-Audio Generic, ALC269VC Analog
    4.0 Surround output to Front and Rear speakers
surround41:CARD=Generic_1,DEV=0
    HD-Audio Generic, ALC269VC Analog
    4.1 Surround output to Front, Rear and Subwoofer speakers
surround50:CARD=Generic_1,DEV=0
    HD-Audio Generic, ALC269VC Analog
    5.0 Surround output to Front, Center and Rear speakers
surround51:CARD=Generic_1,DEV=0
    HD-Audio Generic, ALC269VC Analog
    5.1 Surround output to Front, Center, Rear and Subwoofer speakers
surround71:CARD=Generic_1,DEV=0
    HD-Audio Generic, ALC269VC Analog
    7.1 Surround output to Front, Center, Side, Rear and Woofer speakers
dmix:CARD=Generic_1,DEV=0
    HD-Audio Generic, ALC269VC Analog
    Direct sample mixing device

It does not seem that sndiod is working and please have in mind that you have both audiosystems running.

I have them both running because that's what g4jc suggested in this thread. When I had alsa running by itself, I had the exact same problem.

Have you tested any game using for example openal? For example: extremetuxracer. Check also the output in a local terminal-session.

I don't understand. You want me to run them simultaneously? I've tested sound with speaker-test, vlc, mpv, and the game openblock. All have sound.

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Re: Post Install - Audio In Iceweasel

I repeat again: Hyperbola GNU/Linux-libre is using two audio-outputs. Reasoning is the kernel itself bringing ALSA with and running them both simultaneously is not a generic issue. But openblok has no relation towards sndio for the moment as you can see within the dependency-tree. Again: Please approve your settings with something in direct support for sndio and that means openal in its default settings at installation. So at best you should approve that with something in support for that likewise 7kaa or others. I would guess: You won't have any audio-output.

And this is coming from the reasoning of not working settings - therefore I have linked the other thread as especially there this problem is described. Also is alsa-sndio not really of any help and for stability reasoning you should remove that package keep ALSA and sndio not combined.

I have also pointed on guix just in case asking if you have build that packaging-daemon for 0.4 or before, not in relation to the audio-problem. Please take into your perspective that solving such issues is only possible when all possible information for that problem provided. Stating that "no audio is available for iceweasel-uxp" is the description of the problem, but of no further help for solving.

Human being in favor with clear principles and so also for freedom in soft- and hardware!

Certainly anyone who has the power to make you believe absurdities has the power to make you commit injustices: For a life of every being full with peace and kindness, including diversity and freedom. Capitalism is destroying our minds, the planet itself and the universe in the end!

18

Re: Post Install - Audio In Iceweasel

throgh wrote:

I repeat again: Hyperbola GNU/Linux-libre is using two audio-outputs. Reasoning is the kernel itself bringing ALSA with and running them both simultaneously is not a generic issue.

I don't understand what you mean by "generic."

I know they are 2 audio outputs; I installed sndio in addition to alsa because g4jc posted in this thread that alsa doesn't allow multiple applications to use the sound card. What do you think about that post? Is it wrong?

But openblok has no relation towards sndio for the moment as you can see within the dependency-tree.

I see. You want me to try software that explicitly uses sndio.

Again: Please approve your settings with something in direct support for sndio and that means openal in its default settings at installation. So at best you should approve that with something in support for that likewise 7kaa or others.

What does "approve" mean? Are you saying I should run something that has both openal and sndio as dependencies? 7kaa and extremetuxracer made my computer freeze so I couldn't test them.

I have also pointed on guix just in case asking if you have build that packaging-daemon for 0.4 or before, not in relation to the audio-problem.

I see. I didn't build it; I installed it. It has an independent installer.

Please take into your perspective that solving such issues is only possible when all possible information for that problem provided. Stating that "no audio is available for iceweasel-uxp" is the description of the problem, but of no further help for solving.

I did give more information when I first posted in this thread, because my problem is related to this thread. There were different problems in that other thread (sndio crashing), and the other things you were asking were unclear, so I thought that other thread was not relevant.

19

Re: Post Install - Audio In Iceweasel

The wording "generic" means that you can indeed use ALSA and sndio together, but best without alsa-sndio. So first would be to remove that package. And "approve" means that you should just execute an application direct using sndio. When you don't have sound there, this is a clear indicator that you won't have a functional configuration. This brings us back to the thread: I see that you are using HDMI-output as device. So when you have not exclusive added that kind of output you have to read through that thread I have linked as there is this problem described with possible solutions.

When your system is freezing that is also an indicator your configuration is not working in sound or / and video, with the addition that your hardware is supporting the requirements of those games. Using guix on Hyperbola is not supported out of the reasoning that we have already a package-manager. You can do that, but you also need to make sure that we are not getting into trouble with packages installed through this package-management-system - beware also that those are NOT supporting sndio and bringing back many other issues Hyperbola has removed.

About information provided: You can see clearly that this is getting more and more into guessing where the issue is. Getting back into a clear way for solving was and is my intention , so you would need to check your configuration step by step. And again: Please remove in every case alsa-sndio first. After that you need to approve which device is used.

Human being in favor with clear principles and so also for freedom in soft- and hardware!

Certainly anyone who has the power to make you believe absurdities has the power to make you commit injustices: For a life of every being full with peace and kindness, including diversity and freedom. Capitalism is destroying our minds, the planet itself and the universe in the end!