/dev/dsp busy, weird ESD process using it
Affects | Status | Importance | Assigned to | Milestone | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ubuntu |
Invalid
|
Undecided
|
Unassigned | ||
Bug Description
Previously discussed at http://
These commands pretty much tell the story:
$ sudo fuser /dev/dsp
$ sudo lsof /dev/dsp
$ sudo cat /dev/urandom > /dev/dsp
bash: /dev/dsp: Device or resource busy
$
The result is that any program dependent on sound is unable to speak with the sound card. After a period of time it will reset itself and sound is restored until it next freezes up. It affects systems using OSS and ALSA.
If the user logs out and back in, sound is restored for a time.
The only thing I see related to sound in 'ps ax' when the /dev/dsp is busy is a couple esd lines:
$ ps ax|grep esd
6322 ? Ss 0:00 /bin/sh -c /usr/bin/esd -terminate -nobeeps -as 1 -spawnfd 19
6323 ? SL 0:06 /usr/bin/esd -terminate -nobeeps -as 1 -spawnfd 19
I'm adding some info from Gutsy:
Using 7.10 gutsy gibbon with newest updates, and i can confirm the same problem.
However, did the following right after a clean install, dist-upgrade and login (to be sure there's no weird processes blocking /dev/dsp):
$ cat /dev/urandom > /dev/dsp
bash: /dev/dsp: Device or resource busy
$ ps ax | grep esd
15858 ? SL 0:00 /usr/bin/esd -nobeeps
$ kill 15858
$ cat /dev/urandom > /dev/dsp
[add some white noise here] - ctrl+c
$
So should be an ESD problem, not FF or Java or something.
And the "ESD problem" is caused by ubuntu running ESD on the background with the option -nobeeps.
Killing the ESD process frees the sound card and vóila, sounds working again!
Don't know really which package this affects, hopefully someone will take a look at this.
Can confirm. For me it happens on Dapper, upgraded from an initial install of Breezy. Haven't tried Edgy and won't in the near future.
Relogin of user solved the problem. Today (22Dec06) is the first time this ocurred.
Have only one real soundcard (chipset on Nvidia based motherboard), but also one TV card (Pinnacle 300i) that identifies itself as soundcard (saa7134)