programs that output sound freeze

[Simon Morgan]

Every single program I've tried that plays sound has a tendency to freeze for
example whenever I seek or it moves onto another track. This is with Breezy and
the i386 distribution on x86_64 hardware.

[Simon Morgan (sjmorgan)]

As an example, Beep Media Player freezes at the following point:

#0 0xffffe410 in __kernel_vsyscall ()
#1 0xb7a532cb in __read_nocancel () from /lib/tls/i686/cmov/libpthread.so.0
#2 0xb6c03909 in snd_timer_info_get_ticks () from /usr/lib/libasound.so.2
#3 0xb6c0331b in snd_timer_read () from /usr/lib/libasound.so.2
#4 0xb6bf0e3d in snd_pcm_direct_clear_timer_queue ()
   from /usr/lib/libasound.so.2
#5 0xb6bf0e89 in snd_pcm_direct_timer_stop () from /usr/lib/libasound.so.2
#6 0xb6bf41ae in _snd_pcm_dmix_open () from /usr/lib/libasound.so.2
#7 0xb6bbcd8f in snd_pcm_hwsync () from /usr/lib/libasound.so.2
#8 0xb6bda547 in _snd_pcm_rate_open () from /usr/lib/libasound.so.2
#9 0xb6bda5ae in _snd_pcm_rate_open () from /usr/lib/libasound.so.2
#10 0xb6bbce34 in snd_pcm_delay () from /usr/lib/libasound.so.2
#11 0xb6c407a7 in get_oplugin_info () from /usr/lib/bmp/Output/libALSA.so
#12 0xb6b36eaa in ?? () from /usr/lib/bmp/Input/libmpg123.so
#13 0x080e7c18 in ?? ()
#14 0xb7a50208 in __pthread_mutex_unlock_usercnt ()
   from /lib/tls/i686/cmov/libpthread.so.0
#15 0x08080368 in read_volume ()
#16 0xb7973d40 in g_main_context_wakeup () from /usr/lib/libglib-2.0.so.0
#17 0xb79724f3 in g_main_context_dispatch () from /usr/lib/libglib-2.0.so.0
#18 0xb7974f0d in g_main_context_check () from /usr/lib/libglib-2.0.so.0
#19 0xb797519e in g_main_loop_run () from /usr/lib/libglib-2.0.so.0
#20 0xb7b7e736 in gtk_main () from /usr/lib/libgtk-x11-2.0.so.0
#21 0x0807952b in main ()

[Daniel T Chen (crimsun)]

Which sound driver are you using? (cat /proc/asound/modules) Can you try
alsa-driver 1.0.9a and alsa-lib 1.0.9 (should be merged from Debian Sid soon)?

[Daniel T Chen (crimsun)]

(In reply to comment #1)
> As an example, Beep Media Player freezes at the following point:
[...]
> #6 0xb6bf41ae in _snd_pcm_dmix_open () from /usr/lib/libasound.so.2

Can you try beep-media-player with dmix DISabled since you're using alsa-driver
prior to 1.0.9a? Simply rename /etc/asound.conf (and/or ~/.asoundrc), or
explicitly specify "plughw:0,0" as the device in the ALSA configuration dialog
in beep-media-player's output plugin preferences.

[Simon Morgan (sjmorgan)]

Initial indications are good. BMP is no longer freezing at the end of tracks,
rhythmbox doesn't freeze while pausing and I can seek using totem. I'll test it
some more just to confirm though.

In case you're still interested I'm using snd_intel8x0.

[Daniel T Chen (crimsun)]

(In reply to comment #4)
> Initial indications are good.

Which workaround did you try, disabling dmix and/or using -driver 1.0.9a?

[Simon Morgan (sjmorgan)]

Ack, Sorry! alsa-lib got upgraded to 1.0.9 in Breezy.

[Daniel T Chen (crimsun)]

(In reply to comment #6)
> Ack, Sorry! alsa-lib got upgraded to 1.0.9 in Breezy.

Excellent. If you can confirm that the new libasound2 and friends corrected the
issue, please mark this problem resolved (alternately, I can do so upon
confirmation).

[Simon Morgan (sjmorgan)]

Closed. :)