OpenAL default config file needs change to stop hangs

[sjgcit]

Several well known linux games ( e.g. Warzone 2100 and OpenArena ) hang and/or don't work properly with the combination of OpenAL and PulseAudio. From my own experience and from other reports it seems that a minor change to the default config file ( /etc/openal/alsoft.conf ) can correct the issue.

I am requesting this fix be considered. It would not require a compile change.

The fix consists of changing the default conf file :

* NOW : the "drivers=" line is commented out

* FIX : make it "drivers=oss"

I have verified this to work on my own system, running Ubuntu 9.10 64-bit ( Karmic ). OpenAL and PulseAudio as well as the relevant games were all loaded from the repositories through Synaptic.

If you test the bug and get a hang ( e.g. WarZone ) when it closes, use CTRL-ALT-F1 and login. Use gdb to attach to the hung process and you'll see it's stuck in OpenAL's close code. The underlying problem is probably openAl, but this is not going to be updated ( realistically ), so the simple fix would solve the problem for end users and could be issued with minimal difficulty.

[Bret Curtis (psi29a)]

OSS isn't installed in Ubuntu, ALSA is. There are wrappers that emulate OSS behaviour but are not installed by default.

Setting "drivers=oss" isn't really an option. Can you suggest another alternative?

[Bret Curtis (psi29a)]

I'm unable to reproduce, closing for lack of further testing.

Feel free to re-open if there is additional information.

[Bret Curtis (psi29a)]

I'm assuming that this is fixed upstream because I could on test on a later version.