Fix for ALSA API Apps

[Yellow Pasque]

NOTE: On a fresh install of Lucid (and maybe some older Ubuntu), this should not be necessary. ALSA apps should show in the sound preferences dialog "out of the box" without any extra configuration (like in the screenshot).

A lot of people seem to be experiencing issues with ALSA apps (like Flash) on PulseAudio-enabled systems. Common issues include programs locking/"hogging" the ALSA sound device (prevents other apps from mixing and using the audio device) and also apps trying to use the ALSA software mixer (dmix).
Here is a method to route ALSA apps directly through pulse:

gksu gedit /etc/asound.conf

Copy/paste these lines into the resulting file:

pcm.pulse { type pulse }
ctl.pulse { type pulse }
pcm.!default { type pulse }
ctl.!default { type pulse }

Save. Quit. Reboot.
If it worked, you should now see ALSA apps in the volume control/preferences

[davidmaxwaterman]

A lot of people seem to be experiencing issues with ALSA apps (like Flash) on PulseAudio-enabled systems. Common issues include programs locking/"hogging" the ALSA sound device (prevents other apps from mixing and using the audio device) and also apps trying to use the ALSA software mixer (dmix).
Here is a method to route ALSA apps directly through pulse:

gksu gedit /etc/asound.conf

Copy/paste these lines into the resulting file:

pcm.pulse { type pulse }
ctl.pulse { type pulse }
pcm.!default { type pulse }
ctl.!default { type pulse }

Save. Quit. Reboot.

My file already contains that, but still no sound in flash

Any other ideas?

Max.

[prosp4300]

Thank you very much, this should be delivered by default

After change every prefer device to pulse in kde system settings
and also gstreamer-properties, all apps working except flash that lock the device, and your solution get this issue done

[Yellow Pasque]

this should be delivered by default

AFAICT, it is the default in fresh installs of Ubuntu 10.04 (at least it was in my Lucid virtualbox install).

[Yellow Pasque]

EDIT: Oops, double post

[mpolito1969]

It didn't work for me. Audio keeps being OK everywhere except in Firefox.

Ciao,
Max

[Vectorferret]

Also not working for me. Flash still uses ALSA, as it does not appear in the applications using sound in the pulseaudio configuration, nor does it play sound when another application is doing so.

Edit: I have made it work. (I am teh happy!) I put the code into into ~/.asoundrc

pcm.pulse { type pulse }
ctl.pulse { type pulse }
pcm.!default { type pulse }
ctl.!default { type pulse }

It is still in /etc/asound.conf, but that didn't work before so I am assuming it needed to be in ~/.asoundrc

[Bernie Gallagher]

I'm having the same problem. Ever since I installed a codec to play a MP3 that I downloaded from Amazon.com yesterday, I get no audio in Firefox when I play YouTube videos.

But I can't do this because I don't know how to type a "pulse." What does that even mean?

EDIT:

Okay, I assumed that the { type pulse } is a comment for what those commands are doing, and created this file. It works! Yay! I can listen to my MP3 and YouTube videos. Thanks!

But for the sake of us n00bs, you should make it clearer that {type pulse} doesn't mean you need to literally type a "pulse" into the file after each of those commands...

[Bernie Gallagher]

Wow! Linux is so cool! I don't need a gajillion different media players to play all my videos! The one player that came with Ubuntu (after downloading the necessary codecs) plays my MP3s, my MOVs, my FLVs, and even plays my ancient AVIs that ******* stopped being able to play after I upgraded from Win 95 to XP...

[sleepee]

I used this a few months ago when Flash would hijack my sound.
It worked perfectly for me. Hope it helps other people too..