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Thread: VMPlayer and ALSA

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Apr 2006
    Beans
    26

    VMPlayer and ALSA

    I have had a nagging problem with VMPlayer: it uses OSS for sound. That means that unless OSS is enabled and loaded, I get the annoying /dev/dsp not found message when the player starts; as I was moving to Dapper, many updates broke OSS and made the problem reappear. Additionally, this means that while another application is using OSS and the player tries to access it, it will hang with an error message.

    To enable OSS to begin with, follow the first section of this thread:
    http://www.ubuntuforums.org/showthre...light=oss2jack

    The best solution for me was adapted from this thread on the vmware forums; it uses the alsa-oss package and enables VMPlayer to use ALSA for sound.

    1. Install VMPlayer and create your image. I was greatly helped by this guide; browse the rest of the thread for instructions on using qemu without wine.

    After you have a working image and preliminary installation of the guest OS:

    2. Get the alsa-oss package:
    Code:
    sudo apt-get install alsa-oss
    3. Ensure that the /usr/lib/libaoss.so.0.0.0 library is setuid:
    Code:
    sudo chmod +s /usr/lib/libaoss.so.*
    4. Rename the VMPlayer bin file:
    Code:
    sudo mv /usr/bin/vmplayer /usr/bin/vmplayerorig
    5. Create a new VMPlayer bin file:
    Code:
    sudo vi /usr/bin/vmplayer
    Copy and paste the following into the file:
    Code:
    #!/bin/bash
    LD_PRELOAD=libaoss.so exec /usr/bin/vmplayerorig "$@"
    Make the new file executable:
    Code:
    sudo chmod +x /usr/bin/vmplayer
    That's it. In the Multimedia Systems Selector choose either ALSA or Autodetect, and you will have sound in VMPlayer, and no hangs.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Feb 2005
    Beans
    28

    Smile Re: VMPlayer and ALSA

    Fixed it for me. Thanks for your work!

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Location
    Sweden
    Beans
    257
    Distro
    Kubuntu 9.10 Karmic Koala

    Re: VMPlayer and ALSA

    I tried this but now I can't open or edit my windows xp vm.
    Code:
    Unable to get information for disk (IDE 0:0)
    Unable to open file "/home/username/.vmware/Windows XP Professional/Windows XP Professional.vmdk": Fil för stor.
    Fil för stor = File too large. I didn't want to change the original message.

    I can open it if I start vmwareorig.
    Last edited by Rizado; June 17th, 2006 at 10:50 AM.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    May 2006
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    Hidden!

    Re: VMPlayer and ALSA

    I know this is three weeks old, but thanks for posting it! Got my VMPlayer sound going.

    When's Ubuntu going to fully switch to ALSA?!? I've been cleaning up little sound problems all over the place.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Apr 2006
    Beans
    26

    Re: VMPlayer and ALSA

    Rizado, this fix is specifically for VMPlayer. VMWare server has the option to choose the sound device. I prefer the player simply because it seems to be the same speed of the server, and the interface is not as cluttered. The server gives you, naturally, much more for the money you don't pay.

    Grundlebug, I am glad I helped. This problem is application-specific, and as I said, was already solved in the VMWare server. Generally speaking, this workaround helps with many applications that default to OSS.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Location
    Sweden
    Beans
    257
    Distro
    Kubuntu 9.10 Karmic Koala

    Re: VMPlayer and ALSA

    Well I have sound through the kernel oss emulation but if I use that I can't use anything else. Will this guide make it mixable or is it just for people with sound problems?

    EDIT: Ok I got mixing working now, don't know what the problem was but now it works. But the sound is horrible! It's crackeling and too slow and just crap. Is it like this for you too?

    BTW it's no problem getting vmware to work with this guide. The steps are the same.
    Last edited by Rizado; June 17th, 2006 at 10:39 AM.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    May 2006
    Beans
    129
    Distro
    Ubuntu 7.04 Feisty Fawn

    Re: VMPlayer and ALSA

    Is there a way to make VMware use ALSA without alsa-oss? I set the device name for the sound card to auto-detect and when anything else is using sound I still get the following error:

    Failed to open sound device /dev/dsp: Device or resource busy
    Failed to connect virtual device sound.

    Is there a way to configure VMware server to use the sound card nicely?


    edit: My goal is to use VMware sound and other sound apps (music, voip) simultaniously.
    Last edited by andb; July 13th, 2006 at 03:24 PM.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jun 2006
    Beans
    Hidden!

    Re: VMPlayer and ALSA

    Quote Originally Posted by Rizado View Post
    I tried this but now I can't open or edit my windows xp vm.
    Code:
    Unable to get information for disk (IDE 0:0)
    Unable to open file "/home/username/.vmware/Windows XP Professional/Windows XP Professional.vmdk": Fil för stor.
    Fil för stor = File too large. I didn't want to change the original message.

    I can open it if I start vmwareorig.
    How did you fix this? I'm having the same problem and have no clue what to look for next...

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Location
    Sweden
    Beans
    257
    Distro
    Kubuntu 9.10 Karmic Koala

    Re: VMPlayer and ALSA

    Quote Originally Posted by Sir_Brizz View Post
    How did you fix this? I'm having the same problem and have no clue what to look for next...
    I couldn't fix it, had to reinstall windows, but it was a fresh install anyway. I've seen the same problem on vmware forums but noone knew how to fix it. The audio is crap using alsa anyway so I'm back to oss.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Beans
    1

    Re: VMPlayer and ALSA

    I found I had to give the full name of the library to get it working, i.e.

    LD_PRELOAD=libaoss.so.0.0.0 exec /usr/bin/vmplayer "$@"

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