GNU bug report logs - #4208
23.1; play-sound-file does not work

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Message #5 received at submit <at> emacsbugs.donarmstrong.com (full text, mbox):

From: Tom Tromey <tromey <at> redhat.com>
To: bug-gnu-emacs <at> gnu.org
Subject: 23.1; play-sound-file does not work
Date: Wed, 19 Aug 2009 15:48:36 -0600

Please write in English if possible, because the Emacs maintainers
usually do not have translators to read other languages for them.

Your bug report will be posted to the bug-gnu-emacs <at> gnu.org mailing list,
and to the gnu.emacs.bug news group.

Please describe exactly what actions triggered the bug
and the precise symptoms of the bug:


I'm using Emacs 23 on Fedora 11.

play-sound-file reliably does not work for me.  When I try it I get this
error:

play-sound: No usable sound device driver found

I don't know why this fails.

I looked at the code a tiny bit.  I think one possible fix would be to
write a PulseAudio sound back end for Emacs.  PulseAudio seems to be the
current way of producing sounds on Fedora.


If Emacs crashed, and you have the Emacs process in the gdb debugger,
please include the output from the following gdb commands:
    `bt full' and `xbacktrace'.
If you would like to further debug the crash, please read the file
/usr/share/emacs/23.1/etc/DEBUG for instructions.


In GNU Emacs 23.1.1 (i386-redhat-linux-gnu, GTK+ Version 2.16.5)
 of 2009-08-03 on x86-5.fedora.phx.redhat.com
Windowing system distributor `The X.Org Foundation', version 11.0.10601901
configured using `configure  '--build=i386-redhat-linux-gnu' '--host=i386-redhat-linux-gnu' '--target=i586-redhat-linux-gnu' '--program-prefix=' '--prefix=/usr' '--exec-prefix=/usr' '--bindir=/usr/bin' '--sbindir=/usr/sbin' '--sysconfdir=/etc' '--datadir=/usr/share' '--includedir=/usr/include' '--libdir=/usr/lib' '--libexecdir=/usr/libexec' '--localstatedir=/var' '--sharedstatedir=/var/lib' '--mandir=/usr/share/man' '--infodir=/usr/share/info' '--with-dbus' '--with-gif' '--with-jpeg' '--with-png' '--with-rsvg' '--with-tiff' '--with-xft' '--with-xpm' '--with-x-toolkit=gtk' 'build_alias=i386-redhat-linux-gnu' 'host_alias=i386-redhat-linux-gnu' 'target_alias=i586-redhat-linux-gnu' 'CFLAGS=-DMAIL_USE_LOCKF -O2 -g -pipe -Wall -Wp,-D_FORTIFY_SOURCE=2 -fexceptions -fstack-protector --param=ssp-buffer-size=4 -m32 -march=i586 -mtune=generic -fasynchronous-unwind-tables''

Important settings:
  value of $LC_ALL: nil
  value of $LC_COLLATE: nil
  value of $LC_CTYPE: nil
  value of $LC_MESSAGES: nil
  value of $LC_MONETARY: nil
  value of $LC_NUMERIC: nil
  value of $LC_TIME: nil
  value of $LANG: en_US.UTF-8
  value of $XMODIFIERS: nil
  locale-coding-system: utf-8-unix
  default-enable-multibyte-characters: t

Major mode: Group

Minor modes in effect:
  erc-list-mode: t
  erc-menu-mode: t
  erc-autojoin-mode: t
  erc-ring-mode: t
  erc-pcomplete-mode: t
  erc-track-mode: t
  erc-track-minor-mode: t
  erc-match-mode: t
  erc-button-mode: t
  erc-fill-mode: t
  erc-stamp-mode: t
  erc-netsplit-mode: t
  erc-spelling-mode: t
  erc-truncate-mode: t
  diff-auto-refine-mode: t
  shell-dirtrack-mode: t
  gnus-undo-mode: t
  highlight-changes-visible-mode: t
  erc-status-mode: t
  erc-services-mode: t
  erc-networks-mode: t
  erc-irccontrols-mode: t
  erc-noncommands-mode: t
  erc-move-to-prompt-mode: t
  erc-readonly-mode: t
  tooltip-mode: t
  mouse-wheel-mode: t
  file-name-shadow-mode: t
  global-font-lock-mode: t
  font-lock-mode: t
  global-auto-composition-mode: t
  auto-composition-mode: t
  auto-encryption-mode: t
  auto-compression-mode: t
  line-number-mode: t
  transient-mark-mode: t

Recent input:
o C-x C-v <return> C-x 1 C-s F A I L : C-x 4 f M-p 
M-p <M-backspace> <M-backspace> c d - v <backspace> 
<backspace> <backspace> m d - v <tab> <switch-frame> 
<switch-frame> M-b M-b C-k v a r - c <tab> m <tab> 
C-a C-e <return> C-s c r e a t e SPC g l o b a l C-w 
C-w <backspace> SPC a C-e C-p C-e C-u C-b C-x b <return> 
b C-/ C-c b C-x b <return> C-b C-b C-b C-SPC M-b M-b 
M-b C-b C-x r x i C-x b <return> C-f C-x r i i C-s 
c r e a t e SPC n u l l _ C-w C-s C-s C-p C-e C-b C-b 
C-b C-x r i i C-x C-g M-f C-u C-f C-f C-f C-d C-f C-f 
C-d C-x C-s C-x s n y y C-c a u p d M-/ . C-k C-x s 
y C-c b C-a n C-c b C-u C-SPC C-u C-SPC C-c a C-a C-k 
C-k C-k C-p C-e M-b M-b M-b M-b M-f C-M-k C-x s y n 
C-x 1 <f10> <f10> c C-g C-a C-k C-f C-c b <f10> <f10> 
<f10> <f10> C-z o E = M-v q s C-u C-u C-p C-u C-n SPC 
E q s C-z o <f10> <f10> C-z o C-v C-u C-n C-u C-n C-u 
C-n C-z o <f10> <f10> C-z o C-u C-n p SPC 5 0 <return> 
M-> C-z o <f10> <f10> C-z o C-p C-p SPC E S-SPC E C-z 
o C-x b 8 s c r C-g C-x C-f ~ / . e m <tab> a <tab> 
<return> C-s p l a y - C-b C-a M-m C-M-f C-x C-e C-z 
o q M-x r e p o r t - e m <tab> <return>

Recent messages:
Making completion list...
Note: file is write protected
Mark saved where search started
play-sound: No usable sound device driver found
Expiring articles...
Deleting article 118677 in mail.cygnus
Deleting article 118678 in mail.cygnus
Deleting article 118680 in mail.cygnus
Deleting article 118681 in mail.cygnus
Expiring articles...done

Tom

Message #10 received at submit <at> emacsbugs.donarmstrong.com (full text, mbox):

From: Jan Djärv <jan.h.d <at> swipnet.se>
To: Tom Tromey <tromey <at> redhat.com>, 4208 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Cc: bug-gnu-emacs <at> gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#4208: 23.1; play-sound-file does not work
Date: Fri, 21 Aug 2009 08:48:26 +0200

Tom Tromey skrev:
> 
> I'm using Emacs 23 on Fedora 11.
> 
> play-sound-file reliably does not work for me.  When I try it I get this
> error:
> 
> play-sound: No usable sound device driver found
> 
> I don't know why this fails.

This error shows up when Emacs tries to open the old OSS based sound device.
This isn't surprising if pulseaudio is running.
But you should be able to use ALSA instead.  But this message indicates that 
HAVE_ALSA isn't defined.  Have you installed ALSA development libraries?  The 
package is called libasound2-dev or something similar.  Redo the configure and
make sure it says (early in the configure run):

checking for alsa >= 1.0.0... yes
checking ALSA_CFLAGS... -I/usr/include/alsa
checking ALSA_LIBS... -lasound


Also try
% aplay <soundfile>

where <soundfile> is some file.  If it works you have ALSA and Emacs should 
use that.

> I looked at the code a tiny bit.  I think one possible fix would be to
> write a PulseAudio sound back end for Emacs.  PulseAudio seems to be the
> current way of producing sounds on Fedora.
> 

Well, one can set up pulseaudio so ALSA doesn't work.  On the other hand one 
can set up ALSA to use pulseaudio.  I don't know how Fedora 11 does it.

	Jan D.

Message #20 received at submit <at> emacsbugs.donarmstrong.com (full text, mbox):

From: Tom Tromey <tromey <at> redhat.com>
To: Jan Djärv <jan.h.d <at> swipnet.se>
Cc: 4208 <at> debbugs.gnu.org, bug-gnu-emacs <at> gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#4208: 23.1; play-sound-file does not work
Date: Fri, 21 Aug 2009 08:33:20 -0600

>>>>> "Jan" == Jan Djärv <jan.h.d <at> swipnet.se> writes:

Tom> I'm using Emacs 23 on Fedora 11.

Jan> This error shows up when Emacs tries to open the old OSS based
Jan> sound device.  This isn't surprising if pulseaudio is running.

Thanks.

Jan> But you should be able to use ALSA instead.  But this message
Jan> indicates that HAVE_ALSA isn't defined.  Have you installed ALSA
Jan> development libraries?

I'm just using the Fedora RPM, so I don't know.
I'll report it to the Fedora Emacs maintainer, perhaps it is just a
missing BuildRequires.

Jan> Also try
Jan> % aplay <soundfile>
Jan> where <soundfile> is some file.  If it works you have ALSA and Emacs
Jan> should use that.

Yes, this works.

Tom

Message #30 received at submit <at> emacsbugs.donarmstrong.com (full text, mbox):

From: Andreas Schwab <schwab <at> linux-m68k.org>
To: Tom Tromey <tromey <at> redhat.com>
Cc: 4208 <at> debbugs.gnu.org,
        Jan Djärv
 <jan.h.d <at> swipnet.se>,
        bug-gnu-emacs <at> gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#4208: 23.1; play-sound-file does not work
Date: Fri, 21 Aug 2009 17:38:25 +0200

Tom Tromey <tromey <at> redhat.com> writes:

> I'll report it to the Fedora Emacs maintainer, perhaps it is just a
> missing BuildRequires.

Looks like.

checking for alsa >= 1.0.0... no

Andreas.

-- 
Andreas Schwab, schwab <at> linux-m68k.org
GPG Key fingerprint = 58CA 54C7 6D53 942B 1756  01D3 44D5 214B 8276 4ED5
"And now for something completely different."

Message #40 received at submit <at> emacsbugs.donarmstrong.com (full text, mbox):

From: Tom Tromey <tromey <at> redhat.com>
To: Andreas Schwab <schwab <at> linux-m68k.org>
Cc: 4208 <at> debbugs.gnu.org,
        Jan Djärv
 <jan.h.d <at> swipnet.se>,
        bug-gnu-emacs <at> gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#4208: 23.1; play-sound-file does not work
Date: Fri, 21 Aug 2009 09:43:37 -0600

>>>>> "Andreas" == Andreas Schwab <schwab <at> linux-m68k.org> writes:

>> I'll report it to the Fedora Emacs maintainer, perhaps it is just a
>> missing BuildRequires.

Andreas> Looks like.
Andreas> checking for alsa >= 1.0.0... no

Thanks, Andreas.
The Fedora bug is here: https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=518659

Tom

Message #54 received at 4208 <at> emacsbugs.donarmstrong.com (full text, mbox):

From: Jan Djärv <jan.h.d <at> swipnet.se>
To: 4208 <at> debbugs.gnu.org, 4208-done <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#4208: 23.1; play-sound-file does not work
Date: Wed, 02 Sep 2009 19:29:30 +0200

Tom Tromey skrev:
>>>>>> "Andreas" == Andreas Schwab <schwab <at> linux-m68k.org> writes:
> 
>>> I'll report it to the Fedora Emacs maintainer, perhaps it is just a
>>> missing BuildRequires.
> 
> Andreas> Looks like.
> Andreas> checking for alsa >= 1.0.0... no
> 
> Thanks, Andreas.
> The Fedora bug is here: https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=518659
> 

The Fedora bug has been fixed.

	Jan D.

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