A sound warning about using Ubuntu on the desktop

I’ll have to try this - I must admit it has never come up for me. I’m not an expert on the kernel, but I believe it has to do with the way that interrupts are handled (or not handled). This will take some help from Linus and co.

I don’t recall this being a problem in the BSDs, as they handle things quite a bit differently at the lowest level. Real time processing is not a problem for FreeBSD, or any of the distributions based on BSD 4.4

give me a break. windows ready for mass-adoption on the desktop? there’s no way you’ll get me to go back to stupid windows and all of it’s infections and malware. that fact alone makes GNU/Linux ready for mass-adoption. microsoft just isn’t ready for the desktop yet. i don’t have this sound problem on my mandriva linux so maybe you’re just an id10t.

This is retarded, “in Linux you can’t do this”, yeah well in anything but Ubuntu you can, they break a lot of stuff and it all gets pinned on “Linux”.

Use Fedora!

http://izanbardprince.wordpress.com/2008/06/20/fedora-linux-9-is-definitely-worth-taking-for-a-spin/

In my Ubuntu 8.04 there’s no problem playing an mp3 tune, while watching a Youtube video, while watching a Divx movie in another window. Of course the sound output will be the sum of 3 different sources.
The problem is not Linux, the problem are people whose computer abilities are stuck in the 80’s/early 90’s…..

I have been running 8.04 on my HP nc6400 laptop, and my main desktop AMD system. I actually haven’t had that problem. It may simply be a configuration issue. Yes, it can be frustrating for users at times with different hardware configs, but I wouldn’t write it off as an 80’s or 90’s computing problem. Your blog is your business as it is your opinion. Although, if I wrote all of my problems with Audio / Network latency / hardware Incompatibility issues I have had with Vista,my blog article would have been 14 times longer than yours.

Is Linux ready for the masses? Let me ask you, is Vista?

All you need to do is download alsa-oss libraries.

I have absolutely no issues playing sound in anything - for flash i would recommend Flash 10 beta - it can play in full screen 1600×1200 in proper speed (it uses 3d card..).

I think Ubuntu is not ready for the masses - its just not professional enough - Opensuse, Mandriva, pclinuxos are 100% ready for the masses.

Opensuse 11 (i have been runnig it since alpha) is easily the most usable and nicest looking OS i have seen ever (except amiga …..)

Never had this problem myself.

Pause Amarok to watch Youtube videos all the time and never had a problem. Perhaps you should check your setup and sort your facts out before blasting Linux…

I have an idea. Why don’t you ask some others if they’re having similar problems and research the issue. If you steer clear of making very wide pronouncements, you’re more likely to get helpful answers.

I’ve been running Xubuntu for about two years and don’t generally have this problem. There are a lot of truly helpful places on the web, one being Ubuntu itself, that will be happy to assist. Most of us wind up learning linux this way, right?

If it still refuses to work for you, there’s always Vista

I’ve not had this problem in over 3 years; it is likely broken BECAUSE of PulseAudio, rather than being its fix. PulseAudio is very new and shouldn’t have been in a LTS release. At the same time, GNOME shouldn’t be considered usable either, but a lot of people seem to think it is…

This is Adobe’s fault. It’s strictly a flash bug. They treat Linux as a second class citizen. They don’t support hardware acceleration if you use compiz. They have broken sound support.

To claim this is Ubuntu’s fault is unfair. Even the flash 10 beta doesn’t help yet.

In any event, let’s put the blame where it belongs. Adobe!

As long as there’s not such thing as a just one Linux system, your statement is false.

I’m using Debian Etch with KDE and I don’t have any problem with sound or with sound from different sources

Are you using 8.04? That version revamped the audio system and fixed the sound issues. If you are not using 8.04, try an upgrade.

Odd. I don’t have that problem running OpenSuse as my desktop. Nor do I see it when I bring up Ubuntu, Fedora or Mandriva in virtual machines. Perhaps a configuration issue or a problem exists between keyboard and chair situation.

As usual, YMMV.

I agree with the author to some extend. I have been using Ubuntu 8.04 already in beta stages. Pulseaudio isn’t mature yet or isn’t well enough integrated. Try playing some wine related audioplayer and you know what I mean.
The solution is killing pulseaudio, which is a simple command in the terminal (pkill pulseaudio).
Still, if the ambition is an OS for the masses then this should have been working out of the box.

I never noticed a problem like that when I was running Ubuntu. I’m back on Vista now and love it. Stuff gets developed for Windows, not to say that there aren’t lots of open source alternatives to various apps, but I’ve found I generally have a better experience with the Windows versions, often times something I paid for.

The problem is not with Linux or Ubuntu or Open Source…The problem is with assholes like the author who dont wanna work their lazy ass off and blame it on the developers..Who told you to use Linux if it is so flawed ? Why dont you just use Vista or XP and suck Bill Gates’ expensive dick ?

You all need a program that lets you operate two computers at the same time; one windows, the other linux. Put the things that windows does best on the Win machine, and the things linux does best on the linux machine.

The box that ends up with the fewest mission critical programs is “the expensive one.”

I think there really is a program like that. It’s called Synchronicity, or something like that. Each box needs its own monitor, but shares a mouse & keyboard.

“Who told you to use Linux if it is so flawed ?”
Ha! Exactly…so flawed. Love it.
Even Linux fan boys admit Linux sucks!

In the terminal, type (without the quotes):

“sudo apt-get install libflashsupport”

This installs the necessary library to allow both firefox and rhythmbox to use the sound at the same time. I don’t know why it’s not installed by default, but this does fix the problem in Ubuntu Hardy.