Block Character devices

[JamDown]

I'm using Mandrake 9. Pretty standard installation which like most others wouldn't allow a non root user to use serial ports or other hardware. In a fit of frustration perhaps confusion I deleted the /dev/dsp file. Previously it pointed to /dev/sound/dsp (looked like a special sort of symbolic link). The bottom line is I don't know how to get it back or how to make sound available to non root users and for that matter any serial ports. Can anyone help? Would really appreciate it.
Thanks

[plattypus1]

For your /dev/dsp just do ln -s /dev/sound/dsp /dev/dsp
then do "chmod 755 /dev/dsp" and (for good measure) "chmod 755 /dev/sound/dsp" and that ought to make your sound avaliable to everyone.

Also, do the same chmod on your serial ports and that should work. However, I'm not sure.

[JamDown]

Thanks Platypus

By the name, I assume you're in Oz too.

The mode for /dev/sound/dsp is 755 and even though tried as root to change the mode for the link (/dev/dsp) it won't. It stays at 555 owner and group are root.

Arghhh :-)

[serz]

Could you output of "ls -l /dev/sound/dsp". You might need to add yourself to a group.

[JamDown]

ll for sound gives:-
total 0
crw------- 1 root audio 14, 4 Jan 1 1970 audio
crw------- 1 root audio 14, 3 Jan 1 1970 dsp
crw------- 1 root audio 14, 5 Jan 1 1970 dspW
crw------- 1 root audio 14, 2 Jan 1 1970 midi
crw------- 1 root audio 14, 0 Jan 1 1970 mixer
crw------- 1 root audio 14, 1 Jan 1 1970 sequencer
crw------- 1 root audio 14, 8 Jan 1 1970 sequencer2

[JamDown]

Sorry, one more thing. My groups membership includes audio and I've tried changing the groups ownership for all of these files to my username.

[mdwatts]

Originally posted by JamDown
Sorry, one more thing. My groups membership includes audio and I've tried changing the groups ownership for all of these files to my username.

You should only need to add the users to the audio group without the need to change any permissions and ownerships etc.

If you need to receate /dev/dsp, then as root

mknod /dev/dsp c 14 3

[plattypus1]

Originally posted by JamDown
Thanks Platypus

By the name, I assume you're in Oz too.


Nope. I'm in California and have a strange liking for the little creatures. Anything furry that lays an egg has gotta be cool. :-D

Well, can't say I didn't try. There are SO many threads around here about permissions for /dev/dsp, half the time the answer's different when it does finally work. Good luck to ya!

[sharth]

ell, you did screw up the permissions, you're gonna want to doa chmod g+rw on /dev/dsp, and check /dev/mixer to make sure it has the same permissions as well.

and add yourself to the audio group.

[JamDown]

Folks thanks for all your help and sorry for the delay. I still can't get audio working other than as root user. I checked all the advise do far but..just about given up :-(

Thanks again for the effort though.

[hard candy]

Which desktop are you using? If KDE, it may the aRts server is blocking the sound. In aRts, set suspend to 15 secs. And you might try "chmod 666 /dev/***" for the heck of it.

[JamDown]

Semi success at last. I'm not sure what's changed but everything appears to be where it was last time I wrote. I have restarted the machine though ??. I say semi because the audio is broken up about 2 seconds of sound and 1 second or so of nothing. Not very nice to listen to. I've played with the sound server configuration:-
Threaded open sound;
Custom device = /dev/dsp;
Buffer = 208 ms;
Run sound server with realtime priority = yes;

Once again thanks for the help. What am I doing wrong?