From: mds@bogus.nodomain.nowhere   
      
   jayjwa  writes:   
      
   > Mike Spencer  writes:   
   >   
   >> I just discovered that I can't play a music cd on my Slackware 15.0   
   >> install.   
   >   
   >>    enoch% mplayer -cdrom-device /dev/cdrom cdda://1   
   >>   
   >> plays but stops evey ca. 15 seconds to say   
   >>   
   >>    [AO_ALSA] Write error: Broken pipe   
   >>    [AO_ALSA] Trying to reset soundcard.   
   >   
   > Something's up. It happens here too on Current.   
   >   
   >  mplayer cdda:////dev/sr0   
   > MPlayer 20250330-14.2.0 (C) 2000-2025 MPlayer Team   
   >   
   > Playing cdda:////dev/sr0.   
   > Found audio CD with 30 tracks.   
   > rawaudio file format detected.   
   >   
   > Track 1   
   > ==========================================================================   
   > Opening audio decoder: [pcm] Uncompressed PCM audio decoder   
   > AUDIO: 44100 Hz, 2 ch, s16le, 1411.2 kbit/100.00% (ratio: 176400->176400)   
   > Selected audio codec: [pcm] afm: pcm (Uncompressed PCM)   
   > ==========================================================================   
   > AO: [alsa] 44100Hz 2ch s16le (2 bytes per sample)   
   > Video: no video   
   > Starting playback...   
   > A:  15.5 (15.4) of 4360.8 ( 1:12:40.7)  0.0%   
   > [AO_ALSA] Write error: Broken pipe   
   > [AO_ALSA] Trying to reset soundcard.   
   > A:  31.5 (31.4) of 4360.8 ( 1:12:40.7) 10.2%   
   > [AO_ALSA] Write error: Broken pipe   
   > [AO_ALSA] Trying to reset soundcard.   
   > A:  33.3 (33.3) of 4360.8 ( 1:12:40.7) 19.2%   
      
   Okay, so I'm not entirely alone.  Make, model and age of CD/DVD drive   
   may make a difference.   
      
   I've found a  work-around.  Use   
      
       mplayer -cache 1024 cdda:////dev/sr0   
      
   Thanks to https://blog.8-p.info/en/2020/08/05/raspi-cd-player/   
   for the tip.   
      
   There's a lag as the cache fills.  The console output looks like   
      
       A: 251.3 (04:11.2) of 4100.2 ( 1:08:20.1)  0.1% 48%   
      
   where that last number appears to be % of cache fill.  It sometimes   
   drops to 0 but reverts to a higher number (e.g. 48%) immediately   
   without interrupting music.   
      
   Playing a specific track such as   
      
       mplayer -cache 1024 cdda://3 /dev/sr0   
      
   evokes a complaint at start of   
      
       Cache empty, consider increasing -cache and/or -cache-min.   
      
   but then playing proceeds with no further error or interruption.   
      
   It may not be bulletproof.  But I've played 2 CDs through without any   
   audible flaw or error report on the console.   
      
      
   I don't understand the sound setup on Slack 15.   
      
   rc.alsa and rc.pulseaudio in /etc/rc.d are both 644.  rc.pulseaudio   
   says   
      
       # Start/stop/restart PulseAudio in system mode.   
       # In this mode, a single system instance of PulseAudio will be shared by   
       # multiple local users.   
       #   
       # Please note:  this is not generally the best way to use PulseAudio!   
       # Normally pulseaudio will start automatically as-needed with an instance   
       # per audio user.   
      
   How does that work?  pgrep shows a pulseaudio process running even   
   when mplayer isn't playing. Where is the running process started?   
      
   top(1) shows heavy CPU use by pulseaudio when mplayer is playing a   
   CD.  At the same time, mplayer's console output refers to   
      
       AO: [alsa] 44100Hz 2ch s16le (2 bytes per sample)   
      
   when playing a CD.   
      
   Is there somewhere I can find a an overview of the variously   
   alternative, conflicting, superimposed, interacting or $whatever   
   components of current Linux audio?  The manpages don't provide that.   
      
   > Using VLC (Media -> Open Disc, CD) I don't get that message but it seems   
   > to stutter now and then. I can't tell if it's the system or the   
   > recording (it's The Germs - the recording is choppy and rough as-is). I   
   > don't have any other physical CDs left at this time.   
      
   Possibly the same problem?  CD read is slow enough that the/a cache is   
   running dry and some quirk -- hardware, SCSI, ?? -- briefly stalls   
   refilling?   
      
   > It might be a good idea to take this to LQ (if you have an account) so   
   > the rest of the Slackware crew can look at it.   
      
   I'm happy with what I have now.  Who knows what gotchas may emerge   
   later.   
      
   Many years ago I asked for help playing CDs, was directed to ensure   
   the analog cable from drive to sound card was in place.  Aound &   
   installed a cable.  All good, TYVM.   
      
   Shortly thereafter, I bought a new internal drive, dutifully located   
   the right analog cable in my junk heap, installed it and had no sound.   
   Asked for help again and was reproved for having failed to pay   
   attention the first time.  A day later I located the wiring diagram   
   for the drive on line.  It clearly showed and said that the plug for   
   the analog cable was present but wasn't connected to anything inside.   
      
   Now that just wasn't fair! :-)   
      
   Thanks all for your attention.  Happily listening to Mussorgsky piano   
   reverie.   
      
   --   
   Mike Spencer                  Nova Scotia, Canada   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)