[AG-TECH] Dropping OSS device in Rat (Linux)

[Jason Bell]

G'day Monika

There are a number of ways to "force" the use of an input device.

Basically there is a .RATdefaults file within your home directory that
sets the "audioInputPort".  Example:

	*audioInputPort:  Microphone

The easiest way to configure this, is to set the input device in rat and
then "quit" manually, as it will save the settings to this file.

You could then disable, then re-enable the audio using the
"Enable/disable audio" button on the Venue Client.  Hopefully the input
device should now be configured correctly...  Note, due to the way the
AG shuts down Rat, it doesn't actually save your setting, so every time
you changed venues, it would set the input device back to it's default.

I hope this clarifies the issue you are having.

Cheers,
Jason.
 

-----Original Message-----
From: monika.k.rabarison at jsums.edu [mailto:monika.k.rabarison at jsums.edu]

Sent: Wednesday, 31 October 2007 11:46 PM
To: Ben.Green at manchester.ac.uk
Cc: Jason Bell; ag-tech; accessgrid-l at clix.aarnet.edu.au
Subject: RE: [AG-TECH] Dropping OSS device in Rat (Linux)

Hello,

I don't get the issue either
I also have ALSA as default on Fedora 7. Both ALSA and OSS work fine.

However, what currently bothering me is that on one of the nodes anytime
I
change venue, "Line" switches to "Mic".

-Monika

> Hi Jason,
>
> I don't get this issue luckily, my OSS device is always there
alongside
> the ALSA one. I use the ALSA as default. I'm running FC7.
>
> But I do see a similar issue when starting the video producer service,
and
> it can take 10 seconds for it to recognise my video device (I just get
a
> blank in the drop down device menu). I'm sure other people have seen
this
> too.
>
> I would image getting vic to sleep for 10 seconds before starting
would
> resolve this, in a similar way to how your shell script makes rat wait
a
> bit longer before starting (I assume that's what it's doing).
>
> Cheers, Ben.
>
> |=============================|
> | Ben Green                   |
> | Access Grid Support Centre  |
> | Room G49-H                  |
> | Research Computing Services |
> | Kilburn Building            |
> | University of Manchester    |
> | Oxford Road                 |
> | Manchester                  |
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> |-----------------------------|
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> | ben.green at manchester.ac.uk  |
> | http://www.agsc.ja.net      |
> |=============================|
> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-ag-tech at mcs.anl.gov [mailto:owner-ag-tech at mcs.anl.gov] On
> Behalf Of Jason Bell
> Sent: 31 October 2007 05:56
> To: ag-tech; accessgrid-l at clix.aarnet.edu.au
> Subject: [AG-TECH] Dropping OSS device in Rat (Linux)
>
> G'day all
>
> This is just a quick email to see if anyone else has been experiencing
> an issue that I have been having lately.
>
> Basically on my "Linux" systems (Fedora Core 6 and Fedora 7),
sometimes
> when Rat is started, the Device "OSS" device is missing in which is
then
> defaulted to an "ALSA" device.
>
> The reason why this is an issue is the "OSS" device produces far
> superior audio quality, when compared to "ALSA" (Though I realize that
> "OSS" is just a wrapper on ASLA with the default Fedora Kernel).
>
> From my understanding, the reason why this occurs is that, if the OSS
> device is in use, it then becomes unavailable and no longer displayed
as
> a device, as OSS only allows one application exclusive access.
>
> Anyway, from doing some basic testing, it was seen that events like
> switching from one venue to another was causing this to happen.  It
> appeared that if the machine was heavily loaded, this would increase
the
> chance of this happening.
>
> Anyway, to cut a long story short, I deleted the /usr/bin/rat sym link
> and replaced it with a basic shell script:
>
> 	#! /bin/sh
>
> 	sleep 5
> 	exec /usr/bin/rat-4.4.00 "$@"
>
> From some initial testing, it appears to have fixed the issue!  (More
> testing is required)
>
> I'm just wondering if anyone else has experienced this issue with
Fedora
> or other Linux systems???
>
> Thanks for your time,
> Jason.
>
>
> --------------------------------------------
> Jason Bell, B.I.T.
>
> B. Info. Tech. (Honours) Student
>
> High Performance Computing Support Officer,
> Network Engineer
> Information Technology Division
> Central Queensland University
>
> E-mail : j.bell at cqu.edu.au
> Phone : 07 4930 9229
> --------------------------------------------
> Patience is a virtue.
>
> But if I wanted Patience,
> I would have become a Doctor.
> --------------------------------------------
>
>
>