Arch Linux

redart

Member

Registered: 2016-12-03

Posts: 19

[SOLVED] Mplayer has (not!) hijacked my audio !

Was playing around with orage calendar app as I couldn't get the alarms to make any sound.
After some googling I installed mplayer and set the orage preferences to use that.
Now orage alarms work as intended but Youtube videos refuse to load.  Also FB videos play but without sound.
Uninstalled mplayer and rebooted.  Still no Youtube and still no sound.  Cannot play any audio files.
Installed VLC.....no sound.
Only by re-installing mplayer can I play audio sounds, but Youtube and FB still refuse to play.
mplayer is the only thing I can get any sound out of......any thoughts?   Thanks

xfce4 on Thinkpad T550

Last edited by redart (2026-05-03 13:59:09)

seth

Member

From: Won't reply 2 private help req

Registered: 2012-09-03

Posts: 75,741

Re: [SOLVED] Mplayer has (not!) hijacked my audio !

systemctl --user pipewire pulseaudio wirelpumber
sudo fuser -v /dev/snd/*
pacman -Qs 'wire|pulse'

https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/WirePl … t_settings ?

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redart

Member

Registered: 2016-12-03

Posts: 19

Re: [SOLVED] Mplayer has (not!) hijacked my audio !

Thank you again seth.  TBH I never even heard of wireplumber 

systemctl --user pipewire pulseaudio wireplumber

gave

Unknown command verb 'pipewire'.

Tried

systemctl --user stop pipewire pulseaudio wireplumber

and got

Stopping 'pipewire.service', but its triggering units are still active:
pipewire.socket
Stopping 'pulseaudio.service', but its triggering units are still active:
pulseaudio.socket

sudo fuser -v /dev/snd/*
[sudo] password for tony: 
                     USER        PID ACCESS COMMAND
/dev/snd/controlC0:  tony       3600 F.... pulseaudio
/dev/snd/controlC1:  tony       3600 F.... pulseaudio
                     tony       3604 F.... wireplumber
/dev/snd/seq:        tony       3603 F.... pipewire

Tried stopping the wireplumber service and deleteing the user settings as per the link but no difference.
Is the problem that I have pipewire and pulseaudio running simultaneously?

seth

Member

From: Won't reply 2 private help req

Registered: 2012-09-03

Posts: 75,741

Re: [SOLVED] Mplayer has (not!) hijacked my audio !

systemctl --user status pipewire pulseaudio wireplumber

Sorry.

But you should under no circumstances have pipewire AND pulseaudio, install pipewire-pulse (it will replace PA)

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redart

Member

Registered: 2016-12-03

Posts: 19

Re: [SOLVED] Mplayer has (not!) hijacked my audio !

The "status" command gave a bunch of output which is probably moot now as installing pipewire-pulse fixed the problem
Had to first remove pulseaudio-bluetooth before I could proceed, but all is now good and I don't have to re-install the system
(I know it's the wrong approach but I needed this machine up and running and the system is only a couple days old with a separate
home directory, so a re-install is a 10 minute job). 
Thank you once again seth.......most excellent

seth

Member

From: Won't reply 2 private help req

Registered: 2012-09-03

Posts: 75,741

Re: [SOLVED] Mplayer has (not!) hijacked my audio !

\o/
Please always remember to mark resolved threads by editing your initial posts subject - so others will know that there's no task left, but maybe a solution to find.
Thanks.

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redart

Member

Registered: 2016-12-03

Posts: 19

Re: [SOLVED] Mplayer has (not!) hijacked my audio !

Done.....and as a bonus, orage can still play sounds....via mplayer !.  Apologies to mplayer for the slight