Configuring Applications for OSSv4

Most applications should work with OSSv4 out of the box. However, some distributions separate the OSS output plugins, or patch the software to use another sound API. This page will show how to tell some common applications to use the OSS API. There's no need to use any of these tips unless there's a problem.

• Flash V9:
  • Flash V9 requires libflashsupport to output sound via OSS. Typically a 32-bit version of the library is required.

    getting libflashsupport

  • Ubuntu: do not install libflashsupport from apt-get. That version only supports Pulseaudio. Remove this package if you have it. You still have to follow the other instructions.
  • Gentoo: you just need to add net-www/libflashsupport in /etc/portage/package.keywords file and emerge using: USE="oss ssl" emerge libflashsupport . Restart browser and now it should work. You can ignore the other instructions.
  • Arch: libflashsupport should be already included in the oss-linux-free package on the i686 platform. Otherwise, follow the instructions.
  • There is a precompiled 32-bit .so at [1]. But compiling it is preferable.
  1. flashsupport.c is found in /usr/lib/oss/lib
  2. Comment out "#define OPENSSL" by placing a '//' in front of that line
     • 64 bit users will require gcc multilib support.
     • In Debian/Ubuntu - sudo apt-get install gcc-multilib
  3. To compile: cc -shared -m32 -O2 -Wall -Werror -lssl flashsupport.c -o /tmp/libflashsupport.so
     • Some rare 64 bit configurations may want to compile a 64-bit library instead: cc -shared -O2 -Wall -Werror -fPIC flashsupport.c -o /tmp/libflashsupport.so
  4. Once you have a libflashsupport, it should be installed to /usr/lib/oss/lib

  • installing libflashsupport

  1. sudo install -s /tmp/libflashsupport.so /usr/lib/oss/lib
  2. Restart browser

• Gnome Volume Applet
  • Use gst-plugins-bad 0.10.7 and above:
    • Debian: apt-get install gstreamer0.10-plugins-bad
  • or use precompiled patched gstreamer oss module:
    • 32 bit libgstossaudio.so version available from [2]
    • 64 bit version available from [3] (login required).
    • Follow installation instructions in README file.

• libao
  • write default_driver=oss to ~/.libao

• mpg123
  • Debian: install mpg123 instead of mpg123-alsa

• MPlayer
  • write "ao=oss" to ~/.mplayer/config

• openal
  • write the line "(define devices '(native oss))" to ~/.openalrc

• scummvm - MIDI music
  • scummvm 0.11.0 supports midi output via timidity and also via fluidsynth.
  • Start timidity -Od -ir 7777 and then run scummvm. Select "TiMidity" as a music driver.
  • Alternately, if fluidsynth is compiled, you can select it as music driver. You need to add a soundfont entry to ~/.scummvmrc .

• SDL
  • Debian: install libsdl1.2-debian-oss or libsdl1.2-debian-all
  • set SDL_AUDIODRIVER=dsp in the environment

• skype
  • Arch: install skype-oss
  • install static OSS version from skype [4] (Direct link to latest static OSS version: [5])

• sox
  • Debian: install libsox-fmt-oss

• wine
  • Debian: install libwine-oss
  • Select OSS driver in winecfg - audio tab. (In some cases winecfg will output ALSA lib errors - they can be ignored).

• vlc
  • Write "aout=oss" to ~/.vlc/vlcrc

• xine
  • write "audio.driver:oss" to ~/.xine/config