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:
  • Note for Ubuntu users: do not install libflashsupport from apt-get. That version only supports Pulseaudio. Remove this package if you have it.
  • Note for Gentoo users 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 .
  • flashsupport.c is found in /usr/lib/oss/lib
  • 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
  • To compile: cc -shared -m32 -O2 -Wall -Werror -lssl flashsupport.c -o /tmp/libflashsupport.so
    • Some 64 bit users (those who use nspluginwrapper) need to compile a 64-bit library instead: cc -shared -O2 -Wall -Werror -fPIC flashsupport.c -o /tmp/libflashsupport.so
  • sudo install -s /tmp/libflashsupport.so /usr/lib/
  • Restart browser

• Gnome Volume Applet
  • Requires updated libgstossaudio.so 32 bit version available from [1]
  • 64 bit version available from [2] (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

• scummvm - MIDI music
  • scummvm 0.11.0 supports midi output via timidity.
  • Start timidity -Od -ir 7777 and then run scummvm. Select "TiMidity" as a music driver.

• 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 [3] (Direct link to 1.4 static OSS version: [4])

• sox
  • Debian: install libsox-fmt-oss

• wine
  • Debian: install libwine-oss

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