xmms only playing mp3 as root

[Johan Scheepers]

On 12/30/2010 01:12 AM, Tim wrote:
> On Wed, 2010-12-29 at 22:33 +0200, Johan Scheepers wrote:
>> When tested xmms on mp3,  I was logged in as root.
> Not a good idea.  And as well as the security/reliability issues, you
> end up painting yourself into a corner.  Get out of the habit of logging
> in as root.  It's rarely ever needed, other than by someone who's
> previously logged in as root, keeps on doing so, and won't break the
> habit.
>
> As for failing to open the sound device:  If that's not down to a
> problem you've permanently created by modifying things left right and
> centre, because you've been logging in as root, then you *may* resolve
> that by:  Log out as root.  Make sure all users are logged off.  Log in
> normally as a normal user.  The sound device should, then, be available
> to that user.
>
> That sort of thing is/was handled by console helper, which assigns the
> non-shareable hardware to the user currently logged into the console.
>
> What's non-shareable hardware?  Things like sound, which can't play
> music for one user, and play music for another user, concurrently.
> Well, not without two different songs playing over the top of each other
> out of the same set of speakers.  And things like *a* keyboard and *a*
> mouse, which also can't be used by two different people at the same
> time.
>
What a negative, judgement, useless response.