[mythtv-users] pulseaudio ate my frontend!

[Robin Gilks]

>>  * A Burr-Brown PCM2702 USB equipped FM transmitter used to work great
>> as
>> a totally separate output from a script running random music from mpg123
>> so I didn't have to listen to adverts on my alarm clock in the mornings.
>> pacmd lists the device but it doesn't appear in either the pavcontrol or
>> kmix mixer controls.
>
>
> I can't help with your pulseaudio woes but your solution to personal
> alarm clock music sounds expensive. Do you really have a computer
> broadcasting FM 24/7 just so you don't have to listen to adverts in
> the ten seconds it takes to wake up and head for the bathroom?
>

My server is on all the time doing its stuff - web, email, mythbackend,
weather station and wind turbine logging (loads of stuff!!) so one more
thing isn't hitting the power bill :)

As it happens, I eventually stumbled over the correct command line stuff
for mpg123 to drive the USB transmitter independently of the other audio
ports.

Here are my Gentoo startup scripts in case anyone wants to duplicate it:
====================================
/etc/conf.d/radio_robin

RADIO_USER=g8ecj
RADIO_DSP="alsa_output.usb-Burr-Brown_Japan_Burr-Brown_Japan_PCM2702-00-PCM2702.analog-stereo"
RADIO_PLAYLIST=/usr/local/share/radio_robin/playlist
====================================

/etc/init.d/radio_robin (the 105 is the number of the mpg123 output)
====================================
start() {
        [[ -z "${RADIO_USER}" ]] && RADIO_USER="g8ecj"

        ebegin "Starting RADIO Backend"
        su ${RADIO_USER} -c "pactl set-sink-volume ${RADIO_DSP} 70%"
        su ${RADIO_USER} -c "pactl set-sink-input-volume 105 17%"
        start-stop-daemon --start --quiet --user "${RADIO_USER}" \
                --exec /usr/bin/mpg123 --make-pidfile --pidfile
/var/run/radio_robin.pid \
                --background -- -q -Z -o pulse -a ${RADIO_DSP} -@
${RADIO_PLAYLIST}

        eend $?
}

stop () {
        ebegin "Stopping RADIO Backend"
        start-stop-daemon --stop --quiet --pidfile=/var/run/radio_robin.pid
        eend $?
}
====================================

Just got to work out how to separate the volume controls for front and
side channels so I can use one for speakers and one for Skype handset.

Cheers

-- 
Robin Gilks