Ubuntu Server - Virtual Sound Card

chrisnbrooks

@thwr said in Ubuntu Server - Virtual Sound Card:
...

https://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2119648

Good read! Wish I still had my blade in Chicago so I could test this out just for gits and shiggles.
Maybe finally time to renew that contract ... this time sans hosting clients.

thwr

@chrisnbrooks said in Ubuntu Server - Virtual Sound Card:

@thwr said in Ubuntu Server - Virtual Sound Card:
...

https://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2119648

Good read! Wish I still had my blade in Chicago so I could test this out just for gits and shiggles.
Maybe finally time to renew that contract ... this time sans hosting clients.

Just create a VM with no sound hardware

chrisnbrooks

@thwr said in Ubuntu Server - Virtual Sound Card:

@chrisnbrooks said in Ubuntu Server - Virtual Sound Card:

@thwr said in Ubuntu Server - Virtual Sound Card:
...
Maybe finally time to renew that contract ... this time sans hosting clients.

Just create a VM with no sound hardware

Hah! Nooo... Just take my money!!!

thwr

Ok, got it. It's actually pretty simple. Tried this in a fresh new Ubuntu 16.04.1 VM on VirtualBox. The VM does not have sound hardware (disabled in VirtualBox).
I had some problems with the recorded file, there was just white noise. Turned out something went wrong when I tried to record the output using arecord and pipe that to lame to get a MP3. Switched to WAV instead.

Preparations:

sudo modprobe snd-aloop
sudo apt-get install alsa

Check devices:

tw@ubuntu-snddummy:~$ sudo aplay -l
**** List of PLAYBACK Hardware Devices ****
Home directory not accessible: Permission denied
card 0: Loopback [Loopback], device 0: Loopback PCM [Loopback PCM]
  Subdevices: 7/8
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
  Subdevice #1: subdevice #1
  Subdevice #2: subdevice #2
  Subdevice #3: subdevice #3
  Subdevice #4: subdevice #4
  Subdevice #5: subdevice #5
  Subdevice #6: subdevice #6
  Subdevice #7: subdevice #7
card 0: Loopback [Loopback], device 1: Loopback PCM [Loopback PCM]
  Subdevices: 8/8
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
  Subdevice #1: subdevice #1
  Subdevice #2: subdevice #2
  Subdevice #3: subdevice #3
  Subdevice #4: subdevice #4
  Subdevice #5: subdevice #5
  Subdevice #6: subdevice #6
  Subdevice #7: subdevice #7
tw@ubuntu-snddummy:~$

Play something

sudo aplay -D hw:0,0,0 sample.wav
Playing WAVE 'sample.wav' : Signed 16 bit Little Endian, Rate 44100 Hz, Stereo

Record (different shell)

sudo arecord -D hw:0,1,0 -f cd record.wav

PS: Did everything as root to avoid any permission issues.

Source:
http://www.alsa-project.org/main/index.php/Matrix:Module-aloop

Deleted74295

Nice work, really good find.

Will remember to try this in the future.

thwr

Thanks, I was just curious Please report back if that works for you.

scottalanmiller

This got way more popular than I had been expecting it to be!

thwr

@scottalanmiller said in Ubuntu Server - Virtual Sound Card:

This got way more popular than I had been expecting it to be!

Now we just need to find use-cases for this

scottalanmiller

@thwr said in Ubuntu Server - Virtual Sound Card:

@scottalanmiller said in Ubuntu Server - Virtual Sound Card:

This got way more popular than I had been expecting it to be!

Now we just need to find use-cases for this

That's the bigger challenge

travisdh1

@thwr said in Ubuntu Server - Virtual Sound Card:

@scottalanmiller said in Ubuntu Server - Virtual Sound Card:

This got way more popular than I had been expecting it to be!

Now we just need to find use-cases for this

Back in the late 90s, a group of ~50 engineers and FEA people would have loved to have that available. We could do 3D remotely, but sound without an audio card, not so much.

Unsolved Ubuntu Server - Virtual Sound Card