20097 - Sounds do not work when running Mozilla

Status: CLOSED INVALID

(Core Graveyard :: Tracking, enhancement, P3)

Description

[Adhitya Chittur]

Under both Win95 and 98 (Win32 build), sounds will not play at all (from any
application).  Alert sounds (like for dialog boxes) just allow the PC speaker
beep instead of the normal rings and dings.  On some occasions, the problem goes
away once Mozilla is shut down, on other occasions the problem persists until my
computer is restarted.  This problem has been around since for awhile.
The sound card is very old, and uses 16bit Windows drivers and a DOS driver
(that's probably the problem).  It is a Shuttlegroup HOT-223 (uses the OPTi
82C928 chipset, SBPro clone from early 90s).
[e-mail]

Comment 1

[av (gone)]

Hm... Can anybody reproduce this? Frankly, I do not see why it came to me.

Comment 2

[Adhitya Chittur]

I don't know why it went to you either :-)

I believe the source of the problem is the Mozilla DOS box itself.  I believe
that is what takes control of the sound card.  If somebody will do a Mozilla
build without the DOS box, I'll give it a spin and see if that's what the
problem is.  I got this idea from the fact when I play old DOS games and switch
back to Windows without quitting the game, I get the same PC speaker sounds
instead of through the sound card.

Comment 3

[Brian King [:kinger]]

Platform: WinNT4
Build: M11

Have a look at the code in 'res/samples/soundtest.html' for playing a wav file.
It is hooked up in the Browser (Debug -> XPtoolkit -> Sound).  This worked in
M10, but does not in M11.  Here is the JS for quick reference:

var filespec =
Components.classes["component://netscape/filespec"].createInstance();
filespec = filespec.QueryInterface(Components.interfaces.nsIFileSpec);
filespec.URLString = "file://res/samples/test.wav";

var sample = Components.classes["component://netscape/sound"].createInstance();
sample = sample.QueryInterface(Components.interfaces.nsISound);

Comment 4

[Adhitya Chittur]

The problem isn't that Mozilla won't play sounds (I haven't tried), the problem
is that NO sounds can be played AT ALL (such as menu sounds, selection sounds,
alert sounds, etc.).  Or is it that you are trying to find out whether Mozilla
is grabbing the sound port?  Please tell me, it takes a while to download 5MB on
a 28.8

Comment 5

[Syd Logan]

We have nsISound implemented on Win32 (Linux implemention is in hand, Mac is to
follow shortly). If individual components need to be playing sounds, bugs should
be filed on a case-by-case basis against the component owners.

Comment 6

[Adhitya Chittur]

The reason the sounds do not work on Mozilla is because of the DOS box.  With a 
16bit sound card driver (Win3.1), whenever a DOS box opens Windows gives all 
sound access to that DOS box.  In fact, with a 16 bit driver only 1 application 
can play a sound at a time (aka can't play MP3 if I have a WAV playing).  So we 
shall forget about that as the problem.
The problem is that when I exit Mozilla and the DOS debug box closes, the sound 
port is not relinquished (however it is under all my other DOS applications).  
I'm guessing that some part of Mozilla doesn't leave memory (leaky webshells?) 
and this is what causes the problem.  Reopening.
[e-mail]

Comment 7

[leger]

Clearing INVALID resolution due to reopen. But syd, is this your bug?

Comment 8

[Syd Logan]

I'm not sure what this bug is. Sounds play. The current soundtest.html is
invalid, but that is a separately filed bug. Re-marking invalid.

Comment 9

[Adhitya Chittur]

FYI:
Apparently this months old bug was finally fixed sometime within the past week. 
 To reproduce you'll need an older build (I'd go about 3 to 4 weeks just to be 
safe) and a computer with an old sound card and 16 bit drivers.  My sound card 
is an old OPTi SBPro clone from the early 90s, no Win32 drivers available.  The 
problem was not just Mozilla sounds, it was all sounds (the system cannot play 
sounds when a DOS box is open if you use 16 bit drivers on Win95/98).  I still 
can't play sounds in Mozilla due to the DOS box, but finally Mozilla completely 
clears the DOS box from memory so I am not required to restart the computer 
before being able to play sounds again.