Midi files won't play, timidity won't start

[Fibonacci]

Hello,

I've checked the howto guide at http://www.midi-howto.com/, and this are my results:

# lsmod
Module                  Size  Used by
snd_rtctimer            7373  0
vfat                   16193  2
fat                    51933  1 vfat
ppdev                  12741  0
autofs4                22981  2
hidp                   24001  2
rfcomm                 42709  0
l2cap                  31681  10 hidp,rfcomm
bluetooth              52901  3 hidp,rfcomm,l2cap
sunrpc                140925  1
ip_conntrack_netbios_ns     6977  0
ipt_REJECT              9536  1
xt_state                6209  2
ip_conntrack           54040  2 ip_conntrack_netbios_ns,xt_state
nfnetlink              10457  1 ip_conntrack
xt_tcpudp               7233  4
iptable_filter          7105  1
ip_tables              16389  1 iptable_filter
x_tables               16965  4 ipt_REJECT,xt_state,xt_tcpudp,ip_tables
dm_mirror              24081  0
dm_mod                 54745  1 dm_mirror
video                  18885  0
button                 10577  0
battery                13253  0
ac                      8901  0
ipv6                  246433  14
lp                     16265  0
parport_pc             29413  1
parport                38281  3 ppdev,lp,parport_pc
floppy                 61829  0
nvram                  12617  0
ehci_hcd               33229  0
sg                     36317  0
uhci_hcd               33233  0
e100                   37573  0
mii                     9281  1 e100
snd_intel8x0           34525  5
snd_ac97_codec         87905  1 snd_intel8x0
snd_ac97_bus            6465  1 snd_ac97_codec
snd_seq_dummy           7749  0
snd_seq_oss            33345  0
snd_seq_midi_event     11073  1 snd_seq_oss
snd_seq                52401  5 snd_seq_dummy,snd_seq_oss,snd_seq_midi_event
snd_seq_device         12877  3 snd_seq_dummy,snd_seq_oss,snd_seq
snd_pcm_oss            49105  0
snd_mixer_oss          20417  2 snd_pcm_oss
snd_pcm                81093  4 snd_intel8x0,snd_ac97_codec,snd_pcm_oss
i2c_i801               12365  0
i2c_core               24897  1 i2c_i801
snd_timer              26693  4 snd_rtctimer,snd_seq,snd_pcm
snd                    55109  15 snd_intel8x0,snd_ac97_codec,snd_seq_oss,snd_seq,snd_seq_device,snd_pcm_oss,snd_mixer_oss,snd_pcm,snd_timer
soundcore              13345  2 snd
snd_page_alloc         14537  2 snd_intel8x0,snd_pcm
ext3                  121417  1
jbd                    56917  1 ext3
ata_piix               13893  1
libata                 58065  1 ata_piix
sd_mod                 20417  2
scsi_mod              129001  3 sg,libata,sd_mod

# cat /proc/modules
snd_rtctimer 7373 0 - Live 0xe0bdd000
vfat 16193 2 - Live 0xe0a8e000
fat 51933 1 vfat, Live 0xe0bed000
ppdev 12741 0 - Live 0xe0b72000
autofs4 22981 2 - Live 0xe0b7a000
hidp 24001 2 - Live 0xe0aac000
rfcomm 42709 0 - Live 0xe0ba9000
l2cap 31681 10 hidp,rfcomm, Live 0xe0ba0000
bluetooth 52901 3 hidp,rfcomm,l2cap, Live 0xe0b92000
sunrpc 140925 1 - Live 0xe0bb9000
ip_conntrack_netbios_ns 6977 0 - Live 0xe0a81000
ipt_REJECT 9536 1 - Live 0xe0aa8000
xt_state 6209 2 - Live 0xe0a84000
ip_conntrack 54040 2 ip_conntrack_netbios_ns,xt_state, Live 0xe0b83000
nfnetlink 10457 1 ip_conntrack, Live 0xe0a55000
xt_tcpudp 7233 4 - Live 0xe0a6a000
iptable_filter 7105 1 - Live 0xe09e1000
ip_tables 16389 1 iptable_filter, Live 0xe0aa2000
x_tables 16965 4 ipt_REJECT,xt_state,xt_tcpudp,ip_tables, Live 0xe0a88000
dm_mirror 24081 0 - Live 0xe0a74000
dm_mod 54745 1 dm_mirror, Live 0xe0a93000
video 18885 0 - Live 0xe0a7b000
button 10577 0 - Live 0xe0841000
battery 13253 0 - Live 0xe0a6f000
ac 8901 0 - Live 0xe0a51000
ipv6 246433 14 - Live 0xe0ab3000
lp 16265 0 - Live 0xe09dc000
parport_pc 29413 1 - Live 0xe0984000
parport 38281 3 ppdev,lp,parport_pc, Live 0xe0a46000
floppy 61829 0 - Live 0xe0a59000
nvram 12617 0 - Live 0xe09d1000
ehci_hcd 33229 0 - Live 0xe0a3c000
sg 36317 0 - Live 0xe0a32000
uhci_hcd 33233 0 - Live 0xe0a28000
e100 37573 0 - Live 0xe09fb000
mii 9281 1 e100, Live 0xe0980000
snd_intel8x0 34525 3 - Live 0xe09c7000
snd_ac97_codec 87905 1 snd_intel8x0, Live 0xe09e4000
snd_ac97_bus 6465 1 snd_ac97_codec, Live 0xe0931000
snd_seq_dummy 7749 0 - Live 0xe0845000
snd_seq_oss 33345 0 - Live 0xe09bd000
snd_seq_midi_event 11073 1 snd_seq_oss, Live 0xe0974000
snd_seq 52401 5 snd_seq_dummy,snd_seq_oss,snd_seq_midi_event, Live 0xe09af000
snd_seq_device 12877 3 snd_seq_dummy,snd_seq_oss,snd_seq, Live 0xe087a000
snd_pcm_oss 49105 0 - Live 0xe09a2000
snd_mixer_oss 20417 2 snd_pcm_oss, Live 0xe0820000
snd_pcm 81093 3 snd_intel8x0,snd_ac97_codec,snd_pcm_oss, Live 0xe098d000
i2c_i801 12365 0 - Live 0xe083c000
i2c_core 24897 1 i2c_i801, Live 0xe095b000
snd_timer 26693 3 snd_rtctimer,snd_seq,snd_pcm, Live 0xe0953000
snd 55109 13 snd_intel8x0,snd_ac97_codec,snd_seq_oss,snd_seq,snd_seq_device,snd_pcm_oss,snd_mixer_oss,snd_pcm,snd_timer, Live 0xe0965000
soundcore 13345 2 snd, Live 0xe0837000
snd_page_alloc 14537 2 snd_intel8x0,snd_pcm, Live 0xe0832000
ext3 121417 1 - Live 0xe0934000
jbd 56917 1 ext3, Live 0xe0901000
ata_piix 13893 1 - Live 0xe082d000
libata 58065 1 ata_piix, Live 0xe086a000
sd_mod 20417 2 - Live 0xe0827000
scsi_mod 129001 3 sg,libata,sd_mod, Live 0xe0849000

The test program provided there runs well:

#include <stdio.h>
#include <alsa/asoundlib.h>

int main (int argc, char *argv[])
{
  snd_seq_t *seq_handle;

  if (snd_seq_open(&seq_handle, "hw", SND_SEQ_OPEN_DUPLEX, 0) < 0) {
    fprintf(stderr, "Error opening ALSA sequencer.\n");
    exit(1);
  }

printf("The ALSA libraries are installed.\n");
return 0;
}

it prints "The ALSA libraries are installed."

But I can't play any midi file. KMid (is it true that it sucks?) doesn't play any sound, though no error message is displayed. Timidity just doesn't start, printing this error message:

esd: No such file or directory
Couldn't open Enlightened sound daemon (`e')

However, when I manually run esd, it does without a problem, and even plays a sequence of short sounds (though it does never stop on its own - is that behaviour normal?).

What else can I do?

Thanks in advance,

-Fibo

[Fibonacci]

Update: I tried running esd &, and timidity would run fine; but then, no other program would play any sound, not even MPlayer, until I killed the esd process.

Isn't there any way of making timidity start esd when it is started, and then quit it when the program ends? Manually starting it, and then using htop (or worse yet, top) to kill the process everytime doesn't count as a solution.

Thanks in advance,

-Fibo

[Fibonacci]

It appears that this problem has been present at least since FC2 - see here. How is it possible that no solution has yet been found, I don't understand.

Nobody ever even tries to play midi files under Fedora?

[fozner]

Confirmed on AMD64 Fedora Core 5 with fresh yum update.

cd /path/to/midi

timidity ambient.mid
esd: No such file or directory
Couldn't open Enlightened sound daemon (`e')

Update: Restarted X and it works fine now?!?!

KDE is still using ALSA, as usual.

It is better to run timidity as a sequencer so other programs can use it. Maybe put the following into rc.local:
timidity -iA -B2,8 -Os -EFreverb=0 &

If it doesn't work for you, you can turn midi files into .ogg files like so:
timidity -Ov ambient.mid
play ambient.ogg

[Fibonacci]

Update: Restarted X and it works fine now?!?!

What works fine? TiMidity without having to manually run & kill esd everytime?

If it doesn't work for you, you can turn midi files into .ogg files like so:
timidity -Ov ambient.mid
play ambient.ogg

Works fine, at least I can listen to what's on the MIDI now. But this workaround requires the same amount of work (for the user) as starting esd and then killing it.

[fozner]

Hmm after the latest updates I have to start and stop esd at least once before timidity will work.

My new rc.local looks like this:
# MIDI Synth
esd &
killall -9 esd &
timidity -iA -B2,8 -Os -EFreverb=0 &

With those settings, my non-MIDI capable soundcard plays MIDI. KMID and ***** like that works too. I'd call this a hack until somebody comes up with something better.