[Bug 40654] Re: Unable to open device /dev/dsp for writing: Device or resource busy

[Sitsofe Wheeler]

If your soundcard does not do hardware mixing (which most onboard cards
don't) and esd uses the old OSS /dev/dsp method of accessing your sound
card then this error is to be expected because your soundcard is only
able to be by one program at any given time. When esd is started it
tends to keep running and locks the soundcard open. Either you need esd
to use ALSA (along with every other sound making program) or you need
every other program which is trying to make a sound to use esd.

I'm afraid that is the way things are. It is far better for applications
to use ALSA because thanks to dmix the sound output of multiple programs
can be multiplexed before being sent to the sound card.

James:

Can you attach the output of:
dpkg -l \*esd\*

-- 
Unable to open device /dev/dsp for writing: Device or resource busy
https://launchpad.net/bugs/40654