Linux – Sound not working in VMware player

audiolinuxlinux-mintvmware-playerwindows 7

Guest operating system is Windows 7 and I have VMware player 6.0.1 installed. On it latest version of Mint Linux is run. The problem is Linux never gets sound. How do I fix this? The message "the default sound device cannot be opened" is given in the Player.

I tried following these instructions but the sound card is already there and the "connected" option is grayed out
screen shot of VMware Player settings

I also tried these instructions but can't find any vmx file however I can find a vmxf file.

Best Answer

If lspci|grep snd_ens1371 gives some output the sound kernel modules are loaded & sound is probably muted in alsamixer. Muted channels show up as 'MM' & can be unmuted by selecting them & pressing M.

If alsamixer does not detect a sound card run:

alsactl init

If you are using pulseaudio check /etc/asound.confcontains a minimum of:

pcm.pulse { type pulse }
ctl.pulse { type pulse }
pcm.!default { type pulse }
ctl.!default { type pulse }

I also changed the sound device settings in VMWARE to my detected speakers (from default host device).

Reboot & sound will work.

This fixed xfce4-volume-control / gstreamer complaining no sound card can be found & warning of a possible permissions problem. Trying to run just ALSA under Debian Wheezy 64 bit in VMWARE still gave this gstreamer error. VMWARE seems to run a little better with pulseaudio also being installed (sound in Virtualbox ran just fine with only ALSA).

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