Bad-documented audio options: Explain them please

This is for discussing general topics about how to use VirtualBox.
Post Reply
clev
Posts: 4
Joined: 27. Nov 2008, 01:40

Bad-documented audio options: Explain them please

Post by clev »

Hello all

I'm new to VirtualBox and I'm running it on a Windows XP Host.

In the VirtualBox user manual, there is a little command refference guide at the beginning of the section 8, VBoxManage refference. For the audio options related to the "modifyvm" subcommand, it states:

[-audio none|null|dsound|solaudio|oss|coreaudio]

I haven't found explanations on how *all* these options work, neither at section 8.5.4, nor at section 3.7.4 of the user manual. I guess that "none" means no sound at all, and "oss" lelates to the Linux Open Sound System. How about the others?

Besides it, I'd like to know whether ac97 and sb16 are the only audio controlers supported for now, or the are other undocumented ones.

Many thanks
Cleverson
stephanecharette
Volunteer
Posts: 300
Joined: 10. Nov 2007, 22:03
Primary OS: Ubuntu other
VBox Version: PUEL
Guest OSses: Ubuntu-64bit, Windows
Location: Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada
Contact:

Post by stephanecharette »

From what I've figured out:

"none" means the guest wont find any virtual sound card.

"null" means the guest is told there is a sound card, but behind the scenes VirtualBox will discard all sound output. The guest thinks it is making sound, but the person sitting at the computer will never hear anything.

I don't know the other ones. Nor have I heard of anyone talking about any undocumented sound card emulations, other than SB16 and ICH AC97.

Stéphane
ghr
Volunteer
Posts: 376
Joined: 25. May 2007, 22:46
Primary OS: MS Windows 7
VBox Version: PUEL
Guest OSses: DOS, Win3x, Win95, WinXP, Ubuntu, OS/2

Post by ghr »

The options tell VirtualBox how to export sound to the host. As such it is NOT related to the soundcard VirtualBox presents to the Guest. For the latter the choice is pretty much as you describe it: AC97 or SB16 or - NONE :-)
Post Reply