- Implemented an alternative sound system for people who have issues with sound gradually or instantly disappearing on certain Linux systems (can be switched on/off in the preferences without needing a restart, also uses the standard Java Sound API so it doesn't require an external dependency; it's non-caching and, as such, less efficient than the regular sound system, so only use it in case you have issues with the default system, otherwise leave the option unchecked).

.gitattributes

@@ -14324,6 +14324,7 @@ src/main/java/forge/quest/io/QuestDataIO.java svneol=native#text/plain
 src/main/java/forge/quest/io/ReadPriceList.java svneol=native#text/plain
 src/main/java/forge/quest/io/package-info.java svneol=native#text/plain
 src/main/java/forge/quest/package-info.java svneol=native#text/plain
+src/main/java/forge/sound/AsyncSoundPlayer.java -text
 src/main/java/forge/sound/AudioClip.java -text
 src/main/java/forge/sound/EventVisualizer.java -text
 src/main/java/forge/sound/IAudioClip.java -text

src/main/java/forge/gui/home/settings/CSubmenuPreferences.java

@@ -186,6 +186,14 @@ public enum CSubmenuPreferences implements ICDoc {
             }
         });
 
+	view.getCbAltSoundSystem().addItemListener(new ItemListener() {
+	    @Override
+	    public void itemStateChanged(final ItemEvent arg0) {
+		prefs.setPref(FPref.UI_ALT_SOUND_SYSTEM, view.getCbAltSoundSystem().isSelected());
+		prefs.save();
+	    }
+	});
+
         view.getBtnReset().setCommand(new Command() {
             @Override
             public void execute() {
@@ -222,6 +230,7 @@ public enum CSubmenuPreferences implements ICDoc {
         view.getCbScaleLarger().setSelected(prefs.getPrefBoolean(FPref.UI_SCALE_LARGER));
         view.getCbTextMana().setSelected(prefs.getPrefBoolean(FPref.UI_CARD_OVERLAY));
         view.getCbEnableSounds().setSelected(prefs.getPrefBoolean(FPref.UI_ENABLE_SOUNDS));
+	view.getCbAltSoundSystem().setSelected(prefs.getPrefBoolean(FPref.UI_ALT_SOUND_SYSTEM));
         view.reloadShortcuts();
 
         SwingUtilities.invokeLater(new Runnable() {

src/main/java/forge/gui/home/settings/VSubmenuPreferences.java

@@ -96,6 +96,7 @@ public enum VSubmenuPreferences implements IVSubmenu<CSubmenuPreferences> {
     private final JCheckBox cbRandomFoil = new OptionsCheckBox("Random Foil");
     private final JCheckBox cbRandomizeArt = new OptionsCheckBox("Randomize Card Art");
     private final JCheckBox cbEnableSounds = new OptionsCheckBox("Enable Sounds");
+    private final JCheckBox cbAltSoundSystem = new OptionsCheckBox("Use Alternative Sound System");
 
     private final Map<FPref, KeyboardShortcutField> shortcutFields = new HashMap<FPref, KeyboardShortcutField>();
 
@@ -178,6 +179,9 @@ public enum VSubmenuPreferences implements IVSubmenu<CSubmenuPreferences> {
         pnlPrefs.add(cbEnableSounds, regularConstraints);
         pnlPrefs.add(new NoteLabel("Enable sound effects during the game."), regularConstraints);
 
+	pnlPrefs.add(cbAltSoundSystem, regularConstraints);
+	pnlPrefs.add(new NoteLabel("Use an alternative sound system (in case your have issues with sound on Linux)"), regularConstraints);
+	
         // Keyboard shortcuts
         final JLabel lblShortcuts = new SectionLabel("Keyboard Shortcuts");
         pnlPrefs.add(lblShortcuts, sectionConstraints);
@@ -464,6 +468,11 @@ public enum VSubmenuPreferences implements IVSubmenu<CSubmenuPreferences> {
         return cbEnableSounds;
     }
 
+    /** @return {@link javax.swing.JCheckBox} */
+    public JCheckBox getCbAltSoundSystem() {
+	return cbAltSoundSystem;
+    }
+
     /** @return {@link forge.gui.toolbox.FLabel} */
     public FLabel getBtnReset() {
         return btnReset;

src/main/java/forge/properties/ForgePreferences.java

@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ public class ForgePreferences extends PreferencesStore<ForgePreferences.FPref> {
         UI_PREFERRED_AVATARS_ONLY ("false"),
         UI_TARGETING_OVERLAY ("false"),
         UI_ENABLE_SOUNDS ("true"),
+	UI_ALT_SOUND_SYSTEM ("false"),
         UI_RANDOM_CARD_ART ("false"),
         UI_CURRENT_AI_PROFILE (AiProfileUtil.AI_PROFILE_RANDOM_MATCH),
         UI_CLONE_MODE_SOURCE ("false"), /** */

src/main/java/forge/sound/AsyncSoundPlayer.java

@@ -0,0 +1,121 @@
+/*
+ * To change this template, choose Tools | Templates
+ * and open the template in the editor.
+ */
+package forge.sound;
+
+import java.io.File;
+import java.io.IOException;
+import java.util.ArrayList;
+import java.util.HashMap;
+import java.util.List;
+import java.util.Map;
+import javax.sound.sampled.AudioFormat;
+import javax.sound.sampled.AudioInputStream;
+import javax.sound.sampled.AudioSystem;
+import javax.sound.sampled.DataLine;
+import javax.sound.sampled.SourceDataLine;
+import javax.sound.sampled.UnsupportedAudioFileException;
+
+/**
+ *
+ * @author agetian
+ */
+class AsyncSoundRegistry {
+    static Map<String, Integer> soundsPlayed = new HashMap<String, Integer>();
+
+    public static void registerSound(String soundName) {
+	if (soundsPlayed.containsKey(soundName)) {
+	    soundsPlayed.put(soundName, soundsPlayed.get(soundName) + 1);
+	} else {
+	    soundsPlayed.put(soundName, 1);
+	}
+    }
+
+    public static void unregisterSound(String soundName) {
+	if (soundsPlayed.containsKey(soundName) && soundsPlayed.get(soundName) != 1) {
+	    soundsPlayed.put(soundName, soundsPlayed.get(soundName) - 1);
+	} else {
+	    soundsPlayed.remove(soundName);
+	}
+    }
+
+    public static boolean isRegistered(String soundName) {
+	return soundsPlayed.containsKey(soundName);
+    }
+
+    public static int getNumIterations(String soundName) {
+	return soundsPlayed.containsKey(soundName) ? soundsPlayed.get(soundName) : 0;
+    }
+}
+
+public class AsyncSoundPlayer extends Thread { 
+ 
+    private String filename;
+    private boolean isSync;
+ 
+    private final int EXTERNAL_BUFFER_SIZE = 524288;
+    private final int MAX_SOUND_ITERATIONS = 5;
+ 
+    public AsyncSoundPlayer(String wavfile, boolean synced) { 
+        filename = wavfile;
+	isSync = synced;
+    } 
+ 
+    public void run() { 
+	if (isSync && AsyncSoundRegistry.isRegistered(filename)) {
+	    return;
+	}
+	if (AsyncSoundRegistry.getNumIterations(filename) >= MAX_SOUND_ITERATIONS) {
+	    return;
+	}
+	
+        File soundFile = new File(filename);
+        if (!soundFile.exists()) { 
+            return;
+        } 
+ 
+        AudioInputStream audioInputStream = null;
+        try { 
+            audioInputStream = AudioSystem.getAudioInputStream(soundFile);
+        } catch (UnsupportedAudioFileException e) { 
+            e.printStackTrace();
+            return;
+        } catch (IOException e) { 
+            e.printStackTrace();
+            return;
+        } 
+ 
+        AudioFormat format = audioInputStream.getFormat();
+        SourceDataLine audioLine = null;
+        DataLine.Info info = new DataLine.Info(SourceDataLine.class, format);
+ 
+        try { 
+            audioLine = (SourceDataLine) AudioSystem.getLine(info);
+            audioLine.open(format);
+        } catch (Exception e) { 
+            return;
+        } 
+ 
+        audioLine.start();
+	AsyncSoundRegistry.registerSound(filename);
+
+        int nBytesRead = 0;
+        byte[] audioBufData = new byte[EXTERNAL_BUFFER_SIZE];
+ 
+        try { 
+            while (nBytesRead != -1) { 
+                nBytesRead = audioInputStream.read(audioBufData, 0, audioBufData.length);
+                if (nBytesRead >= 0) 
+                    audioLine.write(audioBufData, 0, nBytesRead);
+            } 
+        } catch (IOException e) { 
+            e.printStackTrace();
+            return;
+        } finally { 
+            audioLine.drain();
+            audioLine.close();
+	    AsyncSoundRegistry.unregisterSound(filename);
+        } 
+    } 
+} 

src/main/java/forge/sound/AudioClip.java

@@ -43,8 +43,6 @@ public class AudioClip implements IAudioClip {
     private Clip clip;
     private final int SOUND_SYSTEM_DELAY = 30;
 
-    private static final String PathToSound = "res/sound";
-
     public static boolean fileExists(String fileName) {
         File fSound = new File(PathToSound, fileName);
         return fSound.exists();

src/main/java/forge/sound/IAudioClip.java

@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 package forge.sound;
 
 public interface IAudioClip {
+    public static final String PathToSound = "res/sound";
+
     public void play();
     public boolean isDone();
     public void stop();

src/main/java/forge/sound/SoundSystem.java

@@ -22,6 +22,10 @@ public class SoundSystem {
 
     private final EventVisualizer visualizer = new EventVisualizer();
 
+    private boolean isUsingAltSystem() {
+	return Singletons.getModel().getPreferences().getPrefBoolean(FPref.UI_ALT_SOUND_SYSTEM);
+    }
+
     /**
      * Fetch a resource based on the sound effect type from the SoundEffectType enumeration.
      * 
@@ -67,38 +71,54 @@ public class SoundSystem {
      * Play the sound associated with the Sounds enumeration element.
      */
     public void play(SoundEffectType type) {
-        fetchResource(type).play();
+	if (isUsingAltSystem()) {
+	    new AsyncSoundPlayer(String.format("%s/%s", IAudioClip.PathToSound, type.getResourceFileName()), false).start();
+	} else {
+	   fetchResource(type).play();
+	}
     }
 
     /**
      * Play the sound associated with a specific resource file.
      */
     public void play(String resourceFileName) {
-        fetchResource(resourceFileName).play();
+	if (isUsingAltSystem()) {
+	    new AsyncSoundPlayer(String.format("%s/%s", IAudioClip.PathToSound, resourceFileName), false).start();
+	} else {
+	    fetchResource(resourceFileName).play();
+	}
     }
 
     /**
-     * Play the sound associated with the resource specified by the file name 
-     * (synchronized with other sounds of the same kind, so only one can play
-     * at the same time).
+     * Play the sound associated with the resource specified by the file name
+     * (synchronized with other sounds of the same kind, so only one can play at
+     * the same time).
      */
     public void playSync(String resourceFileName) {
-        IAudioClip snd = fetchResource(resourceFileName);
-        if (snd.isDone()) {
-            snd.play();
-        }
+	if (isUsingAltSystem()) {
+	    new AsyncSoundPlayer(String.format("%s/%s", IAudioClip.PathToSound, resourceFileName), false).start();
+	} else {
+	    IAudioClip snd = fetchResource(resourceFileName);
+	    if (snd.isDone()) {
+		snd.play();
+	    }
+	}
     }
 
     /**
      * Play the sound associated with the Sounds enumeration element
-     * (synchronized with other sounds of the same kind, so only one can play
-     * at the same time).
+     * (synchronized with other sounds of the same kind, so only one can play at
+     * the same time).
      */
     public void playSync(SoundEffectType type) {
-        IAudioClip snd = fetchResource(type);
-        if (snd.isDone()) {
-            snd.play();
-        }
+	if (isUsingAltSystem()) {
+	    new AsyncSoundPlayer(String.format("%s/%s", IAudioClip.PathToSound, type.getResourceFileName()), false).start();
+	} else {
+	    IAudioClip snd = fetchResource(type);
+	    if (snd.isDone()) {
+		snd.play();
+	    }
+	}
     }
 
     /**