When using OSS in KDE, I get sounds from KDE, but not from XMMS using the OSS plugin. I get the usual error message about the device being busy or in use by another program. When switching KDE to use ALSA, I get an error message about /dev/dsp not being found and using the /dev/null device as output, yet XMMS using the ALSA plugin works.

Unless I'm a complete an total idiot, it should be possible to use multiple programs within the same sound server, yet I have no idea what's going wrong.

I don't think it is a driver problem. I assumed if it were, I would get no sound. I'm not sure where else to go with this one and all of the info I've found online has been a bitch sketchy at best.

My soundcard is onboard Intel i810 (AC97ish...if I know what I'm talking about). Again, the appropriate kernel module is loaded at start up as far as I can tell.