Microphone not working in Skype since upgrade to KDE 4.8.3 [SOLVED]

[dj_bridges]

I had everything working with Skype after changing to a new laptop (see http://www.pclinuxos.com/forum/index.php/topic,107691.msg921150.html#msg921150). Just this week I then upgraded to the new KDE version, and now realise I have lost my microphone in Skype. have tried enabling, disabling PulseAudio, but to no avail. Can't find anything related to a microphone in PCC so am at a bit of a loss.

Any ideas?

[Just17]

Enable PulseAudio, reboot, install pavucontrol and open PulseAudio Volume Control .......  post a pic of the Configuration tab and let us see what is there.

[dj_bridges]

Thanks Just18, unfortunately I can't seem to get pavucontrol to run. Have tried reinstalling the meta-package, rebooting, enabling, disabling, rebooting, create new user etc, but nothing seems to work. Launchign from a terminal gives the following error:

Gtk-CRITICAL **: IA__gtk_main_quit: assertion `main_loops != NULL' failed

Anything else I can try?

[Just17]

Thanks Just18, unfortunately I can't seem to get pavucontrol to run. Have tried reinstalling the meta-package, rebooting, enabling, disabling, rebooting, create new user etc, but nothing seems to work. Launchign from a terminal gives the following error:

Gtk-CRITICAL **: IA__gtk_main_quit: assertion `main_loops != NULL' failed

Anything else I can try?

Thanks for the output.
From the little I know about it this error implies that none of the modules are loaded and thus PA cannot work.

To confirm this situation please do

pactl list | grep -i "name: module"

That command produces an output like this on my PC:

Code: [Select]

pactl list | grep -i "name: module"
        Name: module-device-restore
        Name: module-stream-restore
        Name: module-card-restore
        Name: module-augment-properties
        Name: module-alsa-card
        Name: module-alsa-card
        Name: module-alsa-card
        Name: module-udev-detect
        Name: module-jackdbus-detect
        Name: module-bluetooth-discover
        Name: module-esound-protocol-unix
        Name: module-native-protocol-unix
        Name: module-gconf
        Name: module-default-device-restore
        Name: module-rescue-streams
        Name: module-always-sink
        Name: module-intended-roles
        Name: module-suspend-on-idle
        Name: module-console-kit
        Name: module-position-event-sounds
        Name: module-role-cork
        Name: module-filter-heuristics
        Name: module-filter-apply
        Name: module-dbus-protocol
        Name: module-switch-on-port-available
        Name: module-device-manager
        Name: module-x11-publish
        Name: module-x11-xsmp
Please post your command and output.

I suspect your modules are not loaded, but we need to confirm that first.

[Just17]

If you have no loaded modules, the first place I would look for an error is

/etc/pulse/default.pa

This file should be well populated with calls for modules etc.

On one occasion I found this file nearly completely empty.

In the same location was a previous file which had the required lines, and it was saved as


/etc/sysconfig/pulseaudio.rpmnew


I replaced the empty file with the older complete file and rebooted = PA then worked.

This *might* be the cause of your problem, IF you have no modules loaded.

HTH

[dj_bridges]

Just18 - you were spot on. I ran the command and nothing came up. I then checked in /etc/pulse and found the default.pas file was completely empty so swapped it with the default.pa.rpmnew file, rebooted and now pavucontrol opens fine. Nice to make some concrete progress!

OK now to sort out the microphone issue. Will play around with settings, but will prob need some more advice :-)

[dj_bridges]

Here is the pavucontrol configuration tab:

[dj_bridges]

Here is a list of the modules that are loaded:

        Name: module-device-restore
        Name: module-stream-restore
        Name: module-card-restore
        Name: module-augment-properties
        Name: module-alsa-card
        Name: module-alsa-card
        Name: module-udev-detect
        Name: module-esound-protocol-unix
        Name: module-native-protocol-unix
        Name: module-default-device-restore
        Name: module-rescue-streams
        Name: module-always-sink
        Name: module-intended-roles
        Name: module-suspend-on-idle
        Name: module-console-kit
        Name: module-position-event-sounds
        Name: module-role-cork
        Name: module-filter-heuristics
        Name: module-filter-apply
        Name: module-dbus-protocol
        Name: module-switch-on-port-available
        Name: module-x11-publish
        Name: module-device-manager
        Name: module-x11-xsmp

[dj_bridges]

Am pleased to say I now have everything back up and working again in Skype. Pretty much stumbled on the configuration that worked i.e. more luck than judgement, but fingers crossed it is all sorted now.

Just18 - thank you so much for all your help. Have a great day!

[Just17]

Here is the pavucontrol configuration tab:

OK ........  two comments .......

if you are not using the HDMI connection on the PC then it would be advisable to disable (off) the HDMI entry in the Config Tab.
this prevents any apps from using it in error.
when required it is simply a matter of turning it on again.

The built-in audio entry is set to output sounds ONLY.
If you wish to use a microphone plugged into this sound card, then you need the Duplex entry from the drop down for that card.


*********


For your general info and not related to your problem here ......  there are a number of different facilities available when using PA ..... 

such as  sound over LAN, sending sound to all connected devices, multicasting etc .....  made available through PAPrefs.

In addition you can set up a loopback mixer, to mix sounds from various sound sources and output them as one ......  fancy recording a bit of Karaoke? 

There is an Equaliser available ...  it must have more steps than I have seen on any such application

You can also record to file using the functions of PA, while allowing you to choose any source to record .....  either MIC or a monitor of any of the sound sinks. That includes the mixed output from the loopback mixer.

The veromix plasma widget (in repo) provides a nice interface to manage the PA sounds.
It is a different type of interface to PA Vol Control, while having many of the same functions.




Glad to have helped a little, and go have fun with this stuff 

[dj_bridges]

Been playing around with the settings and am using my Thinkpad with a docking station, but can't seem to use the microphone or speaker sockets on the docking station. Do you have any suggestions Just18 o any other guru out there???

[Just17]

Been playing around with the settings and am using my Thinkpad with a docking station, but can't seem to use the microphone or speaker sockets on the docking station. Do you have any suggestions Just18 o any other guru out there???

How is the docking station connected to the laptop?  (I know nothing of such things obviously )

When plugged in is there any recognition of this in the OS?

Maybe running
dmesg
immediately after plugging in and reading the last 20 lines or so for information about the event.

[dj_bridges]

I'm not sure what the socket is called that the laptop docks into, but it is on the base of the laptop and looks like this http://www.laptopsdirect.co.uk/IBM_Docking_Stations/prod.asp. Connected to the docking station is a keyboard, mouse, monitor and internet. Interestingly, I realised that PulseAudio has issues when I take the laptop off the docking station. Will report back when I have managed to test it a bit more thoroughly, but was getting the same error as before when I tried to start pavucontrol.

Here is the dmesg output immediately after docking the laptop:

Code: [Select]

usb 1-1.5: clear tt 3 (0120) error -71
usb 1-1.5: USB disconnect, device number 17
usb 1-1.5.3: USB disconnect, device number 18
usb 1-1.5: clear tt 4 (0130) error -71
generic-usb 0003:046D:C05A.0009: can't reset device, 0000:00:1a.0-1.5.3/input0, status -71
usb 1-1.5: clear tt 3 (0120) error -19
usb 1-1.5.4: USB disconnect, device number 19
e1000e 0000:00:19.0: PME# enabled
thinkpad_acpi: unknown possible thermal alarm or keyboard event received
thinkpad_acpi: unhandled HKEY event 0x6040
thinkpad_acpi: please report the conditions when this event happened to ibm-acpi-devel@lists.sourceforge.net
thinkpad_acpi: EC reports that Thermal Table has changed
thinkpad_acpi: undocked from hotplug port replicator
EXT4-fs (sda6): re-mounted. Opts: commit=600
EXT4-fs (sda7): re-mounted. Opts: commit=600
thinkpad_acpi: docked into hotplug port replicator
usb 1-1.5: new high-speed USB device number 20 using ehci_hcd
usb 1-1.5: New USB device found, idVendor=17ef, idProduct=100a
usb 1-1.5: New USB device strings: Mfr=0, Product=0, SerialNumber=0
hub 1-1.5:1.0: USB hub found
hub 1-1.5:1.0: 6 ports detected
e1000e 0000:00:19.0: BAR 0: set to [mem 0xf5300000-0xf531ffff] (PCI address [0xf5300000-0xf531ffff])
e1000e 0000:00:19.0: BAR 1: set to [mem 0xf532b000-0xf532bfff] (PCI address [0xf532b000-0xf532bfff])
e1000e 0000:00:19.0: BAR 2: set to [io  0x6040-0x605f] (PCI address [0x6040-0x605f])
e1000e 0000:00:19.0: restoring config space at offset 0xf (was 0x100, writing 0x10a)
e1000e 0000:00:19.0: restoring config space at offset 0x1 (was 0x100000, writing 0x100007)
e1000e 0000:00:19.0: PME# disabled
e1000e 0000:00:19.0: irq 42 for MSI/MSI-X
usb 1-1.5.3: new low-speed USB device number 21 using ehci_hcd
e1000e 0000:00:19.0: PME# enabled
usb 1-1.5.3: New USB device found, idVendor=046d, idProduct=c05a
usb 1-1.5.3: New USB device strings: Mfr=1, Product=2, SerialNumber=0
usb 1-1.5.3: Product: USB Optical Mouse
usb 1-1.5.3: Manufacturer: Logitech
input: Logitech USB Optical Mouse as /devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1a.0/usb1/1-1/1-1.5/1-1.5.3/1-1.5.3:1.0/input/input22
generic-usb 0003:046D:C05A.000B: input,hidraw0: USB HID v1.11 Mouse [Logitech USB Optical Mouse] on usb-0000:00:1a.0-1.5.3/input0
usb 1-1.5.4: new low-speed USB device number 22 using ehci_hcd
e1000e 0000:00:19.0: BAR 0: set to [mem 0xf5300000-0xf531ffff] (PCI address [0xf5300000-0xf531ffff])
e1000e 0000:00:19.0: BAR 1: set to [mem 0xf532b000-0xf532bfff] (PCI address [0xf532b000-0xf532bfff])
e1000e 0000:00:19.0: BAR 2: set to [io  0x6040-0x605f] (PCI address [0x6040-0x605f])
e1000e 0000:00:19.0: restoring config space at offset 0xf (was 0x100, writing 0x10a)
e1000e 0000:00:19.0: restoring config space at offset 0x1 (was 0x100000, writing 0x100007)
e1000e 0000:00:19.0: PME# disabled
usb 1-1.5.4: New USB device found, idVendor=413c, idProduct=2107
usb 1-1.5.4: New USB device strings: Mfr=1, Product=2, SerialNumber=0
usb 1-1.5.4: Product: Dell USB Entry Keyboard
usb 1-1.5.4: Manufacturer: DELL
input: DELL Dell USB Entry Keyboard as /devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1a.0/usb1/1-1/1-1.5/1-1.5.4/1-1.5.4:1.0/input/input23
generic-usb 0003:413C:2107.000C: input,hidraw1: USB HID v1.10 Keyboard [DELL Dell USB Entry Keyboard] on usb-0000:00:1a.0-1.5.4/input0
e1000e 0000:00:19.0: irq 42 for MSI/MSI-X
e1000e 0000:00:19.0: irq 42 for MSI/MSI-X
ADDRCONF(NETDEV_UP): eth0: link is not ready
thinkpad_acpi: EC reports that Thermal Table has changed
e1000e 0000:00:19.0: PME# enabled
EXT4-fs (sda6): re-mounted. Opts: commit=0
EXT4-fs (sda7): re-mounted. Opts: commit=0
e1000e 0000:00:19.0: BAR 0: set to [mem 0xf5300000-0xf531ffff] (PCI address [0xf5300000-0xf531ffff])
e1000e 0000:00:19.0: BAR 1: set to [mem 0xf532b000-0xf532bfff] (PCI address [0xf532b000-0xf532bfff])
e1000e 0000:00:19.0: BAR 2: set to [io  0x6040-0x605f] (PCI address [0x6040-0x605f])
e1000e 0000:00:19.0: restoring config space at offset 0xf (was 0x100, writing 0x10a)
e1000e 0000:00:19.0: restoring config space at offset 0x1 (was 0x100000, writing 0x100007)
e1000e 0000:00:19.0: PME# disabled
e1000e 0000:00:19.0: irq 42 for MSI/MSI-X


[Just17]

After plugging in to the docking station, open PA Volume Control and see if there is a third (extra) item listed on the config tab corresponding to the dock (compared to the pic above).

If yes then it is a matter of directing the playing sound to that device and if duplex is available it should also be able to use the MIC input as source.

[OldProfessorBear]

Is pulse audio absolutely necessary for skype to work?

I tried for hours to get the mic to work in skype. I know the mic is working because I can get it to generate feedback with my speakers 

But it just won't work with skype (and possibly with some other stuff like audacity).

At one time I had pulse audio installed and enabled, and it seemed to cause other problems (I forget the details, but I think some media players produced no sound), so I removed every trace of it I could find and made sure alsa was fully installed, etc. The problems I'd been having (mostly) went away, and I think they finally disappeared completely by removing phonon-vlc.

Looking around, it seemed that advice here was to stay away from pulse audio unless needed to support certain hardware (?), and it seemed problematic for other reasons, so I ditched it.

So, do I need to reinstall it?