[SOLVED] Problems with PulseAudio 3.0

[Just17]

I've just created a new user on my machine. No issues on that user.
I guess it was expected as the /usr/share is common for all users (or not?)

It appears to me that as there is no issue with a new user then the problem is located in your user's home directory and not elsewhere.

You had no luck renaming the   ~/.pulse   directory  and logging out and in again?

Just17, can you do something for me?
Can you check the entries on your /usr/share/pulseaudio/alsa-mixer/paths/analog-output.conf and see what is different in sections [Element Speaker] and [Element Desktop Speaker]?

Code: [Select]

[Element Speaker]
switch = mute
volume = off

[Element Desktop Speaker]
switch = mute
volume = off

[agmg]

No, I did try renaming the ~/.pulse folder many times to no avail.

I was expecting that your entries would be similar to mine.
I just don't know why I had this issue from the first place and why it was fixed this way...
It was a clean install with a new /home folder on the new disk.

Now that I'm thinking about it, in some time I had edited the file /etc/pulse/default.pa
uncommenting three lines:

Code: [Select]

### Automatically restore the volume of streams and devices
load-module module-device-restore
load-module module-stream-restore
load-module module-card-restore
It had no effect, so I reverted the change and did a similar change to /etc/pulse/system.pa

Code: [Select]

### Automatically restore the volume of streams and devices
load-module module-stream-restore
load-module module-device-restore
I'm not sure if I reverted this last change prior to editing /usr/share/pulseaudio/alsa-mixer/paths/analog-output.conf and if it had some effect in the whole issue. I will have to check it out. I will also revert the change to analog-output.conf and check if the issue reappears.

Also, I had tried creating a new user at some time but that user too had the issue. I deleted that user afterwards.
After making the last change to analog-output.conf, I created another new user, which had no issues. I deleted that user too.

Hope to find some time in the weekend to make a new installation on my old disk and see what happens there. I will report back with results.

Finally, I should note that I have removed and reinstalled Pulseaudio too many times, making various changes to configuration files in between so the results I have come up to, might not be reliable. This seems to be an issue with my setup and not with PulseAudio in general. It might be related to my specific hardware, I don't know. Some more tests might give some more info.

[Just17]

In case there is something hanging about in ~/tmp you could try deleting any Pulse related items there ....

[agmg]

Prior to the final step (analog-output.conf edit), I had completely removed PulseAudio from the system.
Removed everything related to "pulse" from the disk, including some files in ~/tmp.
Left only two needed pulseaudio libraries and their folders. Then reinstalled, enabled pulse from PCC and rebooted.

Now, you got me thinking: maybe it wasn't the edit that fixed it but something that was in ~/tmp and removed in this step?
As I said, I will revert the edit to analog-output.conf when I get back home and have a look.

[Just17]

What edit did you make? ......  I don't seem to be able to find a post about it ......  ok, maybe I am not properly awake yet .......

Damn!
Found it!

sorry 

[agmg]

  

Not good coffee/blood ratio?

[Just17]

 

Not good coffee/blood ratio?

Exactly! .......  missed an 'obvious' in another thread also ......  not a good start to the day 

BTW ....  I am still inclined to look in  ~/   for the problem, rather than those edits you made.

I don't know where you haven't tried ......  but now that it is working I guess you cannot try anywhere else 

I suppose the best you can do - if you cannot get the problem to re-appear - is to mark this thing solved and be happy it is working, however it happened 

[agmg]

I marked the thread as [SOLVED]. If anything new comes up, I will report it.

One more time, thanks Just17 for your help and patience.
A "thank you" also goes to O-P who tried to help with his suggestions.

[Just17]

I marked the thread as [SOLVED]. If anything new comes up, I will report it.

One more time, thanks Just17 for your help and patience.
A "thank you" also goes to O-P who tried to help with his suggestions.

YW 

Glad you got it sorted .....  somehow 

[agmg]

Yes! Success!

I edited the file: /usr/share/pulseaudio/alsa-mixer/paths/analog-output.conf
and changed:

Code: [Select]

[Element Speaker]
switch = mute
volume = off

[Element Desktop Speaker]
switch = mute
volume = off
to:

Code: [Select]

[Element Speaker]
switch = mute
volume = merge

[Element Desktop Speaker]
switch = mute
volume = merge
Did a reboot and my speakers work!

Many thanks Just17 for giving me the hint on where to look!
I can't express my appreciation with a single post!

Well, confirmed. Reverted the change in the above file and the sound from speakers is muted at startup (when volume=off)
Did the change again and sound is back (when volume=merge).

What I find strange is that works for you but not for me. Maybe something with my hardware or, like Just17 suggested, my /home folder.
I don't know yet. Will check with a new installation on the same hardware.

[Just17]

I haven't read this through, but maybe it relates to your situation ....

http://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?f=42&t=91453

Also some others on a similar subject

http://tinyurl.com/bxo4f8l

http://tinyurl.com/9rpeogm

http://gryniewicz.com/blogs/dang/2009/06/18/pulseaudio-merged-volume-considered-harmful/

[agmg]

Thank you for the links Just17. I tried the solutions described in the first two but none worked for me.
Only one that works is my edit. So, I'm gonna keep it that way and bookmark those links for future reference.
Hope this whole thread helps someone with same problems.

I'm curious to see what will happen in a new installation with Pulseaudio 3.0
If there is the same issue, then it's hardware related.

[agmg]

I put my old mechanical disk in my laptop today (replacing my optical drive with a 2nd disk caddy) and did a new installation of PCLinuxOS MiniMe KDE 2012.12 on it. Clean install, separate /home folder, one user (apart root). Same issue with Pulseaudio 3.0.

Again, I had to edit the file: /usr/share/pulseaudio/alsa-mixer/paths/analog-output.conf

and change this:

and changed:

Code: [Select]

[Element Speaker]
switch = mute
volume = off
to this:

Code: [Select]

[Element Speaker]
switch = mute
volume = merge
I realized that editing the [Element Desktop Speaker] section of the above file, has no effect on the issue. Only the edit to [Element Speaker] is needed in my case.

I don't know if it's my specific hardware or the fact that it's a laptop that causes it, but this solution works in my case.
Maybe someone else finds it useful in the future.
Problem solved.

EDIT: the issue appears on all users created after installing Pulseaudio. The edit to the above file for one user, solves the issue for all users as the file is located under /usr/share which is a shared folder.

[Just17]

Thanks for the follow-up.

Could I suggest a separate post only containing this tip in the Tips & Tricks section?

It would be easier to find there I suspect.

regards.

[agmg]

Done.