Sound system

[harfin]

I have just posted another new message regarding my Trust Webcam WB-1400T and Skype. This is the second issue that I have so not managed to resolve.

I have only just started using Ubuntu, (just converted from Windows XP Pro) and I have to say apart from the two unresolved issues, Ubuntu is a fantastic operating system.

• I have a Dell Dimension E520 with 1.5G of RAM.
• It has an in-built sound card
• I have Dell speakers plugged into the speaker jack.
• I have a Soyntec VOIP handset which I've used and continue to use (successfully) with Skype.
• I play and hear audio CD's through the attached speakers.

Problem:
Whenever I activate a media file off of a website, e.g. BBC i-Player or a movie file received from friends and family, the sound comes through my VOIP handset and not through the speakers. Probably connected with this issue is that I have also noticed that when I switch the PC in the morning, I hear the first 'beep' through my speakers, and then when the successful sign-on to Ubuntu is aired the sound comes through the VOIP phone.

Any suggestions?

Alan

[motrax]

I have just posted another new message regarding my Trust Webcam WB-1400T and Skype. This is the second issue that I have so not managed to resolve.

I have only just started using Ubuntu, (just converted from Windows XP Pro) and I have to say apart from the two unresolved issues, Ubuntu is a fantastic operating system.

• I have a Dell Dimension E520 with 1.5G of RAM.
• It has an in-built sound card
• I have Dell speakers plugged into the speaker jack.
• I have a Soyntec VOIP handset which I've used and continue to use (successfully) with Skype.
• I play and hear audio CD's through the attached speakers.

Problem:
Whenever I activate a media file off of a website, e.g. BBC i-Player or a movie file received from friends and family, the sound comes through my VOIP handset and not through the speakers. Probably connected with this issue is that I have also noticed that when I switch the PC in the morning, I hear the first 'beep' through my speakers, and then when the successful sign-on to Ubuntu is aired the sound comes through the VOIP phone.

Any suggestions?

Alan

Have you checked that nothing is muted on the Volume Control? I had a similar problem when my headphone was not playing sound. Try selecting all options under Preferences, set all of them to max volume and see if you get sound.

[harfin]

Have you checked that nothing is muted on the Volume Control? I had a similar problem when my headphone was not playing sound. Try selecting all options under Preferences, set all of them to max volume and see if you get sound.

Yes none of the listed items are muted

Alan

Yes none of the listed items are muted

Alan

So anyone else have any ideas?

Alan

[CatKiller]

Whenever I activate a media file off of a website, e.g. BBC i-Player or a movie file received from friends and family, the sound comes through my VOIP handset and not through the speakers. Probably connected with this issue is that I have also noticed that when I switch the PC in the morning, I hear the first 'beep' through my speakers, and then when the successful sign-on to Ubuntu is aired the sound comes through the VOIP phone.

It sounds like you've got the default sound device for your user configured to your VoIP phone rather than your speakers. The configuration is different depending on whether you're using ALSA or PulseAudio for your sound.

[harfin]

It sounds like you've got the default sound device for your user configured to your VoIP phone rather than your speakers. The configuration is different depending on whether you're using ALSA or PulseAudio for your sound.

The sound preferences window shows the following:
Sound Events Sound Playback HDA Intel STAC92xx Analog (OSS)
Music & Movies Sound Playback HDA Intel STAC92xx Analog (OSS)
Audio Conferencing Sound Playback HDA Intel STAC92xx Analog (OSS); Sound Capture OSS - Open Sound System
Default Mixer Tracks HDA Intel (Alsa Mixer)

What do I need to change please?
Alan

[CatKiller]

OSS has some limitations over the others (only one sound at a time, fixed sound device location, that kind of thing). Change them to the equivalent ALSA or PulseAudio devices. (I use PulseAudio without any problems, but others prefer the older ALSA method). There may be a couple listed for each, since you've got two sound devices. Or it may be that you've got a couple of outputs for one device, with the speakers plugged into one and the VoIP phone plugged into the other. In which case, it's a case of identifying which output is which.

Hopefully that will sort you out.

[harfin]

OSS has some limitations over the others (only one sound at a time, fixed sound device location, that kind of thing). Change them to the equivalent ALSA or PulseAudio devices. (I use PulseAudio without any problems, but others prefer the older ALSA method). There may be a couple listed for each, since you've got two sound devices. Or it may be that you've got a couple of outputs for one device, with the speakers plugged into one and the VoIP phone plugged into the other. In which case, it's a case of identifying which output is which.
Hopefully that will sort you out.

I am even more confused !
I have as options (the text in blue is the result of using the Test button with that option selected)

Sound Events & Music & Movies

1. Auto Detect test button causes sound through VoIP phone
2. Generic USB Audio Device USB Audio (ALSA) Error - audiotestsrc wave=sine freq=512 ! audioconvert ! audioresample ! gconfaudiosink: Could not open audio device for playback.
3. HDA Intel STAC92xx Analog (ALSA) Error audiotestsrc wave=sine freq=512 ! audioconvert ! audioresample ! gconfaudiosink: Could not open audio device for playback.
4. Generic USB Audio Device USB Audio (OSS) Error audiotestsrc wave=sine freq=512 ! audioconvert ! audioresample ! gconfaudiosink: Could not open audio device for playback. Device is being used by another application.
5. Generic USB Audio Device USB Audio (OSS) Error as for 4
6. HDA Intel STAC92xx Analog (OSS) test button causes sound through speakers
7. HDA Intel STAC92xx Analog (OSS) test button causes sound through speakers
8. ALSA - Advanced Linux Sound Architecture test button causes sound through VoIP phone
9. OSS - Open Sound System test button makes sound through speakers
10. Pulse Audio Sound Server test button causes sound through VoIP phone
    

Alan

[CatKiller]

HDA Intel STAC92xx Analog (ALSA) Error audiotestsrc wave=sine freq=512 ! audioconvert ! audioresample ! gconfaudiosink: Could not open audio device for playback.

I think this is probably because OSS has claimed the sound device.

ALSA - Advanced Linux Sound Architecture test button causes sound through VoIP phone

Pulse Audio Sound Server test button causes sound through VoIP phone

I don't know much about configuring ALSA, but with PulseAudio you can use either pavucontrol or padevchooser to pick which is the default device (called a "sink" in general in PulseAudio parlance). Otherwise, you should post some details on how you've got everything wired up to help someone that knows more about it than me to show you how to configure the devices how you want. For example, you've got a "Generic USB Audio Device." What is that?

[harfin]

I think this is probably because OSS has claimed the sound device.
I don't know much about configuring ALSA, but with PulseAudio you can use either pavucontrol or padevchooser to pick which is the default device (called a "sink" in general in PulseAudio parlance). Otherwise, you should post some details on how you've got everything wired up to help someone that knows more about it than me to show you how to configure the devices how you want. For example, you've got a "Generic USB Audio Device." What is that?

There are only three sound devices on my system.

1. A VoIP handset which is plugged into a USB socket on the PC
2. A microphone which is plugged into the Microphone jack on the front of my Dell Dimension E520 (I haven't ried using that yet)
3. A pair of Dell speakers that are plugged into the Sound Card jack on the rear of the PC.

I can only assume that the Generic USB Audio Device is the VoIP phone.

Following your suggestion I have installed padevchooser and I have selected the Pulse Audio Sound Server on the drop down list for Sound Events and Music and Movies

When I click the test button on each item the sound plays through the VoIP phone handset.

I am afraid I am now getting horribly lost!

Alan

[CatKiller]

Now that you aren't using OSS for anything, do the tests that use the HDA Intel STAC92xx Analog device produce sound?

PulseAudio ultimately uses the ALSA device to output sound. It seems like the default ALSA device is set for the USB device still. I believe that per-user ALSA configuration is done through the ~/.asoundrc file, although I don't know that much about it. There's a utility called asoundconf that does things with the ALSA configuration, but I don't know too much about that either. It does have the options to list the ALSA devices with

asoundconf list

and to set the default device with

asoundconf set-default-card PARAMETER

where PARAMETER is the name of the card displayed by the list option. Perhaps those will get you started.