[ubuntu] [SOLVED] Skype on 8.04 works well. Skype on 8.10: "Problem with Audio Playba

[hanzj]

Hello, While using Skype on 8.04 Ubuntu, Skype was working just fine. But I've just done a fresh clean install of Ubuntu 8.10 and Skype (from Skype repository) says: "Problem with Audio Playback" Could you please help me diagnose the problem? Please do NOT just tell me to try this or try that. I want to know first the _Cause_ of the problem before installing this or modifying that. Thank you.

[ashmew2]

I wont tell you to try this or try that. I had the same problem myself (both with playback and recording). All i did was Go to

Skype Options => Sound Devices => Sound out

and set it to : pulse

That worked for me , but you can try any other devices in the drop down list both for Sound IN and Sound OUT to get Skype to work!

[hanzj]

ashmew2 I _tried_ what you said but that didn't work. Nice _try_.

[MockY]

I'm in the same boat. Skype is extremely buggy in Ibex. After to many changes in sound devices, it completely freezes and makes ALL sound on the system to get muted. I then have to restart my computer in order to get my sound back. Though the rest of the system appears to be working, no Skype is a show stopper and I have to go back to Gutsy (Hardy works very poorly on my system) if there is no solution to the problem.

[dunbrokin]

Originally Posted by ashmew2 I wont tell you to try this or try that. I had the same problem myself (both with playback and recording). All i did was Go to Skype Options => Sound Devices => Sound out and set it to : pulse That worked for me , but you can try any other devices in the drop down list both for Sound IN and Sound OUT to get Skype to work!

I had the same problem...your solution worked for me..

[stevenyu]

I am having the same problem, by changing the sound out to pulse fixed the audio playback issue, but I can never get the Mic to work. I am running ASUS M51S laptop.

I might consider rolling back to 8.04, I have been testing this more than 6 install between vista, ubuntu 8.04, 8.10, opensuse, mandriva... driving me crazy!

[o.besner]

Hey,

Had the same problem with Skype, and I found something that works.

1 - Install the Medibuntu repository (you've probably already done it, since it's the only way of seeing Skype in synaptic.

2 - Purge the previous Skype install, and install the package skype-static-oss (OSS stands for Open Sound System, so you kinda bypass pulse audio)

3 - check your sound settings first -- open a console and type "alsamixer". Does everything look normal ? Is your microphone muted ?

4 - Curse Skype for not caring at all about a decent Linux release. Skype should work now. It's kinda buggy since you have to close every other audio application while you are using it but hey - I'm not gonna watch a movie while I talk with my friends right ?

[joris1977]

I have been struggling with skype in intrepid as well.

I posted in another thread how i fixed it here: http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.p...skype+intrepid but i will repeat it here in this thread.

My problem was the Microphone, but you have to check the same things to troubleshoot the rest of the audio settings.

After i noticed skype wasn't working. I started with this guide: http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.p...audio+intrepid

but it might not be necessary to follow this guide.

After following the thread mentioned above my MIC would still not work in skype. pretty frustrating...

What I did next?

Open up Pulse Audio device chooser to be found under -> Applications -> Sound & Video. (If it is not there, install: padevchooser with synaptic package manager.)

Now there should be a new icon on the panel; the pulse audio icon. Click on it and there you can open Volume Meter (Recording) Try to speak through your MIC and watch if it registers any sound,the meter should go up a lot if you speak, if yes Pulse Audio is working. Than you problem is the skype settings. See down in this post.

If not, just as in my case. The volume meter didn't register my voice. Open up the Gnome volume control. It is the small speaker on your panel. You might have used it before to contol your sound. Click on it with the right mouse-button. and select open volume control.

In Gnome volume control: Device should be something similar to 'HDA Intel' (Alsa Mixer). Click on preferences and make sure all the tracks are visible. Make sure all of them are up and nothing is muted. Try if you have sound from your MIC on the Pulse audio volume meter.

If not. Click on the next tab, probably something like 'recording' and do the same.

If not. Check under options. In my case there were two Input sources. In my case Front MIC was selected. That looked good, because i was using the Front MIC, but really you should try the other options. Look at the Pulse Audio Volume meter if it registers any sounds. I am using the Front Mic, but when i changed it to MIC, i noticed The Pulse audio volume meter was registering my voice.

If that works than the next step is to start skype. Go to options -> sound devices. Select for sound Out and for Ringing: Pulse. For Sound in you choose one of the options that will look like, at least in my case, HDA Intel (hw:Intel,4) There are probably more options that look similar like this. Test them all with the skype test call. If the Pulse Audio Volume Recorder is registering your voice than there is probably a way to make skype work with your MIC.

If i write it down, it actually sounds not to difficult, but it wasn't, at least not for me. Hope this helps you to make skype work with intrepid.

[Symmetric]

To add my experiences to the group, I'm having the same problem - at first I got the "Problem with audio playback" error. After changing all of my audio drivers to Pulse in Skype, the call will start, but there is no sound recorded.

I've tried using the PulseAudio device chooser, and there's no input registered from my mic. This seems to suggest that the problem is within Ubuntu. Any ideas on other ways to verify this?

Thanks,
P

[o.besner]

Originally Posted by Symmetric To add my experiences to the group, I'm having the same problem - at first I got the "Problem with audio playback" error. After changing all of my audio drivers to Pulse in Skype, the call will start, but there is no sound recorded. I've tried using the PulseAudio device chooser, and there's no input registered from my mic. This seems to suggest that the problem is within Ubuntu. Any ideas on other ways to verify this? Thanks, P

Yeah, I had the same problem tonight when I dropped the -static-oss version and came back to the original skype. Don't use pulse as the Sound In source, but directly use your microphone. It should be in the list. Mine was called "Nvidia CK804 (hw:CK804,0)". Using this instead of pulse made it work all right. Now it's 100% fine. (yay !)