asoundconf is dead, long live asoundconf!

[Tumpster]

Okay, again...let's do what it says.

gedit ~/asoundrc.asoundconf

Make sure Live is set as the default card. If you don't have anything written in the file, then for some reason, you don't have things fully set up.

Cheers,
Ghost

Upon running this command, it opens to a blank document. Should this file exsist? And if so what should be in it?

[Ghost|BTFH]

I believe we may have found your issue then...

Make sure you didn't mistype it, otherwise, this is what is in my .asoundrc.asoundconf file:

# ALSA library configuration file managed by asoundconf(1).
#
# MANUAL CHANGES TO THIS FILE WILL BE OVERWRITTEN!
#
# Manual changes to the ALSA library configuration should be implemented
# by editing the ~/.asoundrc file, not by editing this file.
!defaults.pcm.card SB
defaults.ctl.card SB
defaults.pcm.device 0
defaults.pcm.subdevice -1
defaults.pcm.nonblock 1
defaults.pcm.ipc_key 5678293
defaults.pcm.ipc_gid audio
defaults.pcm.ipc_perm 0660
defaults.pcm.dmix.max_periods 0
defaults.pcm.dmix.rate 48000
defaults.pcm.dmix.format "unchanged"
defaults.pcm.dmix.card defaults.pcm.card
defaults.pcm.dmix.device defaults.pcm.device
defaults.pcm.dsnoop.card defaults.pcm.card
defaults.pcm.dsnoop.device defaults.pcm.device
defaults.pcm.front.card defaults.pcm.card
defaults.pcm.front.device defaults.pcm.device
defaults.pcm.rear.card defaults.pcm.card
defaults.pcm.rear.device defaults.pcm.device
defaults.pcm.center_lfe.card defaults.pcm.card
defaults.pcm.center_lfe.device defaults.pcm.device
defaults.pcm.side.card defaults.pcm.card
defaults.pcm.side.device defaults.pcm.device
defaults.pcm.surround40.card defaults.pcm.card
defaults.pcm.surround40.device defaults.pcm.device
defaults.pcm.surround41.card defaults.pcm.card
defaults.pcm.surround41.device defaults.pcm.device
defaults.pcm.surround50.card defaults.pcm.card
defaults.pcm.surround50.device defaults.pcm.device
defaults.pcm.surround51.card defaults.pcm.card
defaults.pcm.surround51.device defaults.pcm.device
defaults.pcm.surround71.card defaults.pcm.card
defaults.pcm.surround71.device defaults.pcm.device
defaults.pcm.iec958.card defaults.pcm.card
defaults.pcm.iec958.device defaults.pcm.device
defaults.pcm.modem.card defaults.pcm.card
defaults.pcm.modem.device defaults.pcm.device
defaults.pcm.file_format "raw"
defaults.pcm.file_truncate true
defaults.rawmidi.card 0
defaults.rawmidi.device 0
defaults.rawmidi.subdevice -1
defaults.hwdep.card 0
defaults.hwdep.device 0
defaults.timer.class 2
defaults.timer.sclass 0
defaults.timer.card 0
defaults.timer.device 0
defaults.timer.subdevice 0
defaults.namehint.showall off
defaults.namehint.basic on
defaults.namehint.extended off

I would change the SB to Live and leave the rest as-is. Then try running asoundconf and see what happens.

Cheers,
Ghost

[Tumpster]

craig@craig-desktop:~$ asoundconf
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "/usr/bin/asoundconf", line 49, in <module>
needs_default_card = Live
NameError: name 'Live' is not defined

[Ghost|BTFH]

Well, it looks like there was something screwed up in the process you went about removing pulseaudio and installing alsa that certain files just were not created like they should have been.

I was hoping it'd be maybe one thing missing or written incorrectly, but it appears that you have a slight mess...

Might I suggest going into your Synaptic Package Manager and making sure you have the following (I'm copying my list of installed programs just to be safe):

alsa-base
alsamixergui
alsa-oss
alsa-tools
alsa-utils
asoundconf-gtk
gnome-alsamixer
gstreamer0.10-alsa
lib32asound2
libao2
libasound2
libasound2-plugins
liblash2
libopenal1
libpt2.6.4-plugins
linux-sound-base

I would suggest perhaps highlighting them all and mark them for install or reinstallation if they are already all installed.

Then restart your desktop (or reboot) and see if it works finally.

You will also have to copy asoundconf back into the /usr/bin of course.

Beyond this, you may need an exorcist for your computer.

Cheers,
Ghost

[Tumpster]

craig@craig-desktop:~$ sudo apt-get install lib32asound2
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
E: Couldn't find package lib32asound2
craig@craig-desktop:~$


Reinstalled everything else and will be rebooting shortly.

After reboot:
craig@craig-desktop:~$ sudo cp asoundconf /usr/
[sudo] password for craig:
Sorry, try again.
[sudo] password for craig:
cp: cannot stat `asoundconf': No such file or directory
craig@craig-desktop:~$ cd /usr/bin
craig@craig-desktop:/usr/bin$ sudo cp asoundconf /usr/
craig@craig-desktop:/usr/bin$ cd /usr
craig@craig-desktop:/usr$ cp asoundconf /usr/bin/
cp: cannot create regular file `/usr/bin/asoundconf': Permission denied
craig@craig-desktop:/usr$ sudo cp asoundconf /usr/bin/
craig@craig-desktop:/usr$ asoundconf-gtk
/home/craig/.themes/Darker theme/gtk-2.0/gtkrc:50: Clearlooks configuration option "menuitemstyle" is not supported and will be ignored.
/home/craig/.themes/Darker theme/gtk-2.0/gtkrc:51: Clearlooks configuration option "listviewitemstyle" is not supported and will be ignored.
/home/craig/.themes/Darker theme/gtk-2.0/gtkrc:52: Clearlooks configuration option "progressbarstyle" is not supported and will be ignored.
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "/usr/bin/asoundconf", line 49, in <module>
needs_default_card =Live
NameError: name 'Live' is not defined
You need to make sure asoundconf is active!
By default, asoundconf's configuration file is ~/.asoundrc.asoundconf
and must be included in ~/.asoundrc. Open this file to make sure it is!
craig@craig-desktop:/usr$

[wd5gnr]

Great guide to a dumb problem

I did it a little differently

1) Make a temporary directory anywhere and navigate to it in a shell:

mkdir ~/alsa-temp
cd ~/alsa-temp

Of course, you can make the directory in your favorite graphical way and open a shell on it if you are not as terminal oriented as I am (you are lucky I am not using an ASR33 TTY to do this ).

2) Go to http://packages.ubuntu.com/jaunty/alsa-utils and download the alsa-utils for your version of ubuntu (i386 or amd64). Save it in the directory you made in #1

3) In the same terminal from #1 run (note, yes type the period at the end of the line):

dpkg -x alsa-utils_1.0.18-1ubuntu11_amd64.deb .

(or i386 -- whatever you downloaded in #2). Note you do not need sudo for this nor does it install anything.

4) In the terminal type the following (note: DO NOT use a / before usr)

cd usr/bin

5) Last command:

sudo cp asoundconf /usr/bin

Done! If you are a purist you could copy asoundconf to /usr/local/bin which is probably more appropriate but I fear some script somewhere is hardcoded to look for /usr/bin/asoundconf so I kept it in /usr/bin.

Somehow this seems less stressful on the system to me since you aren't reinstalling and then reinstalling again. But YMMV.

Thanks again. It is a shame there are so many little quirks in Karmic -- it has so many positives that these little flaws really stand out.

6) Oh... one last edit. You can test your installation and remove the temporary directory if you like:

cd
asoundconf list
rm -r ~/alsa-temp

Be careful with rm -r. If you have doubt, use your GUI tool of choice to delete the directory. Obviously, I'm assuming the 2nd line (asoundconf) produced some meaningful output.

[Tumpster]

craig@craig-desktop:~$ mkdir ~/alsa-temp
craig@craig-desktop:~$ cd ~/alsa-temp
craig@craig-desktop:~/alsa-temp$ dpkg -x alsa-utils_1.0.18-1ubuntu11_i386.deb .
dpkg-deb: failed to read archive `alsa-utils_1.0.18-1ubuntu11_i386.deb': No such file or directory
craig@craig-desktop:~/alsa-temp$ file:///home/craig/Desktop/alsa-utils_1.0.18-1ubuntu11_i386.deb
bash: file:///home/craig/Desktop/alsa-utils_1.0.18-1ubuntu11_i386.deb: No such file or directory
craig@craig-desktop:~/alsa-temp$ dpkg -x alsa-utils_1.0.18-1ubuntu11_i386.deb .
craig@craig-desktop:~/alsa-temp$ cd usr/bin
craig@craig-desktop:~/alsa-temp/usr/bin$ sudo cp asoundconf /usr/bin
[sudo] password for craig:
craig@craig-desktop:~/alsa-temp/usr/bin$ cd
craig@craig-desktop:~$ asoundconf list
Names of available sound cards:
Live
craig@craig-desktop:~$ rm -r ~/alsa-temp
craig@craig-desktop:~$ asoundconf
Usage:
asoundconf is-active
asoundconf get|delete PARAMETER
asoundconf set PARAMETER VALUE
asoundconf list

Convenience macro functions:
asoundconf set-default-card PARAMETER
asoundconf reset-default-card
asoundconf set-pulseaudio
asoundconf unset-pulseaudio
asoundconf set-oss PARAMETER
asoundconf unset-oss

craig@craig-desktop:~$ asoundconf-gtk
/home/craig/.themes/Darker theme/gtk-2.0/gtkrc:50: Clearlooks configuration option "menuitemstyle" is not supported and will be ignored.
/home/craig/.themes/Darker theme/gtk-2.0/gtkrc:51: Clearlooks configuration option "listviewitemstyle" is not supported and will be ignored.
/home/craig/.themes/Darker theme/gtk-2.0/gtkrc:52: Clearlooks configuration option "progressbarstyle" is not supported and will be ignored.
You need to make sure asoundconf is active!
By default, asoundconf's configuration file is ~/.asoundrc.asoundconf
and must be included in ~/.asoundrc. Open this file to make sure it is!
craig@craig-desktop:~$

[wd5gnr]

Ah. I guess my .asoundrc.asoundconf is still in place for some reason.

So if you have .asoundrc already and .asoundrc.asoundconf, then you _should_ have a line at the top of .asoundrc that reads:

</home/xxx/.asoundrc.asoundconf>

(where xxx is your user name).

I've manually changed my .asoundrc so I guess the upgrade process didn't munge it. So, as always YMMV. But you can still edit the files in question if you like. But at that point the original process might be just as well.

By the way, the .asoundrc.asoundconf file doesn't have to exist! You just have to make .asoundrc point to it and asoundconf will create it if necessary.

So just for completeness:

7) Open up ~/.asoundrc.asoundconf in your favorite editor (you do NOT need to use sudo). Verify that this line appears near the top:

</home/XXX/.asoundrc.asoundconf>

If not, add it to the top of the file and save. If it is there, simply exit the editor and you are done.

Still keeps you from having to install and reinstall.

[Tumpster]

Ah. I guess my .asoundrc.asoundconf is still in place for some reason.

So if you have .asoundrc already and .asoundrc.asoundconf, then you _should_ have a line at the top of .asoundrc that reads:

</home/xxx/.asoundrc.asoundconf>

(where xxx is your user name).

I've manually changed my .asoundrc so I guess the upgrade process didn't munge it. So, as always YMMV. But you can still edit the files in question if you like. But at that point the original process might be just as well.

By the way, the .asoundrc.asoundconf file doesn't have to exist! You just have to make .asoundrc point to it and asoundconf will create it if necessary.

So just for completeness:

7) Open up ~/.asoundrc.asoundconf in your favorite editor (you do NOT need to use sudo). Verify that this line appears near the top:

If not, add it to the top of the file and save. If it is there, simply exit the editor and you are done.

Still keeps you from having to install and reinstall.

I opened this file up and theres nothing in it. What should be here?

[Tumpster]

I GOT IT! I did some tweaking and creating here and there and got it up and running between editing the files with the directory location and also copy/pasting the above config file he posted for me. With these two I got it up and running.

BUT what I DON'T have is it actually switching between sound cards on the fly. I told it to swap to my onboard audio and closed out everything running ALSA and it didn't switch, I'm still getting audio from my main card instead of it being mute as it had switched to the onboard as I selected. Every time I bring it up it shows Live as my main one and always comes back to LIve. Ideas?

Here is the output of my files:
# ALSA library configuration file managed by asoundconf(1).
#
# MANUAL CHANGES TO THIS FILE WILL BE OVERWRITTEN!
#
# Manual changes to the ALSA library configuration should be implemented
# by editing the ~/.asoundrc file, not by editing this file.
</home/craig/.asoundrc.asoundconf>
!defaults.pcm.card Live
defaults.ctl.card Live
defaults.pcm.device 0
defaults.pcm.subdevice -1
defaults.pcm.nonblock 1
defaults.pcm.ipc_key 5678293
defaults.pcm.ipc_gid audio
defaults.pcm.ipc_perm 0660
defaults.pcm.dmix.max_periods 0
defaults.pcm.dmix.rate 48000
defaults.pcm.dmix.format "unchanged"
defaults.pcm.dmix.card defaults.pcm.card
defaults.pcm.dmix.device defaults.pcm.device
defaults.pcm.dsnoop.card defaults.pcm.card
defaults.pcm.dsnoop.device defaults.pcm.device
defaults.pcm.front.card defaults.pcm.card
defaults.pcm.front.device defaults.pcm.device
defaults.pcm.rear.card defaults.pcm.card
defaults.pcm.rear.device defaults.pcm.device
defaults.pcm.center_lfe.card defaults.pcm.card
defaults.pcm.center_lfe.device defaults.pcm.device
defaults.pcm.side.card defaults.pcm.card
defaults.pcm.side.device defaults.pcm.device
defaults.pcm.surround40.card defaults.pcm.card
defaults.pcm.surround40.device defaults.pcm.device
defaults.pcm.surround41.card defaults.pcm.card
defaults.pcm.surround41.device defaults.pcm.device
defaults.pcm.surround50.card defaults.pcm.card
defaults.pcm.surround50.device defaults.pcm.device
defaults.pcm.surround51.card defaults.pcm.card
defaults.pcm.surround51.device defaults.pcm.device
defaults.pcm.surround71.card defaults.pcm.card
defaults.pcm.surround71.device defaults.pcm.device
defaults.pcm.iec958.card defaults.pcm.card
defaults.pcm.iec958.device defaults.pcm.device
defaults.pcm.modem.card defaults.pcm.card
defaults.pcm.modem.device defaults.pcm.device
defaults.pcm.file_format "raw"
defaults.pcm.file_truncate true
defaults.rawmidi.card 0
defaults.rawmidi.device 0
defaults.rawmidi.subdevice -1
defaults.hwdep.card 0
defaults.hwdep.device 0
defaults.timer.class 2
defaults.timer.sclass 0
defaults.timer.card 0
defaults.timer.device 0
defaults.timer.subdevice 0
defaults.namehint.showall off
defaults.namehint.basic on
defaults.namehint.extended off

Is what my asoundrc.asoundconf and asoundconf show when displayed. ANy ideas?