HOWTO: PulseAudio Fixes & System-Wide Equalizer Support

[rev7]

This may need to be changed for some users:

4. Set PulseAudio as the default ALSA device:

$ asoundconf set-pulseaudio

When pulseaudio is set as the soundcard on my system, alsamixer only shows two tracks- PCM mislabled as Master and Capture. The muted master track can be accessed with gnome-alsamixer, and everything works until reboot.

Setting asoundconf to VT82xx (my soundcard) clears this up and allows alsamixer settings to be saved.

Great job!
Cheers!

[psyke83]

This may need to be changed for some users:



When pulseaudio is set as the soundcard on my system, alsamixer only shows two tracks- PCM mislabled as Master and Capture. The muted master track can be accessed with gnome-alsamixer, and everything works until reboot.

Setting asoundconf to VT82xx (my soundcard) clears this up and allows alsamixer settings to be saved.

Great job!
Cheers!

That's unavoidable due to the way the PulseAudio plugins work. The GNOME Volume Control applet isn't affected, and you can get access to the "real" volume via alsamixer by running it like this:

$ alsamixer -Dhw

[psyke83]

thanks you man, it works magic for me. I posted your method on the french forum, hope it can help somebody else too!

Merci , but I don't see any warning for 64bit users in your post. Can you edit it to add a disclaimer?

[psyke83]

When I try pulseaudio -k && pulseaudio -vv and pulseaudio -k && asoundconf
unset-pulseaudio I get the same message:

E: main.c: Failed to kill daemon.

My flash eg. Youtube sound seems to work but my sound in sound > preferences doesn't.

By the way in frustration I gave this command to downgrade flash:

sudo apt-get install flashplugin-nonfree/hardy

This could be the issue. Should I just follow the original how to again.

Thanks.

Yes, but only follow Part A. You really need to look at Appendix B to give useful troubleshooting information.

[psyke83]

everytime i tried i got the same messages. I don't know if i upgrade because at some lines says thinks like

W: fail to get or connect του http://packages.medibuntu.org/dists/...86/Packages.gz 503 Service Temporarily Unavailable [IP: 78.46.39.176 80]

W: fail to get or connect του http://packages.medibuntu.org/dists/...86/Packages.gz 503 Service Temporarily Unavailable [IP: 78.46.39.176 80]

When i complete your guide flash should be installed or should i install it through synaptic?

Also i tried sudo apt-get autoremove.

Those messages are only complaining that Medibuntu's repositories aren't available, nothing to do with this guide.

You will need to install flash if it's not yet installed via the package "flashplugin-nonfree". Also remember that it only works for 32bit users right now.

[nick623]

Yes, but only follow Part A. You really need to look at Appendix B to give useful troubleshooting information.

Well I followed part A. Now I have no audio.

When I give the command pulseaudio -k; sleep 4; pulseaudio -vv the results are:

E: main.c: Failed to kill daemon.
I: main.c: We're in the group 'pulse-rt', allowing real-time and high-priority scheduling.
I: core-util.c: Successfully gained nice level -11.
W: main.c: setrlimit(RLIMIT_NICE, (31, 31)) failed: Operation not permitted
W: main.c: setrlimit(RLIMIT_RTPRIO, (9, 9)) failed: Operation not permitted
I: main.c: This is PulseAudio 0.9.10
I: main.c: Page size is 4096 bytes
I: main.c: Dude, your kernel stinks! The chef's recommendation today is Linux with high-resolution timers enabled!
D: cli-command.c: Checking for existance of '/usr/lib/pulse-0.9/modules/module-hal-detect.so': success
I: module-hal-detect.c: Trying capability alsa
D: module-hal-detect.c: Not loaded device /org/freedesktop/Hal/devices/computer_alsa_timer
D: module-hal-detect.c: Not loaded device /org/freedesktop/Hal/devices/computer_alsa_sequencer
I: module-hal-detect.c: Loaded 0 modules.
I: module.c: Loaded "module-hal-detect" (index: #0; argument: "").
D: cli-command.c: Checking for existance of '/usr/lib/pulse-0.9/modules/module-esound-protocol-unix.so': success
I: module.c: Loaded "module-esound-protocol-unix" (index: #1; argument: "").
I: protocol-native.c: loading cookie from disk.
I: module.c: Loaded "module-native-protocol-unix" (index: #2; argument: "").
D: cli-command.c: Checking for existance of '/usr/lib/pulse-0.9/modules/module-gconf.so': success
D: module-gconf.c: Loading module 'module-null-sink' with args 'sink_name=rtp format=s16be channels=2 rate=44100 description="RTP Multicast Sink"' due to GConf configuration.
I: sink.c: Created sink 0 "rtp" with sample spec "s16be 2ch 44100Hz"
I: source.c: Created source 0 "rtp.monitor" with sample spec "s16be 2ch 44100Hz"
D: module-null-sink.c: Thread starting up
D: rtpoll.c: Acquired POSIX realtime signal SIGRTMIN+29
I: module.c: Loaded "module-null-sink" (index: #3; argument: "sink_name=rtp format=s16be channels=2 rate=44100 description="RTP Multicast Sink"").
D: module-gconf.c: Loading module 'module-rtp-send' with args 'source=rtp.monitor loop=0' due to GConf configuration.
I: source-output.c: Created output 0 "RTP Monitor Stream" on rtp.monitor with sample spec s16be 2ch 44100Hz and channel map front-left,front-right
D: memblockq.c: memblockq requested: maxlength=174080, tlength=174080, base=4, prebuf=1, minreq=0
D: memblockq.c: memblockq sanitized: maxlength=174080, tlength=174080, base=4, prebuf=4, minreq=4
I: module-rtp-send.c: RTP stream initialized with mtu 1280 on 224.0.0.56:46024, SSRC=0x70b989fd, payload=10, initial sequence #24807
I: module-rtp-send.c: SDP-Data:
I: module-rtp-send.c: v=0
I: module-rtp-send.c: o=newbie 3427802616 0 IN IP4 192.168.0.100
I: module-rtp-send.c: s=PulseAudio RTP Stream on newbie-desktop
I: module-rtp-send.c: c=IN IP4 224.0.0.56
I: module-rtp-send.c: t=3427802616 0
I: module-rtp-send.c: a=recvonly
I: module-rtp-send.c: m=audio 46024 RTP/AVP 10
I: module-rtp-send.c: a=rtpmap:10 L16/44100/2
I: module-rtp-send.c: a=type:broadcast
I: module-rtp-send.c: EOF
I: module.c: Loaded "module-rtp-send" (index: #4; argument: "source=rtp.monitor loop=0").
D: module-gconf.c: Loading module 'module-rtp-recv' with args '' due to GConf configuration.
I: module.c: Loaded "module-rtp-recv" (index: #5; argument: "").
D: module-gconf.c: Loading module 'module-native-protocol-tcp' with args 'auth-anonymous=1' due to GConf configuration.
I: protocol-native.c: using already loaded auth cookie.
I: protocol-native.c: using already loaded auth cookie.
I: module.c: Loaded "module-native-protocol-tcp" (index: #6; argument: "auth-anonymous=1").
D: module-gconf.c: Loading module 'module-esound-protocol-tcp' with args 'auth-anonymous=1' due to GConf configuration.
I: module.c: Loaded "module-esound-protocol-tcp" (index: #7; argument: "auth-anonymous=1").
D: module-gconf.c: Loading module 'module-zeroconf-publish' with args '' due to GConf configuration.
D: module-zeroconf-publish.c: Publishing services in Zeroconf
D: module-zeroconf-publish.c: Successfully created entry group for newbie@newbie-desktop: RTP Multicast Sink.
I: module.c: Loaded "module-zeroconf-publish" (index: #8; argument: "").
D: module-gconf.c: Loading module 'module-zeroconf-discover' with args '' due to GConf configuration.
I: module.c: Loaded "module-zeroconf-discover" (index: #9; argument: "").
I: module.c: Loaded "module-gconf" (index: #10; argument: "").
I: module.c: Loaded "module-volume-restore" (index: #11; argument: "").
D: module-default-device-restore.c: Restored default sink 'rtp'.
D: core-subscribe.c: dropped redundant event.
D: module-default-device-restore.c: Restored default source 'rtp.monitor'.
I: module.c: Loaded "module-default-device-restore" (index: #12; argument: "").
I: module.c: Loaded "module-rescue-streams" (index: #13; argument: "").
D: module-suspend-on-idle.c: Sink rtp becomes idle.
I: module.c: Loaded "module-suspend-on-idle" (index: #14; argument: "").
D: cli-command.c: Checking for existance of '/usr/lib/pulse-0.9/modules/module-x11-publish.so': success
D: module-x11-publish.c: using already loaded auth cookie.
I: module.c: Loaded "module-x11-publish" (index: #15; argument: "").
I: main.c: Daemon startup complete.
D: module-hal-detect.c: dbus: interface=org.freedesktop.DBus, path=/org/freedesktop/DBus, member=NameAcquired
I: module-zeroconf-publish.c: Successfully established service newbie@newbie-desktop: RTP Multicast Sink.
I: module-zeroconf-publish.c: Successfully established main service.
I: module-suspend-on-idle.c: Sink rtp idle for too long, suspending ...
D: module-rtp-recv.c: Checking for dead streams ...
D: module-rtp-recv.c: Checking for dead streams ...
D: module-rtp-recv.c: Checking for dead streams ...
D: module-rtp-recv.c: Checking for dead streams ...
D: module-rtp-recv.c: Checking for dead streams ...
D: module-rtp-recv.c: Checking for dead streams ...
D: module-rtp-recv.c: Checking for dead streams ...
D: module-rtp-recv.c: Checking for dead streams ...
D: module-rtp-recv.c: Checking for dead streams ...
D: module-rtp-recv.c: Checking for dead streams ...
D: module-rtp-recv.c: Checking for dead streams ...
D: module-rtp-recv.c: Checking for dead streams ...
D: module-rtp-recv.c: Checking for dead streams ...
D: module-rtp-recv.c: Checking for dead streams


It seems to hang on the "Checking for dead streams" message. I have to Control C to end it.

I've checked the Pulseaudio Volume Control's Playback Tab while using rhythmbox and youtube and the applications do not play audio yet are listed as an entry in the PulseAudio Volume Control.

Strange.

Any ideas?

[psyke83]

It seems to hang on the "Checking for dead streams" message. I have to Control C to end it.

I've checked the Pulseaudio Volume Control's Playback Tab while using rhythmbox and youtube and the applications do not play audio yet are listed as an entry in the PulseAudio Volume Control.

Strange.

Any ideas?

If you downgraded to flash 9 and try to play a stream, it's going to cause a problem. Try playing sound in a single appliacation (e.g. only rhythmbox) after a fresh login.

To workaround flash 9, install "libflashsupport".

[nick623]

If you downgraded to flash 9 and try to play a stream, it's going to cause a problem. Try playing sound in a single appliacation (e.g. only rhythmbox) after a fresh login.

To workaround flash 9, install "libflashsupport".

Well I logged in and out. I tried only rhythmbox and got no audio although it showed up on PulseAudio Volume Control Playback.

I also have libflashsupport installed.

Should I try to redo from part A again?
Maybe there is something I forgot?

I had working fine before. Weird.

[psyke83]

Well I logged in and out. I tried only rhythmbox and got no audio although it showed up on PulseAudio Volume Control Playback.

I also have libflashsupport installed.

Should I try to redo from part A again?
Maybe there is something I forgot?

I had working fine before. Weird.

Ok, it's difficult to know what the problem is on your system, so I suggest you revert to defaults.

1. Edit your sources.list and comment/remove the lines for my PPA.

2. Update your repository lists:

$ sudo apt-get update

3. Downgrade your packages to the Hardy versions:

sudo apt-get install alsa-utils/hardy flashplugin-nonfree/hardy libasound2/hardy libasound2-plugins/hardy libpulse0/hardy libpulse-browse0/hardy libpulsecore5/hardy libpulse-mainloop-glib0/hardy pulseaudio/hardy pulseaudio-esound-compat/hardy pulseaudio-module-gconf/hardy pulseaudio-module-hal/hardy pulseaudio-module-x11/hardy pulseaudio-module-zeroconf/hardy pulseaudio-utils/hardy

4. Delete the asoundrc files:

$ rm ~/.asoundrc*

Your system should be back to Hardy's default configuration after logging out and back in (or rebooting). If you want to get PulseAudio working via this guide, ignore the PPA packages and only follow Part A - and thoroughly check if it works before going any further.

[fogelfink]

Sorry to say that it didn't work for me.

I was looking for a solution to pulse audio stuttering and adding random distortion - I have tried to get sound working on my Acer aspire 5720z for the last 4 months (not my idea of spending my time really).
I tried numerous howtos, but the current Linux sound architecture seems such a buggy mess.

After using this tutorial, pulse audio crashes on both soundcards, ALSA stopped working and I am back to square one.

Sorry, I am actually referring to the new alternative howto found here http://ubuntuforums.org/showpost.php...&postcount=472.