No microphone in web based apps. (Solved-kind of)

[Cjpc]

Bit of history:
New to Mint by just about 4 weeks, first install with all updates and extra repository updates installed, Skype worked fine but no video on my end. Solution found, conflict with Cario Dock. Tried Avant dock and it crashed my desktop so I reinstalled, did all updates, installed Skype again, video worked, but not voice from my end. Since then I installed and/or tried Pidgin, Kopete, Google talk plugin, none of the web based apps would pick up my voice. I added more repositories, updated them thinking it was an update issue...did sudo apt-get update and upgrade, also did dist-upgrade. Everything was completely up to date including the newest version of Alsa. I have adjusted all of my audio settings, uninstalled Kmix(default mixer), used just Alsamixer terminal to no avail. Found Sound Recorder in my multimedia list, tried it and it recorded flawlessly.

By this point I figured I would just reinstall and start fresh and clean, check my settings, the version of default installed Asla mixer and test Skype on a clean system before doing updates. It worked perfectly out of the box, video, voice...the whole thing. I installed the normal updates using default repositories after testing Skype, tested Skype again after the updates and again no mic. Rechecked my audio settings just in case....and they are all where they should be.

I've been searching in here and with google for about a week and a half with no luck, have tried everything that I have found to try (I think) other than killing Alsa and rebuilding it.

The problem that I am finding though is that a very large majority of the posts relating to “no microphone” are dealing with Pulseaudio being installed. Pulseaudio is not installed on my machine, never has been. When searching in Synaptic for Pusleaudio, the only thing that is green is: libpulse0; libpulse-manloop-glib0 & vlc-plugin-pulse.

So this isn't just a Skype issue, it's across the board in web apps, any that I have tried, even if I use a virtual IM audio/video chat client like http://www.iloveim.com. Video works fine, I can hear them, but they can't hear me.

I would really appreciate help with this problem or given a direction as to what to do or try next. I know I am new to Linux but I really think there is a high probability of this being an update issue but I don't know how to narrow it down from here. I don't know which updates could correlate to this issue.

I have attached my information below and a few of the many things that I have tried. If you need anything else please let me know. I tried capturing my update history to add as a scrolling attachment, but couldn't figure that one out either! LOL

Thank you, in advance, so very much for your time and help in this matter.
Christie

Acer Aspire One Model No. KAV10
Running Mint Isadora KDE

aplay -l
**** List of PLAYBACK Hardware Devices ****
card 0: Intel [HDA Intel], device 0: ALC272 Analog [ALC272 Analog]
Subdevices: 1/1
Subdevice #0: subdevice #0

AlsaMixer v1.0.22
│ Card: HDA Intel
│ Chip: Realtek ALC272

uname -r
2.6.32-21-generic

lspci
00:00.0 Host bridge: Intel Corporation Mobile 945GME Express Memory Controller Hub (rev 03)
00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation Mobile 945GME Express Integrated Graphics Controller (rev 03)
00:02.1 Display controller: Intel Corporation Mobile 945GM/GMS/GME, 943/940GML Express Integrated Graphics Controller (rev 03)
00:1b.0 Audio device: Intel Corporation N10/ICH 7 Family High Definition Audio Controller (rev 02)
00:1c.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation N10/ICH 7 Family PCI Express Port 1 (rev 02)
00:1c.1 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation N10/ICH 7 Family PCI Express Port 2 (rev 02)
00:1c.2 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation N10/ICH 7 Family PCI Express Port 3 (rev 02)
00:1d.0 USB Controller: Intel Corporation N10/ICH7 Family USB UHCI Controller #1 (rev 02)
00:1d.1 USB Controller: Intel Corporation N10/ICH 7 Family USB UHCI Controller #2 (rev 02)
00:1d.2 USB Controller: Intel Corporation N10/ICH 7 Family USB UHCI Controller #3 (rev 02)
00:1d.3 USB Controller: Intel Corporation N10/ICH 7 Family USB UHCI Controller #4 (rev 02)
00:1d.7 USB Controller: Intel Corporation N10/ICH 7 Family USB2 EHCI Controller (rev 02)
00:1e.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801 Mobile PCI Bridge (rev e2)
00:1f.0 ISA bridge: Intel Corporation 82801GBM (ICH7-M) LPC Interface Bridge (rev 02)
00:1f.1 IDE interface: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) IDE Controller (rev 02)
00:1f.2 SATA controller: Intel Corporation 82801GBM/GHM (ICH7 Family) SATA AHCI Controller (rev 02)
00:1f.3 SMBus: Intel Corporation N10/ICH 7 Family SMBus Controller (rev 02)
01:00.0 Ethernet controller: Atheros Communications Inc. AR5001 Wireless Network Adapter (rev 01)
03:00.0 Ethernet controller: Atheros Communications Atheros AR8121/AR8113/AR8114 PCI-E Ethernet Controller (rev b0)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Installed Gnome alsa mixer per - http://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?f=42&t=32293 - made no difference

alsa-base.conf: command line (gksu gedit /etc/modprobe.d/alsa-base.conf) as in.here: http://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?f=49&t=23139
(listed after updates performed on fresh install)
# autoloader aliases
install sound-slot-0 /sbin/modprobe snd-card-0
install sound-slot-1 /sbin/modprobe snd-card-1
install sound-slot-2 /sbin/modprobe snd-card-2
install sound-slot-3 /sbin/modprobe snd-card-3
install sound-slot-4 /sbin/modprobe snd-card-4
install sound-slot-5 /sbin/modprobe snd-card-5
install sound-slot-6 /sbin/modprobe snd-card-6
install sound-slot-7 /sbin/modprobe snd-card-7

# Cause optional modules to be loaded above generic modules
install snd /sbin/modprobe --ignore-install snd $CMDLINE_OPTS && { /sbin/modprobe --quiet --use-blacklist snd-ioctl32 ; /sbin/modprobe --quiet --use-blacklist snd-seq ; }
#
# Workaround at bug #499695 (reverted in Ubuntu see LP #319505)
install snd-pcm /sbin/modprobe --ignore-install snd-pcm $CMDLINE_OPTS && { /sbin/modprobe --quiet --use-blacklist snd-pcm-oss ; : ; }
install snd-mixer /sbin/modprobe --ignore-install snd-mixer $CMDLINE_OPTS && { /sbin/modprobe --quiet --use-blacklist snd-mixer-oss ; : ; }
install snd-seq /sbin/modprobe --ignore-install snd-seq $CMDLINE_OPTS && { /sbin/modprobe --quiet --use-blacklist snd-seq-midi ; /sbin/modprobe --quiet --use-blacklist snd-seq-oss ; : ; }
#
install snd-rawmidi /sbin/modprobe --ignore-install snd-rawmidi $CMDLINE_OPTS && { /sbin/modprobe --quiet --use-blacklist snd-seq-midi ; : ; }
# Cause optional modules to be loaded above sound card driver modules
install snd-emu10k1 /sbin/modprobe --ignore-install snd-emu10k1 $CMDLINE_OPTS && { /sbin/modprobe --quiet --use-blacklist snd-emu10k1-synth ; }
install snd-via82xx /sbin/modprobe --ignore-install snd-via82xx $CMDLINE_OPTS && { /sbin/modprobe --quiet --use-blacklist snd-seq ; }

# Load saa7134-alsa instead of saa7134 (which gets dragged in by it anyway)
install saa7134 /sbin/modprobe --ignore-install saa7134 $CMDLINE_OPTS && { /sbin/modprobe --quiet --use-blacklist saa7134-alsa ; : ; }
# Prevent abnormal drivers from grabbing index 0
options bt87x index=-2
options cx88_alsa index=-2
options saa7134-alsa index=-2
options snd-atiixp-modem index=-2
options snd-intel8x0m index=-2
options snd-via82xx-modem index=-2
options snd-usb-audio index=-2
options snd-usb-us122l index=-2
options snd-usb-usx2y index=-2
options snd-usb-caiaq index=-2
# Ubuntu #62691, enable MPU for snd-cmipci
options snd-cmipci mpu_port=0x330 fm_port=0x388
# Keep snd-pcsp from being loaded as first soundcard
options snd-pcsp index=-2
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Added options snd-hda-intel index=0 model=acer
saved and rebooted – no difference made.
Didn't know if I should run:
rmmod snd_hda_intel
modprobe snd_hda_intel
to reload the module or not.

Tried options snd-hda-intel index=-2 model=generic
Killed audio all together. Skype test call said “problem with audio playback.” Kmix lists only master, pcm & digital now, Gnome Alsa mixer lists master, pcm, digital & capture, Alsamixer Terminal lists master & pcm...all were showing master, pcm, front mic, headphone, mic boost, digital & capture & beep.

Reverted to index=-2 model=acer, system sound ok, Skype still “problem with audio playback.” Kmix shows all available channels. Gnome is blank & Alsamixer in Terminal says “no such file or directory.”

Reverted index back to index=0, model=acer replaced with model=generic...reboot Skype test call, no audio problem listed and still no sound.

Reverted index back to index=0, model=acer...reboot. Back to original problem, all settings back to normal.

Changed model to =auto...reboot. No difference.

Changed index to =-2...reboot. No difference. Changed settings in Skype test call to HDA Intel, ALC272 Analog Default Audio Device (default: Card=Intel, Dev=0) instead f default, test call picks up snapping fingers but not clearly. Also picks up something like a voice but robotic sounding and faint.

Changed index back to =0, reboot to try changing settings in Skype here. No difference picking up noise, vague recognition of something...but robotic, not voice.

Revert back to original base and reboot.

Note: Only thing I saw different upon all reboots, is when index is set to -2, system detected WMID devices on start up. Set to =0, it doesn't which is the case on fresh install reboot.

Checking out bugs reported in alsa-base config on Ubuntu/Mint.

Bug #319505... activity log ends 6/18/2010

Ubuntu #62691...activity last post 6/17/08

# Keep snd-pcsp from being loaded as first soundcard
options snd-pcsp index=-2
(maybe something to do with libasound2?)

Maybe something to do with item(s) recently ignored for install and sent to backlist?

Installed Audacity, no sound recorded at first, adjusted mic preferences - playback and recording devices from default to HDA Intel: ALC272 analog (hw:0,0)...recorded fine, but lots of static.

Edit: I reinstalled, tried mic before first reboot and it worked. Rebooted, tried mic before updates and it didn't work. I had never tried the mic before updates and first reboot. Seems that it's not the updates causing the problem, it's the first reboot after install.

[Cjpc]

It looks like I got the Mic to work. It now works in Skype and in Audacity perfectly. Still need to test it out in other IM clients with voice support, ie Google, Gyachi, Pidgin etc... But it works in Skype for now and I am happy.

In more searching I found this link https://help.ubuntu.com/community/AspireOne/AO751h

I have no idea why I didn't come across it before, it would have saved me a lot of trouble! LoL
I scrolled down to the “fixing microphone section.”

The only thing I did different is instead of configuring and compiling the .tar file was...

Code: Select all

sudo apt-get dist-upgrade alsa

which upgraded my uname -r from 2.6.32-21-generic to 2.6.32-25-generic

From there I added to my alsa-base like it said to do and then because of the alsamixer I use and only having one slider for capture I did exactly what it said to do in the first *Note. And also unselect "Allow Skype to adjust mixer levels."

I set my numid settings then adjusted the 100% down to 80% for static reasons.

Code: Select all

amixer -c 0 cset numid=9 0%,100%
amixer -c 0 cset numid=5 0%,100%
amixer -c 0 cset numid=15 0%,100%

Now here's the goofy part. On reboot and trying Skype, it didn't work, didn't do anything different. I was deflated, the only thing I hadn't tried was installing Pulseaudio from Software manager. I was trying to avoid using Pulseaudio because in my ventures I have noticed nothing but problems with it and lots of incompatibility issues. But I broke down, installed it and now the mic in Skype and Audacity works fine.

The thing is that I didn't know if it was just adding Pulseaudio that did the trick or a combination of that and adjusting the mixer levels. I deleted what was done to the alsa-base, rebooted and everything worked fine. I reset my mixer levels and I was back to no mic in Skype. When I went back to terminal and reset my levels, everything worked fine again.
Like I said I still have to test it with other IM clients, but for now it works.

The only other question I have now though, is I am not getting any sort of Pulseaudio controller. The only packages I added from software manager are the basic pulseaudio and gstreamer0.10-pulseaudio, do I need to add something else to get the controller, maybe then I can adjust my mixer from there instead of in the terminal.

So it's fixed for now. I am going to reinstall again after I try it out on the other clients. Start fresh and hopefully, not run across any more problems for a while. I am going to try it out on my original uname -r, just to see if I needed to update that or not.

I guess the only thing that still stumps me though, is why on fresh install, before reboot everything worked fine, after reboot, it didn't?

Hopefully this info will help someone else that is having the same issue.
Christie

[Cjpc]

I guess I am just going to call this post my think pad LOL
Seems like every time I post something, I figure something else out.

As in DUH! Instead of using the command terminal for Kmix settings I could have just right clicked on the channel in the mixer control box and checked “split channels” hehe oh well..live and learn.

Next of course, I found out that I needed to install pavucontrol from software manager to get the volume control box for Pulseaudio.

Also I have found out with further testing, gtalk, Pidgin, Kopete and anything that uses the google-talkplugin your mic will not work if you have to split the channels. Unlike Skype, Gtalk does not have a check box to make the program NOT readjust your mixer levels. For Yahoo, it's difficult because none of the programs seem to support voice and video for that. I tried GaychE, but can't seem to get the voice to work either way, but video works fine.

I found info on gtalk readjusting your mixer levels here:
http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/c ... a8c5&hl=en

and here:
http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/c ... d5fa&hl=en

I tried doing what was suggested to disable the automatic gain control, but no luck...
any ideas?
Some day I will get this all figured out! LOL and might even start a different post for gtalks AGC.
Thanks
Christie