Mint 10 is nice but fails re microphone <workaround found>

[goosehead]

Did an install on a eeepc1005hab of Mint 10 gnome desktop. This is a variety of netbook that can come stock with a Linux distro. This one came with winxp. Unfortunately Mint fails to run the microphone. The spec is HDA Intel Realteck ALC269. Did the instructions in https://help.ubuntu.com/community/SoundTroubleshooting but to no success.

I see others have asked about microphones on this forum. I suspect something is up with this version of Mint.

Just as a summary

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 pavumeter --record

open while playing with

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alsamixer -c 0

and ensuring that the right card is selected and the microphone is at max and capture is at max -- no success.

Is this doomed? Not going to work? I'm beginning to suspect so. Too bad, the video works, the speaker work. Other things are fine. I will wait a day or 2 and see if anyone can offer advice. Then will have to go on to another Linux distro.

Here's what aplay -L produces

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default
pulse
    Playback/recording through the PulseAudio sound server
front:CARD=Intel,DEV=0
    HDA Intel, ALC269 Analog
    Front speakers
surround40:CARD=Intel,DEV=0
    HDA Intel, ALC269 Analog
    4.0 Surround output to Front and Rear speakers
surround41:CARD=Intel,DEV=0
    HDA Intel, ALC269 Analog
    4.1 Surround output to Front, Rear and Subwoofer speakers
surround50:CARD=Intel,DEV=0
    HDA Intel, ALC269 Analog
    5.0 Surround output to Front, Center and Rear speakers
surround51:CARD=Intel,DEV=0
    HDA Intel, ALC269 Analog
    5.1 Surround output to Front, Center, Rear and Subwoofer speakers
surround71:CARD=Intel,DEV=0
    HDA Intel, ALC269 Analog
    7.1 Surround output to Front, Center, Side, Rear and Woofer speakers
dmix:CARD=Intel,DEV=0
    HDA Intel, ALC269 Analog
    Direct sample mixing device
dsnoop:CARD=Intel,DEV=0
    HDA Intel, ALC269 Analog
    Direct sample snooping device
hw:CARD=Intel,DEV=0
    HDA Intel, ALC269 Analog
    Direct hardware device without any conversions
plughw:CARD=Intel,DEV=0
    HDA Intel, ALC269 Analog
    Hardware device with all software conversions


[seeley]

Hi!
Maybe you will find a hint in my help (link1 below), especially "gnome alsamixer" (is different from "alsamixer").
seeley

[goosehead]

I have been able to partly solve the microphone. Reinstalled the OS. No idea why that would help, but it did. Then did the microphone via alsamixer. That provides a very soft and crackly sound but it does work. It does not work with skype however. Maybe will try to get an earlier skype version? Dunno. I may also try a windows version of skype through wine. Not done trying yet with this distro.

[okie2003]

I had the mic problem on a Dell E6510 in Mint 9 (and I think 10, but I am in 9 now). Anyway kernel 2.6.35-23-generic fixed it for me in Mint 9. What kernel are you running and is there an upgrade in Synaptic/ You can always go back to the old kernel if the upgrade causes problems.

[goosehead]

I followed the instructions from https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/580183/comments/17

I found that if you do "sudo apt-get install pavucontrol" to install the PulseAudio Volume Control, and then lower the right channel of the microphone, the internal microphone then works.

You have to unlock the Right and Left channels and put the right one all the way down. Put the left one all the way up. The microphone then did reproduce me talking in Skype. I also unchecked the "allow skype to adjust mixer levels", otherwise it goes a little too soft . There is clearly a bug per the link. The bug report was found by google search of "skype ubuntu maverick realtek alc269" which is the repositories used by this version of Mint and the identity of the sound card for this computer. The cards in this family "Intel N10/ICH7" which may encompass several other of these cards according to the web search. So may be more broadly helpful.

Hope this several days quest helps some one else!

[seeley]

Hi!
Glad for you!
I have added a hint in my help!
If you don't have further questions concerning this thread, please edit your first post and add [solved] to the subject line.
seeley

[goosehead]

I think I will leave it as a 'work around found' because it actually is not solved. And it is quite likely that ear phone jack does not work and I have not tested it. This is another part of the bug.

yes, glad to have it working.