LinuxQuestions.org
Welcome to the most active Linux Forum on the web.
Go Back   LinuxQuestions.org > Forums > Linux Forums > Linux - Distributions > Slackware
User Name
Password
Slackware This Forum is for the discussion of Slackware Linux.

Notices


Reply
  Search this Thread
Old 10-26-2004, 08:54 AM   #1
killerbob
Member
 
Registered: Oct 2004
Location: Ottawa, ON
Distribution: Slackware
Posts: 662

Rep: Reputation: 31
xfce sound mixer not remembering settings


Before registering to post this, I did a search of the forums about my problem, and the only thing close that I found was this:
--- link to other thread removed because my postcount is too low. thread was "No sound in XFCE", started by linda, on August 25, 2004 ---
I tried the suggestions there, and none of 'em worked.


Now, it could be my own stupidity, or it could simply be my absolute lack of experience in this direction that's leading me to post this, take your pick....

I'm no stranger to *nix. For a while I was running NetBSD on my desktop before I decided I wanted to be able to play mainstream games and went to XP Pro (suitably discounted). Before that, I was running QNX. I've been running some variant of Linux on my servers for over a decade, starting with RedHat, trying 'drake, then ending up with Debian, and on my most recent rebuild, Vector 4. CLI is great. I love it. I know exactly what I'm doing there.

So when the warranty expired on my laptop, it's no surprise that the first thing I did was reformat and install Slack 10. Long story short, I'm annoyed with the wireless not working right (but am using it as an excuse to upgrade to 802.11g by buying an ethernet bridge, I'm jacked into the 100mbit right now, which works fine), xine is annoying the heck out of me by not liking DVD menus (but won't affect me until I go on vacation, since I have 2 DVD players, and a DVD drive in my desktop), and the most persistant annoyance: xfce is not remembering sound settings.

Sound works fine. I'm listening to xmms as I type this. Video works fine. Games work fine. I've been able to get Civ working, and Raptor (used to be one of my fave games....). OpenGL works, but is as choppy as you could expect on an S3 Twister-K card with 16MB shared memory; I could set it to 32MB, but meh (pity, I liked that bouncing cow screen saver). But for some really annoying reason, xfce isn't recording the sound settings, and every time I start X, I have to set the sound again. And no, I didn't install K or Gnome (didn't even download the disc 2 ISO). It being a laptop, I'm turning it off when I'm transporting it, and so every time I startup, I need to set the sound if I want to hear anything. (unless somebody can tell me how to get hibernate working... only thing I miss)

I looked at the boot messages, and saw the message from alsa loading that said I should use alsa mixer to set the sound and then alsactl to make it permanent. Did that. alsa now remembers the sound. But xfce doesn't. If I play an MP3 from CLI, it's got sound. If I start X and use xmms, I have to unmute the sound first, but then it works.


I've heard mention that for some reason xfce simply doesn't remember sound settings. I don't like that answer, because it sounds too unlikely. Is it true, or is there some setting that I simply don't know about that causes it to suddenly start working properly?



And for those looking to know:
Computer is: Compaq EVO N115 (no hate please, bought it when I was working for the bastiges, before HP moved my job to India.)
Athlon M 1.2GHz
256MB shared memory (16 for Video atm)
S3 Twister-K sound
ADI SoundMAX sound (pretty sure it's ESS 1868-based. didn't need to check, because like everything else out of the box, it just worked)
Slackware 10
20GB HDD



Much thanks in advance.
 
Old 10-26-2004, 09:51 PM   #2
kak
Member
 
Registered: Jul 2004
Location: Moriarty, NM, USA about 100 yards form Rattle Snake Coutry
Distribution: Slackware , Ubuntu
Posts: 269

Rep: Reputation: 30
try running alsamixer in a term window with xfce up and of course run alsactl store. It's been a while since I used Xfce but I think that is how I got it to work.
 
Old 10-27-2004, 09:31 PM   #3
coffeedrinker
Member
 
Registered: Sep 2003
Posts: 173

Rep: Reputation: 30
I had this same problem before, and then it went away somehow without my knowledge. After reinstalling my system a few months ago it is back and I have no clue how to fix it--so it is not just you.
 
Old 10-27-2004, 10:26 PM   #4
kak
Member
 
Registered: Jul 2004
Location: Moriarty, NM, USA about 100 yards form Rattle Snake Coutry
Distribution: Slackware , Ubuntu
Posts: 269

Rep: Reputation: 30
I found the post.....it worked for me after I configured alsa within a terminal while running xfce.

http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...ght=sound+xfce

last post in that thread.
 
Old 10-29-2004, 04:50 PM   #5
killerbob
Member
 
Registered: Oct 2004
Location: Ottawa, ON
Distribution: Slackware
Posts: 662

Original Poster
Rep: Reputation: 31
many thanks to those who posted... I have some to do, it would appear.

It is now working. For anybody who's wondering, I had used alsamixer to set the volumes, but had neglected to use the M key to actually unmute the channels. For some reason the built-in mixer in xfce will produce sound, even though the channels are muted. Once they're unmuted, xfce is reading the sound settings from alsa rather than using its internal mixer....
 
Old 10-30-2004, 03:22 PM   #6
coffeedrinker
Member
 
Registered: Sep 2003
Posts: 173

Rep: Reputation: 30
Thanks for the info on the MUTE. That was the problem.
 
  


Reply


Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is Off
HTML code is Off



Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Couldn't open mixer device /dev/sound/mixer laurentwahl Linux - General 8 05-17-2005 08:15 PM
K3b settings help, file previer and remembering last iso Whiskers Linux - Software 0 11-26-2004 04:32 PM
Remembering window settings in OpenBox LavaDevil94 Linux - Software 0 11-21-2004 11:33 AM
Red Hat 9 having difficulty remembering its internet settings. flapjackboy Linux - Networking 6 08-11-2003 12:16 PM
Remembering network settings ShakyJake Linux - Newbie 5 04-13-2003 09:48 PM

LinuxQuestions.org > Forums > Linux Forums > Linux - Distributions > Slackware

All times are GMT -5. The time now is 01:37 AM.

Main Menu
Advertisement
My LQ
Write for LQ
LinuxQuestions.org is looking for people interested in writing Editorials, Articles, Reviews, and more. If you'd like to contribute content, let us know.
Main Menu
Syndicate
RSS1  Latest Threads
RSS1  LQ News
Twitter: @linuxquestions
Open Source Consulting | Domain Registration