[SOLVED] My cat laid on my keyboard again. Now audio is gone!

maschelsea · 06-15-2021, 03:56 PM

I'm trying to follow a python course on SkillShare Unfortunately, my cat has laid on my keyboard (again) and this time I've lost audio. How would I go about diagnosing and fixing this issue. The speakers are plugged into the headphone jack on the front of the machine and the speakers themselves are on top of the desk. They are safely out of reach for the cat. My first thought was that he hit the mute button on the keyboard. But it's not that. I tried rebooting. That didn't help at all. Next, I loaded pavucontrol. I looked around there, but didn't find anything. I'd really like to finish this course, but it seems impossible to me without audio. Please help!

LuckyCyborg · 06-15-2021, 04:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by maschelsea

I'm trying to follow a python course on SkillShare Unfortunately, my cat has laid on my keyboard (again) and this time I've lost audio. How would I go about diagnosing and fixing this issue. The speakers are plugged into the headphone jack on the front of the machine and the speakers themselves are on top of the desk. They are safely out of reach for the cat. My first thought was that he hit the mute button on the keyboard. But it's not that. I tried rebooting. That didn't help at all. Next, I loaded pavucontrol. I looked around there, but didn't find anything. I'd really like to finish this course, but it seems impossible to me without audio. Please help!

Open pavucontrol and verify the audio output.

And train your cat!

maschelsea · 06-15-2021, 04:36 PM

Pavucontrol: Left Front at 153%, Right Front at 153%, but I don't know how to commit the changes when I close pavucontrol. It always goes back to 0% whenever I reopen it.

As for the cat, he is six years old now. It's far too late to train him to do anything. And cats don't respond to training like dogs do.

maschelsea · 06-15-2021, 04:46 PM

Does this mean anything to anybody?

Code:

root@caitlyn:~# dmesg | grep audio
[    6.252176] snd_hda_intel 0000:01:00.1: Handle vga_switcheroo audio client
[    6.562049] snd_hda_codec_realtek hdaudioC0D0: autoconfig for ALC887-VD: line_outs=1 (0x14/0x0/0x0/0x0/0x0) type:line
[    6.562105] snd_hda_codec_realtek hdaudioC0D0:    speaker_outs=0 (0x0/0x0/0x0/0x0/0x0)
[    6.562155] snd_hda_codec_realtek hdaudioC0D0:    hp_outs=1 (0x1b/0x0/0x0/0x0/0x0)
[    6.562204] snd_hda_codec_realtek hdaudioC0D0:    mono: mono_out=0x0
[    6.562243] snd_hda_codec_realtek hdaudioC0D0:    inputs:
[    6.562282] snd_hda_codec_realtek hdaudioC0D0:      Front Mic=0x19
[    6.562321] snd_hda_codec_realtek hdaudioC0D0:      Rear Mic=0x18
[    6.562360] snd_hda_codec_realtek hdaudioC0D0:      Line=0x1a
root@caitlyn:~#

enorbet · 06-15-2021, 04:55 PM

Obviously your cat has learned to code

All kidding aside, first run "alsamixer" (pulse still depends on alsa) to make certain 1) There is the right device as Default (check with F6 key) and most importantly that it's volume controls are not muted.

If you kerboard has audio controls, I'd actually try a substitute keyboard first, but make sure any buttons or "rolling" controls are not muted and turned up. Commonly you will hear some electronic noise as volume is increased. Then check again in PavuControl of in SystemSettings > Audio > Configure i/f you use KDE.

Bonzoo · 06-15-2021, 05:05 PM

Shoot the cat. I recommend a 12 ga with #4.....or a simple 22 to the head(less fun)I have ten or so kitties because I have 25 or so cows ....and 100 or so rats chasing cattle feed.
If a cat comes in my house he gets the insignia of -1.
Cats are working animals. Buy a parakeet. He can beep beep BEEP like the coffee maker if you don't wake up right

maschelsea · 06-15-2021, 05:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by enorbet

Obviously your cat has learned to code

All kidding aside, first run "alsamixer" (pulse still depends on alsa) to make certain 1) There is the right device as Default (check with F6 key) and most importantly that it's volume controls are not muted.

If you kerboard has audio controls, I'd actually try a substitute keyboard first, but make sure any buttons or "rolling" controls are not muted and turned up. Commonly you will hear some electronic noise as volume is increased. Then check again in PavuControl of in SystemSettings > Audio > Configure i/f you use KDE.

I use xfce4. So I have zero system sounds. Alsamixer reports Master, which it should be iirc.

maschelsea · 06-15-2021, 05:18 PM

The sound is fixed for the moment inside KDE. But what happens when I go back to XFCE?

UPDATE: It's not fixed in XFCE. There are too many features I depend on in XFCE to leave for KDE. Like my revolving desktop wallpapers or my pictures screensaver...

garpu · 06-15-2021, 05:54 PM

Does your keyboard have a mute/unmute button?

Stock xfce has the pulseaudio plugin on the top right of the top panel. Is anything muted in there?

Also, in settings, Session and startup, are you saving your old session by default? Uncheck that then delete any saved sessions you have in the saved sessions tab. It *should* be back to defaults.

And if something got mapped, look in keyboard, middle tab. It should show you what key strokes and keys are bound to what command. (There might be a mute.)

maschelsea · 06-15-2021, 06:01 PM

Audio is back. I restored my backup from 6-01-21 and re-entered XFCE. Now everything works as it should.

michaelk · 06-15-2021, 08:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bonzoo

Shoot the cat. I recommend a 12 ga with #4.....or a simple 22 to the head(less fun)I have ten or so kitties because I have 25 or so cows ....and 100 or so rats chasing cattle feed.
If a cat comes in my house he gets the insignia of -1.
Cats are working animals. Buy a parakeet. He can beep beep BEEP like the coffee maker if you don't wake up right

Serious or not many members are animal lovers and may take offense by your comments. Besides please follow the rules

Quote:

Do not post if you do not have anything constructive to say in the post.

enorbet · 06-16-2021, 09:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by maschelsea

I use xfce4. So I have zero system sounds. Alsamixer reports Master, which it should be iirc.

If all you saw in "alsamixer" was "Master" then all you saw was Pulseaudio, the conductor of the orchestra. If you want to see if "the musicians" are awake you weill need to hit "F6" while alsamixer is active. That will show you all the audio devices ALSA "sees" and let you select each one to configure.

It may also be useful and important to remember that even though ALSA operates primarily at the behest of Root, "alsamixer" run as User and "/home/User/.asoundrc" are User-specific overrides in ANY WM/DE.

garpu · 06-16-2021, 03:26 PM

I'm curious what key commands can mute sounds like that in xfce. Our current house panther is good about staying off keyboards, but... (His brother once switched my keyboard layout.) He makes up for it by horking up a hairball on expensive things, like headphones, a monitor, the PS4...

Pithium · 06-16-2021, 10:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by garpu

I'm curious what key commands can mute sounds like that in xfce. Our current house panther is good about staying off keyboards, but... (His brother once switched my keyboard layout.) He makes up for it by horking up a hairball on expensive things, like headphones, a monitor, the PS4...

I could be wrong (my C isn't great) but it looks like the keys used by the panel plugin are not configurable. See line 53 of the applicable source file
https://gitlab.xfce.org/panel-plugin...audio-plugin.c

Code:

#ifdef HAVE_KEYBINDER
#include <keybinder.h>

#define PULSEAUDIO_PLUGIN_RAISE_VOLUME_KEY  "XF86AudioRaiseVolume"
#define PULSEAUDIO_PLUGIN_LOWER_VOLUME_KEY  "XF86AudioLowerVolume"
#define PULSEAUDIO_PLUGIN_MUTE_KEY          "XF86AudioMute"
#define PULSEAUDIO_PLUGIN_MIC_MUTE_KEY      "XF86AudioMicMute"
#define PULSEAUDIO_PLUGIN_PLAY_KEY          "XF86AudioPlay"
#define PULSEAUDIO_PLUGIN_STOP_KEY          "XF86AudioStop"
#define PULSEAUDIO_PLUGIN_PREV_KEY          "XF86AudioPrev"
#define PULSEAUDIO_PLUGIN_NEXT_KEY          "XF86AudioNext"
#endif

Why anyone would define keyboard shortcuts that way is baffling to me. But I don't have a CS degree so what do I know.

chrisretusn · 06-17-2021, 07:03 AM

I would recommend locking your desktop with a password. It a bit of an inconvenience but keeps the cat from coding.

I don't have cats. I do have grandkids. They don't sleep on the keyboard though, they just want to press keys like grandpa does, or shudder, push the on/off button (locking desktop does not save that one <grin>). At least that is setup to do a proper shutdown.

Many years ago one of my daughters (soon to be a lawyer, takes the bar exam in November) helped her self to daddies computer and personalized it. That is when I decided to lock my desktop when away from it.