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Questions from a beginner...

Hi Guys,

Just installed Slackware 10.2 on my laptop. My soundcard didn't work to start with, so I simply ran alsaconf and alsamixer to detect and unmute.

System sounds now work (within KDE) but nothing from media players such as RealPlayer, Xine. A little annoying, not entirely sure how to fix it? I presume something else is hogging the sound device??

Another quick one, on install I selected the default bare kernel. Unfortunately it won't detect any USB devices, e.g; my external mouse. Doesn't even get power. Any suggestions?

Thanks for any help.

For the multimedia applications try going into thier preferences or options and make sure thier trying to run your sound through the right driver. I have to do this alot when I first install Gaim.

If the kernel dosen't know the USB is there then its not going to give any power to them. If its a fresh install I'm assuming your using a 2.4.xx kernel, so I don't know how much USB support you have built in. Look in your kernel config file and see if it was taken, modulized, or isn't there all together. Hopefull USB support was compiled as modules, that way you can just load the modules and you'll be up and running.

I always have the same problem with USB not working in the default 2.4.31 kernel on my laptop when I first install Slack. One way to fix it is to install the 2.6.13 kernel in /testing. You can also download it from a Slackware mirror. Follow the instructions included in the directory and you should not have any problems, I install all the files in the 2.6.13 directory.

Bob

Thanks :)

My kernel version is 2.4.31.

Just looking through /var/log/messages at bootup it shows my USB hug being found, configured and even my mouse;

kernel: usbmouse.c: v1.6:USB HID Boot Protocol mouse driver

(just part of it).

usbcore module is loaded (lsmod).

dmesg shows the following upon plugging in the USB mouse;

usb.c: USB device not accepting new address=5 (error=-110)
usb_control/bulk_msg: timeout

Hrrmm :S

Does the USB mouse work in X?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Firebar

System sounds now work (within KDE) but nothing from media players such as RealPlayer, Xine. A little annoying, not entirely sure how to fix it? I presume something else is hogging the sound device??

That'll be our little friend "aRts" - the KDE sound server. It usually suspends itself after 1 minute's silence. If there is a system sound during that minute, the counter restarts.

From the menu select Multimedia -> More Applications -> aRts Control Tool

Then, from its drop-down menu select View -> aRts Status

This will enable you to suspend aRts so that other apps can use the sound card. It's not ideal, but it works!

Quote:

This will enable you to suspend aRts so that other apps can use the sound card. It's not ideal, but it works!

I gave that a go, but no joy :(

Quote:

Does the USB mouse work in X?

Sorry, whats the command to enter basic X (or whatever its called - xdm?).

Quote:

Originally Posted by Firebar

Sorry, whats the command to enter basic X (or whatever its called - xdm?).

Try running

Code:

init 4

to start KDM (XDM is only used when KDE is not installed).

Eric

To skip the login manager you just need to run

Code:

startx

Unfortunately the mouse just doesn't work full stop (runlevel 4 - startx, xdm bla bla). I suppose I ought to compile the new kernel to fix my other issues etc anyhow?

My first ever compilation of a kernel - bring it on :D

I'll give it a go and I may well pop back, you poor chaps ;)

Thanks for all your help btw.

Make sure you have hotplug running (chmod +x /etc/rc.d/rc.hotplug)

As far as the players, you sometimes have to set the sound device. I don't know what the defaults are and I can't look at the moment. See if you can find out, if not, post again and i'll try to look.

If your mouse is detected, it should be getting power, and furthermore, you should be able to verify that it's working (at least sending some signals into your box) by cat'ing the devices output to terminal, thusly:

Code:

~$ su

~# cat /dev/input/mice

~# cat /dev/input/mouse0

~# cat /dev/input/mouse1

Waggle your mouse between each cat & see what you get. One of those will spit out some crud into the terminal - that's probably the right node =)

Be aware that this is copied & pasted from my box, which is running 2.6 - not 2.4. I don't know if 2.4 can use the udev stuff that hides unused nodes in /dev/ (sorry!), so you might have to just poke around /dev/ to find nodes that look like they might be connected to your mouse. Speaking of which, unplugging your mouse, running dmesg then plugging it back in and running dmesg again should tell you that your mouse is being detected (or not).

Quote:

Unfortunately it won't detect any USB devices, e.g; my external mouse. Doesn't even get power. Any suggestions?

If you're in X and you plug a mouse in, I have found that under 2.4 the mouse won't work at all without restarting X (I assume that xorg.conf is configured correctly to allow both pointer devices).

Second to that, you will need to configure xorg.conf to recognise two mouses. In here http://www.kaear.co.uk/linux/xconf/ you will find a xf86config.laptop file - this is what I use in xorg.conf for my laptop with a USB mouse and a little nipple-point-thing. Hopefully you will see how it works, if not, I suggest starting another thread on solving the mouse problem and keeping this one for the sound problem (or vice-versa).

As has been suggested, the 2.6 kernel is generally much better at handling this hotplug stuff than 2.4, and I can testify to that.

Good luck and let us know how it goes!
- Piete.

Yeah hotplug is going, but still no joy, same kernel messages.

Looking in realplayer I can't seem to choose what sound-system to use :(