[wplug] debugging audio, please help RESOLVED

[Mike Sussman]

Well, I found my problem.  It turns out that it was indeed a setting,
but it was one that alsamixer knows about but that I didn't realize.
When "capture" is turned off, that state is denoted by six dashes.  When
it is turned on, that state is denoted by the word "CAPTUR" in place of
the dashes.  I did not recognize this difference when I wrote the email.

On Sun, 2008-09-07 at 12:00 -0400, wplug-request at wplug.org wrote:
> Message: 1
> Date: Sat, 06 Sep 2008 15:17:36 -0400
> From: Mike Sussman <msussman at verizon.net>
> Subject: [wplug] debugging audio, please help
> To: wplug at wplug.org
> Message-ID: <1220728656.6374.44.camel at ozhp>
> Content-Type: text/plain
> 
> Folks,  I have a crazy problem that I need help debugging.
> 
> I have a HP dv9600 on which I have installed Kubuntu Hardy (8.04). Skype
> was working but it stopped working and I am looking for ideas about
> debugging the problem.  I strongly suspect the problem is some setting.
> 
> I know the hardware and basic software setup work because
> (a) The live-CD, with Skype installed using dpkg, works.
> (b) My system used to work.
> By "work" I mean having both output from and input to Skype working.
> These are tested by making a Skype test call.
> 
> I checked the audio settings using alsamixer on both the live-CD and my
> installed system, and they are the same.  But it stopped working soon
> after I tried playing a (bad) audio file.  After playing that audio
> file, I had to bring alsamixer up and restore its volume settings to
> reasonable (nonzero) values in order to hear any sound from any source.
> Currently all audio I have tried, including Skype, plays, but I am
> unable to get Skype to hear my voice.  (No hiss or anything--as if the
> built-in microphone were turned off.)
> 
> SO, there must be more settings somewhere than alsamixer knows about.
> Any help would be appreciated.
-- 
                       Mike Sussman
                       sussmanm at math.pitt.edu