[plug] WHY SKYPE ?

[William Kenworthy]

I had this problem:

there are a number of alsa controls that are sometimes "hidden" using
the gui tools.

run 'amixer' and you should get something like the following for the
mic:

Simple mixer control 'Mic',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pvolume-joined cvolume pswitch pswitch-joined
cswitch cswitch-joined
  Playback channels: Mono
  Capture channels: Mono
  Limits: Playback 0 - 31 Capture 0 - 7
  Mono: Playback 31 [100%] [on] Capture 7 [100%] [on]
Simple mixer control 'Mic Boost',0
  Capabilities: pswitch pswitch-joined cswitch cswitch-joined
  Playback channels: Mono
  Capture channels: Mono
  Mono: Playback [off] Capture [on]
Simple mixer control 'Mic-In Mode',0
  Capabilities: enum
  Items: 'Mic-In' 'Center/LFE Output'
  Item0: 'Mic-In'


Note the 'Center/LFE Output' in the above - this was my problem.

In 'alsamixer', use the F3/F4/F5 keys to view the relevant controls.

Lastly, googling for 'Center/LFE Output' was what put me on the right
track.

Its not skype thats a dogs breakfast, but alsa - powerful maybe, but a
total piece of crap from a usability and a user perspective :(

BillK


On Wed, 2007-01-03 at 08:18 +0900, B15HOP wrote:
> On 22/11/06, Brad Campbell <brad at wasp.net.au> wrote:
> > Up until very recently it was the only VOIP that worked in a country that actively chases down and
> > blocks VOIP.
> >
> > Having said that, Skype on linux is a complete dogs breakfast. It either works perfectly or hardly
> > works at all..
> 
> My problem is a sound card issue. The Audigy simply refuses to record
> anything from the mic port. Regardless of the fact that I can hear it
> back through the speakers.
> 
> The program arecord picks nothing up. Alsa Volume settings checked a
> zillion times, tabbed through and checked Capture as well as Playback.
> Still no resolve. My guess is that a new version of alsa will fix
> this.
> 
-- 
William Kenworthy <billk at iinet.net.au>
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