sound issues and command line help...

[tpgames]

If the error message says

Bad key or directory name: "/apps/gnome-alsamixer/display_sliders/SigmaTel_STAC9708,11-Master": `,' is an invalid character in key/directory names

What do all do you suggest I remove and/or reinstall? I have NO sound anywheres and the Ubuntu forum has too many questions and no answers for sound issues currently. People have lives and I understand that. :) I did redo everything on the how-to install sound and went through all of the problem solving answers. I do have complete files of all the data from the beginning HERE. Just click on any link there to view. :D
And is the following correct syntax for the command line to remove and install said program?

 apt-get autoremove gnome-alsamixer 

 apt-get gnome-alsamixer 

Ubuntu system. Ask anything else you need to know.
Thanks!

[AmberJain]

Hello,
@tpgames
I'm not sure about the "remove" command above but IIRC, then the command to install should be:

sudo apt-get install name_of_the_package_to_be_installed

The 'sudo' part is used to execute this command as superuser while the 'install' part is one of arguements of apt-get.

AmbrNewlearner

[tpgames]

I do hear sound beeps. However, testing sound in System/preferences/sound nets no sound. I didn't start hearing beeps until Balazar crashed. I uninstall that program.

I did remove and reinstall gnome-alsa mixer and still no luck. I still get the same error messages. I'm now going to try uninstalling everything pulse.

[tpgames]

Did not work! I'm going to post all the latest results at the above link. I don't wish to flood this forum with my faulty attempts.
(Above link does not reach my main site directly and folder only contains stuff to resolve this issue. )

[tpgames]

I will post what actually worked though - with a complete how-to if I can get that right.
Right now, I'm trying to figure out what else to try to install/uninstall.

[tpgames]

Here is the link to the latest outputs that indicate several errors.
Go here

The file is way to long for me to comfortably post here. Plus it indicates that something may be faulty with the sound cards? or Drivers. Plus, the gnome-alsa mixer configuration file I can't fix because I don't know how to. Removing it and then reinstalling it does not work. It still have the apps files all wrong.
Bye! Thanks!

[Nepomuk]

OK, first of all: The gnome-alsamixer is just a piece of software to make controlling the sound output more easily - it's not the driver or anything. And yes, the soundcard is a chip, so you can't delete it.

Then, the apt-get commands were wrong - use

sudo apt-get remove gnome-alsamixer

to remove and

sudo apt-get install gnome-alsamixer

to install it.

Now, for your installation issues, you might want to start using synaptic instead of apt-get - it's easier to use for the moment as it uses a graphical interface and so you don't have to worry about syntactical problems.

Next, we have to track your problem. My guess is, that for some reason, alsa isn't set up correctly. Try using alsamixer to see, if any card is recognised. The alsamixer is a mixer, which lets you control the various sound levels. You can navigate with the arrow buttons, the tab button and quit it with the Esc button.

If that works, you possibly just have to set some of the levels up. If it doesn't, please tell us the output of the command.

Also, the command

alsactl names

might give you some more information. Otherwise, try

head /etc/asound.names

. In any case, post the results here please.

Greetings,
Nepomuk

[tpgames]

1} Nothing materialized. I added sudo to the command and it gave me nothing. Without sudo, it said I had no permissions.
(Also, I was using the graphic interface until I had issue with getting sound working. Thats when I redid everything. )

2} ctl {
alsactl1 {
name hw:0
comment 'Physical Device - Ensoniq AudioPCI ENS1371 at 0xdc00, irq 12'
}
}
pcm {
alsactl1 {
name front:0
comment 'Abstract Device - Front Speakers (Duplex)'

3) I do get system beeps within Xchat. However, if I go to System - preferences - sound and test sound, I get no sound. I accidentally found that out when I pushed Back Space for too long. I also get no sound in when I try to play radio, etc. Basically, the only sound I've ever heard was beeps when backspacing for too long. :D
Thanks!

[tpgames]

Update: I am waiting for the 9.04 cd to come into the mail. I am going to do a complete fresh install, hoping to do things right so that I can totally delete everything on the drive.

Question:
What do I do before a fresh install if I want to wipe the OS and start over from scratch?
Thanks!

[AmberJain]

Hello,
@tpgames
For a fresh install, you need to format the partition. It seems to me that you will dedicate the complete harddisk to ubuntu. And therefore, you may need to format the complete harddisk. (You may leave the swap partition intact if you wish).

To format the partition (or complete harddisk), there are loads of programs around (e.g. Search Gparted on google). Gparted is also available on Ubuntu Live CD iirc. There is also an easy to use program called 'cfdisk' on Ubuntu live CD.

And yes, Good luck!

Hope this helps....
AmbrNewlearner

[ashitpro]

[quote=tpgames;3495818]If the error message says

Bad key or directory name: "/apps/gnome-alsamixer/display_sliders/SigmaTel_STAC9708,11-Master": `,' is an invalid character in key/directory names

Did you visit this link:
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=693088

I haven't put any thoughts into it but searching on google.
Please try this before reinstalling the OS.

Good Luck

Regards,
Ash

[tpgames]

Thanks for those links! I've been trying to use search to find someone else with the same issues at that forum for days. I also used google, but had my search terms wrong.

I'll try those fixes tomorrow when I'm not babysitting.

[tpgames]

Sound, movies, etc. work. so Yeah! Firefox tends to crash, but installed gecko player and so far no crashing. (I redid this:

sudo apt-get remove kaffeine-mozilla mozilla-helix-player mozilla-mplayer mozilla-plugin-vlc totem-mozilla xine-plugin 

before installing gecko. So far FF has lasted longer without crashing, Trailers work and do not crash.

UPdate: FF does crash, but it appears to be more of a memory usage problem. If I play soundcast off of the browser, and then try to get pulse-audio controller up to check setting, FF crashes.

gnome-alsa gaff - To fix, it requires me to uninstall one lib and install another lib. It didn't fix the problem. BUT, being that sound works and all, I'm ignoring gnome-alsa mixer and not using it. I'll work on getting skype working later. I didn't have intel anyways. I have Nvidia and ensoniq.