Hi,
I followed the suse howto on installing a webcam. During that process I also got skype offered to me so I installed that as well.
When I fire skype up, the webcam, startup sounds and the “Test Sound” works fine. However when I try to make the Test Call, it fails.
Skype from the command line shows these messages…
ALSA lib pcm.c:2211:(snd_pcm_open_noupdate) Unknown PCM null
ALSA lib pcm.c:2211:(snd_pcm_open_noupdate) Unknown PCM null
ALSA lib setup.c:555:(add_elem) Cannot obtain info for CTL elem (MIXER,'IEC958 Playback Default',0,0,0): No such file or directory
ALSA lib setup.c:555:(add_elem) Cannot obtain info for CTL elem (MIXER,'IEC958 Playback Default',0,0,0): No such file or directory
The “MIXER” one occurs a lot.
Can anybody give me a clue as to what these mean? The sound card etc was all set up via Yast and works fine.
Cheers.
hi, even if i am also unable to make the skype test call i can tell you that it does work properly (use skype with family member at least one a week in opensuse or with mint). under: (kde) system config (its the wrench and screwdriver icon) /sound/audio capture it is set for my brand of webcam (logitech quickcam pro 9000 usb audio). suggest that you test it with another skype user.
cheers
Running Skype in full glory from the repos. AFAICS now, you’d have to look at the microphone device in skype.
I needed some messing around with settings and levels to get Sk. working properly, but it does now.
32 or 64 bit?? Installed from CD or DVD?
Did you get from repo or from skype directly or somewhere else?
Hi, sorry gogolthorp.
I’m 32 bit and I got the skype from SuSE as part of the install of the webcam driver mentioned in the “how to”.
I tested the microphone out with arecord (I think it was that) and I could then playback the recording via Amorok so I think the mic works. Certainly the output sound works. The webcam also in both skype (test) and kopete.
Have been trying to find out about those ALSA messages for a couple of days now. The “MIXER” seems to be from the /etc/asound.state file which seems to get rebuilt every boot.
At one point I changed that file so that every instance of “interface MIXER” became “interface MIXERAKU” to see if they were the “devices” mentioned in the messages.
On reboot however, they were all back to “interface MIXER”.
In my searches, I have come across a lot of stuff concerning ALSA and pulse-audio and wondered what is running the sound in 11.2 and wondering if installing pulse-audio and integrating ALSA with it would help.
The premise of pulse-audio looks very good but there seems to some negative attitudes to it but I don’t know why.
When I get the access to the box, I will try the suggestions of just trying to connect to another skype user.
Thanks for the input, much appreciated.
Tried again just now. Same result.
I edited the /etc/asound.state file again changing MIXER to PCM, restarted sound (alsasound restart) but the file came back exactly as it was before my changes.
Does anyone know where the “master” is kept? I guess the modules of alsa could dump them to the file when they are told to exit but from where do the settings originate?
It’s so frustrating as it feels like I’m shooting around in the dark.
You can get the skype stuff to produce a log and a trace but neither are human-readable. I have posted the question and the logs to their so-called support site but after two days, there is still no response.
Grrr! If they don’t want to, or don’t have the resources to, provide support, why don’t they make at least the log readable? I might be able to get a clue from that.
Prop stuff! Can’t even build my own copy and add some tracing/logging for myself.
Oh well, it might very well be a skype-free world for me. My son-in-law (rabid gatesboy, Californian) will be making milage out of this 
Thanks guys. Will keep plugging away and will let you know if I get anywhere.
Cheers - AK
If you installed from a CD rather then a DVD some packages may be mixing and need to be installed.
1 does the mic work? If you tap the mic do you hear it in the speakers?
2 check the mixer ( click the speaker icon in the tray) select mixer see if you have a “capture control” If not select settings-configure channels and add that control also be sure you have Mic control and mic boost. Be sure that the mic control is checked capture and the mic capture control is also checked capture. Make sure nothing is muted.
Note above is for KDE if you run Gnome someone else will need to help you.
I remember my microphone not working on 11.1 at least, due to an old ALSA version. Newer version on 11.2 solved my problem.
Maybe you should update the ALSA packages, wait for confirmation from the pros though 
I had a thought is this a built in mic on a laptop? If so try an external mic. There maybe some problem with built in on some laptops.
"1 does the mic work? If you tap the mic do you hear it in the speakers?
2 check the mixer ( click the speaker icon in the tray) select mixer see if you have a “capture control” If not select settings-configure channels and add that control also be sure you have Mic control and mic boost. Be sure that the mic control is checked capture and the mic capture control is also checked capture."
Yeps to both questions. Not sure what is meant by “mic capture control is also checked capture.”.
The mic is marked capture and boost is also selected, nothing is muted.
It’s an external mike, attached to headphones.
The ALSA messages are worrying me, wish I knoew what the hell it was complaining about particularly as it seems to have decided the config itself and nothing I do changes that.
Will see if I can get any updates to ALSA.
Thanks all for the input.
Cheers - AK
Hello all,
Well, I’ve got the **** thing working but I have absolutely no idea how or why!
I did an update of the package (forced) but that made no difference. I then installed the latest beta release from Skype itself.
That was worse in that it didn’t capture my webcam.
So… I un-installed that and then found every single file that bore a skype name and deleted them. I re-installed from the SuSE repo.
I was able to make the test call but no mic input. Changed that to the “default” option in skype and then it ran.
Called my daughter and, after fiddling with the mic level a bit, it went well.
Selecting “chat” crashed skype.
Seems like skype for us is real flakey, I mean real flakey. They seem to favour the Ubuntu boys (pulse-audio) for some reason, maybe them boys give more input. I don’t know.
There’s still no response from the skype site itself and there really doesn’t seem to be any way of asking for help except through their forum which seems to be deserted.
To all of you a big kiitos - thank you. It was your response and input that actually kept me trying. I honestly believe that therin lies the real power and value of “The Community”.
Thanks again and goodnight. I only hope that I will be able, someday, to be able to contribute.
Cheers - AK
I find this strange Skype worked for me out of the box and I’m running 64bit Suse which was always a problem until 11.2.
Hi all.
Not sure why but a reply sent yesterday has not appeared here so will try again.
In short, the thing is working at the moment!
I updated everything suggested (forced update) but that didn’t help.
I then installed the beta from skype site and, not only did it not work but it couldn’t see my webcam. The “README” file also contains a list as long as your arm of things that don’t work properly - including that the webcam wont work with the newer driver that I have.
I uninstalled it and then deleted every single file that contained the string “skype” and installed skype again from the SuSE repo.
I found that in skype, I had to configure speakers, ringing and mic to “default” otherwise the mic didn’t work.
Sadly, since nothing was found, I have no idea why it failed to work originally. I am still getting those messages from ALSA so I have no idea what was breaking it before.
It does seem that the GNU/Linux port of skype is still very very flakey.
Thanks to you all for the input. It was that that kept me going trying to find a way to get this to work and convinces me that this is the real power for “The Community”.
I only hope that I will be able to help as much sometime in the future.
Cheers - AK