no system sound after last update

I looked at another post on sound but I’m not sure what the problem is. I can open the sound interface from yast control center and under the devices tab when I click test I do get the test sound. However from the sound tab trying login, logout or anything else produces no sound.
Here’s the results of rpm -qa | grep alsa:

alsa-1.0.16-39.1
alsa-plugins-1.0.16-57.1
alsa-plugins-pulse-1.0.16-57.1
alsa-firmware-1.0.16-24.1
alsa-oss-32bit-1.0.15-48.1
alsa-utils-1.0.16-35.1
alsa-oss-1.0.15-48.1

I am using opensuse 11.0 x86_64 and it’s been GREAT! This seems to have started after an update on 7-7-08. I am also noticing now that applications/applets I click on to open now open behind whatever is up rather than coming to the front as they use to-not sure if that’s related.

Can you try some more tests to help characterize? Copy and paste the following into a konsole as a regular user, as a test:
speaker-test -Dplug:front -c2 -l5 -twav
Do you get any sound? Be certain to check your mixer settings.

If that fails, then try with root permissions by copying and pasting the following into a konsole as a regular user, as a test:
su -c ‘speaker-test -Dplug:front -c2 -l5 -twav’
when prompted for a password, enter the root password. Do you get any sound? Be certain to check your mixer settings.

If both those fail, try restarting alsa with:
rcalsasound restart
and test your sound once again, with the above two tests. Results?

Thanks oldcpu, here are those outputs (I’m using gnome btw)
speaker-test -Dplug:front -c2 -l5 -twav

speaker-test 1.0.16

Playback device is plug:front
Stream parameters are 48000Hz, S16_LE, 2 channels
WAV file(s)
Rate set to 48000Hz (requested 48000Hz)
Buffer size range from 64 to 16384
Period size range from 32 to 8192
Using max buffer size 16384
Periods = 4
was set period_size = 4096
was set buffer_size = 16384
0 - Front Left
1 - Front Right
Time per period = 2.734144
0 - Front Left
1 - Front Right
Time per period = 2.986752
0 - Front Left
1 - Front Right
Time per period = 2.986460
0 - Front Left
1 - Front Right
Time per period = 3.071621
0 - Front Left
1 - Front Right
Time per period = 2.986453
Results=I did hear the test sounds.
After that test I do get sound from the sound interface-pressing/clicking play. I think the sound is a little low. Is the mixer you are talking about alsamixer from CLI?

alsamixer
*** PULSEAUDIO: Unable to connect: Connection refused

alsamixer: function snd_ctl_open failed for default: Connection refused

I assume I need to be root to use alsamixer in opensuse. Why does root have control of the users sound? I haven’t used suse in many years but it mostly works fantastically on my HP Pavilion laptop!!!
Thanks again oldcpu!!

OK, so your sound works.

Yes, alsamixer is the gnome mixer. alsamixer comes with alsa-utils which is installed on your PC. It looks like you have a problem with pulse audio.

No, a regular user should be able to run alsamixer.

Are you saying “alsamixer” as a regular user does not work, but if you type:
su -c ‘alsamixer’
then alsamixer works?

If alsamixer works as user root but not as a regular user, I would look for a way to fix a permissions issue.

In openSUSE-11.0 SuSE-GmbH included pulseaudio, and it (pulseaudio) is buggy. If it were me, if alsamixer did not work at all (for any user), I would try removing alsa-plugins-pulse
reboot, and test your alsamixer again. If that does not work, then type:
rpm -qa | grep pulse
make a note of all your pulse audio apps, and remove them. Reboot, test your sound

I suggest you take note of everything you remove, so you can re-install later when the pulse audio bugs are fixed.