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Fran
Guru
Joined: 29 Feb 2004
Posts: 511
Location: Coruña (Spain)
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 Posted: Thu Feb 28, 2013 2:29 pm Post subject: [SOLVED] Skype takes a LONG time to start (alsa problem) |
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When I start skype, it takes a long time to login. Also when I try to start a conversation with someone. Meanwhile, in the terminal, I see a ton of messages like these:
| Code: | ALSA lib pcm_dmix.c:1018:(snd_pcm_dmix_open) unable to open slave
ALSA lib pcm_dmix.c:1018:(snd_pcm_dmix_open) unable to open slave
ALSA lib pcm_dmix.c:1018:(snd_pcm_dmix_open) unable to open slave
ALSA lib pcm_dmix.c:1018:(snd_pcm_dmix_open) unable to open slave
ALSA lib pcm_dmix.c:1018:(snd_pcm_dmix_open) unable to open slave
ALSA lib pcm_dmix.c:1018:(snd_pcm_dmix_open) unable to open slave
ALSA lib pcm_dmix.c:1018:(snd_pcm_dmix_open) unable to open slave
ALSA lib pcm_dmix.c:1018:(snd_pcm_dmix_open) unable to open slave
ALSA lib pcm_dmix.c:1018:(snd_pcm_dmix_open) unable to open slave
ALSA lib pcm_dmix.c:1018:(snd_pcm_dmix_open) unable to open slave
ALSA lib pcm_dmix.c:1018:(snd_pcm_dmix_open) unable to open slave
ALSA lib pcm_dmix.c:1018:(snd_pcm_dmix_open) unable to open slave
ALSA lib pcm_dmix.c:1018:(snd_pcm_dmix_open) unable to open slave
ALSA lib pcm_dmix.c:1018:(snd_pcm_dmix_open) unable to open slave
ALSA lib pcm_dmix.c:1018:(snd_pcm_dmix_open) unable to open slave
ALSA lib pcm_dmix.c:1018:(snd_pcm_dmix_open) unable to open slave
ALSA lib pcm_dmix.c:1018:(snd_pcm_dmix_open) unable to open slave
ALSA lib control.c:953:(snd_ctl_open_noupdate) Invalid CTL front:CARD=SB
ALSA lib pcm_dmix.c:1018:(snd_pcm_dmix_open) unable to open slave
ALSA lib pcm_dmix.c:1018:(snd_pcm_dmix_open) unable to open slave
ALSA lib pcm_dmix.c:1018:(snd_pcm_dmix_open) unable to open slave
ALSA lib pcm_dmix.c:1018:(snd_pcm_dmix_open) unable to open slave
ALSA lib pcm_dmix.c:1018:(snd_pcm_dmix_open) unable to open slave
ALSA lib pcm_dmix.c:1018:(snd_pcm_dmix_open) unable to open slave
ALSA lib pcm_dmix.c:1018:(snd_pcm_dmix_open) unable to open slave
ALSA lib pcm_dmix.c:1018:(snd_pcm_dmix_open) unable to open slave
ALSA lib pcm_dmix.c:1018:(snd_pcm_dmix_open) unable to open slave
ALSA lib pcm_dmix.c:1018:(snd_pcm_dmix_open) unable to open slave
ALSA lib control.c:953:(snd_ctl_open_noupdate) Invalid CTL surround40:CARD=HD
ALSA lib pcm_dmix.c:1018:(snd_pcm_dmix_open) unable to open slave
ALSA lib pcm_dmix.c:1018:(snd_pcm_dmix_open) unable to open slave
ALSA lib pcm_dmix.c:1018:(snd_pcm_dmix_open) unable to open slave
ALSA lib pcm_dmix.c:1018:(snd_pcm_dmix_open) unable to open slave
ALSA lib pcm_dmix.c:1018:(snd_pcm_dmix_open) unable to open slave
ALSA lib pcm_dmix.c:1018:(snd_pcm_dmix_open) unable to open slave
ALSA lib pcm_dmix.c:1018:(snd_pcm_dmix_open) unable to open slave
ALSA lib pcm_dmix.c:1018:(snd_pcm_dmix_open) unable to open slave
ALSA lib pcm_dmix.c:1018:(snd_pcm_dmix_open) unable to open slave
ALSA lib pcm_dmix.c:1018:(snd_pcm_dmix_open) unable to open slave
ALSA lib conf.c:4692:(snd_config_expand) Unknown parameters CARD=HD
ALSA lib control.c:953:(snd_ctl_open_noupdate) Invalid CTL sysdefault:CARD=HD
ALSA lib pcm_dmix.c:1018:(snd_pcm_dmix_open) unable to open slave
ALSA lib pcm_dmix.c:1018:(snd_pcm_dmix_open) unable to open slave
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In the end it connects, and works more or less fine (sometimes I get no sound, but that fixes itself after a restart). This only happens in my desktop, where I have an USB camera with integrated microphone. I can see the camera light flicker while skype is looking for (?) sound devices. In my laptop, with only one sound card, everything works fine. No errors and Skype is fast. Is there any way to force skype not to test for sound cards? I've already told it which sound cards to use in the settings panel, to no avail.
Or, alternatively, is there any freakin' open software that allows me to video chat with someone who uses windows? Something that "simply works", preferrably. I don't have good experiences with pidgin and STUN.
_________________
~amd64 13.0 // linux-3.9 // gcc-4.8 // glibc-2.17 // xorg-server-1.14 // dwm-6.0
Last edited by Fran on Sun Mar 03, 2013 3:08 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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FRIGN
n00b
Joined: 12 Jan 2013
Posts: 23
Location: Germany
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| Posted: Sat Mar 02, 2013 2:39 pm Post subject: |
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Hi Fran,
What should resolve this issue is adding
| Code: | pcm.!default {
type hw
card 1
}
ctl.!default {
type hw
card 1
} |
to your .asoundrc.
Edit it accordingly if it doesn't apply to your configuration and work at first.
cheers
FRIGN |
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PaulBredbury
Watchman
Joined: 14 Jul 2005
Posts: 7020
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| Posted: Sat Mar 02, 2013 4:03 pm Post subject: Re: Skype takes a LONG time to start (alsa problem, it seems |
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| Fran wrote: | | Is there any way to force skype not to test for sound cards? |
I don't think so  It seems to iterate though all ALSA PCMs, bizarrely.
| Quote: | | open software that allows me to video chat |
Maybe try ekiga - has a recent version 4. |
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Fran
Guru
Joined: 29 Feb 2004
Posts: 511
Location: Coruña (Spain)
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| Posted: Sat Mar 02, 2013 7:14 pm Post subject: Re: Skype takes a LONG time to start (alsa problem, it seems |
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| PaulBredbury wrote: | | Fran wrote: | | Is there any way to force skype not to test for sound cards? |
I don't think so It seems to iterate though all ALSA PCMs, bizarrely.
| Quote: | | open software that allows me to video chat |
Maybe try ekiga - has a recent version 4. |
I've been trying it, but it's horribly buggy. With +xv, everytime I start the camera it crashes with
| Code: | The program 'ekiga' received an X Window System error.
This probably reflects a bug in the program.
The error was 'BadMatch (invalid parameter attributes)'.
(Details: serial 20962 error_code 8 request_code 70 minor_code 0)
(Note to programmers: normally, X errors are reported asynchronously;
that is, you will receive the error a while after causing it.
To debug your program, run it with the --sync command line
option to change this behavior. You can then get a meaningful
backtrace from your debugger if you break on the gdk_x_error() function.)
Inconsistency detected by ld.so: dl-close.c: 758: _dl_close: Assertion `map->l_init_called' failed! |
With -xv I can start the camera and see myself (I even managed to do an echo test) but if I try to change the volume I get that error again. It has also crashed several times randomly while doing other tasks. Seriously, it's the crappiest piece of software I've ever tried.
| FRIGN: | | What should resolve this issue is adding |
Hm, don't think so. After posting here I found this: https://jira.skype.com/browse/SCL-810
_________________
~amd64 13.0 // linux-3.9 // gcc-4.8 // glibc-2.17 // xorg-server-1.14 // dwm-6.0 |
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PaulBredbury
Watchman
Joined: 14 Jul 2005
Posts: 7020
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| Posted: Sat Mar 02, 2013 7:57 pm Post subject: |
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| ekiga 4.0.1 is out - fixes crashes. |
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Fran
Guru
Joined: 29 Feb 2004
Posts: 511
Location: Coruña (Spain)
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| Posted: Sun Mar 03, 2013 2:19 pm Post subject: |
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Made an ebuild, tried it, still crashes with one in every three actions.
Now I'm searching for a way to disable PCM devices and leave only one for capture and one for playback. That way skype wouldn't need so much time to start. But I can't find a way to *remove* PCM devices (without removing them from alsa.conf).
At least I've discovered that selecting some devices in skype settings instead of leaving them as "default" makes everything a bit faster (it seems to test for fewer devices).
_________________
~amd64 13.0 // linux-3.9 // gcc-4.8 // glibc-2.17 // xorg-server-1.14 // dwm-6.0 |
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Fran
Guru
Joined: 29 Feb 2004
Posts: 511
Location: Coruña (Spain)
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| Posted: Sun Mar 03, 2013 2:49 pm Post subject: |
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I ended up commenting these two lines in /usr/share/alsa/alsa.conf
| Code: | pcm.default cards.pcm.default
pcm.sysdefault cards.pcm.default |
(I don't care about losing the "default" pcm, since I have skype in a 32bit chroot that I use just for skype/wine/android). Now skype spits a bunch of
| Code: | | ALSA lib pcm.c:2217:(snd_pcm_open_noupdate) Unknown PCM default |
but it's fast and I get sound. Better than nothing, I suppose.
(edit) Better solution
| Code: | --- /usr/share/alsa/alsa.conf 2013-03-01 17:28:12.000000000 +0100
+++ /mnt/gentoo32/usr/share/alsa/alsa.conf 2013-03-03 16:05:01.686054312 +0100
@@ -125,8 +125,8 @@
# redirect to load-on-demand extended pcm definitions
pcm.cards cards.pcm
-pcm.default cards.pcm.default
-pcm.sysdefault cards.pcm.default
+pcm.default cards.pcm.front
+pcm.sysdefault cards.pcm.front
pcm.front cards.pcm.front
pcm.rear cards.pcm.rear
pcm.center_lfe cards.pcm.center_lfe
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Now skype doesn't spit error messages, starts fast and sound works fine! 
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