VLC

[pedantik]

I've started all over and am using TC 10.1 on an HP Elitebook
I have downloaded alsa-config.tcx,  alsamixergui.tcz, alsa-modules-4.19.10-tinycore.tcx and alsa.tcz
Alsa speaker test works with speaker-test -Ddefault:1 -c2 wav -l1
Sound works fine with VLC when I select Alsa sound and the correct audio device.
However I'm stumbling over getting AlsaMixerGui to work. When I click on the icon I get the following error:
alsamixer: function snd_ctl_open failed for default: No such file or directory
Is there a file I need to edit to get alsamixergui to work with my soundcard?

[aus9]

thanks to Juanito prev reply...I am assuming at this stage....you intend not to use pulseaudio.
until you get a better reply...

Open a terminal and try out different card numbers for alsa as shown and report if you now see a mixer and what card number was that.

Code: [Select]

alsamixergui -c0
alsamixergui -c1
Top line for mixer command attempting to access card zero not card o

BTW, I assume you know you can set mixer levels in vlc?

good luck

[pedantik]

Many thanks aus9.  Yeah decided to stick with alsa.
alsamixergui -c1 brings up the alsamixer controls! Card 1 which I expected HDA Intel PCH Chip: Realtek ALC3228
Great!
Thanks for the tip re levels in VLC.  I hadn't seen those - the non working alasamixergui irks me so much.

[aus9]

shortcut to VLC mixer levels is CTRL + e keys
The master volume is still in bottom right corner of player.
click small icon to left of volume to mute
I use mouse to slide volumes to right of icon.

###################

the non working alasamixergui irks me so much.

Are you still having troubles with VLC or with alsamixergui?

Have you tried the terminal command

Code: [Select]

alsamixer -c1
If interested, we can offer ways of fixing alsamixergui to NOT need -c1
but it involves swapping your card index.

It might help if I know how well you have grasped the idea of persistence
especially in relation to starting up a media player and the volumes to play the last track
are exactly the same.

It can lead to information overload, so no need to reply for a few days.

[pedantik]

Many thanks...no alsamixer gui in terminal is working well thanks to your assistance ...no more sound trouble.  Just that the alsamixer gui icon reports an error though.  It's probably configured to loo for the wrong sound card

[pedantik]

I've been running TC on a variety of systems...on some sounds work straight away, on others, not so much.  I've installed on PC hard drive too which makes it easier then next time I reboot, but booting with USB or CD, I need to get persistence working, yeah.  So probably should say I don't really understand how.

[aus9]

yeah well I may not be the best person to teach you, as I am on 64 bit with 8G of RAM and don't care too much about some things.

Let me keep it simple

Do you use a bootcode like home=sdxn?
In which case, IMHO you should not have home in your backup.

If you have a persistent home, any changes there are entirely at your own risk.
If you have home in your backup
then you will have an entry for home in

/opt/.filetool.lst

Then mydata.tgz will have home dir inside it....to be saved on shutdown and to be restored on bootup.

This slows me down as I am impatient. So I use a bootcode for a persistent home.

The choice is yours.

You might like to read
bootcodes http://tinycorelinux.net/faq.html#bootcodes
mount mode for persistent tcedir http://tinycorelinux.net/concepts.html
Persistent Home  same link

but....most people start off with cloud mode so a backup file is created with their home dir in it.

[aus9]

Now the mixer levels can be affected by which card has index 0 or 1.

when you are ready....try this simple file to see if we can swap your index.
copy and paste the code box into a terminal

Code: [Select]

echo 'pcm.!default {
        type hw
        card 1
}

ctl.!default {
        type hw           
        card 1
} ' > ~/.asoundrc
then when ready full reboot. Then see if card has swapped by running

Code: [Select]

aplay -l
output will show analog either on card 0 (desired)  or still on card 1

On 64 bit this fails for me. I have a much more complicated method.
If card has swapped...running alsamixergui (without specifying -c1) should now bring up your analog mixer settings.

I prefer not to discuss persistence of mixer levels until we see if a simple swap method works for you.

[pedantik]

Thanks aus9
All I did so far was this:
Run:

sudo alsactl store
Run:

echo alsactl restore >> /opt/bootlocal.sh
Run:

echo usr/local/etc/alsa/asound.state >> /opt/.filetool.lst
Run a backup to save your setup.

[aus9]

Yeah but I wanted to see if we could swap your index first.
those mixer levels will have a "reversed" card number.

but sure if you do not want to swap....there is another way to run alsamixergui -c1

we create a local bin file ....its not faster but might suit you?

Code: [Select]

echo '#!/bin/sh
tce-load -i alsamixergui
exec alsamixergui -c1' > ~/.local/bin/mix
chmod +x  ~/.local/bin/mix
If you always want to have alsamixergui in your boot list delete the entire line
tce-load -i alsamixergui

To test with or without that line, without swapping index try

Code: [Select]

mix
If you want an easy way to use a GUI text editor (bias showing)
use Apps to download only leafpad
then load leafpad

Code: [Select]

tce-load -i leafpad
leafpad ~/.local/bin/mix
If you like leafpad, you could download leafpad as "onboot" so its in your boot list.

[pedantik]

Yeah I will do that as you suggest.  However, I started again on a different PC and the basic sounds instructions  from http://wiki.tinycorelinux.net/doku.php?id=wiki:setting_up_sound
worked straight off.  I'll get back to the HP laptop and try what you've suggested.
Many thanks

[aus9]

yeah but did you test just alsamixergui?
I am thinking depending on what you have for that other PC....you might see the same issue as you have already reported?

just saying.

[pedantik]

The new installation just worked straight away...the alsamixergui icon didn't return any errors at all.
And I was able to play mp3 with VLC.
I also managed to add pulseaudio and pavucontrol and play Youtube stuff with sound via Firefox.

[aus9]

Ok are you happy to ask for it to be solved?

[pedantik]

Hi aus9.
Many thanks for your help.
I'm trying again on the HP Elitebook.
Ill try the file you sent to see if I can swap my index.
On it the sound card comes up as card 1
I've experimented with an install on an older Lenovo laptop and aplay -l returns card 0