A workable way to install skype 4.3 in puppy

How to do things, solutions, recipes, tutorials
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CatDude
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#21 Post by CatDude »

Hello Watchdog

Thankyou for your reply to my call for help,
though i had already followed the exact same instructions and was having the same issue
as Ledster and peebee are experiencing.
ie:

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# su spot
# pulseaudio --start
E: [pulseaudio] main.c: Daemon startup failed.
As Ledster pointed out: "Skype starts and runs ok, but of course, no sound."
which is definitely no good. :roll:

I too discovered (like yourself) that commenting the line:

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load-module module-alsa-source device=hw:1,0
gave me sound, but the microphone did not work. :twisted:

After pissing about 'googling' and just plain old freelancing,
i found a winning recipe :D , which was to change that same line in /usr/etc/pulse/default.pa
to look like this:

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load-module module-alsa-source device=hw:0
Once i had done that,
i managed to have a chat with my brother (with video both ways) for about an hour
without any problem whatsoever, in fact my brother commented on how clear the audio was.

Anyway, i need to re-run another test or two on fresh installs
just to make sure it wasn't simply a fluke.

Till later
CatDude
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Ledster
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Location: Devon, England

#22 Post by Ledster »

Just tried CatDude's mod.
Worked for sound, but still no mic.

Sorry! :(

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CatDude
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Location: UK

#23 Post by CatDude »

Hi Ledster
Ledster wrote:Just tried CatDude's mod.
Worked for sound, but still no mic.

Sorry! :(
I think i may have deleted /root/spot/.pulse and /root/spot/.pulse-cookie
after editing that line and before attempting to start it again.

I still need to do those tests to confirm things.

CatDude
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OscarTalks
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#24 Post by OscarTalks »

I think for most people who are just using the default soundcard for both playback and capture (or input and output) you will need the device number to be hw:0,0 (rather than hw:1,0) AND you may find that you need to add it to both of the UNcommented lines in /usr/etc/pulse/default.pa (or /etc/pulse/default.pa).

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load-module module-alsa-sink device=hw:0,0
load-module module-alsa-source device=hw:0,0
In my case I have 3 soundcards, one integrated mobo, one pci and one usb. I am using the usb soundcard for all telephony now so my lines are both "device=hw:2,0" which is the third soundcard in the system.

And yes, if you get these set up then you don't really need pavucontrol, you can just alter your volume settings in retrovol in the normal way.

Regarding running pulseaudio as root, obviously this would be helpful.
I note the fatal error which says it failed to find a group named "pulse"
I think there is a configure option during compilation which may fix this.
Add --with-system-group=root
Oscar in England
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saintless
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#25 Post by saintless »

Ledster wrote:Just tried CatDude's mod.
Worked for sound, but still no mic.
I don't know if this information helps since it is not from Puppy system, but just did a quick test to check something with Skype 4.3.0.37 in DebianDog and internal microphone works but external usb camera + microphone does not. The camera microphone doesn't work. I guess some settings has to be made in pulseaudio to use external microphone. I see no choice for different microphone in sound settings - only pulseaudio.
Otherwise no problem to run pulseaudio --start as root. There is a message I should not run it as root but it works anyway.

watchdog
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#26 Post by watchdog »

OscarTalks wrote:I think for most people who are just using the default soundcard for both playback and capture (or input and output) you will need the device number to be hw:0,0 (rather than hw:1,0) AND you may find that you need to add it to both of the UNcommented lines in /usr/etc/pulse/default.pa (or /etc/pulse/default.pa).

Code: Select all

load-module module-alsa-sink device=hw:0,0
load-module module-alsa-source device=hw:0,0
It works with my netbook and internal mic.

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OscarTalks
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#27 Post by OscarTalks »

saintless wrote:The camera microphone doesn't work. I guess some settings has to be made in pulseaudio to use external microphone. I see no choice for different microphone in sound settings - only pulseaudio.
I believe it will work if you figure out the correct device=hw: number and edit the file, but really we need a GUI method for selecting devices. I think that if you use Skype with pulseaudio (which I did briefly with Xubuntu a few years ago) you just select "pulseaudio" in Skype and then you have to use pavucontrol to select devices, but it is not as good as being able to select everything from within Skype itself. I really hope enough people will complain and they will release the next version with alsa support restored.

By the way, confirmed that pulseaudio --start running as root does give a warning but does work.
Oscar in England
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CatDude
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#28 Post by CatDude »

Hi

OK, i ran a few more tests with both a frugal install and using pfix=ram
and i can confirm that in my particular case (on my hardware: see my sig below)
i have sound + microphone working (i use a headset) using either of these lines in: /usr/etc/pulse/default.pa

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load-module module-alsa-source device=hw:0

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load-module module-alsa-source device=hw:0,0
The only proviso,
is to have a known working setup (sound + microphone)
before firing up Skype.

What i usually do, is fire up Psip (aka PuppyPhone)
and use the 'music' and 'echo' tests under 'iptel.org utilities'
You do not need to have an account set up to do this..
  • NOTE:
    In the attached image you can see Digital below the Capture
    on this machine, that is not visible until i have run the above tests
    and then restarted the Xserver. (very strange indeed)
Once you are happy that things are working OK,
then start Skype and run their call test.

With luck it should be working OK (and generally it is)


Video and sending files are also working fine.

Hope this helps
CatDude

Edit: corrected a spelling error because i was pulled up about it by some 'MonkeySocks' :wink: :wink:
.
Attachments
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my retrovol settings
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Last edited by CatDude on Mon 04 Aug 2014, 09:16, edited 1 time in total.
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saintless
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#29 Post by saintless »

OscarTalks wrote:I believe it will work if you figure out the correct device=hw: number and edit the file...
Thanks, OscarTalks, I will test this later.
I have no much interest from Skype 4.3 since it gives "Aborted" message and does not start on most of my computers (quite old machines). There should be something more changed in the new Skype version to prevent starting on old hardware.
I hope someone will find a way to login with Skype 4.2. I cant find workaround yet but I'm sure I'm not the only one trying to solve this. It is too early yet to give up :)

Toni

watchdog
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Location: Italy

#30 Post by watchdog »

Code: Select all

arecord -l
lists mic devices. Subdevice 1 and card 0 identify my front internal mic with the laptop I use.

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CatDude
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#31 Post by CatDude »

Hello Watchdog

This is what i get (on the machine in my sig):

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# arecord -l
**** List of CAPTURE Hardware Devices ****
card 0: SB [HDA ATI SB], device 0: ALC272 Analog [ALC272 Analog]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
#
CatDude
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watchdog
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#32 Post by watchdog »

CatDude wrote:Hello Watchdog

This is what i get (on the machine in my sig):

Code: Select all

# arecord -l
**** List of CAPTURE Hardware Devices ****
card 0: SB [HDA ATI SB], device 0: ALC272 Analog [ALC272 Analog]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
#
CatDude
.
I think you should set:

Code: Select all

load-module module-alsa-sink device=hw:0,0
load-module module-alsa-source device=hw:0,0
in /usr/etc/pulse/default.pa as found out by OscarTalks.

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CatDude
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#33 Post by CatDude »

Hi
watchdog wrote:..I think you should set:

Code: Select all

load-module module-alsa-sink device=hw:0,0
load-module module-alsa-source device=hw:0,0
in /usr/etc/pulse/default.pa as found out by OscarTalks.
As i poited out in my earlier post:
CatDude wrote:..i have sound + microphone working (i use a headset) using either of these lines in: /usr/etc/pulse/default.pa

Code: Select all

load-module module-alsa-source device=hw:0

Code: Select all

load-module module-alsa-source device=hw:0,0
I didn't need to do anthing with the 'sink' line as everything works OK


CatDude
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DM was on fire!
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Location: N.E. Georgia Mountains, USA

#34 Post by DM was on fire! »

Awesome. Tried to get into a call and noticed I had no sound. Googled "No sound Skype 4.3" and found a crapload of Linux-based results.
Skype/Microsoft definitely screwed the pooch with this, first not telling us about the upgrade and now ditching Alsa support.

Anyway. I digress.
I tried everything in the first post and I'm still unable to hear sound. Skype doesn't seem to recognize that I'm using PulseAudio. The edits proposed by CatDude don't help either. :/ Any idea?

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OscarTalks
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#35 Post by OscarTalks »

Confirmed working in Slacko 5.7
I took the dynamic version of Skype 4.3.0.37 from the website and repacked it along with 01micko's Qt libraries (including the plugins for avatar support) as before.

My pulseaudio-2.0-test.pet reduces the size of pulseaudio-2.0.w53orig.pet from 5977 K down to 1059 K and still works for me, so quite a significant reduction!

Both of these are uploaded to http://smokey01.com/OscarTalks for now. Strictly for testing of course, always take the usual precautions.

A reminder that you do need to make sure that the spot directory is owned by spot (not root). Open a terminal and do:-

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chown -R spot:spot spot
Then you can run Skype as spot with the commands as already described.

It may be OK to run everything as root. One thing I am not sure about yet though is if we were to have the pulseaudio daemon launching at startup and running all the time I wonder if this would cause a problem for other applications needing access to alsa for sound input/output?

@ DM on fire
I find that some of the steps in the first post are not necessary. Later posts are now describing a simpler method. What Puppy are you running? Are you able to get pulseaudio --start to work in terminal or do you get an error? What soundcards/hardware are you using? Can you start Skype? What do you see in the sound settings section of the options GUI?
Oscar in England
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DM was on fire!
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#36 Post by DM was on fire! »

Yeah, pulseaudio --start runs without a gripe; and Skype has been running even since I did an install of the .deb right from the Skype page the day they forced us to upgrade.

Sound settings only shows "default device," and does not show PulseAudio. Can't get my hardware info at this time, I'll post again when I can; but PRETTY sure it's Intel ICH7.

Also an issue with this .pet, I can't see any user avatars... worked fine on the .deb.

watchdog
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#37 Post by watchdog »

@DM was on fire

You have not said what puppy you are using. Now I'm testing in slacko 5.7 the new packages provided by OscarTalks. It works. No need to change ownership of spot dir. I had only to change /usr/etc/pulse/defalut.pa with my original settings. I can't start pulseaudio as root. "DM was on fire": read the clue post http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewto ... 631#789631 and all the thread. Try in a live or in a new install. The settings in /usr/etc/pulse/default.pa are hardware-dependent. First try to launch without changes. If pulseaudio does not start then in a console exec:

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arecord -l
and take note of mic subdevice you are using. Say it is x. Then change in default.pa the two lines:

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load-module module-alsa-sink 
load-module module-alsa-source device=hw:x,0
I assume you are using sound card 0. In my netbook worked:

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load-module module-alsa-sink  device=hw:0,0
load-module module-alsa-source device=hw:0,0
(mic subdevice was 0). Hope this helps.

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DM was on fire!
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#38 Post by DM was on fire! »

Whoops, my apologies. Precise 5.5.

I'll give this a shot when I'm back home and report back with results. Going to probably be back because I have a TurtleBeach headset which acts as it's own sound device. :roll:

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CatDude
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#39 Post by CatDude »

Hi
watchdog wrote:...I can't start pulseaudio as root
No problem here running it as root in fresh frugal of Slacko-5.7

I used retrovol with the aid of Psip to set up the mixer levels
then i load up a custom .sfs file which consists of the two .pets posted here
  • pulseaudio-2.0.w53orig.pet
    skype-4.3.0.37-w5orig.pet
The only changes i made were to NOT include the 'root' directory from the pulseaudio-2.0.w53.orig.pet
and edited line 45 of /usr/etc/pulse/default.pa
to look like this:

Code: Select all

load-module module-alsa-source device=hw:0,0
Then i ran the commands as shown in the attached image,
the second 'pulseaudio --kill' command was just to check it had been killed.

During previous tests i noticed that sometimes it appeared as though Skype
automatically killed it and other times it didn't,
and required the 'pulseaudio --kill' command.
Best to just run that command anyway i suppose.

CatDude

P.S
I have also got this skype-4.3.0.37 working in Fatdog64-611,
though i am having a difficult time trying to get it working in the latest 700 version.
.
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peebee
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#40 Post by peebee »

OscarTalks wrote:I took the dynamic version of Skype 4.3.0.37 from the website and repacked it along with 01micko's Qt libraries (including the plugins for avatar support) as before.

My pulseaudio-2.0-test.pet reduces the size of pulseaudio-2.0.w53orig.pet from 5977 K down to 1059 K and still works for me, so quite a significant reduction!

Both of these are uploaded to http://smokey01.com/OscarTalks for now. Strictly for testing of course, always take the usual precautions.
Hi OscarTalks

Working well here - both cam and mic with your provided default.pa - many thanks.

I've put the 2 pulseaudio lines into /usr/bin/skype - running as root - no need for "su spot".

Cheers
peebee
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