(old)Puppy Linux Discussion Forum

Hi everyone.. I have a problem with my microphone... The computer seems to see it properly (If I plug it in and speak in it, I 'll hear what I say through the speakers but If I try to record something or use skype, It does not work. I use puppy 3.01 as a full hd install.. Thanks in advance !

Are you sure the microphone is selected for recording? And the recording volume isn't set to zero?
Sometimes they are connected directly to the speaker outlet, so you can hear them even if the software on the computer can't

No I'm not... Can you tell me how I can know ? and also, what about skype? It does not work either

I don't have any examples since I don't work with audio much. Just general ideas.

alsamixer lets you set a bunch of stuff. Push <tab> to see/set the capture volumes.

Setting the mic for recording is often part of the specific app you're using. Usually there's a dropdown box at the top that lets you choose stuff like "Microphone," "Wav output," and "Line in". Otherwise it might be in the menus somewhere.

Specific apps might also have a separate "software" volume control for it, or they might be the rude type of program that immediately alters the system volume settings.

I think if you get recording to work, skype will work, but I'm not sure.

Most recording programs (and I would have thought Skype too) have options to select the recording source and change the recording volume, but if yours doesn't:

I'm not sure what gui mixer you have, or what it can do, but you can try running xtmix from a console (I think all Puppy's have it). Select the recording input (i.e. line in or microphone etc) by clicking the circle above the picture (I can't figure out how to select the recording source in alsamixer).

Then run alsamixer in a console, press tab to get to the recording page, then you can go across and change the recording volume.

(I can't figure out how to select the recording source in alsamixer).

In the "playback" section, go all the way to the right. On my system that shows "input source", "input source 1", and "input source 2", and lets you change what the use with up/down.

you can try running xtmix from a console (I think all Puppy's have it)

Actually, it was replaced by zmixer somewhere during 2.xx. I think it changed again in 3.xx.

I know xtmix was replaced, but I think it might still actually be there as well... maybe I'm wrong.

Oh - thanks, that's how to do it. It is called "digital capture source" on mine, but I can only see the full name when it is selected - otherwise I just see "digital"

I tried running xtmix in 3.01 but it wasn't found. I don't remember if it was kept in 2.xx or not.

I've never found a way to adjust the microphone in Skype. It either works or it doesn't, at whatever level it feels like. The microphone in Skype is louder in some versions of Puppy than in others, and in different versions of Skype in the same version of Puppy. I think turning on the mic boost in alsamixer makes it louder in Skype, but that's the only thing I found that had any effect.. IIRC, you turn on the mic boost in alsamixer with the space bar.

Here is my alsamixer setup

Puppy volume mixer

Puppy 3.01 | Frugal intall on USB stick
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Djoff,

I had a similar problem with Skype and after much searching solved it as follows....

Open a command window and type "setvol"

You will see the gain settings for all the stages of the audio system I upped the gain on SOUND_MIXER_MIC to 100 (I think this is the same effect as the sliders in the settings above) but also had some success experimenting with

SOUND_MIXER_IGAME
SOUND_MIXER_OGAIN

There are different versions of Skype about, the 1.3 PET from here
http://dotpups.de/dotpups/Internet/

The 1.4 Skype Static version here: http://skype.com/download/skype/linux/choose/
This version also has a "let skype automatically change the gain" setting - I had more success turning it OFF!

Also puppy seems to reset the setvol commands when restarted so I made a script to set them then start Skype...

Hope this helps!
Alison