Sound mostly stopped working after ALSA updates on Oct 17

[Nathan J. Brauer]

Running a clean install of Oneiric (installed on Friday) and sound worked perfectly prior to this issue.

Monday, Oct 17, I installed the following updates from Update Manager ("*" symbol added for emphasis):
** bluez-alsa:amd64 (4.96-0ubuntu3, 4.96-0ubuntu4),
python-cupshelpers:amd64 (1.3.6+20110831-0ubuntu9, 1.3.6+20110831-0ubuntu9.1),
libgnome-bluetooth8:amd64 (3.2.0-0ubuntu1, 3.2.0-0ubuntu2),
gir1.2-gnomebluetooth-1.0:amd64 (3.2.0-0ubuntu1, 3.2.0-0ubuntu2),
libgnome-desktop-3-2:amd64 (3.2.0-0ubuntu4, 3.2.0-0ubuntu4.1),
python-ubuntuone-client:amd64 (2.0.0-0ubuntu1, 2.0.0-0ubuntu2),
system-config-printer-gnome:amd64 (1.3.6+20110831-0ubuntu9, 1.3.6+20110831-0ubuntu9.1),
ubuntuone-client:amd64 (2.0.0-0ubuntu1, 2.0.0-0ubuntu2),
bluez-gstreamer:amd64 (4.96-0ubuntu3, 4.96-0ubuntu4),
totem-plugins:amd64 (3.0.1-0ubuntu5, 3.0.1-0ubuntu7),
libimobiledevice2:amd64 (1.1.1-1, 1.1.1-1ubuntu1),
bluez-cups:amd64 (4.96-0ubuntu3, 4.96-0ubuntu4),
libtotem0:amd64 (3.0.1-0ubuntu5, 3.0.1-0ubuntu7),
bluez:amd64 (4.96-0ubuntu3, 4.96-0ubuntu4),
gnome-desktop3-data:amd64 (3.2.0-0ubuntu4, 3.2.0-0ubuntu4.1),
gir1.2-totem-1.0:amd64 (3.0.1-0ubuntu5, 3.0.1-0ubuntu7),
libsyncdaemon-1.0-1:amd64 (2.0.0-0ubuntu1, 2.0.0-0ubuntu2),
gnome-bluetooth:amd64 (3.2.0-0ubuntu1, 3.2.0-0ubuntu2),
** alsa-utils:amd64 (1.0.24.2-0ubuntu8, 1.0.24.2-0ubuntu8.1),
system-config-printer-udev:amd64 (1.3.6+20110831-0ubuntu9, 1.3.6+20110831-0ubuntu9.1),
python-cups:amd64 (1.9.58-0ubuntu1, 1.9.59-0ubuntu0.1),
ubuntuone-client-gnome:amd64 (2.0.1-0ubuntu1, 2.0.1-0ubuntu2),
system-config-printer-common:amd64 (1.3.6+20110831-0ubuntu9, 1.3.6+20110831-0ubuntu9.1),
totem:amd64 (3.0.1-0ubuntu5, 3.0.1-0ubuntu7),
totem-mozilla:amd64 (3.0.1-0ubuntu5, 3.0.1-0ubuntu7),
totem-common:amd64 (3.0.1-0ubuntu5, 3.0.1-0ubuntu7),
libbluetooth3:amd64 (4.96-0ubuntu3, 4.96-0ubuntu4)

After rebooting:
- Skype hangs on "Signing in..."
- Empathy freezes
- X-Chat-Gnome hangs for 30+ seconds each time someone mentions my name (w/ sound alerts on)
- when I try to watch videos on Firefox OR Chrome, flash freezes and eventually quits
- when I launch Last.fm (native player), I get "The ALSA soundsystem is either busy or not present."
- "Sound Settings" shows no sound hardware available.

Oddly, some sounds still work (usually alerts) but only sometimes. I'm gussing that if ALSA is fixed, everything else will fall into place here.

Here's a dump from the ALSA information script:
http://www.alsa-project.org/db/?f=15ea6debe29d125be96d5f2b167eef6738779af8

Here's a copy of each my APT-GET logs:
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/4115701/hotlink/APT/history.log
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/4115701/hotlink/APT/term.log

"Sound Settings" screenshot:
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/4115701/Screenshots/nohardware.png

[Nathan J. Brauer (nathanbrauer)]

Related bug: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/alsa-utils/+bug/868734

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.