Comment 3 for bug 327445

Hello,

I encounter the very same problem with the ALSA Mixer: "An error occurred while loading or saving configuration information for GNOME ALSA Mixer. Some of your configuration settings may not work properly."
Error log:
Bad key or directory name: "/apps/gnome-alsamixer/slider_display_names/SigmaTel_STAC9701,3,4,5-Master": `,' is an invalid character in key/directory names
yadah yadah...
Bad key or directory name: "/apps/gnome-alsamixer/display_names/SigmaTel_STAC9701,3,4,5": `,' is an invalid character in key/directory names

I searched the whole internet, but I could find no clues at all.

The video chip on the mainboard (a MSI K9VGM-V) is a HDA VIA VT82xx, which works fine. I tried to install two different sound cards to my computer: one Creative Labs CT4750 (snd-ens1371) and another turtle beach (snd-au8820). Both drivers are loaded. I can see them through "find /lib/modules/`uname -r` | grep snd".

Both card will show up through an "aplay -l" and an "asoundconf list".

But no sound. A modprobe on each module will not change anything, neither will a "asoundconf set-default-card".

I'm currently trying to get the Creative Labs CT4750 working. The Pulseaudio Manager do not show anything upseting (well... AFAIK). The Pulseaudio Volume Meter moves fine, "showing signal levels of ALSA PCM on front:0 (ALC883 Analog) via DMA".

In the volume control, everything is set to 100%, but no sound. Damn.

When I switch back to the mainboard sound card, everything is ok. However, changing the "Device" in the volume control has no effect at all.

Here is the output for a "apt-cache policy alsa-base":

alsa-base:
  Installed: 1.0.17.dfsg-2ubuntu1
  Candidate: 1.0.17.dfsg-2ubuntu1
  Version table:
 *** 1.0.17.dfsg-2ubuntu1 0
        500 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com intrepid/main Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status

BTW: It may not relates, but I also disabled the onboard sound card in the BIOS. It had no effect. More: if I plug a jack in its output, it will go on playing, be another sound card in or not, and whatever any settings. I tried on two different machines with the same behavior.

To finish with alsa mixer. I can see two cards: an ACL883 (the onboard sound card, I guess) and a SigmaTel. ??? SigmaTel ??? Whatever the sound card I try to install, it will never show up in Gnome Alsa Mixer, and the sigmaTel will remain unchanged. Could it be a write-protected configuration file the program can't access?

Regards,

Marino