xfce4-mixer muted on login

[Charlie Kravetz]

Binary package hint: xfce4-mixer

Every boot, upon logging into the desktop, the xfce4-mixer is muted. This was fixed in Xubuntu 10.04, and is probably a regression.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 10.10
Package: xfce4-mixer 1:4.6.1-2ubuntu2
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.35-14.19-generic 2.6.35
Uname: Linux 2.6.35-14-generic x86_64
Architecture: amd64
Date: Tue Aug 3 10:01:13 2010
EcryptfsInUse: Yes
InstallationMedia: Xubuntu 10.10 "Maverick Meerkat" - Alpha amd64 (20100803)
ProcEnviron:
 LANG=en_US.utf8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
SourcePackage: xfce4-mixer

WORKAROUND:
left-click the mixer in the panel
left-click the red X to unmute
turn up volume using slider
close
right-click the mixer in the panel
left-click properties
close

[Daniel T Chen (crimsun)]

Please verify that sound is unmuted at the login screen of the display manager.

[Charlie Kravetz (cjkgeek)]

Could you please explain how to do that? With my speakers at maximum volume, there is no sound at the GDM login screen. There are no selections that allow sound to be used at that point.

[Charlie Kravetz (cjkgeek)]

Using "speaker-test -c2 -l1 -Dplug:front" to test sound, I only get sound after logging in and doing the above workaround. At that point, I have sound in tty's and terminal both. Before doing the above, I have no sound at all. Even logging in and turning the volume up 100% without going through the above procedure does not allow any sound.

[Charlie Kravetz (cjkgeek)]

This was fixed in Maverick by the following:

alsa-utils (1.0.23-2ubuntu2) maverick; urgency=low

  * debian/init: Restore change from 1.0.21-1ubuntu2 lost during merge
    that skips muting and zeroing levels prior to shutdown/reboot,
    which was a hack for broken drivers. This change closes LP: #21804,
    LP: #208920, #227505, #360108, #432660, #449783, #553132, #564472,
    LP: #584609, #592016, #596360, #613054, #617516, #622487, #632019.
  * debian/patches/alsactl_init_update_to_52bd2f8a_head.patch: Add
    upstream git changesets:
    dcb90a77 - Use "Found hardware:" instead "Unknown hardware:"
    7f6a55e2 - use "generic method" instead "guess method"
    52bd2f8a - Handle "Capture Source" and "Mic Boost"
    ef919a47 - Initialize also "Master Front Playback Volume" & "Switch"
    (yes, this last changeset is included despite the patch filename)