Date: Wed, 10 Aug 2016 08:34:04
From: Levi Darrell <levidarrell@gmail.com>
To: debian-user@lists.debian.org
Subject: pulseaudio, derivative problems
Resent-Date: Wed, 10 Aug 2016 12:34:37 +0000 (UTC)
Resent-From: debian-user@lists.debian.org
I've really done it this time.
I'm running Debian Stretch Testing, Kernel v. 4.3.0-1-amd64. With X Server
I use the LXDE desktop environment.
I had been using pulseaudio without any trouble. I tried to install
audacity v. 2.1.2. I compiled it from source, but when I open audacity, it
doesn't read any audio input or output sources. If I try to open a file and
play it back, it says, 'Error while opening sound device. Please check the
playback device settings and the project sample rate.' The playback device
setting drop-down menu is greyed out, however, as is the input device
setting. Incidentally, I have audacity installed on a Windows 10 virtual
machine (VBox), and it works fine, but I need audacity on the host machine
as well.
Frustrated with this, I attempted a possible fix of using 'pavususpender'.
This did not help at all. I then attempted to download Ardour, as an
alternative to audacity, compile it from source, and install it. I was
lacking several package dependencies, however, so I began installing them
through the apt package manager: boost library, pkg-config, glib-2.0,
glibmm-2.4, sndfile, liblo, taglib, vamp-sdk, vamp-hostsdk, rubberband, and
clang. I installed the -dev version of all these packages where applicable.
I still haven't been able to complete the installation of Ardour, for
reasons which are not the object of this inquiry.
Now pulseaudio won't work at all, in addition to several other programs.
Issuing 'pulseaudio' returns 'pid.c: Daemon already running; main.c:
pa_pid_file_create() failed.' however if I issue 'pavucontrol', a dialog
box flashes for an instant and then disappears, and the volume control gui
tool never opens. The volume control keyboard shortcuts still work (I still
have sound), but they must be going through alsa.
Even more inexplicably, the same thing happens if I try to open up a pdf
file with evince, and when I try to use the firefox browser. A dialog box
flashes for an instant, but the program never opens. The screenshot
accessory has also stopped working. Chromium-based browsers are still
working just fine, however, and for viewing pdf files I can still use
Master PDF Editor 3.
These are all the previously fully functional programs which have stopped
functioning since this debacle that have so far come to my attention.
Having audacity working would be a nice luxury, but now my first priority
is getting firefox going again, since there are some web-based tasks I must
perform on a regular basis which do not work properly in chromium browsers.
Thanks in advance for any light you may shed upon me in my state of
ignorance.
Levi