skype problems

[Gene Heskett]

Lauri wrote:
>> Gene Heskett wrote:
>>> Lauri wrote:
>>>>> Actually 2 of them.
>>>>>
>>>>> 1. I can only make one connection per reboot, otherwise there is 
>>>>> "something wrong with the audio device" when a new connection is 
>>>>> attempted.  My headphones continue to function normally.  And my 
>>>>> own voice is flawless both in my phones and at the other end of the 
>>>>> call.
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>> This is a known bug, Skype doesn't close the device. Restarting Skype
>>>> fixes that.
>>>>
>>>> Use skype_dsp_hijacker.
>>>
>>> Ok, got .7 and installed it.  And it still isn't closing the device. 
>>> There is not a skype_dsp_hijacker process to be found by the usual 
>>> means, like a ps -ea or htop, but the sound device is still blocked.
>>> It does report the workaround is in use, but apparently for naught.
>>>  It appears that I'm back to the one use per reboot again.
>>>
> 
> Did you start Skype using the hijacker? It should report detecting the
> bug and closing the session.

I've tried both ways.  Renameing the hangup.wav got rid of that problem 
so skype can now be run multiple times pre reboot.
skype_dsp_hijacker, if it works at all (only one audio device although I 
can snooker kmix into showing me 2 they are shared controls always)

>>>> See: http://forum.skype.com/viewtopic.php?t=32290
>>>>
>>>>> 2.  Reception is very intermittent, and coupled with a lot of 
>>>>> chuttering noises.  This I verified is on my end by trying the 
>>>>> echo123 facility, even the ladies recorded voice was chopped up 
>>>>> into just fractions of a word here and there.
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>> This is also a common problem. I fixed this with dmix-ing.
>>>>
>>>> See: http://forum.skype.com/viewtopic.php?t=4068
>>>> My solution: http://forum.skype.com/viewtopic.php?p=197195#197195
>>
>> Ok, these links include a couple of pages worth of stuff that looks as 
>> if it *might* belong in /etc/asound.conf.  But nowhere on these pages 
>> does it actually say what file is being edited to add this stuff.
>>
>> Is it indeed /etc/asound.conf?  Bear in mind this is an FC5 system 
>> fully uptodate with yumex.
> 
> /etc/asound.conf is the global file. There was also a file for normal
> user, I can't remember it's name. ALSA's config file.

But this stuff can be put into /etc/asound.conf as well I assume, so 
I'll give that a try.

I might add that this same stuttering and endless echo of small 
fractions of an incoming word, completely drowning out the normal 
incoming sound, also plagues ekiga/gnomemeeting.

I am using a stereo headset with a boom mic, and I'm reported to sound 
great on the other end with skype, but while I sound great in my own 
ears, I am all chopped up on the other end when running ekiga.

When running skype at home, I was able to arrive at mixer settings using 
kamix that resulted in my not hearing myself, but I transmitted just 
fine.  If I could hear myself then we had echo's, which is what I think 
is killing me now, but with this laptops ATI IXP ac97 lashup, a setting 
that stops me from hearing myself, also stops the transmission.  There 
seems to be no way to isolate it into a true 4 wire circuit where what I 
say goes out only, and the incoming pcm is to my earphones only.

If there is a specific stanza I can add to /etc/asound.conf that would 
accomplish that, please tell which one in that "ALSA Project - the C 
library reference: PCM (digital audio) plugins" from 
<http://www.alsa-project.org/alsa-doc/alsa-lib/pcm_plugins.html>
will accomplish this.  Its only about 10 pages of very very small type :-(

I think I know what I need to do, but do not understand alsa well enough 
to recognize what it is I need to setup to accomplish this 4 wire setup, 
or even if its possible to do this on this laptop.

Thanks.
> 
> Lauri

-- 
Cheers, Gene