Skype setup?

[Qqmike]

In 12.04, can't get Skype working.

I've done this:

Got a UVC Logitech Webcam c525 (w/built-in mono mic), listed here:
http://www.ideasonboard.org/uvc/

Installed Cheese,guvcview, Skype, and pavucontrol (Pulse Audio Volume Controller).
I got everything--including Skype--using Muon.
Webcam seemed to test OK using Cheese (a photo and a movie), though I'm not sure about audio testing.

I'm following this:
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Skype
Then the intro to this:
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/SkypeTroubleshooting

Logging into Skype and making the Test Call to Skype has repeatedly failed.
I can here her voice asking me to place the test call, but that's the end of it -- I make the test call, end the call, but then no playback of my test call.
Have a feeling this is audio related. Not a multimedia guy. Appears Pulseaudio is running my show?

Any pointers, clues, links to get Skype working?

[Qqmike]

Using Cheese, I can make a video but it has no sound on it when played (the video is fine).
Is there another way to test sound recording in Kubuntu (there's Sound Recorder in Ubuntu/Gnome).
Again, this is 12.04. This must either be something very obvious or something extremely subtle I'm missing.
The main control screen should be PulseAudio Volume Control? (If so, I'm not sure what I need to try there under Input tab.)

(Intel DG33FBC, 4 GB RAM, 3 GHz Intel processor)

[dmeyer]

Umm, click the little speaker in the tray. Click Mixer. Go to capture devices and check that it isn't muted. Else run "alsamixer" from the terminal and mess around in there. My skype does this too and it resets occasionally. Lastly you can check phonon, make sure the device is selected and preferred for capture under audio recording and that audio hardware backend is set-up correctly. I \'m fairly sure its muted in one of the places or else its defaulting to the wrong hardware profile.

[Qqmike]

Thanks for the ideas. Adjusted Volume Control settings (and checked the other things you mentioned the best I could--fact is, who really knows what all those settings mean?). Basically, I turned up the "Input device" volume. Well, I did get Cheese to record both video and voice but not consistently. When it fails to do so, here's what happens: I record 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, for example. Cheese may play back only the first number and be silent on the last four numbers (but video is OK). Then, again, sometimes, Cheese will play back all 5 numbers. Skype test continues to fail.

Heck of it is, I really have no clue how to even go about troubleshooting this or fixing it. The PC was built 2009 and I would think be up-to-date enough (considering all the PCs around the world that don't come close). It exceeds the HW requirements in the Logitech specs. All Intel, too, and no weird stuff on it. While doing all this testing, my 12.04 would freeze up now and then, Cheese would crash, LibreOffice would fail to open, Trash wouldn't empty, had to restart. Kind of expected Skype not to be such an issue in 12.04.

Anyone got any ideas where to even begin?

[Qqmike]

btw, in Phonon, the Backend is Gstreamer.
(The Audio Hardware Setup tab settings are Default and make little or no sense to a non-sound expert.)
Again, I'm using PulseAudio Volume Control.
Intel DG33FBC, 4 GB RAM, 3 GHz Intel processor.

[Qqmike]

Again, I'm seeing this (same as above):

> Well, I did get Cheese to record both video and voice but not consistently. When it fails to do so, here's what happens: I record 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, for example. Cheese may play back only the first number and be silent on the last four numbers (but video is OK).<

It is consistently failing to record and/or playback the last 4 numbers--it plays back only the first number.

So, is that the Webcam? Is it Cheese being cheesy? Is it the sound system settings somewhere?

[Qqmike]

Another thing:

Strangely, if I open the PulseAudio Volume Control panel WHILE I am recording audio (and video) in Cheese, the audio recording is OK (it plays back all but the last word or two). In the P-A Vol Control, I can see the meters sensing the audio input (under tabs Input and Recording).

[marco07]

Another thing:

Strangely, if I open the PulseAudio Volume Control panel WHILE I am recording audio (and video) in Cheese, the audio recording is OK (it plays back all but the last word or two). In the P-A Vol Control, I can see the meters sensing the audio input (under tabs Input and Recording).

I am not sure this may help, but you can try!
I had similar issue when I first installed skype 4 on my pc (kubuntu 12.04). What I ended up doing to reslove this was to uninstall the pulse audio in muon. I did not uninstall all what shows up in muon but as I recall only pulse audio-utils, I believe. It is documented some where else in this Forum. Worth a while to read thru by a search.
Hope this would help!

[Qqmike]

Not solved yet.

Thanks, marco07 and dmeyer.

Here's the status:
I want to eliminate the low-probability possibility that the (built-in) mic is bad and so have returned it for exchange, but the local Best Buy will not have it in-store until tomorrow. So, all your suggestions are noted, and I'll get back on this in 24-36 hours. I do know that many here have had an easy go with Skype, notably GG (and I have some of his notes), but strangely, many of the threads I bookmarked in the past are coming back 404 Not Found! Is there a boogy man in my PC system somewhere? :-)
I'll be back soon for more.
Any other tips/guidance appreciated.

[dmeyer]

Wow, I just noticed that trash bug too, Libre Office also giving me errors. Thanks for the heads up. I can't replicate the freezes though but I never expected to. I have had a few plasma crashes and I honestly haven't found 12.04 the most stable or impressive of distros. I still love it though. I've been periodically checking out 12.10 and it looks to be a far better release in every sense.

You could look over the Arch Wiki for help with Skype. Arch Wiki = greatest documentation of all time. Sounds like a hardware issue to me, maybe a loose connection?

[claydoh]

Have you tried going into system settings and playing with
phonon's device priorities, moving the desired mic to the top? Also to get playback of the voice test, don't end the call, let it run on its own, it will stop and play back automatically after about 20 seconds.

And if cheese is not working well, try kamoso, a KDE application that is similar to it.

[Qqmike]

dmeyer, thanks--your comments noted.

Thanks, Claydoh, for your tips. I'll be back in the saddle soon as I picked up the new (replacement) Webcam tonight (but have work and a doctor's appoint. in the morning). Good ideas.

[Qqmike]

Got the new Logitech Webcam c525 (w/built-in mic).
Installed kamoso.
Neither Cheese nor kamoso plays back any sound (from videos I record).
Skype test fails (I did let my message run on until Skype interrupted it).
There is nothing in System Settings I can find that has anything to do with the Webcam.
Under Hardware-Input devices is included just 4 items (mouse, keybd, joystick, touchpad).
I THOUGHT I made the right adjustments in Phonom, moving the Webcam to the top of the lists under Sound. I also did it under video recording.
I have NOT removed PulseAudio -- I am under the impression that as of a certain kernel, PulseAudio should work with Skype. Also, again, my Webcam is fairly basic and is UVC-Linux listed.

Whew. LibreOffice is acting up. Trash is acting up (can't readily see where to change the max size for Trash? although I don't see how I could have exceeded any maximum). Not a good 12.04 experience so far. My system is about as standard and generic as it gets.

Not sure what to do to get the Webcam to record and playback sound so I can get Skype working for the spousal unit.

[Qqmike]

Another data point:

I just tried Cheese again, recorded video counting out loud to 7. In playback, sound did work but only played sound back up to "1" (no sound playback for my recording of 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7).

And, when I first open PulseAudio Volume Control screen, for a couple seconds, the sound meters DO show that sound is recorded and then the sound recording goes dead (after about 2 seconds).

What would be interfering with continuous sound recording? It's as if something (software/settings) is jumping in and taking over after a few seconds; or something is bowing out!
Btw, I can't see how this matters, but my system does play sound OK (music, You Tube, movies).

[Qqmike]

Latest result:

The microphone seems to record and playback OK but ONLY WHEN I do it this way:
First open the PulseAudio Volume Control Panel (that shows the meters detecting sound input while recording).
Then open Cheese and make a video with sound.

I also passed the Skype test call by doing that. That is, I pass Skype test if I
first open PulseAudio Volume Control Panel;
then sign on to Skype and run the test call to Skype.

Surely we have some sound experts here who can figure this glitch out! ;-)

Of course, I will obsessively continue to work on this as I get free time to do so.

Thanks for your input so far.

(Btw, While Cheese has successfully recorded sound when PulseAudio Volume Control is open, kamoso was not able to do so. But that's irrelevant to my main issue here--just an fyi)