live kubuntu

[kdeputer]

I just had a question about kmix and the settings. I am just using the live DVD, though.

I'm posting using the live medium right now, actually. I'm curious because it seems like a bug but maybe someone can give me the scoop.

I thought it might be applicable to anyone trying the live media?

Anyway, when I look at the settings, the Kmix shows 'Playback Streams' but 'Event Sounds' is not adjustable. In other words, I cannot alter the setting at all. I can not move the slider or mute or anything.

I thought it might be something you would want to change. I might want to turn off notification sounds, for e.g.?

Can anyone shed any light on this? Would this work if I installed it to the HDD? Is it just a live medium problem or?

Thanks for any info.

I usually use Debian w/ KDE and I haven't seen this before. I'd like to triple boot on a new 1TB I have. I would install Kubuntu 12.10 but want to know what the story is with the kmix settings. I googled but I couldn't find any recent info.

[Dutchman]

Because the live medium is read-only, you can't save changes to it, and configuring Kmix would be a change, that's why it's not adjustable. Installed it works fine.

[kdeputer]

Because the live medium is read-only, you can't save changes to it, and configuring Kmix would be a change, that's why it's not adjustable. Installed it works fine.

Hmmmm... that makes no sense to me. I was able to install Firefox (it was in the menu but inquired to be installed) and VLC. I had a VLC setting in the playback stream section that I could adjust (i.e. the slider moved).

[Dutchman]

What happens if you try to save a web-page with Firefox?

[SteveRiley]

Live CDs and DVDs, I believe, create /home and /var directories in a tmpfs RAM disk. They should behave just like a normal installation except that nothing is saved between reboots.

I haven't seen this particular issue with KMix, though, so I can't predict what the cause might be.

[Dutchman]

Oh drat, now you got me curious! Looks like I'll have to boot a DVD and see what is going on.

[SteveRiley]

Do let us know what you find out... it might even be a bit more sophisticated, and involve a UnionFS. I can't check now as I'm traveling this week.

[Dutchman]

kdeputer is right Steve, I couldn't adjust the "Event Sounds" slider while in the Live boot either, the "knob" or slider button would bounce when I tried to move it, but it would always just go back to the top, and mute refused to turn on at all. I notice here in my installed one the slider's a bit bouncy too, though it does change, but not smoothly or to where I try and set it. Mute does work though. It's an obvious bug, but I have no idea what would cause it, or why there's a difference between the install and Live.

And you're right about the virtual filesystem. On my machine with 4-Gigs of ram, the Live version creates a 2-Gig virtual system. I couldn't tell you if this is a standard size or if it uses a percentage of the system's total memory. I'm afraid I jumped out to get the latest .iso and boot it before your last post, so I can't tell you more, I was just trying to see if what kdeputer said was unique to his machine or was there also in mine, and a possible bug.

kdeputer, if you're still reading this thread, you have my apologies. I should have checked it out before I wrote a comment. It's been a while since I've used a Live CD/DVD, lately I've just been doing a dist-upgrade instead of re-installing, so having no recent experience with it, I shouldn't have voiced an opinion without actually knowing. I am sorry for that. I do believe you've found a bug there.

As an aside, I also didn't realize how big the .iso has gotten now, took quite a while to download and burn!

[NickStone]

I have just booted up a liveDVD (kubuntu 12.04) and loaded a OGG video in Dragon player then adjusted sound levels. Everything worked.

Just wondering if the problem that some have experienced is to do with the driver for their particular sound card not loading from the liveDVD? Or is it a problem with 12.10?

[Dutchman]

If you would, try adjusting the "Playback Streams" for Event Sounds from the mixer on the live CD/DVD, that's where the problem seems to lay. Playback for media seems to work fine, but trying to adjust system sound levels or mute them doesn't seem to work, at least in the 12.10 Live version.

[NickStone]

Hi Dutchman, done what you suggested. Booted up 12.04 from liveDVD, within kmix selected Playback Streams and was able to adjust the volume control up and down. Was also able to select the mute option.

Could be a bug within 12.10 or could be a driver not being loaded within the live environment. My laptop that I ran it on uses Intel hardware for everyting including sound. It has "bog-standard" hardware and maybe the reason why it works from a liveDVD. Now if I can get a copy of 12.10 on DVD I'll try that on this laptop.

[Dutchman]

It could be hardware. My box is what I call a "garage sale special", it's actually something I pieced together. Started life as a Dell server, now it's sort-of a Frankenbox. Works great, though at times I do have to tweak a thing or two. So in my case I can see it being a possible hardware-detection problem, but I don't know what kdeputer is running, who started the thread. It would be kinda hard to generate an accurate or useful bug file from the Live DVD version too I'd think, it doesn't come the the dev files needed to create one, though I imagine one could install them in the ramfs for a one-off.

Anyway, thanks for your help NickStone, it's appreciated.
Cheers,
Rob

[kdeputer]

It's good that when you install the OS, it then works. But, you said, it is a 'little bit jumpy?' I was just wondering how it worked when installed. This is for 12.10. Imho, 12.04 wouldn't be relevant here. ?? At least, if it was a real problem, hopefully, it would have been reported already.

I don't know enough about live media to know why it would be present but not so when installed. Although, I am wondering what is meant when it's a bit jumpy. I mean, is there a definite difference compared to other settings (with the slider)?

I don't see how it would be a hardware issue. The other settings seemed fine. I know I am (was?) being a bit over-analytical for a live medium and one setting but I think it should be easy to come across. Well, I mess around with sound settings (and video) when investigating the latest (release). :-) Sorry! :-) I usually install Debian and *ubuntu and often, a KDE spin thereof. Although, I recently tried xfce but not too thrilled after using it for a while. It's probably good for a machine with less resources but the varieties I've tried have had some strange peculiarities but it could just be me, I guess.

I don't think it's a hardware issue for those reasons: 1) the other settings seem fine and 2) I think there will be enough varieties in hardware but it sounds like the issue is prevalent still.

My sound card is an Audigy 2ZS although I was trying the settings via my Logitech USB headset and via ALSA and default settings. I think pulseaudio is usually part of the equation but I didn't install any extra sound packages. I only installed Firefox and VLC.

P.S. I also tried a Live edition of Mint 13 KDE and there was no issue with Playback Stream -> Sound Notifications. The slider worked fine and I can't recall noticing any jumpy behavior.

[Dutchman]

I can't see it being hardware either. After posting the last comment I've tried adjusting everything that has to do with sound of any kind, and the only one that gives any trouble at all is the Playback Stream one. The sound itself changes level or mutes fine, it just seems to be a GUI thing with that one control.

What I meant by "jumpy" is; say I try to slide it down to a third of the way from the top. It will move in staggered steps, not slide smoothly like the others do, and I may not be able to set it at exactly one-third. Imagine drawing a line exactly where you want to set it. When you reach that point with the mouse, the knob itself will be just slightly above or below the line you drew, and if you try to move it to the line it just keeps jumping to either side, like it has snap points or something like that it goes to, you just can't get it to settle on the line.

I'm not seeing any error or log entries right after moving it, but I'm pretty sure now it's something with how it's working with or being rendered by the UI. Like I said, it works and isn't hurting anything other than you can't get real precise control of it. It doesn't crash so I can't generate a bug report. Even when it's frozen in the Live version there's no errors being logged. I honestly have no idea what's causing it, or whether it's specific to 12.10 KDE or all the 'buntu's based on 12.10. I don't even know if DE's like Unity or XFCE have a similar control.

[SteveRiley]

Well, you could file a bug via

ubuntu-bug kmix

But I'll be honest: I doubt the bug would get much traction. Unless the bug can be reproduced after an install, oddies that exist only when running a Live CD/DVD don't get much priority. Please don't interpret this as a resignation that we don't care. However, do realize that Kubuntu is an all-volunteer effort, assembled and maintained mostly by folks devoting their free time. Live environments aren't considered production environments; therefore, bugs in Live that don't appear post-install simply won't be prioritized over others.