Possible Solution: PulseAudio(Ubuntu 8.04) with SLVoice

I finally managed to get mine working as well. I just have an onboard sound card and no USB headset, so it made it a bit tougher, and these instructions are intended for people in a similar situation. (i.e. No other audio devices, and no hardware mixing)

First, install the libasound2-plugins library from the repository.

Next, enter the following:
sudo gedit /etc/asound.conf

This opens the asound config file as root, otherwise you can't save your changes. It'll most likely be blank. I know mine was, since I hadn't needed it before. Now paste the following into it:

pcm.pulse {
type pulse
}
ctl.pulse {
type pulse
}
pcm.!default {
type pulse
}
ctl.!default {
type pulse
}

This sets up a device for PulseAudio and sets it to the default device for ALSA stuff. Now save and exit the text editor, and do the following:
sudo /etc/init.d/alsa-utils stop
followed by
sudo /etc/init.d/alsa-utils start

This restarts ALSA so the changes take effect. Now, enter the following:
sudo gedit /etc/openalrc

and paste in:
(define devices '(alsa))
(define alsa-in-device "plughw:0,0"
(define alsa-out-device "pulse"

Save and exit.

Now, to test and make sure it all works, enter this:
arecord -f S16_LE | aplay

If it works, you should hear an echo from your mike on your speakers, and see no error messages. You can end this with ctrl-c once you're sure it works.

That should be it, but I may have missed a library or two since I was futzing around with other stuff as well. If someone else with this problem could give it a try and confirm, that would be great.

I tried this out and the voice connects now, and my voice is detected, but still I cannot hear others speaking. Can you hear others on voice?, if so are you using 32bit or 64bit, I'm not sure if that would make any difference.

I'm probably missing a file as you pointed out.

Good to hear from someone in the same boat posting.

I'm on 64-bit ,though I don't know that it'd make a difference. Maybe try running the arecord/aplay line in a terminal while SL is open? If that works, then the mixing part is right and something else has to be the problem. Also you might try installing the aoss library if you haven't yet.

Ok, I finally have voice working with Ubuntu 8.04, it's not working perfect though and can be temperamental, I can hear people and they can hear me.

I used suggestions from a few guides including the 'openalrc' configuration posted by Llewelyn Mistral above.

This is what I did,

1) I followed this guide to configure pulseaudio, it must be read properly and followed, although in 'system > Preferences > Sound', I changed only the top 3 boxes to 'Pulseaudio Sound Server', and left the 4th as ALSA,

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=776739

2) I tried various viewers but found the official 1.19.1.4, to work with the least problems, so install that.

3) From the first post:

sudo gedit /etc/openalrc

and paste in:
(define devices '(alsa))
(define alsa-in-device "plughw:0,0"
(define alsa-out-device "pulse"


Now I said the sound can be 'temperamental', well when I first logged in I could hear voices all around me, but as soon as I teleported out, or walked out the sim, voice had to disconnect, then reconnected to the voice server, problem is, when it reconnected with me, I could not hear anyone else again, this might not be the case with everyone.

The workaround (may not be needed see post below), go to preferences, and UN check 'Enable Voice Chat', click apply then OK, leave it like this for 60-90 seconds, then go back and check 'Enable Voice Chat', hopefully when it reconnects, you will have full voice functioning back.

I really hope someone finds this useful, until we get voice working again, properly.

UPDATE:

I have voice working 100% as it should be, I followed my guide as above, but used a version of 'libopenal.so.1', released by the pulseaudio project, I copied it over the one already in the 'lib' folder. If things don't work still try playing with the settings, I tried this, in preferences of the viewer > Voice Chat, Click 'Voice settings', and choose 'OSS' as Input (Microphone). This works 100% for me and hope it does for everyone else .

Here's the link to the new file,

http://dune2.dyndns.org/projects/pulseaudio/openal-soft/libopenal.so.1

You will need to right click the file, properties > Permissions > (and check) Allow executing file as a program.

I'm running: Ubuntu 8.04 64 bit.
Client: SecondLife_i686_1_19_1_4 and _i686_1_20_5_86279_RELEASECANDIDATE
(Tested on both)

My system:
CPU: Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo CPU T7500 @ 2.20GHz
Memory: 2014 MB
OS Version: Linux 2.6.24-17-generic #1 SMP Thu May 1 13:57:17 UTC 2008 x86_64
Graphics Card Vendor: NVIDIA Corporation
Graphics Card: GeForce 8600M GT/PCI/SSE2
OpenGL Version: 2.1.2 NVIDIA 169.12

PS: I followed all the above instructions and when i replaced the file suggested by "Peace Howlett" I at least saw for the very 1st time the "Green LEDs" when I use OSS as Sound Capture under SL voice settings, but when i log on, no go

Dreamscatcher, you could try setting the 4th option in sound settings as 'Pulseaudio'(in ubuntu) , and/or trying the different settings for microphone, or leaving it as default, all systems are configured differently, and sometimes it takes a bit of experimentation.

Sorry it didn't work straight away , but as I said I just wrote down what worked for me.

Hopefully things will settle soon, with all this audio, I hope.

Thank mate, and yes I'll give it a run later. I've tried many different settings since last night but I'll report it here if i get this to work in my system and also how I did that so it may help others too. I will stick my attempts on the RC version as them both seemed stinky to me anyways.

Again,

Cheers mate!

thx a lot Peace Howlett now i have the voice workin native.

thats what i do :

First, install the libasound2-plugins library from the repository.

Next, enter the following:
sudo gedit /etc/asound.conf

This opens the asound config file as root, otherwise you can't save your changes. It'll most likely be blank. I know mine was, since I hadn't needed it before. Now paste the following into it:

pcm.pulse {
type pulse
}
ctl.pulse {
type pulse
}
pcm.!default {
type pulse
}
ctl.!default {
type pulse
}

then dowload thathttp://dune2.dyndns.org/projects/pulseaudio/openal-soft/libopenal.so.1 put it executable, and replace the original.

choose OSS Input and it works !

Just a short note: alsa-libs cannot understand the lisp notation of
.openalrc /.alsoftrc unless the alisp-USE-Flag is set. (Gentoo)
There is a "normal" dialect of the config file that works always:

[general]
drivers = alsa

[alsa]
device = default
capture = plughw:0,0
playback = pulse
# or so

For further debugging one can mkdir -p ~/Library/Logs/Vivox/
then SLVoice writes it's debugging output into that folder
(siplog.txt and SLVoice*.log).


Cheers,
Torrid

The server holding the modified libopenal seems to be down. Can someone upload a copy to a filesharing service (ex: Rapidshare, Megaupload)?

Wow.. after a restart of Ubuntu it works for me!!! Amazing, thanks a lot!

WOOT after restart of Ubuntu works great, not stable (i still have to deactivate and reactivate voice), but it works.

Thanks

I tried this, and I couldn't get it to work. any other advice?

have tried so many things including all of this.... SLvoice just doesn't want to run on my machine...

i tried that thing and i have this everytime SL or me wants to access pulseaudio :

*** PULSEAUDIO: Unable to connect: Connection refused

help please, thank you

Hi,

I admit it is not a fix, but a workaround... I deinstalled Pulseaudio and installed ESD. Since I use Skype occassionately, I need a working sound system, and SL works well with ESD.

Witty, possibly unneccessary post, I know. But maybe it helps someone.

Greetings, Xe

xubuntu 32 bit recieves calls, but I can't reply, any ideas why?

Hi team

Still trying to get Pulse to work under Mandriva Linux (Red Hat derived) ... so what exactly is the libasound2-plugins library so i can find its equivalent in this system?

Cheers

Mark