Puppy Linux Discussion Forum

Hi,
So I am using slacko 6.3.2 on a dell netbook that has a 2ghz processor and 2gb of ram and I get a consistent crackling sound on the speakers whenever another sound is not playing. For example, I can hear the crackling sound, then I can play a YouTube video and the sound behaves normally. Once the video stops the crackling sound returns. The sound almost sounds like the sound you get when a microphone is exposed to the wind. Please let me know if there is any other info I can provide or if this question belongs in another part of the forum.
Thank you.

Could be the power supply. Is there any difference when using the netbook by battery only?

This could also be the speakers themselves, does this happen when ear/headphones are plugged in?
Also there could be a short/bad connection in the microphone jack. Try disabling the microphone, too.

Regards
8Geee

Is the microphone settings turned off or down in the retrovol mixer settings?
Access from right click menu, when you right click on the speaker icon in the tray.

The crackling sound persists regardless of whether I am running of battery or running plugged into the wall.

The microphone is turned down to zero in retrovol

The headphones do not work presently, I am unsure of the reason for that but I suspect it is software related as they do work through the windows installation on the machine.

menu->Setup->ALSA Sound Wizard->Sound Card Wizard->
Is there more than one card listed?
If yes.
Is there one that has analog in the name and is it the one you have selected as the default card?

The analog card is usually the sound card choice that works best.

Posting what cards are listed may help us.

Hi

The output in the alsa sound wizard > multiple cards section shows two options.

Option 1 is
"Card 0: PCH [HDA Intel PCH], device 0: ALC3234 Analog [ALC3234 Analog]" This is selected as the default.

Option 2 is
"Card 0: PCH [HDA Intel PCH], device 3: HDMI 0 [HDMI 0]"

Changing between these two does not seem to have any effect on the crackling sound from the speakers.

@New:

Open a terminal and run: alsamixer

Check for any additional mic controls, like "Rear Mic" or "Front Mic". Use the cursor keys to see them. Also look for any unused "Line out" controls.

Mute them all by pressing the M key.

I once had the same problem and fixed it by muting these controls.

So I have opened alsamixer in the terminal and muted everything that can be muted and reduced the volume of everything else to zero. The only end to the crackling sound when I do this is when I mute the speaker. So no luck there.

Too bad.

Is the problem specific to slacko 6.3.2? Have you tried any other Puppies?

Do you have multiple sound cards on your computer? If so, perhaps try using another and see if that helps.

Another thing that would be helpful is to know what, if any, packages (pet or otherwise) you've installed. Does this happen on a fresh boot with no save file/folder?

Just a hunch, but it sounds like something is causing your system to default to pulseaudio instead of alsa. If you have a file in /etc/pulse called daemon.conf, try editing it so there's a line with

default-sample-rate = 48000

As far as I know the problem is 6.3.2 specific, I have not been able to boot into a graphical desktop in the one other puppy distro (bionic) that I have tried. Trying to make that work for me may be a path I pursue in the future if I need to.

It does happen on a fresh boot before I have installed any additional software. I don't actually have /etc/pulse at all.

As far as packages I have installed go, Not many is the answer. I have installed chrome, opera and that is about it. The rest is all the default stuff that comes with the distribution.

Open the terminal and enter the following two commands. Provide their output if you would.

cat /proc/asound/cards

lspci | grep -i audio

alsa sound wizard > multiple cards section shows two options.

Option 1 is
"Card 0: PCH [HDA Intel PCH], device 0: ALC3234 Analog [ALC3234 Analog]" This is selected as the default.

This is the card to use and have it selected as default.

right click on the speaker icon on the tray.
Select full window or mixer. (not sure what Slacko used)
If there is a headphone selection, make sure that is not selected.
Only have speaker selected on.

right click on the speaker icon on the tray.
Select settings.
That should bring up the Retrovol Configuration.
Main tab.
Change the Volume Scaling to logarithmic

May need to save changes and reboot so new changes are being used.

There are posts all over about speakers crackling on Dell laptops.
Most fixes are driver related for Windows OS.
Dell offers no Linux drivers.

Maybe Slacko 6.3.2 is not the best Puppy version for this computer.
It is using older Linux software, drivers, and Linux kernel.
Maybe a newer version of Puppy will help.
Fossapup64 9.5, the newest official Puppy, will boot on a lot of old computers.
You say you tried Bionicpup and have boot problems.
But which exact version and what exact boot problems.

It would help if you could provide answers to these questions.
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=218

Hi
I have adjusted volume levels in retrovol and changed the scaling to logarithmic. Saved and rebooted. No change. I tried the same steps but selected the third option (exponential). No change.
As for booting issues I had with bionic, I wish to avoid going into them in this thread. In a few months when I am finished what I am working I might make a new thread for that.

I am going to call it a day on this particular issue as the more I look into it the more it looks like a Dell specific problem. I am going to forge ahead for the next few months with simply un-muting the speakers when I want to use them and muting them when I don't.

I would like to thank all of you for your time and effort, it is appreciated.

" then I can play a YouTube video and the sound behaves normally" he told - so it cannot be any of all those guessings

does ssr have a frontend?

My computer makes a low-level crackling sound when my iPhone is plugged into a USB port and charging. That's all, just charging.
- EasyOS 4.3 run from a USB flash drive.

Some of these cheap chargers are bad RF generators. I personally like the plug-in with USB port to either Type C or mini (check your phone port). The major phone-makers usually have good ones. I'm in the process (waiting for delivery) of buying a cheap dual-port model that according to specs should be OK. I don't like using computers for charging for the reason FLash has encountered. This would be a wire problem (NO cylinders on either end of wire) due to no signal suppression.

8Geee