"event sounds" volume keeps returning to barely on

[loonix]

Each time I adjust "event sounds" volume by clicking the volume icon in the tray, it pops back down to an an unusually low level whenever I adjust any other control, or let it return back to the tray. So whenever I click to pop it out, it has returned to the same low level. I can never hear notifications because of this.

How does one go about setting the "event sounds" volume, in such a way that the setting is retained and not overridden by some mysterious force lurking in the inestimable reaches of the code?

Thanxa bunch,

Loonix

[Teunis]

Maybe there's a problem with the configuration file that saves the KMix settings.

AFAIK it is ~./kde/share/config/kmixrc
See what happens if you rename it, a new file will be created after you log out and in (or close KMix and reopen it again)

If this doesn't fix the problem it's easy to delete the new one and name the old as used to be.

[loonix]

Great idea- will do! I will report back.

[loonix]

Well, it didn't help. There were two kmix files, and I renamed both of them. Neither was re-created at rebooting. The mixer's still there, with the same four sliders slightly reordered. And the "event sounds" keeps popping back down to nearly zero. ARRRRRGH!

[Teunis]

Duh!

I tried on my laptop and a new kmixrc was immediately created...
kmixrc is the one that saves the last used settings, have a look in it and you might be able to edit the volume that way.

[loonix]

I examined it, when I was rooting around in my PC a couple days before posting here. I can't distinguish which of the many items might pertain to "event sounds". They don't seem to correlate with what I see on the mixer panel. Oddly, there's nothing in that file that resembles a volume setting. However, in kmixctrlc, there are. I have played with that, and it doesn't seem to affect anything in the gui. I wonder if the same process that is causing my files not to be recreated when renamed before rebooting, is overriding the controls.

I don't know how to find that out in Linux. If this were windows, I would deploy file monitoring and registry monitoring tools and look through their logs to find out what processes are doing what. In Linux- I have to come here.

[loonix]

I uninstalled KMIX, then rebooted. Then I went into system notifications, and played around. At lest for now, I can hear the notifications. I can hear attached MP3 voice-mails and adjust their volume in Rythmbox. So for now, anyway, it looks like uninstalling KMIX has solved my problem.

[Teunis]

Thanks for the update.

[loonix]

Well, I spoke to soon. I don't know what changed, but the problem is back. I am going to logout then see if it has to do with starting a particular program. As for manually starting each process, I am not sure how to go about it.

[loonix]

I restarted the machine, and the mis-behavior was there immediately. Oddly, very oddly, I logged in as root. KMIX looks completely different, and doesn't even have "Event sounds" and a few other sliders (on any tab), but has a ton of different ones, that seem to represent the hardware. I looked at KMIX Settings and haven't discovered anything there to alter the looks, or the behavior.

[Teunis]

This shows on my laptop, it's the Dutch version with the tab for Events sounds:

[Rog132]

About KMix

News (and tips) about KMIX: http://kmix5.wordpress.com/
--> SoundMenu additons. New KMix Configuration Dialog: http://kmix5.wordpress.com/2013/12/23/352/
--> What you set is what you get – Sound Menu Setup: http://kmix5.wordpress.com/2012/10/1...nd-menu-setup/
--> Welcome KMix v4: http://kmix5.wordpress.com/2011/12/3...lcome-kmix-v4/
--> etc...



The default, at here, is the Pulseaudio with MPRIS2:



The old school, what I want, is the Alsa/Hardware with MPRIS2:




Something to try

It is a GTK app but still - the PulseAudio Volume Control (pavucontrol):

:~$ apt-cache show pavucontrol
Package: pavucontrol
Priority: optional
Section: universe/sound
...
Description: PulseAudio Volume Control
PulseAudio Volume Control (pavucontrol) is a simple GTK+ based volume
control tool (mixer) for the PulseAudio sound server. In contrast to
classic mixer tools this one allows you to control both the volume of
hardware devices and of each playback stream separately. It also allows
you to redirect a playback stream to another output device without
interrupting playback.

Homepage: http://0pointer.de/lennart/projects/pavucontrol/

You could install the pavucontrol and turn the System Sounds to the full.

[RickKnight]

I had this problem too, except in my case the Event Sounds were at full volume. I would adjust them down, but then at the next event the volume would be at full again. I finally found the solution, for me at least. In System Settings under Application and System Notifications, Manage Notifications on the Player Settings tab adjust the slider under Use KDE sound system. This seems more like a work around than a fix because the Event Sounds slider in Mixer still does not adjust the level, however the level set above will stick.

Rick