Zoon with Alsa and Fedora

[Martin Gregorie]

I've got a problem with Zoom: I'm trying to run it on a Lenovo T440,
using the built-in camera, mics and speakers. and running the whole mess
under Fedora 32 (the XFCE workstation spin).

The problem is that comms is OK (it let me set up a free private user at
Zoom) and so is video, but sound seems nonexistent:

- The Alsa Volume control app can see the microphone(s) and displays a
flickering level bar to prove it, the Zoom setup page doesn't react
to the mic at all

- However the Zoom setup page drives my speakers, so there's evidently a
connection there.

- when I was experimenting with stuff last week, probably with Zoom
logged on to the free user I'd set up, sound seemed to be working
OK after a bit of fiddling. IOW, (I could hear myself, finger snaps,
etc via the Lenovo's mic and speaker.

So I though t everything was working.

- then, earlier tonight I was able to join a meeting and video seemed to
be working OK in both directions, but there was no sound at all. Bloody
useless in other words.

So has anybody else had this problem and, if so, how did you get round
it?

Everything was up to date: Fedora 32 had been updated on March 12 when
audio was working during the week and was updated again last Friday,
March 19 so its possible that last update broke something: the zoom
archive is the same and was downloaded on March 19.

I can't find a Zoom version number unless its '6x' (only visible on the
tip of the manpage).


--
Martin | martin at
Gregorie | gregorie dot org

[William Unruh]

When you have joined a group, click on the green shield in the top left
corner and read off the version number.

Alternatively
cat /opt/zoom/version.txt

Sond can be temperamental. Check that sound is not muted.
Open the sound icon (the speaker withsound radiating icon on the
application bar) and then open the audio mixer Open Recording. There
should be a zoom entry. Make sure that it is open.
Then open the output and make sure it is not muted, and that the sound
level is high enough.

Hearing yourself is not a good test, since zoom seems to mute sounds to
your speakers from your microphone to reduce the chance of feedback.

[Martin Gregorie]

On Tue, 23 Mar 2021 02:30:16 +0000, William Unruh wrote:

> When you have joined a group, click on the green shield in the top left
> corner and read off the version number.
>
> Alternatively cat /opt/zoom/version.txt
>

Done that, thanks: found there's a later version, 5.6.13558.0321, so I've
downloaded that and upgraded Zoom (sudo rpm -U zoom_x86_64.rpm).

The end result is the same:

- the speakers are working (Both the Pulse Audio control panel and the
Zoom Settings panel show dancing signal bars and the Zoom output level
control adjusts the Alsa level setting.

- the mics are working according to the Pulse Audio control panel, and,
with Zoom's Automatic mic level turned off, the Zoom input level control
also controls the Pulse Audio microphone level, but, while the Pulse
Audio control panel shows the mic to be picking up ambient sound as
well as my coughs, whistles and finger clicks, the signal is not
showing up on the Zoom settings display and is not being sent to my
speakers.

I had a quick scan over the logs but, although I saw audio activatins and
deactivations, saw no errors or warnings.

> Sond can be temperamental. Check that sound is not muted.
> Open the sound icon (the speaker withsound radiating icon on the
> application bar) and then open the audio mixer Open Recording. There
> should be a zoom entry. Make sure that it is open.
>

Nothing is muted on the Zoom Settings panel.

Is there some other panel you're expecting me to see? I'm using the XFCE
desktop and the only panels I'm aware of that control audio settings are
the Pulse Audio control panel and the Zoom Settings panel.

> Then open the output and make sure it is not muted, and that the sound
> level is high enough.
>

All muting is turned off sound levels are at 100%, but still no action on
the Settings microphone level bar and no sound coming through.

> Hearing yourself is not a good test, since zoom seems to mute sounds to
> your speakers from your microphone to reduce the chance of feedback.
>

Agreed, but its what Zoom says to do, and in this case what I'm hearing
agrees with the two displays: no mic imput is reaching Zoom.

I'm really mystified - the more so because it was all working at one
point last week, before I did my usual weekly Fedora dnf update.

[William Unruh]

On the app bar (on my XFCE it is on the top of the screen) on the left
side, there is a little icon of a loudspeaker with coincentric part
circles increasing to represent sound coming from a speaker. Click on
that and then click on the tiny text at the bottom saying "Audio Mixer"
go toPlayback and see if Zoom is there and has non-zero volume. Also go
to Output devices.
>
>

[Martin Gregorie]

> go to Playback and see if Zoom is there and has non-zero volume. Also go
> to Output devices.
>
No,I don't appear to have that - . All I have (outside Zooms own
controls) is the Pulse Audio Volume control which is in the MultiMedia
2nd level menu. If you can tell me its name I can discover which package
its in and install it.

[William Unruh]

Looking at what it runs it appears to be that same one (pavucontrol)
At this point I have run out of suggestions.

>
>

[William Unruh]

Another question, are you sure that you are using the correxct
microphone. On my system, I have both the system sound, and webcam. The
system has no microphone plugged into the soundcard. The usb webcam has
one and is what I use and select.
>
>>
>>

[Martin Gregorie]

Yes. There's a built-in stereo mic pair which Pulse audio is using
without any issues - at least, judging by the way the level bar in its
control panel dances when I make noises. The problem, at least as I see
it, is that Zoom doesn't get a sound feed from Pulse Audio though it
knows it exists because adjusting the Zoom input level changes the Pulse
level setting.

It is worth raising this issue with Zoom? I ask this, because on initial
contact they seem remarkably unhelpful and unfriendly, at least to those,
like me, who sign up for a free login. Quite a contrast with Red Hat.

[Martin Gregorie]

On Tue, 23 Mar 2021 23:05:21 +0000, William Unruh wrote:

> Looking at what it runs it appears to be that same one (pavucontrol)
> At this point I have run out of suggestions.
>
>

OK. Thanks for your suggestions.