Dist-upgrades from Dapper to Edgy break on existing ~/.asoundrc.asoundconf due to missing conf parameters (e.g., Unable to find definition 'defaults.pcm.ipc_key')

For Edgy, please add in the release notes that users dist-upgrading from Dapper with an existing ~/.asoundrc.asoundconf will need to manually invoke asoundconf(1) set-default-card [with the correct string appended].

what's the correct string then?

is it the number of the card? is it the output of "asoundconf list"?

both don't work in my case...

I had exactly this problem, and fixed it with the

asoundconf set-default-card <1 line of output of asoundconf list>

I've also experienced this, and I think it's far from being low priority. Especially if you're not an experienced ALSA user and can't figure out what's wrong with the ~/.asoundrc.asoundconf file (some users might have problems tracing their problems to that).

Also, it can be deceiving, since in this case OSS output works, but not ALSA.

I fixed it by commenting out the include statement from ~/.asoundrc, is that harmful?

To anyone else having this problem, the solution described by Jeffrey, above, worked for me. I was having trouble starting esd back up. Not having esd running meant I could only play sounds from one source at a time (I had to close Rhythmbox if I wanted to hear anything else!).

Here's what I did:
  chris@chris-desktop:~$ asoundconf list
  Names of available sound cards:
  M5455
  M44
  chris@chris-desktop:~$ asoundconf set-default-card M5455
  chris@chris-desktop:~$ esd &

I'd second Stefan in saying that it seems this problem should be given more attention. I'd imagine there are several users [who've upgraded from Dapper to Edgy] that are left with a half-working sound configuration.

I've also tried setting the default soundcard, and that worked, too. I guess the quick fix is:

$ asoundconf set-default-card `asoundconf list | grep -v "^Names" | head -1`

Especially if you have only one soundcard :D. This sets the default soundcard to be the first one showing up in the output of 'asoundconf list'.

If, however, you want to use another one of the cards in the list, Chris's solution is the one to go with. It seems there are a few people these days with two sound cards.

I confirm this bug. Really anoying!! https://launchpad.net/distros/ubuntu/+ticket/2558( )

I have somewhat the same problem. Have updated with the Echty Live CD form dapper. Have formated my / partition bot left my /home partition.

Now I have NO sound. Anny soundprogram craches on opening. And I trayed all the fixes here given. Noting works.

Pease HELP. I need sound.

I fixed it myself.
I yust removed the ~/.asoundrc and ~/.asoundrc.asoundconf files and reboted. (In the hope the system would make new correct ones).

Wel the system didn't make new ones. (Is that a problem?) but now I have sound.

I encountered this bug too, and noticed the same "unable to find" ALSA errors while trying to play Frets on Fire.

I did a dist-upgrade, but sound vanished after first reboot. Formatted everything except /home and did a clean install, but again sound vanished after first reboot. I wonder if there's updates that corrupt the sound configuration.

To complicate things, I have two sound cards: NVidia and Revolution51. Trying to switch to Revolution51 (ICE1724) in Gnome sound settings menu just displayed some errors.

"asoundconf set-default-card Revolution51" fixed the bug for me. I may also have removed ~/.asoundrc*.

Info:
Ubuntu Feisty Fawn 7.04 (clean install and dist-upgrade from working Edgy). Sound cards: NVidia integrated / ALC883 and M-Audio Revolution 5.1 (ICE1724).

For those of you still struggling with this issue I just ran into it when updating from Ubuntu 7.04 to 7.10
I had to search for what seemed to be a lifetime to fix this bug.

~$ asoundconf list
CA0106
~$ asoundconf set-default-card CA0106
This would get me audo but only in one program.
~$ esd &
Wouldn't start stating that it was missing variables.
What I ending up doing was
~$ sudo mv ~/.asoundrc* ~/Desktop/
~$ asoundconf set-default-card CA0106
~$ esd &
And by creating new .asoundrc files my sound starting working again no reboot required.

asoundconf has not been shipped since Karmic, and there are no plans to maintain it or migrate existing user configurations.