Problem Solved : pa_stream_writable_size() failed: Connection terminated

GNOME Alsamixer as the replacement of Volume Control applet

After uninstallation of pulseaudio, Volume Control disappeared

The error message

In Ubuntu –particularly in Ubuntu 10.04, there is one bug about sound. It happened in some users, especially in users who used old machines with old chipset and old soundcard. The bug is, when we play musics or videos using media player (Smplayer, Clementine, Audacious etc), in the middle of playing, the sound server will be suddenly stopped. Even, this bug caused Mplayer crashed and stopped suddenly. The error message of the bug is written like this :

pa_stream_writable_size() failed: Connection terminated.

I've googled for this problem, but I got no clear solutions and I finally almost gave it up. But then, suddenly I was wondering about Ubuntu system and since Ubuntu 10.04 there was some changes in system, especially in pulseaudio and sound system. In previous versions, there was a volume control as an independent applet on the gnome-panel. But, since 10.04, there was new sound system which volume control included in the Indicator Applet as a sophisticated volume control using new pulseaudio system.

So then, I experienced uninstalling pulseaudio, reboot the system, playing musics, and whoillaaa the bug was clearly gone ! But I got one effect that the Volume Control in gnome-panel was gone and as a replacement, I used gnome-alsamixer to control system volume in my Ubuntu 10.04. GNOME Alsamixer could be installed easily by apt : sudo apt-get install gnome-alsamixer

Thus I got my sound system good, and I could play any musics and videos with no crashes anymore.

Technical Comparison :

System : Ubuntu 10.04.4 Lucid Lynx (4th Maintenance, February 14 2012)

CPU : Intel Pentium 4 (2,4 Ghz)

Chipset : SiS

Soundcard : An old C-Media soundcard

Solved! : Trouble solving of Bluetooth Set up new device failed error. An error of Bluetooth device pairing of Ubuntu 10.04 Lucid Lynx

Personal File Sharing Preferences menu

Nokia 2330-c mounted as a removable media

Set up completed

The key is in "introducing" our cellphone first to the system

Previous days, I was very annoyed by an error (perhaps that was a bug) of Ubuntu 10.04 Lucid Lynx. The error was I couldn't make bluetooth pairing between my computer and my cellphone. I often use bluetooth connection to transfer any files, from and to computer-cellphone (photos, Java applications). In the previous versions of Ubuntu (9.04 and the below), I never get any trouble to make bluetooth pairing. But in Ubuntu Lucid, I got my pairing process failed in the 'Set up new device' step. For so many times I'd tried, but I always got an error. Again and again I tried to make pairing and always been failed. I didn't know where the mistake was, but when I followed the wizard, I always got the error. At last, I got myself desperate because of its error and for long time I gave up and had been lost my interest to find the solution.

But recently, in the rest time, I made an experiment and unintentionally, I got the trouble solving. The key is we don't have to follow the wizard which the first step is 'Set up new device', but we could “introduce” our cellphone first, by sending it a file from our computer, and then we could follow the wizard. This is surely works to me. I can successfully receive and send files from my computer. Also, I can successfully 'Browse the device' so I can see my cellphone being visible just look like a removable media.

These are the steps to make a bluetooth pairing between Ubuntu 10.04 and cellphone:

1. Plug the bluetooth dongle in; Or in some laptops, switch the internal bluetooth on :)

2. Switch our cellphone bluetooth on.

3. At the bluetooth icon in the notification area in the upper panel, click and select 'Send files to device'.

4. Select any file (the smallest in filesize is picture) and wait for a moment until our cellphone is detected. Then, when our cellphone is visible, select our cellphone and transfer process will be ran.

5. Go to the bluetooth icon once more, and for now, select the choice 'Set up new device'.

6. When our cellphone is visible, select it. Leave the system to make automatic PIN selection.

7. An confirmation about pairing process will be shown at our cellphone. We will be asked about the PIN code. Enter the PIN code, and press OK.

8. The process is finished, and we can now use the connection to transfer any files, or to make a dial-up Internet connection.

I was very satisfied by this trouble solving. And even, now I am really satisfied by the bluetooth features of Ubuntu 10.04. I can make my computer always be visible to other bluetooth devices. I can make my computer always be ready to receives any file from any devices, without making a pairing process first.

Notes:

To make our computer always be ready to receives any file from any devices, we have to manage it by accessing Bluetooth Preferences menu. Go to System>Preferences>Bluetooth, or click at Bluetooth icon in the notification area, and select 'Receives Files' button. And then, will be shown a dialog menu titled 'Personal File Sharing Preferences'. Check all of the selections.

For the technical comparison, these are the equipments that I've used:

• Ubuntu 10.04 Lucid Lynx with original kernel

• CPU Intel Pentium IV 2.4 GHz

• 512 MB Memory

• K-One Bluetooth USB Dongle

• Nokia 2330-c