Mycroft not using doing anything with detected microphone sound: ALSA lib/Jack server error

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1

Hello, I’ve recently installed Mycroft from Github (master branch), to work on my Desktop PC running Ubuntu 16.04.3.

The installation worked, but Mycroft does not seem to be able to do anything with my voice inputs. Using the CLI I can type in the commands I want and it does show the microphone level varying as I talk, but does not do anything with the input.

Here is the voice log file from a recent usage:

"13:51:37.707 - mycroft.configuration:load_defaults:242 - INFO - Loading configuration: /home/bruno/mycroft-core-master/mycroft/configuration/mycroft.conf
13:51:37.710 - mycroft.configuration:__load:117 - DEBUG - Configuration ‘/home/bruno/mycroft-core-master/mycroft/configuration/mycroft.conf’ loaded
13:51:37.711 - mycroft.configuration:__load:122 - DEBUG - Configuration ‘/home/bruno/.mycroft/mycroft.conf’ not found
13:51:37.712 - mycroft.configuration:load_defaults:242 - INFO - Loading configuration: mycroft.ai
13:51:37.716 - requests.packages.urllib3.connectionpool - DEBUG - Starting new HTTPS connection (1): api.mycroft.ai
13:51:38.449 - requests.packages.urllib3.connectionpool - DEBUG - https://api.mycroft.ai:443 “GET /v1/device/fbeced40-42f6-49db-8aff-328449780f3e/setting HTTP/1.1” 200 2908
13:51:38.453 - requests.packages.urllib3.connectionpool - DEBUG - Starting new HTTPS connection (1): api.mycroft.ai
13:51:39.164 - requests.packages.urllib3.connectionpool - DEBUG - https://api.mycroft.ai:443 “GET /v1/device/fbeced40-42f6-49db-8aff-328449780f3e/location HTTP/1.1” 200 4
13:51:39.171 - mycroft.configuration:load_defaults:242 - INFO - Loading configuration: /etc/mycroft/mycroft.conf
13:51:39.173 - mycroft.configuration:__load:122 - DEBUG - Configuration ‘/etc/mycroft/mycroft.conf’ not found
13:51:39.174 - mycroft.configuration:__load:122 - DEBUG - Configuration ‘/home/bruno/.mycroft/mycroft.conf’ not found
13:51:39.175 - mycroft.configuration:load_defaults:242 - INFO - Loading configuration: /home/bruno/.mycroft/mycroft.conf
13:51:39.177 - mycroft.configuration:__load:122 - DEBUG - Configuration ‘/home/bruno/.mycroft/mycroft.conf’ not found
13:51:39.178 - mycroft.configuration:__load:122 - DEBUG - Configuration ‘/home/bruno/.mycroft/mycroft.conf’ not found
ALSA lib pcm_dsnoop.c:606:(snd_pcm_dsnoop_open) unable to open slave
ALSA lib pcm_dmix.c:1029:(snd_pcm_dmix_open) unable to open slave
ALSA lib pcm.c:2266:(snd_pcm_open_noupdate) Unknown PCM cards.pcm.rear
ALSA lib pcm.c:2266:(snd_pcm_open_noupdate) Unknown PCM cards.pcm.center_lfe
ALSA lib pcm.c:2266:(snd_pcm_open_noupdate) Unknown PCM cards.pcm.side
ALSA lib pcm_dmix.c:1029:(snd_pcm_dmix_open) unable to open slave
Cannot connect to server socket err = No such file or directory
Cannot connect to server request channel
jack server is not running or cannot be started
JackShmReadWritePtr::~JackShmReadWritePtr - Init not done for 4294967295, skipping unlock
JackShmReadWritePtr::~JackShmReadWritePtr - Init not done for 4294967295, skipping unlock
13:51:40.081 - mycroft.client.speech.listener:create_wake_word_recognizer:214 - INFO - creating wake word engine
13:51:40.092 - mycroft.client.speech.hotword_factory:create_hotword:134 - INFO - creating hey mycroft
13:51:40.962 - mycroft.client.speech.listener:create_wakeup_recognizer:231 - INFO - creating stand up word engine
13:51:40.963 - mycroft.client.speech.hotword_factory:create_hotword:134 - INFO - creating wake up
13:51:41.162 - mycroft.messagebus.client.ws:on_open:56 - INFO - Connected
13:51:43.082 - mycroft.client.speech.mic:listen:484 - DEBUG - Waiting for wake word…

I think the error lies in the erros ALSA lib is giving or the jack server not starting, could anyone help me?

2

Looks like normal log output. See the “Waiting for wake word”? That means it’s started and listening. Try “Hey mycroft what time is it?”

As for what it’s listening on, that may be where the issue lies. Not familiar with jack, so I can’t help you with that. Try “pactl list sources” and see if that shows you the input you are expecting to use. “pactl info” will show you the default settings, mycroft uses the default source for its input. If it’s not your input, you can take the index number from the sources list for yours, and “pactl set-default-source yourindexnumber” to change it. Then restart mycroft and ask it what time it is.

1 Like
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This works in CLI mode (typing it) and it answers correctly (also tested some other commands, all seem to work).

As for saying the phrase, it doesn’t result in any notable change except the volume indicator for the microphone in the CLI mode varying as I speak. I checked the log file, and it doesn’t change, it keeps on the last command (" Waiting for wake word…") even if I speak “Hey Mycroft” in all the possible ways I can.

I checked my config-file and the wake-up phrase is indeed “Hey Mycroft”, unchanged from the default.

The inputs seems to match up, “pactl list sources” gives me, among other things,

while “pactl info” gives me

I’m not really sure on what the results should be, but they seem to match up, so I do think the error lies somewhere in the “ALSA lib” part of the log.

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[UPDATE]

I found a very similiar problem here. Following the author’s steps, I have gotten to the same errors, but somehow everything fixed itself for him and not for me. The only think I could think of it for the error going away for him all of a sudden was rebooting after applying his steps, but that didn’t work.

If anyone with more knowledge with linux/ALSA lib could help me out I would be very thankful.

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Olá @BrunoGomesCoelho,
Thanks for providing such a detailed explanation and history.

Are you able to show the contents of your ~/.asoundrc file so we can see what’s set there?

Kind regards,
Kathy