Pulse works for one user, not for another

[zeke]

This is a clean, fresh install of Mageia3. The home directory of the not working user was fresh, but the .kde4 directory was copied over from another HDD. When I login as that user using either KDE or LXDE, there is no sound and I get the PulseAudio has crashed message when I launch pulse volume control.

Without rebooting, if I logout and log back in as a freshly added user in either kde or lxde, pulse works as expected.

I compared the ~/.config/pulse directory contents for both users and there was an additional symbolic? link in the first (not working) user's dir. I deleted that, but no change in behavior. Otherwise the contents of the dirs are identical.

Neither user has a ~/.pulse dir.

I don't know where else to check for discrepancies that might cause pulse to fail for one user but not another under two different DEs

Edit: I got sound for user1 by going to alsamixer and unmuting all the outputs. Pulse still reported a crash, but I had sound from a youtube video. About 15 min later, no sound processes running and I got a KDE notification that the sound device had failed. This is an NVIDIA integrated sound card (HDA NVidia (ALC888 Analog). I tried to play the same youtube video and there was no sound and the flash player crashed. I looked at alsa mixer and everything was as I left it. about 2 min later, the video started playing with sound. Pulse Volume control still gives the Pulse Audio has crashed message.

[marja]

Tbh, I don't know anything about sound, but I copied the suggestions about sound troubleshooting that are hidden in MCC to https://wiki.mageia.org/en/Support:DebuggingSoundProblems#The_.22Sound_troubleshooting.22_suggestions_in_MCC

If that doesn't help, then there are more links when you scroll up in that page.

Cheers,
Marja

[wintpe]

with the kde user, what happens if you just move the .kde4 .kde4.old and let it be recreated, is it still a problem.

regards peter