Rob Lytle writes:

quoted text
> Using audioctl and mixerctl I just experimented until I got
> settings that workied, then put them in a file sourced upon
> logon.  Very simple hack.

Not really a hack.  It's documented in mixerctl.conf(5).

Hi Deanna,

The documentation is really confusing.  "man audioctl.conf" doesn't
exist, so I'm not sure if rc calls it like mixerctl.conf.
 "man rc" has no mention of such things.

Also I imagine every HDA codec is going to have different settings,
If we would try to come up with sample config files,
other people could test their own sound cards or chips and contribute.
 These HDA codecs are becoming universal now.

But at least you can use the -a flag to list the tunables.  However, I
have no idea what some of the variables do.  Who
would have thought that the laptop internal mic was "mic2" and the
line input was "mic."  You just have to experiment.

I need to look up the data sheet for my codec.  0 to 255 seems like
not much resolution for volume.  Plus, as I said before,
the mixer controls don't do anything until you get right near the top.
 They need to be on a log scale.  Most audio
potentiometers (volume controls) come in log versions.

If the weather ever gets below 90F here and my laptop stops
overheating, I might try writing something up on all of this.
Until then the fan is on me and not the laptop.

Rob