I'm using Gnome 2.5.92 (there are some 2.6 modules) under Fedora Core 1 (Kernel 2.6.3 with ALSA). The problem is that when I open the volume control app (gnome-volume-control), there are duplicated sliders for almost all options, there are two sliders for "PCM", "Mic"... and so on. None of them is "fake", I mean for example that both of the PCM sliders actually work. I just have one soundcard (C-Media 8738), and when I was using Gnome 2.4 I had no problems. The volume control applet is in version 2.6.0 (gnome-media 2.6.0). I had to install gstreamer 0.8 in order to upgrade Gnome, but I also left an older version (0.6.5) because of dependency issues with some programs. Is that it? I'm just afraid to uninstall gstreamer 0.6.5 and a lot of other packages and then realize I still have the very same problem. Thanks for your help.

If you go to the Preferences for the Volume Control (not the right-click ones, the ones in the Settings menu in the mixer itself), do the various controls appear twice? If so, can you uncheck one of each so that it only appears once? If so, does the other still work?

Hope so, since it doesn't look like there's too many other choices without uninstalling something (which I can see why you might not want to do, though I wouldn't be too happy having 2 versions of gstreamer installed, myself).

Maybe they might know something about it at one of the resources on http://gnomesupport.org/.

Congrats -- you've got stereo. The left slider in each pair is for the ieft channel, the right for the right. A pair will be adjusted together when you drag the control, provided you've checked the "Locked" box.

I have two separated STEREO sliders for each line, here is a screenshot for those of you still scratching your heads http://crdiscoverer.tripod.com/screenshot.jpg (if the link doesn't work just copy-paste the URL). And thanks motub, but with this version of gnome, the preferences dialog is gone (at least I don't see it where it used to be), the file menu just displays a "Quit" option. The problem as you can see from the screenshot, is that now I have a huge window full of sliders, and twice the work to adjust something. I don't mind uninstalling some packages if that will solve the problem (rhythmbox, soundjuicer...). Another thing you may notice is that for each set of sliders, one displays a "rec" checkbox and the other don't. Thanks again.

Trying to look at the screenshot takes me to an error page.

copy-paste the URL and see if that works (?)

That did it.

Well, even if the Volume Control has changed (and it strikes me that if the file menu only has "quit", then it's changed backwards from GNOME 2.4, which is quite odd), we can hope that Gconf Editor has not-- and that you have it installed.

If so, what do you see in apps=>gnome-volume-control?

...seems that tripod doesn't support redirecting... well anyway, this is what is displayed in Gconf, and now I can see where is the problem. I still don't know if that is a Gstreamer or a Kernel 2.6 issue, but I'm going to have some fun unchecking boxes (I've noticed that not all controls are displayed in Gconf, look at "3D Control - Switch" for example). Also, you can see that the preferences option is gone and that the applet is indeed version 2.6. Thanks motub, I'll tell you if that works. Screenshot: http://crdiscoverer.tripod.com/fullscreen.jpg

Weirdly enough, I also have 2 complete sets of entries in GConf Editor-- but first of all, they're both different (one is OSS_Avance_Logic_ALC101-1, and the other is OSS_Realtek_ALC101-1), second of all neither seems to quite relate to my sound card (which is VIA 8233 onboard), and third of all.... I don't have doubled entries, despite the fact that the "visible" boxes are checked for both sets of mixer controls. Even more weird, the volume settings for each set of mixers is not the same, either. I could check to see which set is actually being used, but not right now.

So what changed between 2.4.1 and 2.5.92 (or 2.6) that caused this change in behaviour? Since the doubling exists on my sytem as well, it would not seem to be caused by the upgrade, but the visibility of the doubled entries has changed in some fundamental way, if all my doubled mixers are supposed to be visible, but only one set is actually visible, wheras on yours, both sets are actually visible (when they shouldn't be).

So maybe that helps you track down what exactly is going on, if you're into GNOME development (which I would guess you are, if you're using devel versions ).

You are right, I've unchecked the visible option for all controls under one of the "devices", then I looked at the volume control and nothing... restarted gnome, rebooted... nothing. I even disabled ALL of the visible options for both devices and guess what? yes, my volume control still reaches Japan, and the volume values are different and they don't correspond to the applet. I think I'm going to uninstall the old gstreamer, because I didn't see any bug report about anything similar and being 2.6, the applet is supposedly stable. I'm going to leave that Gconf entry alone for now (it is more useful a VW Beetle as a submarine) . It also cames to my mind installing the Gnome-alsamixer app...

Solved! removed the alsa-driver package and no more duplicated controls. I guess that when you compile the ALSA driver inside the kernel, the package is not needed (duh!), and I discovered that after uninstalling gstreamer... what a $&%@! Thanks for your help.

Hurrah!!!! And good to know if someone has such a problem in the future. Have fun!