In message <cpo4v7$3oh$1@sea.gmane.org>, Eric AUGE writes:
>no error message, nothing except that no sound (may be very very very 
>very low) get out of the speaker, aumix or diferent mixer doesn't 
>complain about it, they allow me to change various mixer standard 
>settings without any problem, but still no sound (and yes i have checked 
>all possible settings in mixerctl, audioctl and so on, at least i did 
>those i've seen about in manpages and different webpages over the net).

At least on my ThinkPad, the auich audio is connected to a set of hardware
volume buttons, and those buttons are affecting something past all the
software settings, but on Windows, there's some feedback between them.

But if I push the mute button, I get behavior much like what you describe.

-s