[Pkg-alsa-devel] Bug#503816: /usr/bin/amixer: Volume level jumps around when Increasing/Decreasing Volume

[Daniel A. Freer]

Package: alsa-utils
Version: 1.0.16-2
Severity: normal
File: /usr/bin/amixer


Using multimedia keys built into my HP dv6000t laptop, using Volume +/- results in the volume level "jumping" around. This happens when using either 
the included multi-media remote or the volume +/- keys on the keyboard itself. The following link is a recording of this behavior, note how the 
left/right channels are locked together, and upon lowering volume the channels unlock and move independently of each other. In this video all I did 
was lower volume till completely muted, then raised volume until at 100%, I did not increase/decrease volume randomly:
http://www2.dfreer.org:8080/linux/volume_control_issues.ogv (745.5 KB OGG Video Format)

Here's information I gleaned about my key symbols using xev:
#keycode 174 (keysym 0x0, NoSymbol) = VolumeDown
#keycode 176 (keysym 0x0, NoSymbol) = VolumeUp

And here's the relevent portion of my ~/.Xmodmap file:
keycode 174 = XF86AudioLowerVolume
keycode 176 = XF86AudioRaiseVolume

My System -> Preferences -> Keyboard Shortcuts has all shortcuts disabled, except "Volume Mute/Up/Down" being all mapped to the correspoding symbol 
(XF86AudioLowerVolume etc). I have had volume keys working fine before in the past, so I don't know if this is some sort of regression or if something 
has changed on my system.

-- System Information:
Debian Release: lenny/sid
  APT prefers testing
  APT policy: (500, 'testing')
Architecture: amd64 (x86_64)

Kernel: Linux 2.6.27.2-custom (SMP w/2 CPU cores; PREEMPT)
Locale: LANG=en_US.UTF-8, LC_CTYPE=en_US.UTF-8 (charmap=UTF-8)
Shell: /bin/sh linked to /bin/bash

Versions of packages alsa-utils depends on:
ii  libasound2                1.0.16-2       ALSA library
ii  libc6                     2.7-14         GNU C Library: Shared libraries
ii  libncurses5               5.6+20080830-1 shared libraries for terminal hand
ii  linux-sound-base          1.0.17.dfsg-4  base package for ALSA and OSS soun
ii  lsb-base                  3.2-20         Linux Standard Base 3.2 init scrip
ii  module-init-tools         3.4-1          tools for managing Linux kernel mo
ii  pciutils                  1:3.0.0-6      Linux PCI Utilities
ii  python                    2.5.2-2        An interactive high-level object-o
ii  whiptail                  0.52.2-11.3    Displays user-friendly dialog boxe

Versions of packages alsa-utils recommends:
ii  alsa-base                  1.0.17.dfsg-4 ALSA driver configuration files

alsa-utils suggests no packages.

-- no debconf information