Pulseaudio error message -

[stan]

On Wed, 25 Nov 2009 15:10:04 -0500
Bob Goodwin <bobgoodwin at wildblue.net> wrote:

> 
>     I don't have much need for sound but it usually works.
> 
>     This is a new F-12 install from the livecd and it acts like the
>     audio level is turned down somewhere although I haven't been able
> to find it. I think I can hear some very faint sounds at times?.
> 
>     One symptom is:[bobg at box6 ~]$
> aplay /usr/share/sounds/purple/alert.wav
> 
>         Home directory /home/bobg not ours.
>         ALSA lib pulse.c:229:(pulse_connect) PulseAudio: Unable to
>         connect: Connection refused
> 
>         aplay: main:608: audio open error: Connection refused
> 
>     When I try pavucontrol I get an error message:
> 
>         "Connection failed: Connection refused"
> 
> 
>     I don't know what this is telling me, I know that I have changed
>     anything related to sound. It worked with no problem in F-11
> 
>     Any suggestions appreciated.
> 
>     Bob
> 

Sure sounds like a permission problem.  It is acting like you are a
different user than pulse was started with.  What happens if you set up
a new user and try from there?