Audigy 2 Value problem, "no such device"?"
 

I run SimplyMepis 2004, and just bought a new Audigy 2 Value sound card today. My previous card was a Creative SB16 PCI, and sound worked fine. When I installed the Audigy and booted the computer, I received the following message:

"Sound server informational message:
Error while initializing the sound driver:
device /dev/dsp can't be opened (no such device)
The sound server will continue, using the null output device."

If I open Kmix there are no buttons or sliders visible, just a grey square with a small blue rectangle inside which is labeled "current mixer", and three tabs near the top which are labeled "file", "settings", "help".

I really am disappointed, as someone had listed this card in a hardware database on one which worked with Mepis. Can someone PLEASE tell me what I need to do to make it work, or alternatively, what card I CAN exchange this one for which will work (obviously, I can install a SB16 PCI again).

Thanks in advance

What is the output of "/sbin/lspci" for Multimedia Audiocontroller with your new card?
You've got to have a module (driver) loaded for that card, or it won't work.

Thanks for your reply. I don't have a file named /sbin/lspci, but /sbin/lspnp gives:

00 PNP0c01 System board
01 PNP0000 AT programmable interrupt controller
02 PNP0200 AT DMA controller
03 PNP0100 AT system timer
04 PNP0b00 AT real-time clock
05 PNP0303 IBM enhanced keyboard (101/102-key, PS/2 mouse support)
06 PNP0800 AT-style speaker sound
07 PNP0c04 Math coprocessor
08 PNP0501 16550A-compatible COM port
09 PNP0501 16550A-compatible COM port
0a PNP0401 ECP printer port
0b PNP0700 PC standard floppy disk controller
0c PNP0a03 PCI bus

I'm thinking that it somehow doesn't see the card, although it is in the same slot that the older SB16 PCI occupied.

I don't know where lspci is located in Mepis. Can you open a terminal
and run "whereis lspci" and that should tell you. In the meantime, I'll
see which modules it needs...

Think I've got it. According to ALSA, the Sound Blaster 16 PCI is an ES1371 chipset, and it uses the module snd-ens1371. That's your old card. If you issue "lsmod" you should see these modules.
NB: The Advanced Linux Sound Architecture (ALSA) provides audio and MIDI functionality to the Linux operating system.

I did see Sound Blaster Audigy2 ZS Value ... is that your card? It, and all of the Audigy cards, use snd-emu10k1.

First, do you have these modules in your kernel? There might be an easier way to do this, but we should be able to tell like this.
Issue "ls /lib/modules/`uname -r`/build/sound/pci/" and see if you have a directory named emu10k1/"

If you do, then you should be able to issue, as root:
"modprobe snd-emu10k1;modprobe snd-pcm-oss;modprobe snd-mixer-oss;modprobe snd-seq-oss"
to load the modules.

Here are the results of 'lsmod' :

Module Size Used by
ppp_deflate 3200 0
zlib_deflate 18840 1 ppp_deflate
bsd_comp 4352 0
ppp_async 6784 1
ipv6 185568 8
ppp_generic 19220 7 ppp_deflate,bsd_comp,ppp_async
slhc 5120 1 ppp_generic
snd_pcm_oss 37160 0
snd_pcm 57480 1 snd_pcm_oss
snd_page_alloc 5128 1 snd_pcm
snd_timer 14340 1 snd_pcm
snd_mixer_oss 12032 1 snd_pcm_oss
nvidia 4591572 12
lp 6700 0
parport 23240 1 lp
binfmt_misc 5256 1
snd 30820 4 snd_pcm_oss,snd_pcm,snd_timer,snd_mixer_oss
soundcore 3936 1 snd
ipt_limit 1152 2
ipt_state 768 67
ipt_LOG 4608 2
ipt_REJECT 3840 2
ip_conntrack_irc 68656 0
ip_conntrack_ftp 69168 0
ip_conntrack 19080 3 ipt_state,ip_conntrack_irc,ip_conntrack_ftp
iptable_filter 1152 1
ip_tables 12544 5 ipt_limit,ipt_state,ipt_LOG,ipt_REJECT,iptable_filter
af_packet 11912 0
ds 8964 0
yenta_socket 12288 0
pcmcia_core 36292 2 ds,yenta_socket
8250 11488 5
serial_core 13824 1 8250
nls_iso8859_1 3072 0
nls_cp437 4608 0
agpgart 17064 0
thermal 6800 0
processor 8880 1 thermal
fan 1548 0
button 2840 0
battery 5900 0
ac 1804 0
floppy 44112 0
uhci_hcd 22928 0
ohci_hcd 14980 0

and here are the results of ls /lib/modules/'uname -r'/build/sound/pci/
ls: /lib/modules/uname -r/build/sound/pci/: No such file or directory

lspci turned out to be in /bin in Mepis, and executing the file gave these results:

0000:00:00.0 Host bridge: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82C693A/694x [Apollo PRO133x] (rev c4)
0000:00:01.0 PCI bridge: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82C598/694x [Apollo MVP3/Pro13 3x AGP]
0000:00:07.0 ISA bridge: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82C686 [Apollo Super South] (r ev 40)
0000:00:07.1 IDE interface: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82C586A/B/VT82C686/A/B/VT82 3x/A/C PIPC Bus Master IDE (rev 06)
0000:00:07.2 USB Controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82xxxxx UHCI USB 1.1 Contr oller (rev 16)
0000:00:07.4 SMBus: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82C686 [Apollo Super ACPI] (rev 40)
0000:01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: nVidia Corporation: Unknown device 0326

According to the Hardware Compatibility List here at LinuxQuestions.org, the Audigy Value card uses a different chip than all the other Audigy cards (apparantly, the OTHER HCL which I read was not talking about the Value card, wish I'd read THIS list first). Here is a link to the page, the model number mentioned is identical with that on my card. http://www.linuxquestions.org/hcl/sh...&cat=81&page=1

I read the HCL entry, and the link in there ... which if I read correctly is applicable to ALSA (1.0.7 and earlier). If you're running a 2.6.x.x kernel you're already past that version.

Which kernel are you running? In a terminal issue "uname -r" (without the quote marks).

The other command I assumed you would copy and paste. It is back ticks `uname -r` rather than quote marks ' ' . On most English keyboards the back tick is above the Tab key and to the left of the 1 key. You can either copy and paste or enter it again, but I'd like to see the proper output if you can get it. Here it is again, with a switch for long ( l ):
ls -l /lib/modules/`uname -r`/build/sound/pci/
You can just copy and paste that into a terminal, then hit enter ... as a regular user, not even root.

That first command will tell us your kernel, and the second one will tell us whether or not the correct modules are in your kernel. If not, you'll have to recompile, or get a kernel that has the right modules. You should see something like this:
To make your posts easier to read, when you have terminal output to enter, either use the Code button above the input window here, or put [_code_] before and [_/code_] after your output ... without the underscores. That will keep the formatting correct.

At any rate, the emu10k1 module is the one you need.

It bothers me that your card is not even detected, though.

I'm running kernel 2.6.7, I cut and pasted the command: "modprobe snd-emu10k1;modprobe snd-pcm-oss;modprobe snd-mixer-oss;modprobe snd-seq-oss" into a root terminal window. Here are the results:
bash: modprobe snd-emu10k1;modprobe snd-pcm-oss;modprobe snd-mixer-oss;modprobe snd-seq-oss: command not found

I'm considering giving up on this Creative Audigy Value card, and just installing an old Yamaha opl3-sa2 ISA card I've got lying around. Surely, it would be any MORE difficult than this, and the home page for the ALSA project confirms that it is definitely supported.

ALSA confirms that your card is supported, also. I can't help you much if you won't issue the commands I asked for, but here's what you need in your kernel for an emu10k1 chipset card, which is what you have:
and these are the modules you should have
ignore the ones without snd in them...

Thank you for your reply. I do not understand which command you are referring to, i.e. which command have you requested which I have not issued and posted the results? Here they are once more, except that I have rearranged the order to reflect the order of your original requests:
"lspci" returns: [Code]0000:00:00.0 Host bridge: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82C693A/694x [Apollo PRO133x] (rev c4)
0000:00:01.0 PCI bridge: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82C598/694x [Apollo MVP3/Pro13 3x AGP]
0000:00:07.0 ISA bridge: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82C686 [Apollo Super South] (r ev 40)
0000:00:07.1 IDE interface: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82C586A/B/VT82C686/A/B/VT82 3x/A/C PIPC Bus Master IDE (rev 06)
0000:00:07.2 USB Controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82xxxxx UHCI USB 1.1 Contr oller (rev 16)
0000:00:07.4 SMBus: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82C686 [Apollo Super ACPI] (rev 40)
0000:01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: nVidia Corporation: Unknown device 0326
[code]

Issuing the command [code]"modprobe snd-emu10k1;modprobe snd-pcm-oss;modprobe snd-mixer-oss;modprobe snd-seq-oss"[code]

gave no results at all.

Issuing "ls /lib/modules/`uname -r`/build/sound/pci/" returned
[code]bash: ls /lib/modules/2.6.7/build/sound/pci/: No such file or directory[code]

Here are the results of 'lsmod' :
[code]
Module Size Used by
ppp_deflate 3200 0
zlib_deflate 18840 1 ppp_deflate
bsd_comp 4352 0
ppp_async 6784 1
ipv6 185568 8
ppp_generic 19220 7 ppp_deflate,bsd_comp,ppp_async
slhc 5120 1 ppp_generic
snd_pcm_oss 37160 0
snd_pcm 57480 1 snd_pcm_oss
snd_page_alloc 5128 1 snd_pcm
snd_timer 14340 1 snd_pcm
snd_mixer_oss 12032 1 snd_pcm_oss
nvidia 4591572 12
lp 6700 0
parport 23240 1 lp
binfmt_misc 5256 1
snd 30820 4 snd_pcm_oss,snd_pcm,snd_timer,snd_mixer_oss
soundcore 3936 1 snd
ipt_limit 1152 2
ipt_state 768 67
ipt_LOG 4608 2
ipt_REJECT 3840 2
ip_conntrack_irc 68656 0
ip_conntrack_ftp 69168 0
ip_conntrack 19080 3 ipt_state,ip_conntrack_irc,ip_conntrack_ftp
iptable_filter 1152 1
ip_tables 12544 5 ipt_limit,ipt_state,ipt_LOG,ipt_REJECT,iptable_filter
af_packet 11912 0
ds 8964 0
yenta_socket 12288 0
pcmcia_core 36292 2 ds,yenta_socket
8250 11488 5
serial_core 13824 1 8250
nls_iso8859_1 3072 0
nls_cp437 4608 0
agpgart 17064 0
thermal 6800 0
processor 8880 1 thermal
fan 1548 0
button 2840 0
battery 5900 0
ac 1804 0
floppy 44112 0
uhci_hcd 22928 0
ohci_hcd 14980 0
[code]

So, apparantly, we have found that I don't have the correct module. Where do I obtain it?

Thanks.

Same problem here with Mandriva LE 2005 and nForce 2 card. Please advise... do a search real fast please because I posted all the technical readouts to another post on the site so I won't have to spend 20 minutes redoing it :) thank you

Please don't hijack someone else's thread. Post your own problem in your own thread.

And since Mandrake/Mandrivia does things their own way, you would get much better help by posting in that specific forum.

Thanks!

You forgot the / in front of the closing code ... like this

"lspci" returns: Issuing the command gave no results at all.

Issuing "ls /lib/modules/`uname -r`/build/sound/pci/" returned
Here are the results of 'lsmod' :
You get the module from your kernel, or (in Slackware) from /etc/rc.d/rc.modules, but I don't know if Mepis has such a file.

Have you recompiled a kernel before?
If not, where/how do you get your kernels?

I have been helping someone in another thread with the same card, but he's running RedHat. He posted today that he got it working, but didn't mention how.

I don't know if the path I gave you for kernel modules is correct for Mepis, nor do I know where your kernel resides. But if you can find either one, you need to look for the emu10k1 module and/or ca0106.

You may find your kernel configuration file in /usr/src/linux-2.6.7/.config and if so, you could open it with an editor and just see if those modules are in there under the headings:
# Sound >
# Advanced Linux Sound Architecture >
#PCI devices

I've given up on the SB Audigy Value card. I decided that for the amount of time and effort involved, it doesn't make sense to spend $70 for a modern sound card, when I can expend the same efforts toward making other cards which I already own work.

Accordingly, I returned the SB Audigy Value card, and installed a Yamaha OPL3-2a on the ISA slot. Still don't have it working in Mepis, in fact, I get exactly the same errors, but interestingly enough, when I booted into Windows 98 (dual boot, but on a separate hard drive), it was detected immediately, and drivers loaded without my having to do anything other than put the Win 98 install disk in the CD. Works and sounds beautifully. I truly expected similar recognition and ease of installation with a modern Linux distro such as Mepis, but apparantly this is one area where Linux lags far behind.

Thanks for your assistance. I appreciate you having taken the time to answer all these posts.

It's probably something simple.

I'll help if you like...though I'd rather you were using Slackware :-D

Tell me about your kernel...did you compile it, or it come from someone else?

Do you know where in your system it's located?

Have you checked the LQ Hardware Compatibility List for it?