Creative Labs SB Audigy LS / Alsa / No sound
 

Hi,
Have attempted to install the following versions of alsa with varying degrees of success but to date have not heard any sound eminate from powered destop speakers.
1. Cvs version 1.0.10rc1 installed with a few workarounds but cause KDE artsd crash when loading.
2. Download version 1.0.9b from alsa-project.org installs flawlessly but produces no sound.
3. Present install is Debian Testing 'Etch' deb packages with the linux-2.6.13 kernel configured to provide ca0106 and snd* modules, again no sound.
Alsaconf configures without error and claims to find device.
During boot up the speakers pop at about the time the device is identified in dmesg.
Aplay and xmms appear to play sound files when activated wihtout sound.
MS Win2000 sound configuration is OK with Shuttle supplied driver disk.
I'd be most obliged if anyone would care to scan through the attached system information to see if any wrong entries could be causing the problem, and it is not a case of the on-board sound chip not being supported at this time.
Should this be the case has anyone a recommendation for a linux compatible usb sound device, because the Shuttle XPC sd31p small form factor motherboard does not have any standard pci slots?
Thanks.

System specs.
Shuttle XPC SD31P
Intel Pentium D 830 3.0 GHz CPU
Albatron GeForce PC6600 Q 256MB DDR Video Card
2 x A-Data 512MB DDR2-533 SDRAM
Pioneer DVR-110D DVD-Writer
Seagate Barracuda 7200.7 ST3200822AS SATA HDD 200GB

Debian Testing "etch" OS
Kernel Version Linux-2.6.13
Alsa version 1.0.9b


:~# uname -a
Linux 2.6.13 #3 SMP Fri Sep 9 07:16:53 NZST 2005 i686 GNU/Linux

:~# more /proc/asound/version
Advanced Linux Sound Architecture Driver Version 1.0.9b (Thu Jul 28 12:20:13 2005 UTC).

:~# lspci
0000:00:00.0 Host bridge: Intel Corp.: Unknown device 2770 (rev 02)
0000:00:01.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corp.: Unknown device 2771 (rev 02)
0000:00:1c.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corp.: Unknown device 27d0 (rev 01)
0000:00:1d.0 USB Controller: Intel Corp.: Unknown device 27c8 (rev 01)
0000:00:1d.1 USB Controller: Intel Corp.: Unknown device 27c9 (rev 01)
0000:00:1d.2 USB Controller: Intel Corp.: Unknown device 27ca (rev 01)
0000:00:1d.3 USB Controller: Intel Corp.: Unknown device 27cb (rev 01)
0000:00:1d.7 USB Controller: Intel Corp.: Unknown device 27cc (rev 01)
0000:00:1e.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corp. 82801 PCI Bridge (rev e1)
0000:00:1f.0 ISA bridge: Intel Corp.: Unknown device 27b8 (rev 01)
0000:00:1f.1 IDE interface: Intel Corp.: Unknown device 27df (rev 01)
0000:00:1f.2 RAID bus controller: Intel Corp.: Unknown device 27c3 (rev 01)
0000:00:1f.3 SMBus: Intel Corp.: Unknown device 27da (rev 01)
0000:01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: nVidia Corporation: Unknown device 0141 (rev a2)
0000:02:00.0 Ethernet controller: Broadcom Corporation: Unknown device 169d (rev 11)
0000:03:0a.0 FireWire (IEEE 1394): VIA Technologies, Inc. IEEE 1394 Host Controller (rev 80)
0000:03:0b.0 Multimedia audio controller: Creative Labs SB Audigy LS

:~# lspci -v
0000:03:0b.0 Multimedia audio controller: Creative Labs SB Audigy LS
Subsystem: Holco Enterprise Co, Ltd/Shuttle Computer: Unknown device 3038
Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 32, IRQ 18
I/O ports at de00 [size=32]
Capabilities: [dc] Power Management version 2

:~# more /etc/modutils/alsa-base
# ALSA portion
alias char-major-116 snd
alias snd-card-0 snd-ca0106
# module options should go here

# OSS/Free portion
alias char-major-14 soundcore
alias sound-slot-0 snd-card-0

# card #1
alias sound-service-0-0 snd-mixer-oss
alias sound-service-0-1 snd-seq-oss
alias sound-service-0-3 snd-pcm-oss
alias sound-service-0-8 snd-seq-oss
alias sound-service-0-12 snd-pcm-oss

:~# cat ~/.asoundrc
#~/.asoundrc ALSA config file.
pcm.ca0106 {
type hw
card 0
}

ctl.ca0106 {
type hw
card 0
}

:~# more /proc/asound/cards
0 [CA0106 ]: CA0106 - CA0106
AudigyLS [Unknown] at 0xde00 irq 18

:~# modinfo soundcore
filename: /lib/modules/2.6.13/kernel/sound/soundcore.ko
description: Core sound module
author: Alan Cox
license: GPL
alias: char-major-14-*
vermagic: 2.6.13 SMP preempt PENTIUM4 gcc-4.0
depends:

:~# ls /proc/asound/ -l
total 1
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 5 2005-09-09 12:35 CA0106 -> card0/
dr-xr-xr-x 10 root root 0 2005-09-09 12:34 card0/
-r--r--r-- 1 root root 0 2005-09-09 12:35 cards
-r--r--r-- 1 root root 0 2005-09-09 12:35 devices
-r--r--r-- 1 root root 0 2005-09-09 12:35 modules
dr-xr-xr-x 2 root root 0 2005-09-09 12:34 oss/
-r--r--r-- 1 root root 0 2005-09-09 12:35 pcm
dr-xr-xr-x 2 root root 0 2005-09-09 12:34 seq/
-r--r--r-- 1 root root 0 2005-09-09 12:35 timers
-r--r--r-- 1 root root 0 2005-09-09 12:35 version

:woodbury# ls /proc/asound/card0 -l
total 0
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 0 2005-09-09 12:36 ca0106_i2c
-r--r--r-- 1 root root 0 2005-09-09 12:36 ca0106_reg16
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 0 2005-09-09 12:36 ca0106_reg32
-r--r--r-- 1 root root 0 2005-09-09 12:36 ca0106_reg8
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 0 2005-09-09 12:36 ca0106_regs1
-r--r--r-- 1 root root 0 2005-09-09 12:36 ca0106_regs2
-r--r--r-- 1 root root 0 2005-09-09 12:36 id
-r--r--r-- 1 root root 0 2005-09-09 12:36 iec958
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 0 2005-09-09 12:36 oss_mixer
dr-xr-xr-x 3 root root 0 2005-09-09 12:36 pcm0c/
dr-xr-xr-x 3 root root 0 2005-09-09 12:36 pcm0p/
dr-xr-xr-x 3 root root 0 2005-09-09 12:36 pcm1c/
dr-xr-xr-x 3 root root 0 2005-09-09 12:36 pcm1p/
dr-xr-xr-x 3 root root 0 2005-09-09 12:36 pcm2c/
dr-xr-xr-x 3 root root 0 2005-09-09 12:36 pcm2p/
dr-xr-xr-x 3 root root 0 2005-09-09 12:36 pcm3c/
dr-xr-xr-x 3 root root 0 2005-09-09 12:36 pcm3p/

:~# lsmod | grep snd
snd_ca0106 27556 2
snd_ac97_codec 80892 1 snd_ca0106
snd_seq_oss 34048 0
snd_seq_midi_event 6784 1 snd_seq_oss
snd_seq 50064 4 snd_seq_oss,snd_seq_midi_event
snd_seq_device 8076 2 snd_seq_oss,snd_seq
snd_pcm_oss 48544 0
snd_pcm 79748 5 snd_ca0106,snd_ac97_codec,snd_pcm_oss
snd_timer 22020 2 snd_seq,snd_pcm
snd_page_alloc 8452 2 snd_ca0106,snd_pcm
snd_mixer_oss 17664 1 snd_pcm_oss
snd 45540 11 snd_ca0106,snd_ac97_codec,snd_seq_oss,snd_seq,snd_seq_device,snd_pcm_oss,snd_pcm,snd_timer,snd_mixer _oss
soundcore 8288 1 snd

:~# more /dev/sndstat
/dev/sndstat: No such device

ln -s /proc/asound/oss/sndstat /dev/sndstat

:~# more /dev/sndstat
Sound Driver:3.8.1a-980706 (ALSA v1.0.9b emulation code)
Kernel: Linux sd31p 2.6.13 #3 SMP Fri Sep 9 07:16:53 NZST 2005 i686
Config options: 0

Installed drivers:
Type 10: ALSA emulation

Card config:
AudigyLS [Unknown] at 0xde00 irq 18

Audio devices:
0: CA0106 (DUPLEX)

Synth devices: NOT ENABLED IN CONFIG

Midi devices: NOT ENABLED IN CONFIG

Timers:
7: system timer

Mixers:
0: mixer00

:~# cat /var/lib/alsa/asound.state
state.CA0106 {
control.1 {
comment.access 'read write'
comment.type INTEGER
comment.count 2
comment.range '0 - 255'
iface MIXER
name 'Analog Front Volume'
value.0 215
value.1 215
}
control.2 {
comment.access 'read write'
comment.type INTEGER
comment.count 2
comment.range '0 - 255'
iface MIXER
name 'Analog Rear Volume'
value.0 216
value.1 216
}
control.3 {
comment.access 'read write'
comment.type INTEGER
comment.count 2
comment.range '0 - 255'
iface MIXER
name 'Analog Center/LFE Volume'
value.0 215
value.1 215
}
control.4 {
comment.access 'read write'
comment.type INTEGER
comment.count 2
comment.range '0 - 255'
iface MIXER
name 'Analog Side Volume'
value.0 220
value.1 220
}
control.5 {
comment.access 'read write'
comment.type INTEGER
comment.count 2
comment.range '0 - 255'
iface MIXER
name 'SPDIF Front Volume'
value.0 215
value.1 215
}
control.6 {
comment.access 'read write'
comment.type INTEGER
comment.count 2
comment.range '0 - 255'
iface MIXER
name 'SPDIF Rear Volume'
value.0 212
value.1 212
}
control.7 {
comment.access 'read write'
comment.type INTEGER
comment.count 2
comment.range '0 - 255'
iface MIXER
name 'SPDIF Center/LFE Volume'
value.0 215
value.1 215
}
control.8 {
comment.access 'read write'
comment.type INTEGER
comment.count 2
comment.range '0 - 255'
iface MIXER
name 'SPDIF Unknown Volume'
value.0 211
value.1 211
}
control.9 {
comment.access 'read write'
comment.type INTEGER
comment.count 2
comment.range '0 - 255'
iface MIXER
name 'CAPTURE feedback into PLAYBACK'
value.0 214
value.1 214
}
control.10 {
comment.access read
comment.type IEC958
comment.count 1
iface MIXER
name 'IEC958 Playback Mask'
value ffffffff00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
}
control.11 {
comment.access read
comment.type IEC958
comment.count 1
iface MIXER
name 'IEC958 Playback Mask'
index 1
value ffffffff00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
}
control.12 {
comment.access read
comment.type IEC958
comment.count 1
iface MIXER
name 'IEC958 Playback Mask'
index 2
value ffffffff00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
}
control.13 {
comment.access read
comment.type IEC958
comment.count 1
iface MIXER
name 'IEC958 Playback Mask'
index 3
value ffffffff00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
}
control.14 {
comment.access 'read write'
comment.type BOOLEAN
comment.count 1
iface MIXER
name 'SPDIF Out'
value true
}
control.15 {
comment.access 'read write'
comment.type ENUMERATED
comment.count 1
comment.item.0 'SPDIF out'
comment.item.1 'i2s mixer out'
comment.item.2 'SPDIF in'
comment.item.3 'i2s in'
comment.item.4 'AC97 in'
comment.item.5 'SRC out'
iface MIXER
name 'Capture Source'
value 'AC97 in'
}
control.16 {
comment.access 'read write'
comment.type IEC958
comment.count 1
iface MIXER
name 'IEC958 Playback Default'
value '049210020000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000'
}
control.17 {
comment.access 'read write'
comment.type IEC958
comment.count 1
iface MIXER
name 'IEC958 Playback Default'
index 1
value '049210020000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000'
}
control.18 {
comment.access 'read write'
comment.type IEC958
comment.count 1
iface MIXER
name 'IEC958 Playback Default'
index 2
value '049210020000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000'
}
control.19 {
comment.access 'read write'
comment.type IEC958
comment.count 1
iface MIXER
name 'IEC958 Playback Default'
index 3
value '049210020000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000'
}
}

If you're sure that your turned off your onboard sound, then try unloading the oss modules. These could be loading when the OS loads which could be causing a problem with the Alsa modules.

Have a look here:
http://alsa.opensrc.org/DisableOss



peace V

Thanks for reply.
Not quite sure what you mean by turning off on board sound.
I'm trying to configure the onboard Creative CA0106 sound chip and there is no way in the bios to switch off the on board sound.
The kernel is the latest downloaded from kernel.org and has configured as modules:
Device Drivers-------->
Sound------------->
<M> Sound Card Support
Advanced Linux Sound Architecture------------->
<M> Advanced Linux Sound Architecture
<M> Sequencer Support
<M> OSS Mixer API (New)
<M> OSS PCM API (New) [*] Sequencer API
PCI Devices----------------->
<M> SB Audigy LS / Live 24 Bit (New)
No other modules are selected.
When the alsa.org downloaded drivers were tried the only module selected was the <M> Sound Card support.
The system loads without error, claims to have the device installed but sends no sound to the speakers.

Malcolm.

I didnt know motherboards have audigy as onboard sound.
There usually in all bios' a way to turn off the onboard sound.
As said above remove all the OSS sound stuff and use Alsa...or the other way around but not both together.

The Shuttle XPC sd31p bare bones computer has a Creative Labs SB Audigy LS sound chip (CA0106 DAT LF17) built into the motherboard.
There are no jumpers on the motherboard and nor is there any reference to audio in the bios setup to turn off this sound device.
I have no wish to turn the one and only sound device on the computer off. I want to get it working so that sound will issue from the speakers.
At no stage have I attempted to configure the computer with a mixture of OSS and ALSA modules as the above information supplied I hope clearly states.

Malcolm

Well with your audigy ls being the onboard sound, of course now you do NOT want to turn off onboard sound.

Now while you may not have configured the computer with OSS and ALSA
you must understand that OSS is loaded and configured automatically when you install the OS.

You need to apt-get or use Synaptic to install the following, (unless you did this already)

alsa-base
alsa-headers
alsa--modules-2.6.13
alsa-oss
alsa-utils
alsamixergui

then type alsaconf on the command line to configure your card, then reboot or type
/etc/init.d/alsa start

let us know what you get



peace V

Hi cuiq,
original post.
"3. Present install is Debian Testing 'Etch' deb packages with the linux-2.6.13 kernel configured to provide ca0106 and snd* modules, again no sound."

The installation of debian packages is not the problem. I want help in figuring out why the sound is not getting to the speakers. If you look at all the relevant diagnostic data supplied you will see that the computer reports the sound card as being installed.

There is no such package as linux--modules-2.6.13. I'm using the latest kernel linux-2.6.13 downloaded from the kernel.org site.
All the other debian testing packages alsa-base alsa-utils alsa-oss libasound2 are installed.

No oss modules are selected in the kernel configuration either as built in or modules. Only alsa modules selected.

alsaconf finds sound device ca0106 ok. alsamixer all outputs turned up to max and unmuted. alsactl store - /var/lib/alsa/asound.state
attached above for comment.

Do you have a Creative Labs SB Audigy LS sound card on your computer successfully configured and producing sound?

Random thought: it could be a permissions problem. Check that both /dev/dsp and /dev/mixer are 666. If not
I don't know if that will help, but it's worth a shot. Good luck with it -- J.W.

I had a very similar sounding problem with my Audigy 2 ZS (PCI).
There's a volume control (for mine at least) in the Alsamixer preferences called "Audigy Analogue/Digital Output Jack" that didn't show up as a volume slider even tho it was selected in the preferences. I stumbled across it in the terminal alsamixer, and as soon as I turned it up a bit voila, there was sound. Just thought I'd mention that coz it sounds like a similar problem, and it was a bitch to find so you never know. Hope it helps.

Thanks AJ.
All are as you suggest 666.

Hi JW,
I'm sure you are right in homing in on the alsamixer settings. As mentioned in original post I've tried
three different sources for the alsa packages and they all differ to some degree in what appears available
for configuration in alsamixer. The CVS snapshot had a MIC showing up which neither of the other versions
had. I'm beginning to suspect that it will be a case of wait until more alsa support is built into the ca0106.
Last night I downloaded and set up from opensound.com "oss3993b-linux-x86-v26.tar.gz" just to check
that this chip was configurable under linux. After recompiling the kernel without any sound support at all
it installed effortlessly. Obviously it would be preferrable to have an alsa "untainted kernel" solution but it's
nice to type this whilst listening to a CD.
If nVidia can supply drivers for their modern video cards I think Creative Labs could do the same for their
sound cards.

Thanks for the help.

Hello, I just bought a new computer and got a audigy soundcard and was trying to get it to play something, anything.

Alsa had configured it and all. It was a similar problem with the mixer. I'm not sure about alsamixer, but I used kmix which you can easily download. There is a switch called IEC958, you have to TURN IT OFF. Otherwise it tries to use it and that messes the whole thing up.

Hope this might help.

the simple solution is to shun anything created by ALSA and simply use a fullset of oss-free modules from OSS direct from 4front. No messing about with dodgy sound scripts, no trouble with alsa-lib or -utils or-whatisthatfor? Just good old fashioned /dev/dsp0 for everything and let the vmixer auto handle multiple apps.

Remember that the only reason OSS was spurned by linux was that it is not open source. It can still be run for free (as in beer) for all non-commercial uses.

get it, install it, set it up with ./soundconf and you're sorted./

OSS...so good people PAY for it.