[SOLVED] No Sound in Debian 8.1 Pulse Audio and Alsa Competing

Ztcoracat · 07-11-2015, 12:52 PM

The speakers are on and the light is green.
The playback tab shows VLC playing the music video so that works.

I tried them all like you said to but still no dice.

I'll toy with pavucontrol and see what happens. I'll post back later:-

273 · 07-11-2015, 12:58 PM

The next step is to ensure that nothing is muted in alsamixer. Then, I'm afraid, it is a case of checking configuration files which, I'm afraid, I don't have much experience with.

Ztcoracat · 07-11-2015, 01:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 273

The next step is to ensure that nothing is muted in alsamixer. Then, I'm afraid, it is a case of checking configuration files which, I'm afraid, I don't have much experience with.

Nothing in alsamixer is muted.

I'll try editing the /usr/share/alsa/alsa.conf file and the /etc/asound.conf and see if that makes any difference after a reboot.

Do you know, 273 how would I disable Pulse Audio?

Ztcoracat · 07-11-2015, 01:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Head_on_a_Stick

Try booting with this kernel parameter:

Code:

snd_hda_intel.index=1

If that works, create the necessary configuration file:

Code:

# echo "options snd_hda_intel index=1" >> /etc/modprobe.d/alsa-base.conf

I know that this will work with your hardware in a pure ALSA system but I don't use PA so I'm not sure if that will confuse things.

If you don't need the extra features offered by Pulseaudio, you could try removing it (and any asoundrc/asound.conf files) and switch to pure ALSA with the above configuration file.

To add that parameter I would have to edit the kernel line through Grub, right?

EDDY1 · 07-11-2015, 01:23 PM

Create a asoundrc file and make the device you want the default.
I don't have my laptop that I had to create it for with me but I'll search the forum here where I posted it.

Drakeo · 07-11-2015, 01:27 PM

well What I do is as a user 500 and above. not system wide?
Step one set my modprobe.d sound.conf for my card slats.

Code:

alias snd-card-0 snd-hda-intel
alias sound-slot-0 snd-hda-intel
options snd slots=snd-hda-intel,snd-usb-audio,snd-usb-audio

then I also make sure snd-hda-intel.conf

Code:

options snd-hda-intel model=auto

now that's set up and alsa knows what cards get loaded and what order.
then I log in and delete the .config/pulse folder and the .config/pavucontrol.ini
then I delete the /var/lib/alsa/asound.state asound.state.lock
Then I reboot.
I then open as a regular user the pavucontrol and set my stuff up with skype
and audacity etc etc.

Ok so if the pavucontrol will not initialize. then run pulseaudio -vv find out what library it is missing.

we want pulse to listen to alsa if you have a full install of alsa. edit your
/etc/pulse/default.pa add these at the bottom.

Code:

load-module module-alsa-sink device=dmix
load-module module-alsa-source device=dsnoop

this lets alsa ot your DE manager choose a defalt device and
pulseaudio will be your friend.
Hope this helps these are the steps I been using a long time with pulseaudio.

do not forget install your alsa-plugins you need them modules.

Ztcoracat · 07-11-2015, 01:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EDDY1

Create a asoundrc file and make the device you want the default.
I don't have my laptop that I had to create it for with me but I'll search the forum here where I posted it.

I created this file because I didn't have it.

Code:

@debian:~$ cat /etc/asound.conf
pcm.!default {
  type plug
  slave {
    pcm "hw:1,7"
  }
}
ctl.!default {
  type hw
  card 1
}

So I need to create a /etc/asoundrc.conf?

If you can find the forum where you posted it that would be awesome EDDY!

Ztcoracat · 07-11-2015, 07:07 PM

I tried editing the /etc/asound.conf file and changed the pcm "hw:1,7" to a "hw:0,0" and rebooted.
I also tried editing the kernel line and adding snd_hda_intel.index=1 still no sound.

Code:

@debian:~$ cat /home/user/.asoundrc
pcm.!default {
	type hw
	card 0
}

ctl.!default {
	type hw           
	card 0
}

Are the strings in this file correct?

EDDY1 · 07-12-2015, 01:09 AM

Here's the link to my .asoundrc to get my hdmi working
http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...4/#post5363386

EDDY1 · 07-12-2015, 05:39 AM

Here's the link to my .asoundrc to get my hdmi working
http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...4/#post5363386

Shadow_7 · 07-12-2015, 10:11 AM

$ pavucontrol

Is how you access pulseaudios configuration interface gui thingy.

The simplest .asoundrc config that I use when the default soundcard is not card 0

Code:

defaults.ctl.card 1
defaults.pcm.card 1
defaults.pcm.device 0

Although the one you're supposed to use with pulseaudio is more like

Code:

pcm.pulse {  type pulse  }
ctl.pulse {  type pulse  }
pcm.!default {  type pulse  }
ctl.!default {  type pulse  }

Also add this line to your /etc/pulse/client.conf

Code:

autospawn = no

This will allow you to start and stop pulseaudio. By default it starts and automagically restarts if it fails.
$ pulseaudio --kill
$ pulseaudio --start

Having the option to toggle it on/off lets you test if alsa is working and allows you to use jack and other audio options. Although my current setup is pulse over jack. And a bit overly complex. Debian doesn't really configure this stuff by default. Or maybe it does, IF you create your user AFTER you install pulseaudio. Which basically never happens with how I install things.

Ztcoracat · 07-12-2015, 11:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EDDY1

Here's the link to my .asoundrc to get my hdmi working
http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...4/#post5363386

I edited my .asoundrc exactly like yours:-
Still no sound.

Ztcoracat · 07-12-2015, 11:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shadow_7

$ pavucontrol

Is how you access pulseaudios configuration interface gui thingy.

The simplest .asoundrc config that I use when the default soundcard is not card 0

Code:

defaults.ctl.card 1
defaults.pcm.card 1
defaults.pcm.device 0

Although the one you're supposed to use with pulseaudio is more like

Code:

pcm.pulse {  type pulse  }
ctl.pulse {  type pulse  }
pcm.!default {  type pulse  }
ctl.!default {  type pulse  }

Also add this line to your /etc/pulse/client.conf

Code:

autospawn = no

This will allow you to start and stop pulseaudio. By default it starts and automagically restarts if it fails.
$ pulseaudio --kill
$ pulseaudio --start

Having the option to toggle it on/off lets you test if alsa is working and allows you to use jack and other audio options. Although my current setup is pulse over jack. And a bit overly complex. Debian doesn't really configure this stuff by default. Or maybe it does, IF you create your user AFTER you install pulseaudio. Which basically never happens with how I install things.

Thanks shadow_7 I tried what you have suggested and still no sound.

I think it's time for me to look for another distribution to install on this desktop.

Ztcoracat · 07-12-2015, 11:47 AM

I've tried everything that all of you have suggested and I still do not have sound.

Thank you, all of your for trying to help me.
I appreciate your time and assistance.

I'm marking this thread Solved because I have reached a point where I do not want to pursue this anymore.
Two weeks of trying IMO is ample time.

Cheers:-

Shadow_7 · 07-12-2015, 04:53 PM

Sound is muted by default. And the user has to be in the audio group to access it.

$ groups

$ alsamixer -c 1
(where -c is which card as ID'd in /proc/asound/cards)

$ speaker-test -c 2 -D hw:1
(where -c is the number of channels)