Hello All,

This is my first post here so a brief history is in order. I've been using linux since 2000 when a fellow engineering student gave me a copy of red hat 7.2. Since then I've tried all the red hats since, as well as fedora, mandrake, debian and yellow dog (for my brief foray into Power PC architecture).

I'm currently using Slackware 10, it was the easiest install thus far. I know (from having read many a post trying to fix various little hiccups) that most people in this forum will argue to the death that Slackware is not as easy to install as other distros. I respectfully back up my position, because having used Unix on Alpha architecture at UNB (University of New Brunswick) to do linear and non-linear finite element modeling, I am much more familiar with Unix than Linux.

However that being said, I still am running into a small audio glitch. I have sound but I cannot control the volume using ALSAMIXER or KMIX (etc). I've set the audio using ALSAMIXER and saved the settings (they stay saved even thru reboots), but the only way I can control the volume is using the knob on my speakers. Even on bootup I notice that it tells me that the audio may be muted (however it is not).

I am using a K7S41GX motherboard with built-in 5.1 audio (C-Media Xear 3D). My distro is Slackware 10 and I used the default install (all 3 gigs worth).

If anybody has any suggestions on why the audio works but not the mixer that would be greatly appreciated. Also if I have not posted enough information please let me know what information would be relevant.

Thanks in advance,

Mechatrex


P.S. If somebody could direct me to a good security tutorial that actually tells me what packages I can remove and what services to terminate that would be helpful (I think I might scream if I read "turn off services that you don't need" one more time. What services do I not need if I'm running running a personal desktop thru a DHCP router?)

Hi Mechatrex, welcome to lq. Some relevent info we'll need is the lspci -v, and lsmod output. In response to your second request, have a stroll to the security references put together in the security forum.

http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...threadid=45261

good luck.

Here are the outputs outputs you requested Peacedog.

lspci -v

00:00.0 Host bridge: Silicon Integrated Systems [SiS] 741/741GX/M741 Host (rev 03)
Subsystem: Unknown device 1849:0741
Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 0
Memory at d0000000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=64M]
Capabilities: [c0] AGP version 3.5

00:01.0 PCI bridge: Silicon Integrated Systems [SiS]: Unknown device 0003 (prog-if 00 [Normal decode])
Flags: bus master, 66Mhz, fast devsel, latency 32
Bus: primary=00, secondary=01, subordinate=02, sec-latency=32
I/O behind bridge: 0000b000-0000bfff
Memory behind bridge: cfd00000-cfefffff
Prefetchable memory behind bridge: bfa00000-cfbfffff

00:02.0 ISA bridge: Silicon Integrated Systems [SiS] SiS85C503/5513 (LPC Bridge) (rev 25)
Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 0

00:02.5 IDE interface: Silicon Integrated Systems [SiS] 5513 [IDE] (prog-if 80 [Master])
Subsystem: Unknown device 1849:5513
Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 128
I/O ports at ff00 [size=16]

00:02.7 Multimedia audio controller: Silicon Integrated Systems [SiS] Sound Controller (rev a0)
Subsystem: Unknown device 1849:7012
Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 32, IRQ 10
I/O ports at dc00 [size=256]
I/O ports at d800 [size=128]
Capabilities: [48] Power Management version 2

00:03.0 USB Controller: Silicon Integrated Systems [SiS] USB 1.0 Controller (rev 0f) (prog-if 10 [OHCI])
Subsystem: Unknown device 1849:7001
Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 32, IRQ 10
Memory at cfff9000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=4K]

00:03.1 USB Controller: Silicon Integrated Systems [SiS] USB 1.0 Controller (rev 0f) (prog-if 10 [OHCI])
Subsystem: Unknown device 1849:7001
Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 32, IRQ 3
Memory at cfffa000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=4K]

00:03.2 USB Controller: Silicon Integrated Systems [SiS] USB 2.0 Controller (prog-if 20 [EHCI])
Subsystem: Unknown device 1849:7002
Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 32, IRQ 5
Memory at cfffb000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=4K]
Capabilities: [50] Power Management version 2

00:04.0 Ethernet controller: Silicon Integrated Systems [SiS] SiS900 PCI Fast Ethernet (rev 90)
Subsystem: Unknown device 1849:0900
Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 32, IRQ 10
I/O ports at d400 [size=256]
Memory at cfff8000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=4K]
Expansion ROM at fffe0000 [disabled] [size=128K]
Capabilities: [40] Power Management version 2

01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: Silicon Integrated Systems [SiS] 661FX/M661FX/M661MX/741/M741/760/M760 PCI/AGP VGA Display Adapter (prog-if 00 [VGA])
Subsystem: Unknown device 1849:6331
Flags: 66Mhz, medium devsel, IRQ 11
BIST result: 00
Memory at c0000000 (32-bit, prefetchable) [size=128M]
Memory at cfee0000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=128K]
I/O ports at bc00 [size=128]
Capabilities: [40] Power Management version 2
Capabilities: [50] AGP version 3.0



lsmod

Module Size Used by Not tainted
usb-storage 66176 0 (unused)
snd-pcm-oss 37736 0
snd-mixer-oss 12504 0 [snd-pcm-oss]
snd-intel8x0 18924 1
snd-ac97-codec 49500 0 [snd-intel8x0]
gameport 1420 0 [snd-intel8x0]
snd-pcm 56072 0 [snd-pcm-oss snd-intel8x0]
snd-timer 13604 0 [snd-pcm]
snd-page-alloc 6328 0 [snd-intel8x0 snd-pcm]
snd-mpu401-uart 3200 0 [snd-intel8x0]
snd-rawmidi 12740 0 [snd-mpu401-uart]
snd-seq-device 3888 0 [snd-rawmidi]
snd 30852 1 [snd-pcm-oss snd-mixer-oss snd-intel8x0 snd-ac97-codec snd-pcm snd-timer snd-mpu401-uart snd-rawmidi snd-seq-device]
soundcore 3396 4 [snd]
usb-ohci 19240 0 (unused)
ehci-hcd 17580 0 (unused)
usbcore 59308 1 [usb-storage usb-ohci ehci-hcd]
sis900 12396 1
crc32 2880 0 [sis900]
pcmcia_core 39972 0
ntfs 51424 1 (autoclean)
ide-scsi 9328 0

Any help you can provide would be greatly apreciated. It may be relevant to note that this problem happened right out of the starting gate and has been constant even after running alsaconf.

On a confusing note: alsaconf gives me the option of choosing intel8x0 (SiS) or legacy (non-PnP). I've always gone with the intel8x0 and my sound "works". Is the legacy eroneous in my case, perhaps included for ancient ISA type sound boards that wouldn't otherwise be autodetected?

I'll be looking into the thread link you sent me. After all I've got to optimize my box and batten down the hatches. Being an engineer and a lifelong tinkerer, Linux has put the fun back into personal computing that Windoze has stolen from us.

BTW if anybody here understands why Bill Gates will forever be refered to by myself as WILSON, then email me mechatrex@gmail.com. Got lots of shows and I'm always looking for more.

Just for "tinkering sake" you might try the legacy (non-PnP) option to see if it gives you more control. You could always reconfigure using the original option. Some people have better luck with the oss drivers than the alsa drivers and vice/versa, YMMV.

Just another thought, after running alsamixer for the current session, do you again run alsactl store? Have you tried xmms and the scroll wheel to control sound levels? Hope something here at least helps.
good luck.

Hello Peacedog,

As per your suggestion I tried the legacy option in alsaconf. It brings up a list of old ISA cards, opl3-sax chipset etc.
I tried to use many of the chipsets listed but none will complete: "cannot find ISA board X on available ISA slots" (or something to that affect, I'm at work so I don't know the exact error).

Regardless, when I set it up as SiS 7012 it works as I've described above. The strange thing I've noticed now (and maybe I'm being a complete noob thinking this) but the volume control function in KDE 3.2 brings up SiS 7012 (alsa) and C-Media 3d (OSS). The controls for OSS work as I've described (constant sound until volume level is 0). The controls for alsa do not function at all.

As for using alsactl store after using alsamixer.... yes I have been doing that. Also the scroll wheel of my mouse in Xmms controls the OSS volume and functions as I've described above. I have just noticed from surfing that SiS has drivers for linux on their website (sis.com). I'm going to give them a try when I get home. Any experience with these particular drivers?

Mechatrex

P.S. Noob question for you. How would one go about using only OSS instead of ALSA. Feel free to redirect me to that thread if it exists.

The oss modules are present in the 2.4 kernel series, so if the module exists that supports your card, it would be a matter of modprobing the correct module, then using something like kmix or aumix. Then you'll probably have to edit modules.conf, to take out the alsa bit, and uncomment the correct module in rc.modules. You might even have to rmmod the alsa modules and blacklist them. Post back on the sis drivers, be advised you may need to do all of the above to get them to work.
good luck.

Cheers Peacedog,

Well I think I completely FUBARed my box. I decided to try the SiS drivers. So standard procedure kicks in: Download the drivers, read the README, start install, wonder why it didn't work, re-read the README ... post here.

So anyways, the SiS drivers gave me alot of problems during the compile, and I did want to risk a "make install" with the error messages I was getting (I'll post the output this evening after I get home from work). So my next step was to try your suggestion and use OSS. So I open "modules.conf" to see what is there and low and behold... I'm already using OSS if I believe the dump saved there by alsaconf (standard "do not edit" tag there of course).

So I tried to install the alsa driver (version 1.0.7) with the switch to specifically NOT use OSS. Which compiled fine but gave me errors when I tried to install.

My question is pretty simple (even if my explanation was rather long-winded..... sorry). Should I remove ALSA before trying to reinstall it? If so, how? Is trying to skip over OSS a good or bad idead?

Again, I'll post the output of the erros I got when I get home if you think it might be helpful.

Regards,

Mechatrex

Yes the errors would be helpful. You should uninstall the alsa packages that came with the cd if your going to install the packages from the alsa site.
good luck.

Sorry it took so long to reply, I've been very busy with work and have had very little time to play around with my Linux box.

Anyways an update: I unistalled the ALSA packages but the ones from the website would not install (thus I completely messed up my install). So a couple of days and a format/reinstall later I tried again. No luck. I get the same problem, can't control the volume with any software.
However, as I log out of X I get several error about Kmix not being able to find alsamixer (broken pipe). I will post the specific output once I figure out what log file it would be dumped to. Peacedog, if you could tell me where to find that log I would be much obliged.

In the mean time I tried Mandrake 10 (same audio problem, and the nVidia drivers would not load), Fedora Core 2 (same problem). I'm starting to think that the ALSA drivers just aren't capable of running properly with this perticular on-board audio chip. If I wasn't so concerned with trying to get SLAB or another multi-track recorder working, I would just leave it as is.

Mechatrex

Have a look at /var/log/ see what you find. When you installed alsa did you install just the drivers or did you also install the libs, tools, and utilities, packages?
good luck.

Peacedog,

You must be sick of my posts that have no more useful info in them. That being said, here is another one.

I looked into /var/log. I found an Xorg config log, but it doesn't contain the errors I mentioned (broken pipe).
I'm thinking the errors are generated by KDE and thus would be located in a log file for KDE. I'll be googling today to find out where those logs are kept and when I get home from work tonight, I'll post all the logs I can find.

As a side note, do you have any experience with multi-track recording in linux? I can record, mix and master in Cakewalk Home Studio (on my XP machine), and have even got it setup with 2 sound cards to simultaneously record 4 imput channels (car1 left, card 1 right, card 2 left, card 2 right).

How does ALSA handle more than one sound card installed? Can linux use onboard sound and a pci sound card simultaneously?

Mechatrex

Depends on the cards, and the setup. For some users it's a bear to configure for others not so much. For the recording bit check out these.

http://audacity.sourceforge.net/

http://ardour.org/

good luck.

Cheers Peacedog,

I really have to thank you. I got the sound working properly now. I can control the volume with any mixer and with the mouse wheel in xmms.

I got home from work last night and re-read your posts. I had reinstalled the alsa driver, the tools, library and utils, but I didn't isntall the OSS compatability library. So I go back to the d-load page, get the package installed it ran alsaconf, alsamixer, alsactl store, alsactl restore; and voila I'm listening to Led Zeppelin.

Again, many thanks for your help Peacedog.

Now I can start with the recording. Ever hear of SLab?

With respect,

Mechatrex

Glad you're all sorted, Led Zeppelin is a nice choice indeed, "Over the hills and far away", my personal fav.

No, can't say that I have.

http://www.slabexchange.org/

good luck.