VIA AC97 sound problems

m_yates · 12-02-2005, 08:05 AM

I recently purchased an ASUS A8V-MX that has onboard video and sound. After two weeks of trials and tribulations, I have everything working except sound. I am running Ubuntu Breezy AMD64. When I try to play sound, it plays for an instant and then freezes. Here is the hardware information:

Code:

matt@duster:~$ lspci | grep Multimedia
0000:00:11.5 Multimedia audio controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT8233/A/8235/8237 AC97 Audio Controller (rev 70)

I am using alsa that came with Ubuntu:

Code:

||/ Name           Version        Description
+++-==============-==============-============================================
ii  alsa-base      1.0.9b-4       ALSA driver configuration files

Here are the sound modules used:

Code:

root@duster:/home/matt# lsmod | grep snd
snd_seq_dummy 4484 0
snd_seq_oss 32128 0
snd_seq_midi 9920 0
snd_seq_midi_event 8064 2 snd_seq_oss,snd_seq_midi
snd_seq 52032 6 snd_seq_dummy,snd_seq_oss,snd_seq_midi,snd_seq_midi_event
snd_via82xx 29472 1
gameport 16392 1 snd_via82xx
snd_ac97_codec 87000 1 snd_via82xx
snd_pcm_oss 51232 0
snd_mixer_oss 17664 1 snd_pcm_oss
snd_pcm 91020 3 snd_via82xx,snd_ac97_codec,snd_pcm_oss
snd_timer 24200 2 snd_seq,snd_pcm
snd_page_alloc 11408 2 snd_via82xx,snd_pcm
snd_mpu401_uart 7936 1 snd_via82xx
snd_rawmidi 27040 2 snd_seq_midi,snd_mpu401_uart
snd_seq_device 9488 5 snd_seq_dummy,snd_seq_oss,snd_seq_midi,snd_seq,snd_rawmidi
snd 55784 13 snd_seq_oss,snd_seq,snd_via82xx,snd_ac97_codec,snd_pcm_oss,snd_mixer_oss,snd_pcm,snd_timer,snd_mpu40
1_uart,snd_rawmidi,snd_seq_device
soundcore 10912 1 snd

Asus lists the audio chip as "Realtek ALC653", alsamixer shows "Realtek ALC655 rev 1". Oddly, the Asus web site has Linux audio drivers for this motherboard, but the README file shows that these drivers are actually from the alsa-project version 1.0.9. Therefore, it seems like alsa should work.

I have tried upgrading to alsa version 1.0.10 from Debian Sid and I have the same problem. I also tried installing Debian Etch/Sid and had the same problem. Running the latest Knoppix CD (version 4) produces the same problem. In every case, sound plays for about one second and then it freezes.

thijser · 12-04-2005, 09:30 AM

I have exactly the same problem, also on the ASUS A8V-MX motherboard. I don't know how to solve it either

. Can someone please help?

m_yates · 12-06-2005, 08:10 AM

Apparently this is a driver bug. Someone else had posted a bug report here:

https://bugtrack.alsa-project.org/al...ew.php?id=1557

I discovered the bug report above after I posted my own here:

https://bugtrack.alsa-project.org/al...ew.php?id=1622

I think the only options are (1) buy a PCI sound card that is linux-compatible or (2) Wait until someone fixes the bug.

If anyone else out there knows any solution, please post!

m_yates · 12-06-2005, 01:25 PM

Here is an update: I got some feeback on the Alsa bug page that said it sounds like an interrupt routing problem, most likely caused by acpi. It was suggested I try boot with "acpi=off" or "pci=noacpi" I tried both and still have the same problem with sound. Looking at /proc/interrupts shows that the onboard sound shares IRQ 22 with the USB 2 controller. I went into BIOS and disabled USB 2. Onboard sound now uses IRQ 22 by itself. However, sound still doesn't work, even when booting with "acpi=off" and USB 2 disabled.

I'm not that familiar with BIOS settings and IRQs, so any other suggestions would be appreciated.

m_yates · 01-03-2006, 05:05 PM

New update...Someone posted error output today on the alsa-project bug page linked above (https://bugtrack.alsa-project.org/al...ew.php?id=1622) If anyone knows what it means, please post. It seems like a number of people have reported the same problem.

I gave up and purchased a Soundblaster Live! card today. I just plugged it in the PCI slot, booted Ubuntu and everything is auto-configured correctly. Nice! Easier than windows. It is the first time I have heard sound in more than a month...streaming Gruene With Envy now...

I had already disabled the Asus on board sound to prevent freezes. The PCI card seems to work flawlessly.

Tinkster · 01-07-2006, 02:43 PM

Quick question: are you guys working that board with PATA or SATA,
if SATA, how did you do it? I'm having a real hard time trying to
install either OpenSuSE 10 x86_64 or slamd on a A8V-MX based machine.

SuSE won't find it's CD after successfully having booted of it, and
slamd will install fine, but after installation I get a LIL (yes, I
know that error). I also can't boot the installed system with the
SLAMD CD because it complains about missing UFS drivers for the root
device (HUH, I used Reiser3?) and kernel-panics on me.

Cheers,
Tink

m_yates · 01-08-2006, 09:31 AM

Sorry, I am using PATA. Even that was a problem though. DMA didn't work without using the kernel patch here: http://article.gmane.org/gmane.linux.ide/6599 I don't know if that patch has made it into the official kernel yet. The HCL (http://www.linuxquestions.org/hcl/sh...p/product/3209) says SATA drives aren't recognized or don't work.

There is also a long post at viarena: http://forums.viaarena.com/messagevi...VIEWTMP=Linear

The latest news (from Jan 3, 2006) is a post that says kernel 2.6.15 now supports PATA, but still not SATA.

This motherboard is definitely not "linux compatible"

Tinkster · 01-08-2006, 01:07 PM

Oh well ... I had a spare PCI-SATA controller (from the dead
predecessor, capacitors blew on the MoBo) and with 2.6.15 the
box is now quite happy with PATA,SATA and sound. ...

I ended
up install Ubuntu (that did install AND boot afterwards ;}) and
will try to tackle slamd again as soon as I have a chance, using
lilo on the third disks root rather than in any MBR.

Thanks for the response!

Cheers,
Tink

m_yates · 01-08-2006, 02:24 PM

Tinkster, did you say sound works with kernel 2.6.15 as well? I was never able to get on-board sound working and had to blow my Best Buy Christams gift card on a soundblaster. I would definitely be interested to know if/how on board sound can be made to work.

Tinkster · 01-08-2006, 02:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by m_yates

Tinkster, did you say sound works with kernel 2.6.15 as well?

Sure did :}

Was watching TV using that board last night ;)

Cheers,
Tink

Tinkster · 01-12-2006, 01:52 PM

Have to add something to this one: look at
http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...38#post2040138

Sound as such still isn't working, ONLY TV sound is (which isn't
generated by the soundcard, but just looped through it).

Cheers,
Tink

agebhard · 02-20-2006, 01:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tinkster

Quick question: are you guys working that board with PATA or SATA,
if SATA, how did you do it? I'm having a real hard time trying to
install either OpenSuSE 10 x86_64 or slamd on a A8V-MX based machine.

Cheers,
Tink

I'm using it with two SATA drives (Seagate Barracuda 80GB ST380817AS) and four RAID1 md devices on them (md + raid1 not dmraid!, so I don't use the RAID functionality of the SATA controller).

You need to apply the patch (this is for kernel 2.6.15.1)

grivell.home.comcast.net/via_ahci.patch

which is mentioned in the thread at

forums.viaarena.com/messageview.aspx?catid=28&threadid=68455

then the ahci driver recognizes your drives:

PCI: Via IRQ fixup for 0000:00:0f.0, from 10 to 1
ahci 0000:00:0f.0: AHCI 0001.0000 32 slots 4 ports 3 Gbps 0xf impl IDE mode
ahci 0000:00:0f.0: flags: 64bit ncq pm led clo pmp pio slum part
ata1: SATA max UDMA/133 cmd 0xFFFFC20000062D00 ctl 0x0 bmdma 0x0 irq 201
ata2: SATA max UDMA/133 cmd 0xFFFFC20000062D80 ctl 0x0 bmdma 0x0 irq 201
ata3: SATA max UDMA/133 cmd 0xFFFFC20000062E00 ctl 0x0 bmdma 0x0 irq 201
ata4: SATA max UDMA/133 cmd 0xFFFFC20000062E80 ctl 0x0 bmdma 0x0 irq 201
ata1: dev 0 cfg 49:2f00 82:346b 83:7d01 84:4003 85:3469 86:3c01 87:4003 88:007f
ata1: dev 0 ATA-6, max UDMA/133, 156301488 sectors: LBA48
ata1: dev 0 configured for UDMA/133
scsi0 : ahci
ata2: dev 0 cfg 49:2f00 82:346b 83:7d01 84:4003 85:3469 86:3c01 87:4003 88:007f
ata2: dev 0 ATA-6, max UDMA/133, 156301488 sectors: LBA48
ata2: dev 0 configured for UDMA/133
scsi1 : ahci
ata3: no device found (phy stat 00000000)
scsi2 : ahci
ata4: no device found (phy stat 00000000)
scsi3 : ahci
Vendor: ATA Model: ST380817AS Rev: 3.42
Type: Direct-Access ANSI SCSI revision: 05
Vendor: ATA Model: ST380817AS Rev: 3.42
Type: Direct-Access ANSI SCSI revision: 05
SCSI device sda: 156301488 512-byte hdwr sectors (80026 MB)
SCSI device sda: drive cache: write back
SCSI device sda: 156301488 512-byte hdwr sectors (80026 MB)
SCSI device sda: drive cache: write back
sda: sda1 sda2 < sda5 sda6 sda7 >
sd 0:0:0:0: Attached scsi disk sda
SCSI device sdb: 156301488 512-byte hdwr sectors (80026 MB)
SCSI device sdb: drive cache: write back
SCSI device sdb: 156301488 512-byte hdwr sectors (80026 MB)
SCSI device sdb: drive cache: write back
sdb: sdb1 sdb2 < sdb5 sdb6 sdb7 >
sd 1:0:0:0: Attached scsi disk sdb

Of course installation from scratch is a bit tricky, you'll need either a PATA intermediate step or e.g. a diskless bootable nfsroot installation (as I did).

Now I'm running both Ubuntu Dapper i386 and amd64 on it. But still no solution to the sound problem...

Bruce Hill · 02-20-2006, 03:46 PM

Didn't know the VIA VT8251 used AHCI.
Sorry to hijack the thread. You could
even email me, but could someone send
me "hdparm -tT /dev/sda" on that? I use
quite a few SATA drives, and am drooling
to see Linux get good support for it.