slackware and via82xx sound

Hi Folks,
I'm trying to set up a slackware 8.1 system with a VIA 8233 soundcard. I'm using the ALSA drivers, and lspci shows:

00:00.0 Host bridge: VIA Technologies, Inc.: Unknown device 3116
00:01.0 PCI bridge: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT8633 [Apollo Pro266 AGP]
00:0a.0 Communication controller: Lucent Microelectronics LT WinModem (rev 02)
00:0b.0 Ethernet controller: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL-8139/8139C (rev 10)
00:11.0 ISA bridge: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT8233A ISA Bridge
00:11.1 IDE interface: VIA Technologies, Inc. Bus Master IDE (rev 06)
00:11.2 USB Controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. USB (rev 23)
00:11.3 USB Controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. USB (rev 23)
00:11.5 Multimedia audio controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT8233 AC97 Audio Controller (rev 40)
01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: S3 Inc. VT8751 [ProSavageDDR P4M266] VGA Controller

my conf.modules is straight from the alsa page:

# ALSA portion
alias char-major-116 snd
alias snd-card-0 snd-via82xx
# 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

However, when I try to modprobe snd-via82xx, I get:

lib/modules/2.4.18/kernel/sound/pci/snd-via82xx.o: init_module: No such device
/lib/modules/2.4.18/kernel/sound/pci/snd-via82xx.o: Hint: insmod errors can be caused by incorrect module parameters, including invalid IO or IRQ parameters.
You may find more information in syslog or the output from dmesg
/lib/modules/2.4.18/kernel/sound/pci/snd-via82xx.o: insmod /lib/modules/2.4.18/kernel/sound/pci/snd-via82xx.o failed
/lib/modules/2.4.18/kernel/sound/pci/snd-via82xx.o: insmod snd-via82xx failed

This seems pretty easy, but no sound comes out. I had Mandrake 9 on this system before, and the sound worked just fine. Unfortunately, I removed it to put Slackware on, and now I'm stuck.

I'd love any help I can get. Thanks.
ry

Well, to start with I do not think Slack does much of anything with the /etc/conf.modules file or /etc/modules.conf file. Slack does have a rc.modules file though in /etc/rc.d directory. But I never use it myself. I use the alsa drivers for my VIA sound chipset and load them from the /etc/rc.d/rc.local file. The commands follow.

# load ALSA sound drivers
/sbin/modprobe snd-via686
/sbin/modprobe snd-pcm-oss
/sbin/modprobe snd-mixer-oss
/sbin/modprobe snd-seq-oss
# restore mixer settings
alsactl restore

My VIA chip identifies as VT82C686. I think if I recall correctly I had to specify the sound chipset when I built the alsa drivers as well. But after they are loaded I have about a dozen modules related to the sound drivers. Use "lsmod" to list the loaded modules. The bus listing you provided looked very familar to me like from some of the P4 VIA chipset type motherboards I have been testing recently. I think I was able to get the alsa drivers to work OK. Hard to remember all the exact numbers though.

Perhaps it will help you to locate your problem.

Cheers.

slackware 9 with onboard ac97 via 8233 chipset:

00:11.5 Multimedia audio controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT8233 AC97 Audio Controller (rev 50)
Subsystem: C-Media Electronics Inc: Unknown device 0301

as i know there isnt a good OSS/FREE support for this chipset i tried to install ALSA (i read it has to work fine).

i followed the instructions, compiled alsa-driver, alsa-libs, alsa-util, but whe i try to modprobe in the modules i obtain:

modprobe snd-via82xx

/lib/modules/2.4.20/kernel/sound/acore/snd.o: unresolved symbol _mmx_memcpy
/lib/modules/2.4.20/kernel/sound/acore/snd.o: unresolved symbol __write_lock_failed
/lib/modules/2.4.20/kernel/sound/acore/snd.o: unresolved symbol kernel_flag_cacheline
/lib/modules/2.4.20/kernel/sound/acore/snd.o: unresolved symbol __read_lock_failed
/lib/modules/2.4.20/kernel/sound/acore/snd.o: insmod /lib/modules/2.4.20/kernel/sound/acore/snd.o failed
/lib/modules/2.4.20/kernel/sound/acore/snd.o: insmod snd-via82xx failed

what's wrong? my system is a plain slack 9.

i partially resolved my problem: Slack 9 put kernel-headers in /usr/include instead of putting it in /usr/src/linux/inlcude/linux so alsa had problems finding headers while compiling, producing broken modules.

Now everything SEEMS to work fine, modules load into kernel flawlessy, i could configure volume levels with alsamixer (who perfectly recognise my ac97 vt8233/8235 C-Media audio chip), programs works fine in OSS emulation....

but i cant HEAR NOTHING!!!!! there is NO sound coming out from the speaker!

help me


p.s.

and yes, i plugged the speakers' jack into soundcard

ehrm... this could be a case for mulder and scully.

i tried to play some mp3 with mplayer (who's got native alsa output support with -ao alsa9) and i hear something... low volume , incorrect pitch jerky sound....

after that, WITHOUT TOUCHIN A BIT, i tried to play it again with -ao OSS...

it plays fine!!!!!!

now everything works.

it's a miracle?

U have to thanks San. Linus...

I am use slack9 and I have via8233 sound card chip and It works well for me I had too download kernelsource from slack website, It isn't on the slack cd. It is in the k dir. Then I followed the instrotion on the alsa website it it works fine. Remember to UNMUTE both pcm and main channel and turn it up.

uhhhm, how are you unmuted both channels, with alsamixer? amixer,? please explain me because I've this via chipset and it turn me crazy trying hear sound from it!. All drivers installed, modules loadeds, in kmixer volume levels led go up and down when i play mp3 files, but i can hear anything from speakers!

in alsamixer press m on master and pcm

amixer set Master 22 unmute
amixer set PCM 22 unmute
amixer set CD 22 unmute

Add those to your rc.local so you have sound when you boot

After going thru the ALSA installation steps, I used kmix to set the volume levels for my sound card. Then I clicked 'File' and saved the settings.

I've unmuted by amixer and set values, and i see how in alsamixer and kmix volume level changes, but any sound from speakers! . Well i'll look with more atention around all files and kde, maybe it's a misconfiguration in arts...
Thanks for your reply.

/home/user/alsa.0.9/util/ and run alsaconf and u have sound ...

it workt for me

This sucks. Everything SEEMS to be working fine, but I can't hear a damn thing ! (yes I unmuted everything and all that) If you get some error messages at least you 've got a place to start looking.

I'm using latest stable Alsa release on Red Hat 8 and have onboard Via8233 "sound".

Heeelp

Read that you're using KDE... try runnning kmix... it might be muted there instead.