LinuxQuestions.org - A sound solution for sound in Ubuntu

I'm an experienced seasoned Linux professional and yet even I am constantly annoyed by never ending issue with the state of sound in Linux. I have a Zotac Mag box that I'm trying desperately to use as a Linux HTPC but I can't ever seem to get the sound working consistently and completely. It is very embarrassing and frustrating to have visitors state very clearly "You wouldn't be having this problem if you'd just use Windows". What makes it worse is that I know they are correct. I am a Linux advocate, I am not concern trolling. I am a die-hard, open-source, free-software, zealot but I'm really frustrated and upset that no one is even willing to admit there is a problem and even worse, some get offended for pointing out any deficiencies in Linux.

If anyone can please point me to definitive documentation, or a guide that can assure fool-proof, perfectly working sound, please do so before I am forced to look at alternatives.

My sound is inconsistent, generally working in some appliations but not in others. I have more luck with digital sound input and output than with analog (dtv). mplayer is the most consistent application that works most of the time but sound in gnome and boxee and mythtv and generally anything else is hit-and-miss. There is a 2-3 second delay for any sound output which makes desktop sounds very inconsistent. I've been fighting this battle for months and I'm not sure there is a solution.

Code:

Ubuntu 10.10

mark@htpc:~$ uname -a

Linux htpc.localdomain 2.6.35-22-generic #34-Ubuntu SMP Sun Oct 10 09:24:00 UTC 2010 i686 GNU/Linux

Code:

aplay mark@htpc:~$ aplay -L

null

    Discard all samples (playback) or generate zero samples (capture)

pulse

    Playback/recording through the PulseAudio sound server

default

hdmi-remap

remap-surround71

hdmi:CARD=NVidia,DEV=0

    HDA NVidia, NVIDIA HDMI

    HDMI Audio Output

dmix:CARD=NVidia,DEV=3

    HDA NVidia, NVIDIA HDMI

    Direct sample mixing device

dsnoop:CARD=NVidia,DEV=3

    HDA NVidia, NVIDIA HDMI

    Direct sample snooping device

hw:CARD=NVidia,DEV=3

    HDA NVidia, NVIDIA HDMI

    Direct hardware device without any conversions

plughw:CARD=NVidia,DEV=3

    HDA NVidia, NVIDIA HDMI

    Hardware device with all software conversions

Code:

mark@htpc:~$ aplay -l

**** List of PLAYBACK Hardware Devices ****

card 0: NVidia [HDA NVidia], device 3: NVIDIA HDMI [NVIDIA HDMI]

  Subdevices: 1/1

  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0

Code:

mark@htpc:~$ lspci

00:00.0 Host bridge: nVidia Corporation MCP79 Host Bridge (rev b1)

00:00.1 RAM memory: nVidia Corporation MCP79 Memory Controller (rev b1)

00:03.0 ISA bridge: nVidia Corporation MCP79 LPC Bridge (rev b2)

00:03.1 RAM memory: nVidia Corporation MCP79 Memory Controller (rev b1)

00:03.2 SMBus: nVidia Corporation MCP79 SMBus (rev b1)

00:03.3 RAM memory: nVidia Corporation MCP79 Memory Controller (rev b1)

00:03.5 Co-processor: nVidia Corporation MCP79 Co-processor (rev b1)

00:04.0 USB Controller: nVidia Corporation MCP79 OHCI USB 1.1 Controller (rev b1)

00:04.1 USB Controller: nVidia Corporation MCP79 EHCI USB 2.0 Controller (rev b1)

00:06.0 USB Controller: nVidia Corporation MCP79 OHCI USB 1.1 Controller (rev b1)

00:06.1 USB Controller: nVidia Corporation MCP79 EHCI USB 2.0 Controller (rev b1)

00:08.0 Audio device: nVidia Corporation MCP79 High Definition Audio (rev b1)

00:09.0 PCI bridge: nVidia Corporation MCP79 PCI Bridge (rev b1)

00:0a.0 Ethernet controller: nVidia Corporation MCP79 Ethernet (rev b1)

00:0b.0 IDE interface: nVidia Corporation MCP79 SATA Controller (rev b1)

00:0c.0 PCI bridge: nVidia Corporation MCP79 PCI Express Bridge (rev b1)

00:10.0 PCI bridge: nVidia Corporation MCP79 PCI Express Bridge (rev b1)

00:15.0 PCI bridge: nVidia Corporation MCP79 PCI Express Bridge (rev b1)

00:16.0 PCI bridge: nVidia Corporation MCP79 PCI Express Bridge (rev b1)

00:17.0 PCI bridge: nVidia Corporation MCP79 PCI Express Bridge (rev b1)

00:18.0 PCI bridge: nVidia Corporation MCP79 PCI Express Bridge (rev b1)

03:00.0 VGA compatible controller: nVidia Corporation ION VGA (rev b1)

04:00.0 Network controller: Atheros Communications Inc. AR9285 Wireless Network Adapter (PCI-Express) (rev 01)

Code:

mark@htpc:~$ lsmod

Module                  Size  Used by

binfmt_misc            6599  1 

parport_pc            26058  0 

ppdev                  5556  0 

snd_usb_audio          86704  2 

snd_usbmidi_lib        17413  1 snd_usb_audio

ir_lirc_codec          3092  3 

lirc_dev                9393  1 ir_lirc_codec

ir_sony_decoder        1889  0 

ir_jvc_decoder          1950  0 

ir_rc6_decoder          2334  0 

ir_rc5_decoder          1950  0 

nvidia              9329739  100 

tuner                  20578  1 

au8522                16289  2 

snd_hda_codec_nvhdmi    12879  1 

arc4                    1165  2 

ath9k                  88756  0 

snd_hda_intel          22107  0 

ath9k_common            5982  1 ath9k

snd_hda_codec          87552  2 snd_hda_codec_nvhdmi,snd_hda_intel

ath9k_hw              292297  2 ath9k,ath9k_common

ath                    8153  2 ath9k,ath9k_hw

mac80211              231541  2 ath9k,ath9k_common

snd_hwdep              5040  2 snd_usb_audio,snd_hda_codec

snd_pcm                71475  3 snd_usb_audio,snd_hda_intel,snd_hda_codec

snd_seq_midi            4588  0 

snd_rawmidi            17783  2 snd_usbmidi_lib,snd_seq_midi

snd_seq_midi_event      6047  1 snd_seq_midi

snd_seq                47174  2 snd_seq_midi,snd_seq_midi_event

snd_timer              19067  2 snd_pcm,snd_seq

rc_rc6_mce              1146  0 

mceusb                11494  0 

snd_seq_device          5744  3 snd_seq_midi,snd_rawmidi,snd_seq

ir_nec_decoder          2014  0 

au0828                32905  0 

dvb_core              88505  1 au0828

v4l2_common            17329  3 tuner,au8522,au0828

psmouse                59033  0 

ir_core                14654  9 ir_lirc_codec,ir_sony_decoder,ir_jvc_decoder,ir_rc6_decoder,ir_rc5_decoder,rc_rc6_mce,ir_nec_decoder,mceusb

snd                    49006  14 snd_usb_audio,snd_usbmidi_lib,snd_hda_intel,snd_hda_codec,snd_hwdep,snd_pcm,snd_rawmidi,snd_seq,snd_timer,snd_seq_device

cfg80211              144470  4 ath9k,ath9k_common,ath,mac80211

videodev              43098  4 tuner,au8522,au0828,v4l2_common

v4l1_compat            13359  1 videodev

videobuf_vmalloc        4619  1 au0828

serio_raw              4022  0 

videobuf_core          16907  2 au0828,videobuf_vmalloc

joydev                  8735  1 

led_class              2633  1 ath9k

tveeprom              11178  1 au0828

shpchp                29886  0 

soundcore                880  1 snd

snd_page_alloc          7120  2 snd_hda_intel,snd_pcm

agpgart                32011  1 nvidia

i2c_nforce2            5179  0 

xc5000                11623  2 

lp                      7342  0 

parport                31492  3 parport_pc,ppdev,lp

usb_storage            40172  1 

usbhid                36882  0 

hid                    67742  1 usbhid

ahci                  19013  0 

forcedeth              49433  0 

libahci                21667  5 ahci

Code:

mark@htpc:~$ cat ~/.asoundrc 

pcm.!hdmi-remap {

type asym

playback.pcm {

type plug

slave.pcm "remap-surround71"

}

}



pcm.!remap-surround71 {

  type route

  slave.pcm "hw:0,3"

  ttable {

  0.0= 1  # front left

  1.1= 1  # front right

  2.6= 1  # rear left

  3.7= 1  # rear right

  4.2= 1  # center

  5.3= 1  # lfe

  6.4= 1  # side left

  7.5= 1  # side right

  }

}