no sound with ALSA, 2.6.1 kernel, intel8x0 (unmuted)
 

Hi all,

this is a strange problem:

• since I've formatted my Gentoo distro, I hear no sound with ALSA build into 2.6.1 kernel, alsa-lib-0.9.8, alsa-utils-0.9.8 and a intel8x0 audio chip. I came back to 2.4.22 (gentoo-sources) + alsa-driver and NOTHING WORKS.
  
• some time ago with 2.4.x kernel, alsa-lib, alsa-drivers, alsa-utils -> ALL was WORKING with my intel8x0 audio chip (I followed the Gentoo Alsa Guide)
  (The only thing I changed is the AGP card --> now an ATI Radeon 9200 SE)

Of course I unmuted the card ... and I tried everything I could image ... (different versions of alsa-lib, alsa-drivers ...., kernel options compiled as modules or build into the kernel, different kernel version ....) but nothing.

Some cues :

• --- from lspci ---
  
  00:1f.5 Multimedia audio controller: Intel Corp. 82801BA/BAM AC'97 Audio (rev 02)
  
• --- from "make menuconfig" ---

<*> Sound card support
-- Advanced Linux Sound Architecture --->
<*> Sequencer support
< > Sequencer dummy client[*] OSS API emulation
<*> OSS Mixer API
<*> OSS PCM (digital audio) API[*] OSS Sequencer API
<*> RTC Timer support
[ ] Verbose printk[*] Debug[*] Debug memory[*] Debug detection
Generic devices --->
ISA devices --->
PCI devices --->
<*> Intel i8x0/MX440, SiS 7012; Ali 5455; NForce Audio; AMD768/8111
ALSA USB devices --->
-- Open Sound System --->

• --- from dmesg ---
  
  Advanced Linux Sound Architecture Driver Version 1.0.0rc2.
  request_module: failed /sbin/modprobe -- snd-card-0. error = -16
  PCI: Setting latency timer of device 0000:00:1f.5 to 64
  ac97 quirk for Fujitsu-Siemens Scenic (110a:0056)
  intel8x0: clocking to 48000
  joystick(s) found
  drivers/usb/core/usb.c: registered new driver snd-usb-audio
  ALSA device list:
  #0: Intel 82801BA-ICH2 at 0x2000, irq 17
  
• --- what about /etc/modules.d/alsa and kernel 2.6.x with ALSA statically build ???? --- and what about /etc/init.d/alsasound ???? ---
  
  I tried every possible configuration of /etc/modules.d/alsa and I tried to load alsasound as I did with kernel 2.4.x and alsa-driver and I tried to don't load it ... but nothing !
  When I start /etc/init.d/alsasound I get NO ERRORS (if I compiled ALSA as modules alsasound loads them) and amixer and alsamixer WORK perfectly .... just NO SOUND !!!! :-(
  
• --- from amixer ---
  
  Simple mixer control 'Master',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pswitch pswitch-joined
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 63
  Front Left: Playback 63 [100%] [on]
  Front Right: Playback 63 [100%] [on]
  Simple mixer control 'Master Mono',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pvolume-joined pswitch pswitch-joined
  Playback channels: Mono
  Limits: Playback 0 - 31
  Mono: Playback 31 [100%] [on]
  Simple mixer control '3D Control - Center',0
  Capabilities: volume volume-joined
  Playback channels: Mono
  Limits: 0 - 15
  Mono: 15 [100%]
  Simple mixer control '3D Control - Depth',0
  Capabilities: volume volume-joined
  Playback channels: Mono
  Limits: 0 - 15
  Mono: 15 [100%]
  Simple mixer control '3D Control - Switch',0
  Capabilities: pswitch pswitch-joined
  Playback channels: Mono
  Mono: Playback [on]
  Simple mixer control 'PCM',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pswitch pswitch-joined
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 31
  Front Left: Playback 31 [100%] [on]
  Front Right: Playback 31 [100%] [on]
  Simple mixer control 'PCM Out Path & Mute',0
  Capabilities:
  Mono:
  Simple mixer control 'Line',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pswitch pswitch-joined cswitch cswitch-joined cswitch-exclusive
  Capture exclusive group: 0
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 31
  Front Left: Playback 31 [100%] [on] Capture [off]
  Front Right: Playback 31 [100%] [on] Capture [off]
  Simple mixer control 'CD',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pswitch pswitch-joined cswitch cswitch-joined cswitch-exclusive
  Capture exclusive group: 0
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 31
  Front Left: Playback 31 [100%] [on] Capture [off]
  Front Right: Playback 31 [100%] [on] Capture [off]
  Simple mixer control 'Mic',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pvolume-joined pswitch pswitch-joined cswitch cswitch-joined cswitch-exclusive
  Capture exclusive group: 0
  Playback channels: Mono
  Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 31
  Mono: Playback 31 [100%] [on]
  Front Left: Capture [on]
  Front Right: Capture [on]
  Simple mixer control 'Mic Boost (+20dB)',0
  Capabilities: pswitch pswitch-joined
  Playback channels: Mono
  Mono: Playback [on]
  Simple mixer control 'Mic Select',0
  Capabilities:
  Mono:
  Simple mixer control 'Video',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pswitch pswitch-joined cswitch cswitch-joined cswitch-exclusive
  Capture exclusive group: 0
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 31
  Front Left: Playback 31 [100%] [on] Capture [off]
  Front Right: Playback 31 [100%] [on] Capture [off]
  Simple mixer control 'Phone',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pvolume-joined pswitch pswitch-joined cswitch cswitch-joined cswitch-exclusive
  Capture exclusive group: 0
  Playback channels: Mono
  Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 31
  Mono: Playback 31 [100%] [on]
  Front Left: Capture [off]
  Front Right: Capture [off]
  Simple mixer control 'PC Speaker',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pvolume-joined pswitch pswitch-joined
  Playback channels: Mono
  Limits: Playback 0 - 15
  Mono: Playback 15 [100%] [on]
  Simple mixer control 'Aux',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pswitch pswitch-joined cswitch cswitch-joined cswitch-exclusive
  Capture exclusive group: 0
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 31
  Front Left: Playback 31 [100%] [on] Capture [off]
  Front Right: Playback 31 [100%] [on] Capture [off]
  Simple mixer control 'Mono Output Select',0
  Capabilities:
  Mono:
  Simple mixer control 'Capture',0
  Capabilities: cvolume cswitch cswitch-joined
  Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Capture 0 - 15
  Front Left: Capture 15 [100%] [on]
  Front Right: Capture 15 [100%] [on]
  Simple mixer control 'Mix',0
  Capabilities: cswitch cswitch-joined cswitch-exclusive
  Capture exclusive group: 0
  Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Front Left: Capture [off]
  Front Right: Capture [off]
  Simple mixer control 'Mix Mono',0
  Capabilities: cswitch cswitch-joined cswitch-exclusive
  Capture exclusive group: 0
  Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Front Left: Capture [off]
  Front Right: Capture [off]
  Simple mixer control 'Digital Audio Mode',0
  Capabilities: pswitch pswitch-joined
  Playback channels: Mono
  Mono: Playback [on]
  Simple mixer control 'Digital Mono Direct',0
  Capabilities: pswitch pswitch-joined
  Playback channels: Mono
  Mono: Playback [on]
  Simple mixer control 'External Amplifier Power Down',0
  Capabilities: pswitch pswitch-joined
  Playback channels: Mono
  Mono: Playback [on]
  Simple mixer control 'Low Power Mixer',0
  Capabilities: pswitch pswitch-joined
  Playback channels: Mono
  Mono: Playback [on]
  Simple mixer control 'Zero Fill DAC',0
  Capabilities: pswitch pswitch-joined
  Playback channels: Mono
  Mono: Playback [on]

Please help me ... I can't understand what should I try ....

hope, my suggestions to you is to go get the new 1.0.1 alsa libraries and drivers and recompile them, I did that and it worked fine for me on 2.6.

I'm having a similar problem on a 2.4 kernel. I do have all of the 1.0.1 libraries and utilities, all of the volume controls are unmuted, yet still I have no sound.

Further investigation continues tomorrow...

Cheers,

Bret

Thank you rufius for your suggestion.
I previously installed the new 1.0.1 alsa libraries and drivers but with the same problem.

I try to explain better:

• My system with kernel 2.4.x and alsa-lib and driver version ??? (I don't remember) was perfectly working
• two weeks ago I changed my hard disk and I reinstalled my distro (ACCEPT_KEYWORDS="~x86") with kernel 2.6.x and alsa lib/drivers 1.0.x and sound was NOT working.
• I came back to kernel 2.4.x and nothing ... NO SOUND.
• I formatted my system and reinstalled my gentoo distro only with stable package (ACCEPT_KEYWORDS="x86") and kernel 2.4.x ....
  I came back to alsa 0.98 because I thought it was a problem of the new alsa lib and drivers. But the problem is the same ... NO SOUND !

I thought to a hardware failure but the sound card is working in win2k :-(

• I just compiled a 2.6.1-r1 gentoo-dev kernel
• I just emerged alsa-lib-1.0.1
• alsa-tools-1.0.1

"alsaconf" detect my card ... configure it whithout errors, I unmute the card .... but nothing ! no sound. The only way is to compile oss kernel support but I like ALSA !

please help

Did you try a lsmod to see if the intel-modules are there, also with the change to the new Alsa you need to use the following to load modprobe snd-intel8x0;modprobe snd-pcm-oss;modprobe snd-mixer-oss;modprobe snd-seq-oss. I found I had to put the modprobe commands in /etc/rc.d/rc.local to have the modules load or they didn't load and no sound, this is for Fedora, I'm not sure where Gentoo puts in the modules you want loaded that aren't loaded automatically.

Also you may want to check /etc/modules.conf or something along those lines, sorry I have never used Gentoo so I'm not sure, for these lines:

# ALSA portion
alias char-major-116 snd
alias snd-card-0 snd-intel8x0
# 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



Also did you try alsamixer to check to make sure that alsa is unmuted?

Not sure if this will help you, just some ideas.

• the modules are correctly loaded. In gentoo the alsa-tools package comes with the "alsasound" script that loads the needed modules.
• the modules.conf is the same of yours. I have just some lines more :
  alias /dev/mixer snd-mixer-oss
  alias /dev/dsp snd-pcm-oss
  alias /dev/midi snd-seq-oss
  options snd cards_limit=1
• I tried alsamixer ... everything is unmuted and at the 100%

I don't know how it is possible !

thanks for your suggestions !
simone

Perhaps this thread from the Gentoo forums may help. I had to do some tinkering as well to get alsa to work with the 2.6 kernel. Its very picky as to whether its is loaded as a module or compiled directly into the kernel.

thx C_A for your suggestion. I followed the thread and now I have a cue. I think the problem is with alsa-lib >= 0.9.8. I tried to come back to 0.9.2 but they don't compile on kernel 2.6.x because they need the alsa-driver package and the 2.4.x kernel tree.
So I have no sound yet ... any suggestion ?

tnx, simon