Problem with sound on Kubuntu

panchosansa · 10-12-2007, 02:05 PM

Hello,

I need your help with solving a sound problem I've been having with Kubuntu.

My basic setup is:
- Kubuntu Gutsy
- onboard Intel soundcard

Quote:

00:1b.0 Audio device: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) High Definition Audio Controller (rev 01)

- 5.1 Creative Speakers

I used to run Feisty, but a couple of days ago when I came back from the office, I discovered that the sound had disappeared mysteriously. I was hoping that upgrading to Gutsy might solve the problem, but it didn't.

I get the following errors:
from amarok:

on startup - xine was unable to load any audio drivers
while playing a song - xine : device is busy

from xmms:

the usual error message: check that your sound card is not in use, your sound drivers have been loaded properly...

However, I don't get these error messages every time I try to play something - sometimes the song is played but there is no sound. I started thinking that some process has blocked the sound card but

Code:

lsof /dev/snd/*

returns nothing.

Alsa is started, the players are configured to use it, alsamixer shows everything as it should be and I don't have /etc/asound.conf or /root/.asoundrc files.

Yesterday, I booted into recovery mode and - surprisingly - there was sound, but when I returned into normal mode - same old story.

I am really stuck, so I would appreciate any ideas that you might have.

trebek · 10-14-2007, 02:55 AM

Hi there man.

I am currently having problems with my kubuntu OS playing sound. I followed some steps i found in some site (i will not mention cause i don't know if that's ok here) that might help you out.

First, it tells you to kill all esd processes. After that, it says that you should have your /etc/esound/esd.conf as follows:

Code:

[esd]
auto_spawn=1
spawn_options=-terminate -nobeeps -as 2 -d default
spawn_wait_ms=100
# default options are used in spawned and non-spawned mode
default_options=

I followed these and some other instructions and i still get no sound. Now, my case is a little different, i get no sound at all and even opening the mixer comes with errors, as in there is no sound device at all.

I will post some more findings as i research for a fix, and if you want, you can check the upcoming thread that i'll be opening with my specific problem; it might help you out too. Also, feel free to send me a message and i'll gladly specify the tutorial i was reading and the threads on others sites that i've been following.

Good luck to you mate.

mkalen · 10-14-2007, 04:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by panchosansa

I need your help with solving a sound problem I've been having with Kubuntu.

My basic setup is:
- Kubuntu Gutsy
- onboard Intel soundcard

(I can't post exact links yet, so you have to do a bit of guesswork on my references at the end of my post...)

Did you try the Ubuntu HdaIntelSoundHowto [1]?

If that does not work, some people seem to have ACPI-related problems with integrated Intel HD Audio; see eg Ubuntu Forums thread #349491 [2]. You can verify if ACPI is your problem by booting with "acpi=off" kernel option.

If your sound works without ACPI then you can start trying to solve ACPI problems by upgrading BIOS, tweaking BIOS options or checking acpi.sourceforge.net [3] for a new DSDT for your motherboard.

HTH,
Martin

Links

[1] https help.ubuntu.com/community/HdaIntelSoundHowto
[2] http ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=349491
[3] http acpi.sourceforge.net/dsdt/index.php

BeePee007 · 10-14-2007, 06:18 AM

I think we might have the same problem - have a look here.

I have the same sound chip and a similar problem, btw with every distro I have tried and no problem whatsoever with windows.

In my case the problem is heat, when I boot the cold laptop it plays sound but as soon as it warms up sound goes dead: it plays the login welcome sound and if I test a sound player right away I have sound, if I wait for a minute it's too late. And I have sound for as long as I play sound, today for about 2 hours but as soon as I stop playing sound for a few seconds it's all over. (I found this out by leaving the laptop on the back seat of my car in the garage).

Btw, as far as could trace it, I think the Intel 82801G is an AD1986A chip. At least mine is

Quote:

Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) High Definition Audio Controller (rev 02)

You might be well advised to see if sound works on a stone cold laptop.

BeePee007 · 10-14-2007, 07:10 AM

OK, I managed to solve for a short moment my problem by adding 'nolacpi' to the /boot/grub/menu.lst file.

Mine looks like this:

Code:

title linux 2.6.22.9
kernel (hd0,4)/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.22.9.tex1 BOOT_IMAGE=linux_2.6.22.9 root=/dev/hda5 nolacpi acpi=on splash=silent vga=788
initrd (hd0,4)/boot/initrd-2.6.22.9.tex1.img

hope this helps you guys.

It took longer this time but my sound is dead again

I was a bit too fast in my happyness...

panchosansa · 10-15-2007, 03:10 AM

Thank you for the advice, everyone. I was out for the weekend and just saw your replies, so I will give them a try once I get home.

panchosansa · 10-19-2007, 03:55 PM

I tried all of the above suggestions, but to no success. I am currently booting with nolacpi acpi=on and I also tried a number of variations on this one, but to no success.

At least at the moment, I have a reproducible situation - every time I boot and amarok starts, I get the same error message:

Quote:

xine: unable to initialize any audio drivers

I have the feeling that something has gone wrong with alsa or maybe even some of the kernel modules. I re-installed alsa, but it had no effect. I will build it from source shortly and see if it helps. Any ideas are highly appreaciated.

trebek · 10-20-2007, 11:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by panchosansa

I tried all of the above suggestions, but to no success. I am currently booting with nolacpi acpi=on and I also tried a number of variations on this one, but to no success.

At least at the moment, I have a reproducible situation - every time I boot and amarok starts, I get the same error message:

I have the feeling that something has gone wrong with alsa or maybe even some of the kernel modules. I re-installed alsa, but it had no effect. I will build it from source shortly and see if it helps. Any ideas are highly appreaciated.

Hi there, can you post the way you are performing these 2 steps? Installing alsa and reconfiguring the kernel modules for sound? I am having a similar problem, not quite sure if it's the same, but the symptoms really look alike. I do get errors from applications telling me that there doesn't seem to be any audio device present on the system.

Thanks.