Kmix fails to starts on Aspire 3680

lhuser · 10-27-2007, 07:56 PM

Well the title says it preety much. I've installed PC Linux OS 2007, and everthying works PERFECT, except the sound. I've done a config for the ALSA mixer, using the su root alsaconfig command, but in avail. KMix doesn't find any mixer, and Kamix crashes while starting. I'm stumped. Anyone's got a light to this?

elliott678 · 10-27-2007, 10:06 PM

I have this exact laptop, and had the exact same problem, just with Xfce's mixer.

In older versions of Alsa the sound was only able to be controlled with Front with this laptop, no Master or PCM like KMix is expecting, alsamixer should confirm this. Update Alsa and you should be fine, I have 1.0.15 now and it gives me Front and PCM, enough to keep Xfce's mixer happy.

lhuser · 10-28-2007, 09:37 AM

Well, I've downloaded the newest kernel, but I have no clue how to install it. I'm not the Linux savvy and that's the only type of install that I still can't do. You know, it's with the install-sh and makefiles...how do I install it?

lhuser · 10-28-2007, 02:49 PM

Anyone???????

elliott678 · 10-28-2007, 10:11 PM

A kernel upgrade won't help, it is Alsa that needs to be updated.

lhuser · 10-29-2007, 04:54 AM

I should have been a little more specific. I've downloaded the alsa-kernel and I have no clue how to install that. If it's not the file you were thinking of, tell me wich one and I'll grab it.

It's fun to have open source...everything I can get.

elliott678 · 10-29-2007, 05:03 PM

It looks like PCLinuxOS has the packages for Alsa 1.0.15 in the testing repositories. I guess you could try downloading all 3 Alsa related packages and installing them with whatever package manager the distro comes with. I have no idea if this will work, I don't know much about PCLinuxOS, but it is worth a shot. It would be easier than compiling your own.

You can get the alsa-plugins, alsa-utils and alsaconf packages here:
http://pclosusers.com/pclosusers/pcl.../RPMS.testing/

lhuser · 10-29-2007, 08:53 PM

Okay, I have updated the Alsa mixer to 1.0.15, and Kmix STILL doesn't find the mixer. Alsa has my sound card, and it's configured...but upon looking at alsamixer, here's what I have:

http://img135.imageshack.us/img135/4...apshot1mw2.png

elliott678 · 10-29-2007, 09:36 PM

Weird, it should be working, are the proper modules loaded? Not sure which ones exactly are needed, but I know snd_hda_intel is one of them. Does running alsamixer itself give you the ability to change volumes?

lhuser · 10-30-2007, 04:51 AM

When I open alsamixer, this is what it gives me, under the terminal:
alsamixer: function snd_ctl_open failed for default: No such device

I'm not too sure if I have the correct modules loaded. Any ways to find that out?

EDIT: Wait a little second here...I've installed ALL alsa packages. The alsa configurator says it's 1.0.15...but when Alsa is starting, it says 1.0.13. What's missing?

elliott678 · 10-31-2007, 12:28 AM

The output of lsmod would tell which modules are loaded.

Maybe someone who has experience with PCLinuxOS could tell you what you need to do to upgrade Alsa properly, I am taking shots in the dark, the distro I use is entirely different.