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[HELP] I can't figure out my sound issue, and I've searched for answers.

Hello all! :)

I can't figure out my sound issue. I have a Sound Blaster Live card that I cannot seem to get any noise out of. I've installed MDK and also Linspire to see if I could get it on either one. Nope. I can't figure it out.

I've searched all over, and I've tired a few things and it still doesn't seem to work. I am currently using snd-emu10k1, and I've tried different ones (emu10kl, and audigy) but nothing changes the fact that there are no sounds from my speakers. I've also opened up the command line, and ran the things that the trouble shooting guide suggested.

From reading around, I also know that by default the sound is muted when you turn on the system. I've gone into: "start"/system/configure/configure your computer/ and I turned it on so it will turn on Linux starts. Still no sound.

I have also checked the volume settings, and from I can gather, nothing is muted. I know the speakers and CD work because when I boot into Win XP, they work fine. I'm going nuts.

I'm using the KDE desktop...........if that helps at all.

This is my 3rd day on Linux so I may need some hand holding.

Thanks all.

Spooky!

I also have a sound blaster live (it's the 5.1 digital version). But I've got sound (when I turn the volume up - it's 330 in the morning at the mo!).

From what I remember, there's basically the 2 different sound system's OSS and ALSA. Older versions of mandrake had OSS by default (if I recall correctly) and if you wanted to try the newer ALSA then you had to install manually.

I understand that if you installed mandy 10 official, with a 2.6 kernel (which I think I'm right in saying is default - unless you checked the "LSB" box during install, in which case you'll have a 2.4 kernel) then you'd have automatically installed ALSA - if so then you'd need to use the snd-emu10k1 driver for the card.

Whereas, if you installed the above 2.4 kernel, then you'd probably have installed the OSS and need to use emu10k1 (you'll probably have to forget the Audigy(), because when I had 9.1 it automatically tried to use it, but I alway's had to change it to emu10k1 - anyway, I digress).

Does your system have an onboard sound chip/device ? If so, then you'd probably have to disable it in the system BIOS - I had to with my AC97 i810 chip thingy!

Also I used to get an error dialogue box about "the Arts server", now I don't recall what that is other than it's sound related and I ended up disabling that as well.

Do you get any sound at all i.e. the start up kde jingle ? - If you do, then its not the card/driver. If you get the "jingle" on kde start/login it's probably that you've not got the "device"(?) or app pointing in the right direction.

Maybe that lot help's a little ???

regards

John

p.s. Here's another good place to look for assistance as well as looking in the distro's>mandrake forum here at LQ

bigjohn - thanks for the reply.

I get zero sounds with MDK. No bells when I hit on that test button, no midi sounds, nothing. Heck, I didn't even know there were sounds when you log in, until you just said it. =)

Quote:

I understand that if you installed mandy 10 official, with a 2.6 kernel (which I think I'm right in saying is default - unless you checked the "LSB" box during install, in which case you'll have a 2.4 kernel) then you'd have automatically installed ALSA - if so then you'd need to use the snd-emu10k1 driver for the ca

Is there a way to tell what one I have since it's already installed?

Good idea on the bios, I will check that out and let you know what I find. I don't get any Arts server errors.......... I just get nothing. When I put a CD in, it will start playing like normal, but no sound.

I know my MIC works, as I turned up the volume to full blast and I got that to squeel, and I can do a test talk into and that works. However, any other computer sound is mute.

Again, I'll check the bios and see what's up.

Thanks!

They only thing I could do in the BIOS was to change the IRQ setting. I did that just to see if it would help anything..........and it didn't.

I don't know what else to try.

I also tried to change it to "ALSA" (I believe I did it in the right part - I'm at work now, so I don't remember the path I took). Anyways - when I tried to change it, MDK would just hang......... and hang...........over 4 minutes. That window would just lock up. Is that normal for it to take that long?

Thanks.

Did you check to make sure PCM was turned up, if it isn't turned up you won't have any sound

[edit]

Forgot to mention, if you want to know which kernel you are running on the Virtual terminal type the command uname -r

[/edit]

Quote:

Originally posted by JayCnrs
Did you check to make sure PCM was turned up, if it isn't turned up you won't have any sound

[edit]

Forgot to mention, if you want to know which kernel you are running on the Virtual terminal type the command uname -r

[/edit]

I've made sure that the CD player program is turned up full blast, and that all of the volume settings were also topped out. The only thing that controls the volume now is the knob on the speakers....which I make sure is turned on and up.

Would it matter what Virtual Terminal I am running?
Should I post it?

I am using Virtual Terminal: 2.6.3-7mdk

I decided to do some looking around to see what I could find, or change. I went into the Control Center, and I was looking to see if there were any issues with things that were installed. Everything seemed fine.

Under the Soundcard, it lists:
[SB Live! Value] EMU10k1X

Here is the "more info" data:

Quote:

Vendor: ‎Creative Labs

Alternative drivers: ‎audigy:emu10k1

Bus: ‎PCI

Bus identification: ‎1102:6:1102:1003

Location on the bus: ‎2:2:0

Description: ‎[SB Live! Value] EMU10k1X

Module: ‎snd-emu10k1

Media class: ‎MULTIMEDIA_AUDIO

When I click to get more information, it seems to be listed alright. However, if I scroll down to "Unknown/Others" it lists the following there:

[SB Live! Value] Input device controller

Here is the "more info" data:

Quote:

Vendor: ‎Creative Labs

Bus: ‎PCI

Bus identification: ‎1102:7004:1102:1003

Location on the bus: ‎2:2:1

Description: ‎[SB Live! Value] Input device controller

Module: ‎unknown

Media class: ‎INPUT_OTHER

My Current settins under Sound System (in: "start"/system/configure/configure your computer/sound), I have listed:

Advanced Linux Sound Architechture

I have also tried:
- Auto Detect
- Threaded Open Sound System

What can I do next??!?
Please help - I'll try any idea.

Thank you.

I couldn't get my sound working after entering KDE in Feodra Core 2. If it helps any here is the post I used to fix the problem: http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...edora+no+sound

Quote:

Originally posted by tutwabee
I couldn't get my sound working after entering KDE in Feodra Core 2. If it helps any here is the post I used to fix the problem: http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...edora+no+sound

I looked, but I don't know if anything can help me there. Please note though, I am very new with Linux - this is only my 4th day with it. So, it seems like there my not be anything usefull.......

I did do this though:

aplay /usr/share/sounds/generic.wav

This is the message I got:

Code:

[one_wicked_element@localhost one_wicked_element]$ aplay /usr/share/sounds/generic.wav

Playing WAVE '/usr/share/sounds/generic.wav' : Signed 16 bit Little Endian, Rate 44100 Hz, Mono

ALSA lib pcm_hw.c:523:(snd_pcm_hw_drain) SNDRV_PCM_IOCTL_DRAIN failed: Input/output error

[one_wicked_element@localhost one_wicked_element]$

I also ran the alsamixer and I made sure everything was turned up/on that needed to be.

I did find this link: http://people.debian.org/~crafterm/d...dio.readme.txt

And I'm going to go looking in the BIOS again. I do have a Dell, but it is a 4550. He said that should only effect 4600....but I'll see if I happen to have anything close to that.

I also went back into the sound options (under configure your desktop) and put everything back to the default settings.

There is nothing in the BIOS..........:(

However, I did get this message when I booted back up:

Quote:

During the previousstartup, KNotify crashed while instantiating KNotify. Do you want to try again or disable aRts sound output?

[] Do not ask again

Try Again Disable aRts output

I've gotten this message before and I've always clicked "Try Again". However, I am going to select the "Disable" to see if that helps at all.

Well this is what my hardware listing show's

Quote:

Vendor: ‎Creative Labs
Alternative drivers: ‎audigy:emu10k1
Bus: ‎PCI
Bus identification: ‎1102:2:1102:8064
Location on the bus: ‎2:0:0
Description: ‎SB Live! (audio)
Module: ‎snd-emu10k1
Media class: ‎MULTIMEDIA_AUDIO

And if I do

Code:

lsmod

as root, then it show's that this

Quote:

snd-seq-midi 8160 0
snd-emu10k1-synth 6816 0
snd-emux-synth 36320 1 snd-emu10k1-synth
snd-seq-virmidi 6912 1 snd-emux-synth
snd-seq-midi-emul 7776 1 snd-emux-synth
snd-seq-oss 31232 0
snd-seq-midi-event 7552 3 snd-seq-midi,snd-seq-virmidi,snd-seq-oss
snd-seq 51024 8 snd-seq-midi,snd-emux-synth,snd-seq-virmidi,snd-seq-midi-emul,snd-seq-oss,snd-seq-midi-event
snd-pcm-oss 51812 0
snd-mixer-oss 17952 1 snd-pcm-oss
snd-emu10k1 85508 1 snd-emu10k1-synth
snd-rawmidi 23616 3 snd-seq-midi,snd-seq-virmidi,snd-emu10k1
snd-pcm 93156 2 snd-pcm-oss,snd-emu10k1
snd-timer 24484 2 snd-seq,snd-pcm
snd-seq-device 8008 7 snd-seq-midi,snd-emu10k1-synth,snd-emux-synth,snd-seq-oss,snd-seq,snd-emu10k1,snd-rawmidi
snd-ac97-codec 58148 1 snd-emu10k1
snd-page-alloc 11972 2 snd-emu10k1,snd-pcm
snd-util-mem 4448 2 snd-emux-synth,snd-emu10k1
snd-hwdep 8928 2 snd-emux-synth,snd-emu10k1
snd 52484 16 snd-seq-midi,snd-emux-synth,snd-seq-virmidi,snd-seq-oss,snd-seq-midi-event,snd-seq,snd-pcm-oss,snd-mixer-oss,snd-emu10k1,snd-rawmidi,snd-pcm,snd-timer,snd-seq-device,snd-ac97-codec,snd-util-mem,snd-hwdep
soundcore 9248 1 snd

is all the bit's that I've got installed that are sound related.

To be honest, I don't know either what half of it is for, or what it does but I've got the room so I've just gone with the "if in doubt, install it" logic.

Erm, also your post indicates that you're still on kernel version 2.6.3-7mdk, without checking to my knowledge the current is now 2.6.3-15mdk so it may be worth your while updating everything (which can take a while with dial up, but if you use broadband/dsl or cable then it doesn't take too long).

If so, go here and follow the instructions, that will get your "sources" (I suggest that you make sure that you use sources for contrib, main, updates, plf and jpackage, so you'd be offered everything that's available) up to date, then into mandrake control centre (config my computer)>Software Management>updates and then with the updates box open (make sure that you've got all 3 selection boxes i.e. bugfix, security, normal checked) and apply the updates - don't forget that while "kernel sources" show's in updates, the latest kernel version show's in the "installing" section (don't know why).

I also notice that you mention that your system seem's to be showing the sound device as soundblaster live value, emu10k1X. Is the emu10k1X a typo because I've never come across that, it's normally just emu10k1 (with no X). The driver being emu10k1 for the OSS system and snd-emu10k1 for ALSA (and yes they are different :)) - worth looking into.

You could also check sound problem's in the LQ distributions - Mandrake forum and also at mandrakeusers too see if anyone who know more about this has any idea's!

Maybe that help's a little (or at least point's you in the right direction)

regards

John

I found this post here:

http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...hreadid=202376

It looks like jdmml is having the same issue I am.
This was given as one of the replies:

Quote:

Originally posted by Vlad-A
Do you have a DELL Computer ?

The SB Live! Card has an EMU10k Chip.The SB Live! Value Card (usually DELL ships) has not the same chipset.
Since your Card is reported as EMU10Kx I am pretty sure that it's a vlaue card.

The "normal" SB Live is reported with EMU10K, without the X.

Unfortunately this card is on ALSA's Blacklist. So there isn't an ALSA driver for it.

There were some commercial OSS Drivers for that card for Linux, but after figuring
out how much the driver would cost, it would be cheaper for you to buy
a standard SB Live! Card. This card works very good.

That is me to a "t". I have a Dell system with a Soundblaster Live.
It seems the card is a POS and that is what is causing the no sound issue.
I'm guessing the fix is a different/new soundcard.

I'll go home and swap my sound card with another system I have to see if that will fix the issue.

I'll post an update later.

Thanks.

You may also try to compile ALSA 1.0.6 and use the new sound module snd-emu10k1x and see it works.

In fact, the Creative Open Source page suggests the Dell model (EMU10K1X) will be supported starting with ALSA 1.0.6:

http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...hreadid=214183

When Mandrake 10.1 comes out, it will likely have ALSA 1.0.6 installed by default.