Sound

Parradux · 03-11-2005, 11:05 PM

I need help getting my sound to work on linux.

I'am a complete newbie, so if someone could help me and show all the steps, that would be great.

Alright some info. I can run alsaconf, however, it searches for all cards, and ends up finding nothing. I have tried reinstalling however, it already states that I have my alsa drivers installed.

Any fix to this would be great. I really want my sound.

btw my distro is slackware 10.1, running 2.6.10.

J.W. · 03-12-2005, 12:08 AM

More details please. Are you using onboard sound, or a separate card? If you've got both, have you disabled onboard in BIOS (assuming you want to use the card)? What mobo, soundcard, etc, are you using? Can you post the output of

Code:

lspci

I don't mean to bombard you with questions, but having some more background will allow people to offer better suggestions. Good luck with it -- J.W.

Parradux · 03-12-2005, 12:21 AM

Keep asking questions. Questions usually produce answers.
Its onboard sound.

Here is by lspci:

00:00.0 Host bridge: Intel Corp. 82855PM Processor to I/O Controller (rev 21)
00:01.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corp. 82855PM Processor to AGP Controller (rev 21)
00:1d.0 USB Controller: Intel Corp. 82801DB (ICH4) USB UHCI #1 (rev 03)
00:1d.1 USB Controller: Intel Corp. 82801DB (ICH4) USB UHCI #2 (rev 03)
00:1d.2 USB Controller: Intel Corp. 82801DB (ICH4) USB UHCI #3 (rev 03)
00:1d.7 USB Controller: Intel Corp. 82801DB (ICH4) USB2 EHCI Controller (rev 03)
00:1e.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corp. 82801BAM/CAM PCI Bridge (rev 83)
00:1f.0 ISA bridge: Intel Corp. 82801DBM LPC Interface Controller (rev 03)
00:1f.1 IDE interface: Intel Corp. 82801DBM (ICH4) Ultra ATA Storage Controller (rev 03)
00:1f.3 SMBus: Intel Corp. 82801DB/DBM (ICH4) SMBus Controller (rev 03)
00:1f.5 Multimedia audio controller: Intel Corp. 82801DB (ICH4) AC'97 Audio Controller (rev 03)
00:1f.6 Modem: Intel Corp. 82801DB (ICH4) AC'97 Modem Controller (rev 03)
01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: ATI Technologies Inc RV350 [Mobility Radeon 9600 M10]
02:00.0 Ethernet controller: Broadcom Corporation NetXtreme BCM5788 Gigabit Ethernet (rev 03)
02:01.0 CardBus bridge: Ricoh Co Ltd RL5c476 II (rev ac)
02:01.1 CardBus bridge: Ricoh Co Ltd RL5c476 II (rev ac)
02:01.2 FireWire (IEEE 1394): Ricoh Co Ltd R5C552 IEEE 1394 Controller (rev 04)
02:02.0 Network controller: Intel Corp.: Unknown device 4220 (rev 05)

Itzac · 03-12-2005, 01:09 AM

I'm going to assume you've already compiled and installed a kernel before. If you haven't there are several threads here to help with that.

In order to be sure you have the right drivers, rerun either 'make gconfig' or 'make xconfig' (whichever you like) and under the device drivers section make sure you have sound card support, as well as alsa configured as modules. You need, specifically, Sequencer support, OSS mixer, OSS PCM, and OSS Sequencer. Note this OSS stuff is under alsa and is there to offer backward compatibility with programs that use oss. Next, under PCI devices, select Intel/...AC97 Controller as a module. Save your changes, if any, and exit. Type 'make' and wait a little while. If any of these were originally built into the kernel, then you'll need to reinstall the kernel and modules. If you only compiled a few new modules, you can get away with just running 'make modules_install', but you still need to reboot afterwards.

Now run alsaconf and tell it to modify /etc/modprobe.conf. You should be ready to listen to some music. The next step is to create a .asoundrc file so that multiple programs can use your sound card simultaneously. You can find out more about that at this page.

It's tempting to build as much as you can into the kernel, but compiling things as modules makes it easier to figure out if a driver is being used (lsmod). This is very useful when troubleshooting hardware problems. You can always go back and compile them into the kernel when you know you have the right ones.

Hope this helps.

Parradux · 03-12-2005, 01:20 AM

I've made sure to compile all these modules, and it still doesnt work. However, I can always try it again.

I used Acids guide to compile the kernel.

Itzac · 03-12-2005, 01:52 AM

Could you please post your lsmod ouput? Also, what programs are you using to test if sound works?

I should also point out that by default alsa mutes all the audio outputs. You might just need to run run alsamixer as root and unmute everything, then run 'alsactl store'.

Parradux · 03-12-2005, 02:10 AM

When I try to run alsamixer I get this:

alsamixer

alsamixer: function snd_ctl_open failed for default: No such device

my lsmod:

fglrx 242940 9
pcspkr 3688 0
psmouse 22152 0
ehci_hcd 46724 0
shpchp 102500 0
i2c_i801 8844 0
tg3 86148 0
joydev 9920 0
evdev 9600 0
pcmcia 22788 4
yenta_socket 22400 0
pcmcia_core 56512 2 pcmcia,yenta_socket

Also an off topic question: whats the command that brings up the program that displays all my systems vitals?

Itzac · 03-12-2005, 02:46 AM

I've pretty well reached the end of my experience with this sort of stuff.

A quick check list for you:
- go into your BIOS and check that onboard audio is enable.
- check the alsa website to make sure your hardware is supported.
- try 'modprobe snd_intel8x0' as root, if it works try alsamixer.
- check that the card runs under windows (if you have it installed).

Sorry I couldn't be more help. Maybe someone else here will have some ideas.

Parradux · 03-12-2005, 03:06 AM

What is the alsa website?

The sound card works in windows, and is enabled in the bios.

Modprobe states that the module isnt installed.

Bruce Hill · 03-12-2005, 04:05 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Parradux
What is the alsa website?

ALSA
hint: someone already gave you the link, sort of...

Quote:

Modprobe states that the module isnt installed.

That's the problem -- you have no modules installed.
So, care to take a chance? Maybe I'm right, or maybe
this hoses your system...

As root user issue
# modprobe snd-intel8x0;modprobe snd-pcm-oss;modprobe snd-mixer-oss;modprobe snd-seq-oss

and then see what happens ;-)

Bruce Hill · 03-12-2005, 04:19 AM

I've read some other posts, and you got some bad information --
specifically about the .asoundrc file. I got Slack-9.1, Slack-10.0,
Slack-10.1 running on various boxen here. One of these fellers
has an onboard Intel soundchip. The only thing I have in that
kernel, and all the others, is all you need to run ALSA -- and that
is the soundcore module, which in your kernel is this rascal here:

Code:

# Sound
#
CONFIG_SOUND=m

Here's all the ALSA information on any Intel onboard chipset -
they all use the same instructions, so read about that .asoundrc
file, and all the other suggestions, and see if that doesn't help.

I have never used an .asoundrc file, and right now I'm listening
to a CD with XMMS, and Thunderbird gives me a ring tone from
Windoze every time I get mail. And if I play a movie in XINE, it
has sound, also -- all at the same time.

Live life large -- get some sound!

Parradux · 03-12-2005, 05:20 PM

Alright i've tried your modprobe and it comes back as fatal, saying the device not found.

I've checked my config, and I CONFIG_SOUND=y, does it have to equal M?

Any other suggestions? I really want to get my sound to work.

Bruce Hill · 03-12-2005, 06:31 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Parradux
Alright i've tried your modprobe and it comes back as fatal, saying the device not found.

I've checked my config, and I CONFIG_SOUND=y, does it have to equal M?

Any other suggestions? I really want to get my sound to work.

I'm not sure it has to equal M, but that is the instruction from ALSA.
Have you read them?

Here is the sound portion of my .config in a 2.6.7 kernel. You
can look at what I have and see if a similar setup will help you:

Code:

#
# Sound
#
CONFIG_SOUND=m  <- you need this, ALSA says as a module 

#
# Advanced Linux Sound Architecture
#
CONFIG_SND=m
CONFIG_SND_TIMER=m
CONFIG_SND_PCM=m
CONFIG_SND_HWDEP=m
CONFIG_SND_RAWMIDI=m
CONFIG_SND_SEQUENCER=m
# CONFIG_SND_SEQ_DUMMY is not set
CONFIG_SND_OSSEMUL=y
CONFIG_SND_MIXER_OSS=m
CONFIG_SND_PCM_OSS=m
CONFIG_SND_SEQUENCER_OSS=y
# CONFIG_SND_VERBOSE_PRINTK is not set
# CONFIG_SND_DEBUG is not set

#
# Generic devices
#
# CONFIG_SND_DUMMY is not set
# CONFIG_SND_VIRMIDI is not set
# CONFIG_SND_MTPAV is not set
# CONFIG_SND_SERIAL_U16550 is not set
# CONFIG_SND_MPU401 is not set

#
# PCI devices
#
CONFIG_SND_AC97_CODEC=m  <- you will need this codec 
# CONFIG_SND_ALI5451 is not set
# CONFIG_SND_ATIIXP is not set
# CONFIG_SND_AU8810 is not set
# CONFIG_SND_AU8820 is not set
# CONFIG_SND_AU8830 is not set
# CONFIG_SND_AZT3328 is not set
# CONFIG_SND_BT87X is not set
# CONFIG_SND_CS46XX is not set
# CONFIG_SND_CS4281 is not set
CONFIG_SND_EMU10K1=m  <- you do not need -- this is my SoundBlaster Audigy ES 
# CONFIG_SND_KORG1212 is not set
# CONFIG_SND_MIXART is not set
# CONFIG_SND_NM256 is not set
# CONFIG_SND_RME32 is not set
# CONFIG_SND_RME96 is not set
# CONFIG_SND_RME9652 is not set
# CONFIG_SND_HDSP is not set
# CONFIG_SND_TRIDENT is not set
# CONFIG_SND_YMFPCI is not set
# CONFIG_SND_ALS4000 is not set
# CONFIG_SND_CMIPCI is not set
# CONFIG_SND_ENS1370 is not set
# CONFIG_SND_ENS1371 is not set
# CONFIG_SND_ES1938 is not set
# CONFIG_SND_ES1968 is not set
# CONFIG_SND_MAESTRO3 is not set
# CONFIG_SND_FM801 is not set
# CONFIG_SND_ICE1712 is not set
# CONFIG_SND_ICE1724 is not set
# CONFIG_SND_INTEL8X0 is not set  <- you will need this for Intel 
# CONFIG_SND_INTEL8X0M is not set
# CONFIG_SND_SONICVIBES is not set
# CONFIG_SND_VIA82XX is not set
# CONFIG_SND_VX222 is not set

You asked earlier

Quote:

whats the command that brings up the program that displays all my systems vitals?

What system vitals do you mean?

I hope this helps you --