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ALSA - Sound Card found but not there?

I have run a gamut of possible solutions but seem to have reached the end of my rope so here goes:

I am trying to get Alsa running with an onboard Envy 24 sound card. There are various Maudio pci cards that are supported (with this chipset) but no onboard. This doesn't appear to be a problem however as the soundcard is found and modprobe.conf is automatically set up correctly with the snd-ice1724 module using alsaconf. Whenever I run alsamixer though is where it goes poorly with a

Code:

alsamixer: function snd_ctl_open failed for default: No such device

error. However I try running the ./snddevices script to no avail (same error). I check lsmod | grep snd

Code:

snd_mixer_oss          17408  0 

snd_ice1724            42052  0 

snd_ice17xx_ak4xxx      3136  1 snd_ice1724

snd_ac97_codec        65860  1 snd_ice1724

snd_pcm              103460  1 snd_ice1724

snd_timer              31556  1 snd_pcm

snd_ak4xxx_adda        5376  2 snd_ice1724,snd_ice17xx_ak4xxx

snd_mpu401_uart        9024  1 snd_ice1724

snd_rawmidi            26016  1 snd_mpu401_uart

snd_seq_device          6856  1 snd_rawmidi

snd                    51876  9 snd_mixer_oss,snd_ice1724,snd_ac97_codec,snd_pcm,snd_timer,snd_ak4xxx_adda,snd_mpu401_uart,snd_rawmidi,snd_seq_device

soundcore              9056  1 snd

snd_page_alloc          9284  1 snd_pcm

So the module is loaded fine. Now the key here is that when I look to see if there is a card (cat /proc/asound/cards) then I get a poopoey

Code:

--- no soundcards ---

Also an /etc/init.d/alsasound restart shows this:

Code:

Shutting down sound driver: /usr/sbin/alsactl: save_state:1061: No soundcards found...

done

Starting sound driver: snd-ice1724 done

No mixer config in /etc/asound.state, you have to unmute your card!

Summary:
Why the change of heart alsa? You find my soundcard and configure it properly (alsaconf) yet you then forget it is there(alsasound and cat /proc/asound/cards)? Any help is Greatly appreciated, thanks.

Background:
Soundcard: Via (VT1720) Envy 24PT Onboard
Motherboard: Chaintech ZNF3-150 Nforce3
Fedora Core 1
2.6.4 Kernel
1.0.3 ALSA driver
1.0.3b ALSA lib
1.0.3 ALSA utils
aumix output: 'aumix: error opening mixer'
amixer: Mixer attach default error: No such device
presence of /dev/mixer /dev/dsp and /dev/snd/: Affirmative
presence of /etc/as*: negative

I have to say Bana mate, I also found alsa very buggy. That was one of the reasons that made me drop Slack 9.1 and go back to 9.0. Today, using Libranet 2.8.1, I've to face the same problem with Alsa. I have a Sound Blaster Audigy, an ok card. I did "alsaconfig" to setup the card then "alsamixer" to put the mixers up.

It did not work at first. I cannot remember the number of times that I've rebooted and reinstalled alsa drivers. Now, for no apparent reason, it's "working", problem is, the mixers is not doing shit, so I cannot volume up or down with keyboard shortcuts as I could before and I've to increase/decrease sound via speakers, which is annoying.

Slackware 9.0 and hotplug could set that card up without a problem. 9.1 brought us the pain alsa is and so did Libranet. I tried to enable sound blaster on the kernel to skip to use alsa drivers, but no go. All I can recommend you is to reinstall alsa and do this lame process over and over...

I would love to hear from others how they did to get sound working though...

What options are set on the sound menu when you compiled the kernel? It's best to select sound support as a module and then select nothing else (answer no to everything else on the sound menus). If any sound modules are built into the kernel it can prevent the user space Alsa modules loading. If you've already covered this and I didn't see it in your post I apologise. You seem to have been very thorough. Good luck.

I am having the same exact problem with my machine (HP A250n ICH5-intel8x0) Debian SID kernel 2.6.4 KDE 3.2

The thing is I am able to use alsaplayer and can listen to both my cdroms via digital extraction, but no luck with alsamixer or alsa output on xmms.

Yes, that is what I had in my kernel config, only the 'Sound card support' as a module and ' Advanced Linux Sound Architecture' as a module, should I try removing the ALSA one?

Mr Angry: How did you get aplay to work? I just get

Code:

aplay: main:502: audio open error: No such device

Arghh, I really hope I can get this working (with everyone's help) as I don't think that the old OSS drivers support my card and I really don't want to use those proprietary 4front ones yuck...

Quote:

Originally posted by Bana
Yes, that is what I had in my kernel config, only the 'Sound card support' as a module and ' Advanced Linux Sound Architecture' as a module, should I try removing the ALSA one?

Mr Angry: How did you get aplay to work? I just get

Code:

aplay: main:502: audio open error: No such device

Arghh, I really hope I can get this working (with everyone's help) as I don't think that the old OSS drivers support my card and I really don't want to use those proprietary 4front ones yuck...

how are your permissions set on /dev/dsp /dev/snd /dev/mixer??

ls -l /dev/dsp
ls -l /dev/snd
ls -l /dev/mixer

Code:

[bana@tuxpenguin bana]$ ls -l /dev/dsp

lrwxrwxrwx  1 root root 9 Mar 15 04:37 /dev/dsp -> /dev/dsp0

[bana@tuxpenguin bana]$ ls -l /dev/snd

total 0

crw-rw-rw-  1 root root 116,  0 Mar 15 04:37 controlC0

crw-rw-rw-  1 root root 116,  32 Mar 15 04:37 controlC1

crw-rw-rw-  1 root root 116,  64 Mar 15 04:37 controlC2

crw-rw-rw-  1 root root 116,  96 Mar 15 04:37 controlC3

crw-rw-rw-  1 root root 116,  4 Mar 15 04:37 hwC0D0

crw-rw-rw-  1 root root 116,  5 Mar 15 04:37 hwC0D1

crw-rw-rw-  1 root root 116,  6 Mar 15 04:37 hwC0D2

crw-rw-rw-  1 root root 116,  7 Mar 15 04:37 hwC0D3

crw-rw-rw-  1 root root 116,  36 Mar 15 04:37 hwC1D0

crw-rw-rw-  1 root root 116,  37 Mar 15 04:37 hwC1D1

crw-rw-rw-  1 root root 116,  38 Mar 15 04:37 hwC1D2

crw-rw-rw-  1 root root 116,  39 Mar 15 04:37 hwC1D3

crw-rw-rw-  1 root root 116,  68 Mar 15 04:37 hwC2D0

crw-rw-rw-  1 root root 116,  69 Mar 15 04:37 hwC2D1

crw-rw-rw-  1 root root 116,  70 Mar 15 04:37 hwC2D2

crw-rw-rw-  1 root root 116,  71 Mar 15 04:37 hwC2D3

crw-rw-rw-  1 root root 116, 100 Mar 15 04:37 hwC3D0

crw-rw-rw-  1 root root 116, 101 Mar 15 04:37 hwC3D1

crw-rw-rw-  1 root root 116, 102 Mar 15 04:37 hwC3D2

crw-rw-rw-  1 root root 116, 103 Mar 15 04:37 hwC3D3

crw-rw-rw-  1 root root 116,  8 Mar 15 04:37 midiC0D0

crw-rw-rw-  1 root root 116,  9 Mar 15 04:37 midiC0D1

crw-rw-rw-  1 root root 116,  10 Mar 15 04:37 midiC0D2

crw-rw-rw-  1 root root 116,  11 Mar 15 04:37 midiC0D3

crw-rw-rw-  1 root root 116,  12 Mar 15 04:37 midiC0D4

crw-rw-rw-  1 root root 116,  13 Mar 15 04:37 midiC0D5

crw-rw-rw-  1 root root 116,  14 Mar 15 04:37 midiC0D6

crw-rw-rw-  1 root root 116,  15 Mar 15 04:37 midiC0D7

crw-rw-rw-  1 root root 116,  40 Mar 15 04:37 midiC1D0

crw-rw-rw-  1 root root 116,  41 Mar 15 04:37 midiC1D1

crw-rw-rw-  1 root root 116,  42 Mar 15 04:37 midiC1D2

crw-rw-rw-  1 root root 116,  43 Mar 15 04:37 midiC1D3

crw-rw-rw-  1 root root 116,  44 Mar 15 04:37 midiC1D4

crw-rw-rw-  1 root root 116,  45 Mar 15 04:37 midiC1D5

crw-rw-rw-  1 root root 116,  46 Mar 15 04:37 midiC1D6

crw-rw-rw-  1 root root 116,  47 Mar 15 04:37 midiC1D7

crw-rw-rw-  1 root root 116,  72 Mar 15 04:37 midiC2D0

crw-rw-rw-  1 root root 116,  73 Mar 15 04:37 midiC2D1

crw-rw-rw-  1 root root 116,  74 Mar 15 04:37 midiC2D2

crw-rw-rw-  1 root root 116,  75 Mar 15 04:37 midiC2D3

crw-rw-rw-  1 root root 116,  76 Mar 15 04:37 midiC2D4

crw-rw-rw-  1 root root 116,  77 Mar 15 04:37 midiC2D5

crw-rw-rw-  1 root root 116,  78 Mar 15 04:37 midiC2D6

crw-rw-rw-  1 root root 116,  79 Mar 15 04:37 midiC2D7

crw-rw-rw-  1 root root 116, 104 Mar 15 04:37 midiC3D0

crw-rw-rw-  1 root root 116, 105 Mar 15 04:37 midiC3D1

crw-rw-rw-  1 root root 116, 106 Mar 15 04:37 midiC3D2

crw-rw-rw-  1 root root 116, 107 Mar 15 04:37 midiC3D3

crw-rw-rw-  1 root root 116, 108 Mar 15 04:37 midiC3D4

crw-rw-rw-  1 root root 116, 109 Mar 15 04:37 midiC3D5

crw-rw-rw-  1 root root 116, 110 Mar 15 04:37 midiC3D6

crw-rw-rw-  1 root root 116, 111 Mar 15 04:37 midiC3D7

crw-rw-rw-  1 root root 116,  24 Mar 15 04:37 pcmC0D0c

crw-rw-rw-  1 root root 116,  16 Mar 15 04:37 pcmC0D0p

crw-rw-rw-  1 root root 116,  25 Mar 15 04:37 pcmC0D1c

crw-rw-rw-  1 root root 116,  17 Mar 15 04:37 pcmC0D1p



...



[bana@tuxpenguin bana]$ ls -l /dev/mixer

lrwxrwxrwx  1 root root 11 Mar 15 04:37 /dev/mixer -> /dev/mixer0

Mr Angry: Did you do anything special to make aplay work? Tweak anything or install newer version?

the MAKEDEV.snd script that comes with the kernel creates those devices with group audio
/dev/snd/* /dev/audio[0-3] /dev/mixer[0-3]

then add your user to the audio group

hope that helps

Quote:

Originally posted by Bana
Mr Angry: Did you do anything special to make aplay work? Tweak anything or install newer version?

actually no (and this the beauty of the debian) I just apt-get install alsaplayer and it worked, but I think it is using another output.

Code:

[root@tuxpenguin scripts]# adduser root -g audio

adduser: unknown group audio

[root@tuxpenguin scripts]# adduser bana -g audio

adduser: unknown group audio

Seems that that MAKEDEV.snd script didn't work (still no cards).

Perhaps I should try filing a card request on ALSA's new bugmanager (Mantis). Would it help if I gave them my lspci -vv and kudzu information:

Code:

01:0f.0 Multimedia audio controller: IC Ensemble Inc ICE1724 [Envy24HT] (rev 01)

        Subsystem: Chaintech Computer Co. Ltd: Unknown device f641

        Control: I/O+ Mem- BusMaster+ SpecCycle- MemWINV- VGASnoop- ParErr- Stepping- SERR- FastB2B-

        Status: Cap+ 66Mhz- UDF- FastB2B- ParErr- DEVSEL=medium >TAbort- <TAbort- <MAbort- >SERR- <PERR-

        Latency: 32

        Interrupt: pin A routed to IRQ 3

        Region 0: I/O ports at a800 [size=32]

        Region 1: I/O ports at ac00 [size=128]

        Capabilities: [80] Power Management version 1

                Flags: PMEClk- DSI- D1- D2+ AuxCurrent=0mA PME(D0-,D1-,D2-,D3hot-,D3cold-)

                Status: D0 PME-Enable- DSel=0 DScale=0 PME-

Code:

class: AUDIO

bus: PCI

detached: 0

driver: unknown

desc: "IC Ensemble Inc|ICE1724 [Envy24HT]"

vendorId: 1412

deviceId: 1724

subVendorId: 270f

subDeviceId: f641

pciType: 1

pcibus:  1

pcidev:  f

pcifn:  0

How is the data in cat /proc/asound/cards generated anyway? By ALSA right? Then what is preventing it from seeing what everthing else seems to be able to?