Sound errors in mandrake 10 - c-media 8738 onboard card
 

I have just installed mandrake 10 only to find that my sound card refuses to work. I have an onboard c-media 8738 soundcard which linux picks up, but it will not play sound through it

Every time something tries to access the sound server, an error message comes up saying "error finding /dev/dsp (file does not exist)"

I think that the sound device is somewhere different to where the module says it is, meaning I could force the sound server to look somewhere else, but i don't know where that would be.

Run harddrake2 in X, and check your card section.. It should provide 2 buttons on lower left Run Config Tool and Configure module... One of them letz you choose the kernel driver (as I recall it's snd-cmipci8738, or just cmipci8738). If that doesn't help, check this out http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...hreadid=199167... same problem... You should give it a try with the alsaconf.

yeah theres :

cmipci - for OSS

snd-cmipci - for alsa

Both drivers result in the same error message

I tried alsaconfig, and the card was picked up and installed with no errors, but then on running alsamixer, the following error comes up:

"alsamixer: function snd_ctl_open failed for default: No such device"

Try a lsmod and see wether the kernel mdoule you chose is listed there... if not, do a manual modprobe snd-cmipci. I belive snd-cmipci is for the pci version, duuno 4 sure. You said yours is onboard and the module might not see it in the right place. Look for some drivers on the net (maybe on the motherboard CD?)

since it's onboard sound, you might need to run sndconfig. in a terminal as root type sndconfig (hit enter). let it search for your sound device. when it's found, select it, ok it, let it install the necessary drivers, test the sound.

otis

Should'nt it had been found by the alsaconf?

rite

ive got the folloving sound plugins(sorry bout the layout, i just copied it straight from konsole)

snd-seq-oss 31232 0
snd-seq-midi-event 7552 1 snd-seq-oss
snd-seq 51024 4 snd-seq-oss,snd-seq-midi-event
snd-pcm-oss 51812 0
snd-mixer-oss 17952 1 snd-pcm-oss
snd-cmipci 33236 0
snd-pcm 93156 2 snd-pcm-oss,snd-cmipci
snd-page-alloc 11972 1 snd-pcm
snd-opl3-lib 9984 1 snd-cmipci
snd-timer 24484 3 snd-seq,snd-pcm,snd-opl3-lib
snd-hwdep 8928 1 snd-opl3-lib
gameport 4480 1 snd-cmipci
snd-mpu401-uart 7072 1 snd-cmipci
snd-rawmidi 23616 1 snd-mpu401-uart
snd-seq-device 8008 4 snd-seq-oss,snd-seq,snd-opl3-lib,snd-rawmidi
snd 52484 13 snd-seq-oss,snd-seq-midi-event,snd-seq,snd-pcm-oss,snd-mixer-oss,snd-cmipci,snd-pcm,snd-opl3-lib,snd-timer,snd-hwdep,snd-mpu401-uart,snd-rawmidi,snd-seq-device
soundcore 9248 1 snd

my device is in that list, so i dont see why it shouldnt work...

i dont seem to have sndconfig on my system! so i cant use that :P

use MCC->software installer to install sndconfig, or in terminal as root type urpmi sndconfig (hit enter).

otis

i found sndconfig and installed the package.

it picks up the card, but it is unrecognised, so it wont install drivers for it.

Search some drivers on Google if you can't find any LInux drivers on the motherboard install CD. My CMedia 8738 PCI came with an Install CD that contained those drivers :)

right

ive just dug out my mobo cd, there are drivers here, ill try them out. be back soon!

ok then, the only difference now is that i also have a cmpci driver, which doesnt work...

sorry about 2 replies in a row, but I just thought of something!

Would the 2.4 kernel sound drivers work? because I used to be on redhat 9 where this soundcard was picked up straight away. If these sound drivers would work, and someone has them, can you PM me about them?

Thanks

/dev/dsp should be a hyperlink to /dev/dsp0. Open XMMS, go to config and select the OSS sound module at the Output device. Configure it and choose alternate device. In the box, type /dev/dsp0. If this doesn't work, do a ls -lah /dev/ds* and see what comes up. try all the /dev/dspX listed by ls.

I have no dsp devices at all in my /dev folder.

I also figured out why my mainboard drivers didnt work - the kernel came up with an error before when i tried to install the sound modules, I just didnt see it!

Apparently, my sound drivers are using deprecated headings, I think its to do with a new kernel.

Have you got your 8738 working on 2.6 eqxro?

Yup, that's the wierd part... worked perfectly. Fedora Core 2 and MDK 10.0 CE/OE with 2.63 and 2.6.6 kernels. Can you disable the onboard sound from the BIOS? Try enabling/disabling it and see if harddrake reacts somehow on system bootup. Don't forget to press ESC while booting to see if harddrake2 fires up telling you you've added/removed devices.

Can you test your soundcard and see if it works? Windows migt be the best way if you have it installed.

the card definitely works as it is fine under xp.

I'll try disabling/reenabling in bios

I can only disable the MIDI in the bios, so harddrake doesnt detect any difference and windows stil plays sound anyway. In the readme that comes with the drivers from cmedia, it says that onboard soundcards are supported aswell, so I dont see why it wouldnt work.

Which drivers are you using eqxro?

When I tried to compile mine into the kernel, it came up with an error saying that they cannot be used on the 2.6 kernel as they are designed for 2.4 or lower.

edit: would it be possible for someone to send me a copy of their /dev/dsp file who is using the same soundcard?

The Default drivers that were shipped with MDK 9.2, 10.0CE, 10.0OE, Fedora Core2. Kernel 2.4.25, 2.6.3-7mdk, 2.6.6 (FC2). I don't know wether it's possible to copy/paste the file to /dev, as you need to run mknod or smth. like this to create a /dev entry. I suggest something not too pretty, but might work. Can't guarantee it either, but if you do it, chances are your whole system will become more stable and faster. You might've already guessed where I'm going... Kernel recompilation... Install the kernel sources, go to /usr/src/linux, do a make menuconfig (all commands from now on suppose you are root). Make sure you know your hardware. Harddrake2 will help identifying some hardware you're not sure about. Choose carefully (read the help, it will give you some pointers). Under Device Drivers -> Sound -> Alsa or OSS you'll find modules related to all sorts of sound cards. CMedia 8738/8338 is there also, so that should be selected.

Some tips... So you won't have to run through all the options, get the .config file of your running sytem. It is usually included in the kernel-source-2.xxxx.rpm package, or can be extracted directly from the running kernel (it's accesible through /proc/config.gz, copy it somewhere, run gunzip config.gz, then cp config /usr/src/linux/.config). The extraction works for kernels 2.6.x only. :(. A simple make menuconfig, then making sure the cmedia modules are selected (built in or as modules) followed by a make and a make modules_install will build your kernel alongside with the installation of the modules. A make install will create a bootloader entry, will modify the symlinks /boot/initrd and /boot/vmlinuz to the newly created initrd-2.x.x-xmdkcustom and vmlinuz-2.x.x-xmdkcustom. Make sure that you have at least one option in the bootloader (either failsafe boot either normal booting) where the initrd and vmlinuz files are reffered by the full name of the original kernel (as in not symlinks pointing to a supposedly old kernel image). This is in case the compiled kernel will panic and won't boot, thus remaining with an option of booting with the old kernel...

Only thing about recompiling is that it takes a long time if your CPU isn't fast. The less the options selected in the kernel, the more the chances your system will boot up faster (6 secs till the kernel gives control to init scripts and 37 to the login screen on an 800Mhz Athlon with 2.6.7-2 recompiled kernel, as opposed to about a minute or so). Fewer options mean less compililng. Too few options might lead to an unbootable kernel :(

right then, that made my system a LOT faster - boots in 20 seconds :D but it didnt fix the sound problem.

I think that the problem is that im just missing all of the audio devices in the dev folder. makedev and the like dont seem to be able to create these devices either, so if there is another way to somehow get these devices into the folder, im all ears!

Ok, i've been trying to reply you for some time, but my session leeps expiring, so I'll be quick...

Your soundcard may be installed correctly, but only in sysfs (located in /sys), and not in devfs (/dev). You can search in /sys for your soundcard. It should be there. If it's not, it might be something more compicated due to the fact that it's an onboard card. My PCI 8738 is in /sys/bus/pci/drivers. Also, you'll find some valuable info in /sys/class/sound, among wich some device nodes. For example, for my system in the /sys/class/sound/mixer/dev file there's a number (the first one) that represents the /dev/mixer device node, so I can do a mknod /dev/mixer b 14 3. This works for my system, where that file says the dev type is 14:3.

My /dev/dsp is 14:0, so you could try creating it with mknod /dev/dsp b 14 0, if your mixer also has major nr. 14, minor nr. 3 (14:3).

ok then, this has changed the error message. The devices are now in the /dev folder, which is a lot better than before!

Now the error message is that the device is not present at 14 0. I guess this is to do with irq settings. Could you look in your harddrake 2 tool under the 8738 soundcard and see where it says your location on the bus is?

mine is 0:13:0 which seems like a close enough number to the 14.

EDIT: another interesting thing i just found - in the kde desktop manager, (or "configure your desktop") in the information/sound section, it says "no soundcards" and audio, synth, midi and mixer devices "NOT ENABLED IN CONFIG"

Could this have any effect?

I Have FC2 on the 8738 system, but on the one I am right now the dsp is major 14 minor 3, just like on the other system. The soundcard is a Sound Blaster Audigy, and harddrake 2 says: Location on the bus: ‎0:d:0, so i think it's 0x0d = 13 plus one (counting starts with 0, therefore, 0d would be the 14th entry). I'm really not too familiar with the way devices are asigned to major/minor numbers.

For /dev/dsp you should try using the command "mknod /dev/dsp b 14 3". This is different from my FC2. Use the number in /sys/class/sound/dsp/dev. If the file exists. Try with 14:3 and see if you get the same error.

hmm after a reboot its created a dsp dir and removed the dsp file

I think ill do a reinstall of mandrake. be back in about 1hr after a reinstall!

reinstall complete!

I hav tried dsp 14 3, which didnt work.

In my /sys/class/sound folder i have 5 other folders: controlc0, seq, sequencer, sequencer2 and timer.

These folders correspond with each of the devices in either the /dev/sound or /dev/snd folders.

The error I now get, after creating a dsp device is "error starting dsp (no such device or device location), which I presume means that the wrong numbers are being used?

EDIT: another thing i always seem to get after running alsaconf:

"/usr/sbin/alsactl: save_state:1061: No soundcards found..."

It picks up the soundcard fine, but then on exiting, this happens.

This also happens in verbose mode startup ie when the ALSA service is started on boot

http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...hreadid=190083

just found this - looks like an almost identical problem, just with a different card!

The error you get means there was an error installing your soundcard. It detected it, tried to install the modules (which need the /dev/dsp. a.s.o. files, which were not there/invalid), failed, but did not report the failure to alsa conf that asssumed everything went ok, and then tried to set up the volumes (this is one use for alsactl). As the installation failed, alsactl couldn't set up the volumes, thus the error reptorted on exit.

Also, on boot, after alsa loads the kernel modules, it tries to restore the volumes you had upon shutdown, using, yup, you guessed it... alsctl, filing for the sam reasons. Have you tried kernel 2.4.25? It seems the 2.6 branch has some little problems like this due to the sysfs. This is my best guess. 2.6 introduced the sysfs, trying to eliminate devfs. In the kernel config, the support for devfs (/dev entries) is marked [DEPRECATED], kept only for backwards compatibility. The drivers might get confused about sysfs and devfs, in the end not installing the devices in dev (which is odd), becasue they already installed them in /sys.

It would be interesting to see what happens if you use a PCI soundcard (even a CMedia 8738 PCI soundcard). At least this way we'd know if it's caused by the hardware (onboard sound) or the software (kernel 2.6).

I'd suggest first trying to boot with kernel 2.4.25. It's on the MDK10.0OE CDs. This should have no support for /sys, so after it boots, run alsaconf and see what happens.

I can use the older kernel, which gives me sound :D

However, on the older kernel I lose my internet connection as i am connected through an external wireless device plugged into a usb port. Apparently the 2.6 usb support is needed for this device.

I have just found a script in /usr/src/linux/sound called snddrivers

It appears to install all of the audio devices into the /dev folder. Still no sound though. Is it possible to disable ALSA altogether and just use OSS?

ok, its definitely a kernel issue as it didnt work with an old sound blaster 16 that i found either

EDIT: is it possible to upgrade the kernel to the latest version?

I hope that was not an ISA sound card, as for those, stuff get complicated. You need the isapnp package and as I recall the ISA support in 2.6 kernels is not so great. I experienced some trouble with an ISA SB AWE64 :D.

You can try the 2.6.7-2 kernel. It's the one I'm using right now. It's in the cooker somewhere (in cooker/Mandrake/RPMS or something like this. There are some mirrors for the cooker, you should find one close to your location). Scroll down at the bottom of the cooker homepage to see the mirrors. It's about 15 megs :(.

I'd recommend the sources, as you'll have some trouble due to the difference between the gcc used to compile the kernel and the one used in MDK10.0. In my case it failed to install NVidia kernel modules, lsmod saying something like (-1) Invalid kernel module. After a recompile everything was ok. The sources are 41MB or 15MB (a so-called stripped version). I dunno the difference between the stripped and the full kernel sources, but i guess some support for old/incomplete/experimental evices were dropped.

it was a pci soundcard

alsaconf picked it up fine, then failed to install it again!

anyway, im downloading the kernel now

I found something interesting on another thread... http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...5&pagenumber=4. The important part is the /etc/modules.conf contents... mine has nothing like this in it, so this is why I missed it... If the following lines are not there, add them to the file:

alias char-major-14 soundcore
alias sound-slot-0 snd-card-0


The first line is absent in my /etc/modules.conf. See if you have it. If you don't put it there, then retry "mknod /dev/dsp b 14 0".

new kernel installed, but it lacked hardware support for a lot of other devices such as my wifi device and graphics, so im back on 2.6.3-7 now!
Does FC2 support ATI radeons?

I may change to fedora if i cant get sound working in mandrake at all!

There should be some drivers from ATI... dunno 4 sure... I'm using GeForces :D

would disabling ALSA in the kernel work maybe?

EDIT: if i did disable alsa, what would i have to use to config oss?

It might help. You'd then be using OSS for output. OSS is also market DEPRECATED in the kernel :D. There are some pointers in the thread i linked. Check this out... It's alsa site's section for Cmedia 8738: http://www.alsa-project.org/alsa-doc...&module=cmipci

ill try installing using those instructions, otherwise ill recompile the kernel without alsa support. Will probably mess it up completely! :D

I don't know if that would help. Better disable than recompile. The doc says what you have to insert for OSS. Just make sure the lines in the Alsa are not in your /etc/modules.conf

# ALSA portion
# alias char-major-116 snd
# alias snd-card-0 snd-cmipci
# module options should go here

# OSS/Free portion
alias char-major-14 soundcore
alias sound-slot-0 snd-card-0

# card #1
alias sound-service-0-0 snd-mixer-oss
alias sound-service-0-1 snd-seq-oss
alias sound-service-0-3 snd-pcm-oss
alias sound-service-0-8 snd-seq-oss
alias sound-service-0-12 snd-pcm-oss


Notice the comments on the ALSA section. This is untested. Harddrake2 can help you slect the driver. I believe the snd-cmipci is from alsa and cmipci is from OSS. You can change the driver from harddrake2...

ok then tha ALSA config has failed, again!

So I will disable all the alsa settings tomorrow and try out oss

I had similar problems as you trying to get ALSA to work on my integrated ICH5 sound (Intel D865PERLK motherboard with and onboard Analog Devices AD1985 chip). After spending about a day scratching my head, installing/re-installing ALSA drivers, mod-probing, etc., I decided to use OSS which got the integrated sound finally working in Mandrake 10.

I initially encountered skipping and crashing when playing MP3s but this went away after I set Sound Quality to use "Full Duplex", 16 bits (high) under Sound in KDE's configuration applet.. I also selected "Run with the highest possible priority" option.

FWIW, I also installed aRts after I did a fresh re-install of Mandrake and selected XMMS to use aRts (Output Plugin). This allowed me to hear multiple audio streams at the same time (XMMS, noAutun, KDE system sounds, etc.).

Note that I had to disable ALSA from running at boot time.

cyclo

ok then, how do I fully disable/remove ALSA?

I removed all the entries from /etc/modules.conf and modprobe.conf. Still no sound, so what else do I have to remove?

I did not remove alsa, I just disabled it from starting up... on Mandrake control panel > System > Services.

I then unchecked start on boot.

You might have to start with a fresh install as I did because I think I messed up my sound configurations during the compile / install of Alsa drivers from Intel, and from Alsa. Setting up the OSS drivers also required some trial and error. I think I had to select and run some of the options on the applet that comes up after running the OSS installer.

If you decide to re-install Mandrake 10, when you get to the point where you need to setup the hard disk, do not re-format the /home partition so most of your settings plus files (e-mail, etc.) will remain intact.

What a pain in the rear... I was almost about to give up and buy and Audigy2 until I tried OSS. I had no problems with onboard sound on my other PC (nForce2 motherboard) when I installed Mandrake 9.2 on it last year.

You might also want to check this link. Apparently some folks were able to configure the Intel onboard sound using Alsa. I must have missed a step or something but I don't want to spend another half a day or so doing trial and errors... I am perfectly satisfied with the sound through the OSS drivers.

cyclo

I'd given up this morning and installed RH9 again! But Mandrake supports my graphics card aswell, so I'll try that again this afternoon.

ALSA is disabled and I am using the OSS sound driver, yet i am still getting /dev/dsp errors does this mean its still looking for the alsa modules?

While you were installing OSS, did you play with the options available on the applet that popped up? The default is to accept and save the changes but there are other options which you can select and run such as testing the oss sound if it works. I believe one of options was to set up configurations that might have fixed that problem.

I also recall having encountered that dev/dsp error but it went away after fiddling with OSS and AFTER reinstalling Mandrake 10. You can repeat the install of the OSS modules if you want (./oss-install) and play with the options in the applet. I had to do this twice or thrice until I finally got the sound coming out of the speakers.

Also on the KDE control Panel, under sound, don't forget to select OSS instead of ALSA plus the options I outlined in my other post above.

As I said, it can be a pain in the rear to get integrated sound working in Mandrake 10 for some of us.

cyclo

just found some interesting things when trying to disable and reenable oss - typing the soundon command gave me
"Warning: Some of the devices failed to initialize.
See /usr/lib/oss/logs/soundon.log for more info."

looking in the log file, I found

OSS: IRQ17 is already in use by some other driver
that has allocated the IRQ exlusively for itself.
CMPCI: Can't allocate IRQ17
oss: Probing the hardware for CMedia CMI8738 failed.

00:13.0 Multimedia audio controller: C-Media Electronics Inc CM8738 (rev 10)
Subsystem: C-Media Electronics Inc: Unknown device 0005
Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 32, IRQ 17
I/O ports at c800 [size=256]
Capabilities: [c0] Power Management version 2

My sound card is the only thing on IRQ 17, as it says futher down in the log!! Does anyone know whats going on?

I cant change the IRQ seeing as it is onboard - the BIOS wont let me.

EDIT: is it possible that the util is seeing the soundcard as IRQ 17 at the same time that its seeing something else (ie the soundcard) reserved as IRQ 17???

What did you change in your config file? I think you can look at it again by typing "soundconf" as root in a console

I definitely selected Automatic Boot setup. Can't remember what Configuration options I selected...

As I mentioned, I was installing ALSA drivers from both Intel and ALSA prior to trying out OSS. Note that I couldn't get OSS working initially and it worked only after I did a re-install of Mandrake 10 and started playing with soundconf a couple of times... I got it to finally work by trial and error... unfortunately I did not document what I did.

This is the beauty of Linux :-) It's for people who want to feel/experience PAIN :-) Feels good once everything works though...

cyclo

is there anything I can pass to the kernel at startup to force an irq to a different port or anything?

ok then, I've given up on mandrake now.

Just ordered FC2 - takes too much time to download on a 56k :p

I'll be back if I can't get it working on fedora either :D

Sorry to hear you were not able to get it configured. Good luck with FC2... and let folks here (on this thread) know how it turns out. I myself want to know if the problem with onboard sound that some of us encountered is more of a Mandrake distro problem or a Linux one.

cyclo