sound problem with VIA VT8235 and ALSA
 

I have Slack 9.1 with kernel 2.4.23. When I first installed Slack 9.1 with the default 2.4.22 kernel, then installed the latest ALSA package, I had sound.

I've compiled 2.4.23, then installed ALSA 1.0.0rc2 and unmuted everything in alsamixer, then as root ran alsactl store. And no sound.

Now, I get this error message at boot. Haven't seen this since I tried RedHat in May.

Here's more information:
I read another thread here, and removed the original ALSA package that came with Slack 9.1, and the new package I'd installed, then re-installed the new ALSA package. I also tried running /etc/modules.conf with this second line commented and uncommented ->
What else should I do? I'm fresh out of ideas, but I think that arts sound server needs to be removed for sure.

:scratch:

You can try killing arts: killall arts. I have experienced problems with arts in the past (I don't use it now). Have you tried running alsaconf (as root)? I used it when I manually installed ALSA and it created a bunch more alias' than you have:

scruff@dabasement:~$ cat /etc/modules.conf
# --- BEGIN: Generated by ALSACONF, do not edit. ---
# --- ALSACONF verion 0.9.0 ---
alias char-major-116 snd
alias snd-card-0 snd-emu10k1
alias char-major-14 soundcore
alias sound-slot-0 emu10k1
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
options snd major=116 cards_limit=2
options snd-emu10k1 index=0
# --- END: Generated by ALSACONF, do not edit. ---

# load/unload the volume settings on startup/shutdown
post-install snd-emu10k1 /usr/sbin/alsactl restore
pre-remove snd-emu10k1 /usr/sbin/alsactl store

I don't know if this will help, but it looks like your drivers are loaded fine. It also looks as if you might not have the proper permissions set for the soundcard. ls -l /dev/dsp to check it out.

scruff@dabasement:~$ ls -l /dev/dsp
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 4 Nov 2 11:49 /dev/dsp -> dsp0

My permissions are pretty lax on the soundcard, but I was having trouble getting users to hear sound from Flash in Firebird.

anna@peter:~$ killall arts
arts: no process killed
anna@peter:~$ su
Password:
root@peter:/home/anna# killall arts
arts: no process killed
Loading driver...
/usr/sbin/alsaconf: line 619: rcalsasound: command not found
Setting default volumes...
===============================================================================

Now ALSA is ready to use.
For adjustment of volumes, use your favorite mixer.

Have a lot of fun!

root@peter:/home/anna#

AFter alsaconf ->
root@peter:/home/anna# ls -l /dev/dsp
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 4 Dec 29 23:48 /dev/dsp -> dsp0

aaarrrggghhh!!!!

I know it's something simple, perhaps, but I just can't stand to have a computer win.

And why couldn't I kill arts? I seem to kill other things just fine without even trying. ;)

Do 'ps aux' real quick to see how arts is listed. I thought that would have killed it. Maybe it's artsd. Or maybe it's not even running right now ;)

Did running alsaconf change your modules.conf file any? Also, some of the changes you make will require you to restart ALSA to take effect. You can cd /etc/rc.d/ and do ./rc.alsa

There's a command, but I can't remember it. I think it's 'killall -HUP alsa' to restart a process.

Okey dokey ->
What's this one ->and this one ->I get some funky lines about artsd and DCOP when I shutdown with Alt + Ctl + Bksp that I never see on my other comp. I can't highlight them with the mouse and paste them, so how do I read them later? And my mouse does some really strange things, like make the screen scroll as if I'd hit enter, and highlight text if I move it. So, you'll want to see this, too ->My mouse is a Microlab PS/2 mouse - old fashioned kind that plugs into the PS/2 port and has two buttons and a scroll wheel - and a ball - not even optical.

I posted the changes to modules.conf in the other post. May have been in the edit - sorry. Just for kicks, I even rebooted ;)
NB: Check Windblows mind at the door!

Shucks, in Winders, it just works :scratch:

Could this problem be from installing ALSA in /usr/src/alsa or would that make a difference? I usually install in /home/<username>/alsa :scratch:

Hi there.

You'll also want to check the output of
ls -l /dev/dsp0

since it's showing /dev/dsp is a link to dsp0

Also, artsd is the "aRTs" daemon, which runs, mixing sound and doing its thing in the background as initiated by KDE.

killall artsd will do it.

As for alsa. It can be a real bear to get up and running, but I've had pretty good luck with it now that i've got it figured out.

that little options line you got, index=0 dxa_support=2
Did you get that from one of my posts? I posted something about that for my VIA chipset AC97.

Also, try the command

/etc/rc.d/rc.alsa start

The goodnews, as stated above, is that it looks like your modules are loaded correctly.
That means the support is there. It's up to you and alsa to armwrestle sound from your system, now. Of course, we'll help ;)

-Shade

root@peter:/etc/rc.d# ls -l /dev/dsp0
crw-rw--w- 1 root sys 14, 3 Aug 29 15:47 /dev/dsp0

Quote:

Also, artsd is the "aRTs" daemon, which runs, mixing sound and doing its thing in the background as initiated by KDE. killall artsd will do it.

I did
root@peter:/etc/rc.d# killall artsd
root@peter:/etc/rc.d#
and it returned me to a prompt, but what did it do? Still no sound :(

Quote:

As for alsa. It can be a real bear to get up and running, but I've had pretty good luck with it now that i've got it figured out.

Never had a problem like this before. Yes, once I figured ALSA out (by following the instructions on the ALSA site) it always just works.

Quote:

that little options line you got, index=0 dxa_support=2 Did you get that from one of my posts? I posted something about that for my VIA chipset AC97.

I can't remember. The post also said to find the ALSA package that came with Slack 9.1 and remove it. You know, when the wheels are falling off, I start grabbing at straws.

Quote:

Also, try the command /etc/rc.d/rc.alsa start

Same as in the previous post following Scruff. I don't have rc.alsa

Quote:

The goodnews, as stated above, is that it looks like your modules are loaded correctly. That means the support is there. It's up to you and alsa to armwrestle sound from your system, now. Of course, we'll help ;) -Shade

I think I found something here, but I don't have enough knowledge to fully understand this. On the first install, I called the computer peter. Then, on the second one I didn't format the /home partition, and I named the computer john. Actually, it could be peter because the motherboard in peter died and he's a Sony notebook from America.
That may be confusing, but I think the problem lies somewhere in that KDE junk in the /home directory.

:scratch: :study:

Coming from years of Winders experience, I know the easiest thing is to format and start over - especially since this worked on the initial install. However, I hate Winders, even though my W2K system works about 10 times better than Slack! And, everything just works! I just want to get away from the EULA and business practices of Micro$loth. And so, I want to find out WHY this isn't working properly.

Thanks for your help! One of my major goals in life is the get free from the M$ OSes!!! And, it will happen fairly soon! So I'd rather fix this comp than just reinstall.

when i updated my alsa drivers.. it killed the snd-via* sound modules.. I switched to via82cxxx_audio and then everything worked. so I suggest you try this

modprobe via82cxxx_audio

then check and see if you ahve sound... if you do.. add

/sbin/modprobe via82cxxx_audio

to your /etc/rc.d/rc.modules file.

Yeah.. Another way would just to be use OSS instead of alsa.
I did on my desktop for quite a while witht he same card you have.

You'll want to make sure all the alsa modules are taken out first though... rmmod is your friend in this case.

anything that starts with snd you'll want to take out before trying modprobe via82cxxx_audio


-Shade

I already have that under sound in /etc/rc.d/rc.modules

Shade,

Thanks, but at this point I'm determined to ascertain the cause of this problem with ALSA. I'm migrating from Windoze to use *nix exclusively, so it's important to me to learn how to fix problems rather than just replace them. I know ALSA works with this card, for I had it working once, as previously stated.

Is there a way to cast the arts demon out of my system? Or is that something that should be kept?

Did you notice this in my last post to you ->
I'm still wet behind my *nix ears, but when you guys tell me to start alsa and I don't have that, shouldn't it tell you something?

Thanks for the help! ;)

Okey dokey. I can't find anything to help after reading a ton and Googling and searching LQ. No one seems to understand the DCOP server thing, but I just think that in post #8 up there seems to be the problem.

So, it might not be the *nix way, but I'm going to format all of Slack, including /home this time, and reinstall. ALSA will work correctly after I do this ;)

If that don't beat all...
 

That's an old saying from my home state, Mississippi.

Finally today I was able to get to this computer and reinstall Slack, hoping to fix the sound issue. Yes, I formatted everything so she'd be clean again. After the install I did change my mouse so it will scroll. It's a Microlab PS/2 mouse, not optical or anything. So in /etc/X11/XF86Config I changed PS/2 to ExplorerPS/2 and added Option "ZAxisMapping" "4 5" cause I read that will work, and it now scrolls. But since it ain't got but 2 buttons and a scroll wheel I tried commenting out that second line, but it won't scroll without it. And I tried ZAxisMapping without adding Explorer to PS/2 and that didn't work either. Now the feller will do some strange things when I first boot to the terminal, but seems okay once the X server is running.

To get the sound working I uncommented
/sbin/modprobe via82cxxx_audio
in the file
pico /etc/rc.d/rc.modules
and then did
startx
and sure enough, I had sound. Not very loud, so as a user I ran
alsamixer
and unmutted and put volume on most everything and exited and sued to root and did
alsactl store
then exited to a user and went into X again and I had louder sound. Not very good quality, but sound.

Now I'm thinking, I'll just recompile the kernel now and use the ALSA drivers this time. So I make another test run, rebooted the machine, and there's no more sound. Why? Everything is still the same but no sound.

And now when I run
alsamixer
I get

Go figure :scratch:

Hey, Shade - I'm armwrestling now, eh?

Okay, now I've recompiled the kernel. Removed everything old that was ALSA. Have the soundcore.o when I do modinfo soundcore. No sound module chosen. I installed alsa driver, library and utilites - version 1.0.0rc2 according to the instructions on the ALSA site. Then I ran alsamixer as user and unmutted and turned up some things. Then I su and ran alsactl store. Then I exit to user and did startx and had sound. Loud sound, so I opened a konsole and turned anything that was in the red down to just the green levels - maybe mid 70's.

Now - as before - no sound.

Anyone know what causes this? I give up.