Help with ALSA & kernel2.6.11 please

[kenmininger]

I've tried everything. Now I've only got sound support built into the kernel (no ALSA or OSS built in or as modules) and have again followed the ALSA setup guide. Nothing. It looks like everything is loading properly but:

Code: Select all

a55h4t root # lsmod
Module                  Size  Used by
snd_pcm_oss            48448  -
snd_mixer_oss          17152  -
snd_seq_oss            34272  -
snd_seq_midi_event      6208  -
snd_seq                50928  -
snd_seq_device          6956  -
snd_intel8x0           28384  -
snd_ac97_codec         73344  -
snd_pcm                82376  -
snd_timer              21604  -
snd                    44388  -
snd_page_alloc          7492  -

Still nothing in the "Used by" column. Also If I try to play anything with XMMS, I get a "failed to open audio output: OSS Driver 1.2.10" or "failed to open audio output: ALSA 1.2.10 output plugin" messages.

I'm out of ideas...

Man I feel your pain as I have had my share of problems with ALSA. It's what drove me to Gentoo in the first place, since it was the first distro that had a 2.6 kernel (ALSA built in) that could get my sound card working (Audigy 2).


I have two last ideas, both of which are weak but I would try them. I reviewed over the entire posting, and think that turning off ACPI is not a bad idea if you don't need it. It is on the same IRQ as your sound card. I am not sure this is an issue, since I have not seen any IRQ conflicts since earlier windows days, but this is beyond my scope to be honest.

Next, try with the kernel and not modues. Recompile the kernel. Hell, this doesn't take long anyway. The sound on my desktop works great with no modules at all. Compile with sound card support, ALSA sequencer support, OSS mixer API, OSS PCM (digital audio) API, OSS sequencer API, your driver, and without open sound system. Copy all the stuff to /boot etc etc. Don't forget to remove the modules and run modules-update.

I would re-emerge alsa-utils, /etc/init.d/alsasound stop then run /etc/init.d/alsasound start then rc-update add alsasound boot.

Finally run alsamixer and turn master all the way up and see if it works.

Interestingly, I didn't need to have alsasound running to have sound anyway: the Kmix (for KDE) was able to unmute sound and allow KDE to play sounds anyway.

If the above doesn't work I have no idea. It's essentially recreating what I did the get my sound working, the only difference being the driver.

[kenmininger]

Does anyone know why the "used by" column is empty when issuing an lsmod?

Code: Select all

a55h4t root # lsmod
Module                  Size  Used by
snd_pcm_oss            48448  -
snd_mixer_oss          17152  -
snd_seq_oss            34272  -
snd_seq_midi_event      6208  -
snd_seq                50928  -
snd_seq_device          6956  -
snd_intel8x0           28384  -
snd_ac97_codec         73344  -
snd_pcm                82376  -
snd_timer              21604  -
snd                    44388  -
snd_page_alloc          7492  -

I've got sound card support built into the kernel (*)...no ALSA or OSS at all. I've emerged alsa-drivers and alsa-utils. I've got a good /etc/modules.d/alsa file. Also...

Code: Select all

a55h4t root # ls -l /dev/snd
total 0
crw-------  1 mininger audio 116,  0 Dec 31  1969 controlC0
crw-------  1 mininger audio 116, 24 Dec 31  1969 pcmC0D0c
crw-------  1 mininger audio 116, 16 Dec 31  1969 pcmC0D0p
crw-------  1 mininger audio 116, 25 Dec 31  1969 pcmC0D1c
crw-------  1 mininger audio 116, 26 Dec 31  1969 pcmC0D2c
crw-------  1 mininger audio 116, 27 Dec 31  1969 pcmC0D3c
crw-------  1 mininger audio 116, 20 Dec 31  1969 pcmC0D4p
crw-------  1 mininger audio 116,  1 Dec 31  1969 seq
crw-------  1 mininger audio 116, 33 Dec 31  1969 timer
a55h4t root # ls -l /dev/sound
total 0
crw-------  1 mininger audio 14, 12 Dec 31  1969 adsp
crw-------  1 mininger audio 14,  4 Dec 31  1969 audio
crw-------  1 mininger audio 14,  3 Dec 31  1969 dsp
crw-------  1 mininger audio 14,  0 Dec 31  1969 mixer
crw-------  1 mininger audio 14,  1 Dec 31  1969 sequencer
crw-------  1 mininger audio 14,  8 Dec 31  1969 sequencer2

Code: Select all

a55h4t modules.d # cat alsa
# ALSA portion
alias char-major-116 snd
alias snd-card-0 snd-intel8x0
# 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

alias /dev/mixer snd-mixer-oss
alias /dev/dsp snd-pcm-oss
alias /dev/midi snd-seq-oss

# Set this to the correct number of cards.
options snd cards_limit=1

I've followed the ALSA guide several times and I absolutely cannot figure out why there's no sound.

Any ideas?

Thanks...

[tuxian]

I've solved the problem for me.

I turned the "Headphone Jack Sense" switch OFF.

[bassvandijk]

I experienced something weird.

I just booted my laptop and ALSA suddently worked! But now I've rebooted it and now I'm having the same problem.

Could this be an IRQ issue? (I neved had this problem with linux 2.6.10)

[neonik]

I've also had problems with ALSA on 2.6.11.
On trying to `modprobe snd-intel8x0` I've been getting a message saying

FATAL: Error inserting snd_intel8x0 (/lib/modules/2.6.11-ck2-n1/kernel/sound/pci/snd-intel8x0.ko): Unknown symbol in module, or unknown parameter (see dmesg)

So I went to /etc/modules.d/alsa and removed the references to dxs_support, which dmesg claimed not to know.

snd_intel8x0: Unknown parameter `dxs_support'

Then I ran `modules-update ; modprobe snd-intel8x0` and it worked.

[sca]

Code: Select all

a55h4t root # ls -l /dev/snd
total 0
crw-------  1 mininger audio 116,  0 Dec 31  1969 controlC0
crw-------  1 mininger audio 116, 24 Dec 31  1969 pcmC0D0c
crw-------  1 mininger audio 116, 16 Dec 31  1969 pcmC0D0p
crw-------  1 mininger audio 116, 25 Dec 31  1969 pcmC0D1c
crw-------  1 mininger audio 116, 26 Dec 31  1969 pcmC0D2c
crw-------  1 mininger audio 116, 27 Dec 31  1969 pcmC0D3c
crw-------  1 mininger audio 116, 20 Dec 31  1969 pcmC0D4p
crw-------  1 mininger audio 116,  1 Dec 31  1969 seq
crw-------  1 mininger audio 116, 33 Dec 31  1969 timer
a55h4t root # ls -l /dev/sound
total 0
crw-------  1 mininger audio 14, 12 Dec 31  1969 adsp
crw-------  1 mininger audio 14,  4 Dec 31  1969 audio
crw-------  1 mininger audio 14,  3 Dec 31  1969 dsp
crw-------  1 mininger audio 14,  0 Dec 31  1969 mixer
crw-------  1 mininger audio 14,  1 Dec 31  1969 sequencer
crw-------  1 mininger audio 14,  8 Dec 31  1969 sequencer2

If you are trying to play sound using any other user than mininger, you'll be out of luck.
This looks to me like pam_console permissions screwup.

This is how it should look like:

Code: Select all

crw-rw----  1 root audio 116,  0 Mar 20 12:03 controlC0
crw-rw----  1 root audio 116, 24 Mar 20 12:03 pcmC0D0c
crw-rw----  1 root audio 116, 16 Mar 20 12:03 pcmC0D0p
crw-rw----  1 root audio 116, 25 Mar 20 12:03 pcmC0D1c
crw-rw----  1 root audio 116, 18 Mar 20 12:03 pcmC0D2p
crw-rw----  1 root audio 116, 33 Mar 20 12:03 timer

Maybe this helps...

[pusherprop]

Here's my take on the problems (after reading a couple of bug reports). ALSA driver either runs in Kernel space or User space. But it relies on libraries in User Space. Problems arise when the libraries get out of step with the ALSA driver. In my case I was running ALSA driver in Kernel space using the 2.6.10 Kernel. After I did my weekly 'emerge world' operation, the sound stopped. Presumeably one of my sound apps called a new ALSA library as a dependency.

So I stripped ALSA driver from Kernel space, and moved over to User space. This puts the total responsibility for keeping agreement between all the ALSA packages in the hands of our Media-Sound maintainers, and takes the kernel out of the loop. The ALSA Guide in the Gentoo Docs works well for this.

[Ringo Chen]

I just built a new 2.6.11 kernel and on booting it says "it can't detect which driver to use" so it loads them ALL! It would take me 3 or 4 days to rmmod them all. Ideas? Suggestions? Rude Jestures?


Ringo

[NeddySeagoon]

Ringo Chen,

If you post your lspci, or at leat the sound card line, I'll tell you which driver to use.

[WildChild]

I've solved the problem for me.

I turned the "Headphone Jack Sense" switch OFF.

I also had the problem here with 2.6.11. This solved the problem! Thanks!

[Rider]

I've solved the problem for me.

I turned the "Headphone Jack Sense" switch OFF.

Thanks a lot!!! This solved my problem too.
It seems that this switch didn't affect alsa within the linux-2.6.10-gentoo-r6 sources

[Sarpy Sam]

OK, I am going to be real stupid here, how do you turn Headphone Jack Sense off?

[tuxian]

see here for alsamixer:

http://layr.at/screenshot12.jpg

and here for kmix:

http://layr.at/screenshot13.jpg

[Sarpy Sam]

Thanks, fixed my problem.

[buddytaylor0]

I didn't have a Headphone Jack Select, so I just started muting things.
When I muted my "IEC958 Capture Monitor", whatever that is, my sound started working!

[kung.foo]

I ha d exactly the same problem. Fiddling around with the buttons in Kmix (Switches) brought up my laptops built in microphone, but also the sound. Then choosing it so, that the input of the microphone is ignored (gives nice feedbacks during audio playbacks) set it right to play sound as nicely as before. This on dev-sources-2.6.11, kde 3.4 and an IBM t40p.

[maxima]

Does anyone know why the "used by" column is empty when issuing an lsmod?

Code: Select all

a55h4t root # lsmod
Module                  Size  Used by
snd_pcm_oss            48448  -
snd_mixer_oss          17152  -
snd_seq_oss            34272  -
snd_seq_midi_event      6208  -
snd_seq                50928  -
snd_seq_device          6956  -
snd_intel8x0           28384  -
snd_ac97_codec         73344  -
snd_pcm                82376  -
snd_timer              21604  -
snd                    44388  -
snd_page_alloc          7492  -

do you have module unloading support in kernel ?

[NismoC32]

Have the same problem, no sound when uppgrading to 2.6.11.
Everything seems OK except no sound output.

I'm using the VIA 8237 (ALC850) driver.

[karafeka]

I had also some problems with sound with kernel 2.6.11-r4.

I have an isa sound card with cmi8330 chip and alsa driver build in kernel as module (so I only emerged alsa-utils). I added alsa modules to default runlevel, so they were started at boot.

I what happened was this:
At boot everything went alright (sound card was recognized).
In X (I use xorg with fvwm) xine froze when I try to watch movie (beacuse of sound), xmms played music, but while for example scrolling in firefox, there was a choppy sound (music was interrupted). And when I want to restart alsasound, I got "Device not found" message and therefore no more sound, altough my sound card was recognized at boot.

And I come to conclusion that reason for all that was vesa-tng build into the kernel (haven't a clue why). Instead of vesa-tng I added radeonfb into the kernel (I have radeon 9100 128 mb) and everyting works perfect (with sound anyhow, other story is when I try to switch back to X (alt+F7) from cosole, I get corrupted colors, so I must restart X, but that is radeonfb fault).

PS: I had the exact same config with kernel 2.6.9-r9 (with vesa-tng) and there weren't any troubles with sound.

[chrisduck]

no sound for me as well. 2.6.11 kernel. I've read this entire thread a dozen times and none of the solutions here have helped me get sound working.

kenmininger, if you are able to get your sound working, would you post the method here?
my problem seems to match yours.

[neotyk]

I've solved the problem for me.

I turned the "Headphone Jack Sense" switch OFF.

Thanks, it worked form me

[BeaTtheMeaT666]

works here too

[KoKi]

non of that halped me also. i dont have a "Headphone Jack Sense" or "IEC958 Capture Monitor", but i found out that when i restart alsa, my sound work. so i put into "/etc/conf.d/local.start" "/etc/init.d/alsasound restart". some error was present by stoping alsa (something not found), but wasnt able to see what (X starts). mybe ill post the problem after my next reboot (in a week or so).

[NeddySeagoon]

KoKi,

Your error will be in your kerenl log. Try dmesg

[KoKi]

well its not an error, says thet saome device is missing (mixer or what ever) ... and nothing in the logs.