Help with ALSA & kernel2.6.11 please

kenmininger · n00b Joined: 19 Mar 2005 Posts: 12

OK...I've read tons of posts & tried follow the ALSA sound guide and I can't get any sound.

Here are the details:

- I've enabled module loading in the kernel
- I've enabled sound card support (M) and ALSA (M) with sequencer support (M), OSS mixer API (M), OSS PCM (M), and OSS sequencer API (*)
- I've enabled my appropriate soundcard under PCI Devices which is Intel/SiS/nVidia/AMD/ALi AC97 (M) this is the Intel8x0
- I have emerged -C all the alsa stuff from previous tries

lspci|grep audio
0000:00:1f.5 Multimedia audio controller: Intel Corporation 82801DB/DBL/DBM (ICH4/ICH4-L/ICH4-M) AC'97 Audio Controller (rev 01)

Right now, lsmod shows nothing.

So at this point, I have no sound. If I emerge alsa-tools and alsa-utils and run alsaconf, I can do an lsmod and get a list of modules, but still no sound. The I do a /etc/init.d/alsasound start and still no sound. I have followed the ALSA guide many times to the letter and still no sound. XMMS is playing something but I can't hear it. However, sometimes it won't do anything and complain about a missing OSS Driver. I've also tried configuring the kernel with just soundcard support (no ALSA & definitely no OSS) and following the ALSA guide and still no sound. I've also done all the unmuting stuff too.

What am I missing?

Should soundcard & ALSA be built in to the kernel (*) as opposed to (M)? Should I include the OSS stuff under the ALSA portion in the kernel?

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

NeddySeagoon · Posted: Sat Mar 19, 2005 3:17 pm Post subject:

kenmininger,

It doesn't matter is you use modules or kerenl build in. Modules are better for debugging.
You should select all the OSS emulation options under ALSA and noe of OSS. Yoy may not use both ALSA and OSS sound drivers at the same time.

What do you have in /dev/snd and /dev/sound ?

Have you set up /etc/modules.d/alsa?
Have you unmuted and turned up the Master and PCM channels ?
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sca · n00b Joined: 02 Jan 2003 Posts: 27

This may sound stupid, but have you tried to

kenmininger · n00b Joined: 19 Mar 2005 Posts: 12

OK...I'll leave the ALSA stuff in as modules (M). I have not selected the OSS stuff but did select OSS uder ALSA per my previous post.

a55h4t root # ls -l /dev/snd
ls: /dev/snd: No such file or directory

a55h4t root # ls -l /dev/sound
ls: /dev/sound: No such file or directory

/etc/modules.d/alsa is gone because I did an emerge -C on the ALSA stuff (-tools, -utils) so I could start fresh. However, it was set up like the one in the ALSA guide. I had also used alsaconf with no luck as well.

Yes...I used alsamixer to unmute master & PCM.

Thanks!

kenmininger · n00b Joined: 19 Mar 2005 Posts: 12

bassvandijk · Posted: Sat Mar 19, 2005 4:42 pm Post subject:

Maybe I have a simillar problem.

Alsa worked fine before I installed linux 2.6.11.

I have all the alsa stuff compiled into the kernel. (I can't think of a reason why I should use modules because I always use sound.)

This is the error I get:

dmegs

kenmininger · n00b Joined: 19 Mar 2005 Posts: 12

bassvandijk · Posted: Sat Mar 19, 2005 5:10 pm Post subject:

tuxian · Posted: Sat Mar 19, 2005 5:50 pm Post subject:

I've the same problem.

Perfect sound with gentoo-dev-sources-2.6.10x but NOT with gentoo-dev-sources-2.6.11x

kenmininger · n00b Joined: 19 Mar 2005 Posts: 12

OK...so now I have everything compiled in the kernel & not using modules (* instead of M) and I can see in dmesg where ALSA is loading, etc...

Now what?

I've tried everything so any suggestions would be great.

Thanks!

bassvandijk · Posted: Sat Mar 19, 2005 6:34 pm Post subject:

kenmininger · n00b Joined: 19 Mar 2005 Posts: 12

bassvandijk · Posted: Sat Mar 19, 2005 6:48 pm Post subject:

Well, instead of me, you have a working kernel. So that's good.

Have you unmuted your channels, like NeddySeagoon sead?

kenmininger · n00b Joined: 19 Mar 2005 Posts: 12

NeddySeagoon · Posted: Sat Mar 19, 2005 7:20 pm Post subject:

NeddySeagoons Rough Guide to Sanity Checking ALSA

1. If you have compiled ALSA as modules the lsmod and modprobe applies to you. If you have made ALSA built in, you have to keep your fingers crossed you have it right, its much more difficult to check.

2. Do

sca · n00b Joined: 02 Jan 2003 Posts: 27

tuxian · Posted: Sat Mar 19, 2005 10:04 pm Post subject:

I'm using gentoo-dev-sources-2.6.11 with the same config as gentoo-dev-sources-2.6.10.

Alsa support is not compiled as modul, but it also doesn't work then i compile it as module.

tuxian · Posted: Sat Mar 19, 2005 10:08 pm Post subject:

Here the sound-part of my kernel config, but remember that it also doesn't work when I compile that stuff as module.

kenmininger · n00b Joined: 19 Mar 2005 Posts: 12

kenmininger · n00b Joined: 19 Mar 2005 Posts: 12

OK...I've reconfigured the kernel with ALSA modules instead of having it built in.

I've emerged xmms-alsa, alsa-tools, and alsa-utils. I used alsaconf to generate the alsa file in /etc/modules.d. I have not done an rc-update to start alsasound yet. However, I ran a /etc/init.d/alsasound start.

I have the following unmuted and the volue up:
- master, master, mono, headphone, pcm, cd
Everything else is muted.

Still no sound at all. XMMS will play but where's the sound going?

aschueler · Tux's lil' helper Joined: 09 Apr 2004 Posts: 100

I just opened up my /etc/modules.d/alsa file on my notebook (which uses alsa, but has the drivers etc loaded as modules -- desktop has it in the kernel). Anyway I think the alsaconf didn't set you up right. When I type

kenmininger · n00b Joined: 19 Mar 2005 Posts: 12

truekaiser · l33t Joined: 05 Mar 2004 Posts: 619

do you have the external amp channel on or off? some need it on to play sound. some need it off.
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aschueler · Tux's lil' helper Joined: 09 Apr 2004 Posts: 100

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.

aschueler · Tux's lil' helper Joined: 09 Apr 2004 Posts: 100