New(ish) gentoo install: No Sound [WORKSFORME]

msulli1355 · Last edited by msulli1355 on Sun May 15, 2016 12:59 am; edited 1 time in total

I got this PC in brand new about a month ago. I have got everything I need working except sound. I booted off a 64bit slckware LiveUSB to install the system. I used lsmod on the slack USB to find out which modules it was using and cat'd it to a file on my system. Here's what it gave for sound:

caitlyn ~ # grep snd slack-lsmod.txt
snd_usb_audio 113880 1
snd_usbmidi_lib 15657 1 snd_usb_audio
snd_rawmidi 15186 1 snd_usbmidi_lib
snd_seq_device 2919 1 snd_rawmidi
snd_hda_codec_realtek 47592 1
snd_hda_codec_generic 40660 1 snd_hda_codec_realtek
snd_hda_intel 21056 3
snd_hda_codec 70626 3 snd_hda_codec_realtek,snd_hda_codec_generic,snd_hda_intel
snd_hda_core 32562 4 snd_hda_codec_realtek,snd_hda_codec_generic,snd_hda_codec,snd_hda_intel
snd_hwdep 4846 2 snd_usb_audio,snd_hda_codec
snd_pcm 65513 4 snd_usb_audio,snd_hda_codec,snd_hda_intel,snd_hda_core
snd_timer 16126 1 snd_pcm
snd 48528 18 snd_usb_audio,snd_hwdep,snd_timer,snd_pcm,snd_rawmidi,snd_hda_codec_generic,snd_usbmidi_lib,snd_hda_codec,snd_hda_intel,snd_seq_device

Here's what lspci says:

caitlyn ~ # lspci | grep Audio
00:1b.0 Audio device: Intel Corporation 8 Series/C220 Series Chipset High Definition Audio Controller (rev 05)

I am using a Gentoo kernel:

caitlyn ~ # uname -a
Linux caitlyn 4.4.6-gentoo #1 SMP Sun May 8 09:39:43 CDT 2016 x86_64 GNU/Linux

caitlyn ~ # dmesg | grep snd
[ 5.171209] usbcore: registered new interface driver snd-usb-audio
[ 240.602116] snd_hda_codec_generic: Unknown symbol snd_hda_get_bool_hint (err 0)
[ 240.602120] snd_hda_codec_generic: Unknown symbol snd_hda_get_int_hint (err 0)
[ 240.602131] snd_hda_codec_generic: Unknown symbol snd_hda_attach_beep_device (err 0)
[ 750.376208] snd_hda_codec_generic: Unknown symbol snd_hda_get_bool_hint (err 0)
[ 750.376212] snd_hda_codec_generic: Unknown symbol snd_hda_get_int_hint (err 0)
[ 750.376223] snd_hda_codec_generic: Unknown symbol snd_hda_attach_beep_device (err 0)
[71994.797488] snd_hda_codec_generic: Unknown symbol snd_hda_get_bool_hint (err 0)
[71994.797493] snd_hda_codec_generic: Unknown symbol snd_hda_get_int_hint (err 0)
[71994.797504] snd_hda_codec_generic: Unknown symbol snd_hda_attach_beep_device (err 0)
[72011.755959] snd_hda_codec_generic: Unknown symbol snd_hda_get_bool_hint (err 0)
[72011.755963] snd_hda_codec_generic: Unknown symbol snd_hda_get_int_hint (err 0)
[72011.755975] snd_hda_codec_generic: Unknown symbol snd_hda_attach_beep_device (err 0)
[179591.019535] snd_hda_codec_generic: Unknown symbol snd_hda_get_bool_hint (err 0)
[179591.019540] snd_hda_codec_generic: Unknown symbol snd_hda_get_int_hint (err 0)
[179591.019551] snd_hda_codec_generic: Unknown symbol snd_hda_attach_beep_device (err 0)

I have not yet discovered how to resolve these issues. I really don't know at this point what my next step should be. In xfce4 (which I'm using as my desktop environment), I have USB AUDIO (ALSA Mixer) listed as my sound card in xfce4-audio-mixer. My only available control is PCM. The slack LiveUSB I used said that my sound care was USB AUDIO, but it's only available control was Master - I was expecting either Master or Front . Etiher way, I have no sound out of the speakers with only the PCM control. Can anyone help me with this?

NeddySeagoon · Posted: Sat May 14, 2016 9:32 pm Post subject:

msulli1355,

Unknown symbol errors are usually caused by mixing and matching kernel binaries with a different build of modules.
Possibly by not installing the kernel or the modules correctly after a kernel build.

Did you forget to mount /boot?
What does

msulli1355 · Posted: Sat May 14, 2016 10:31 pm Post subject:

I think that was it. /boot wasn't mounted when my kernel was built. On my old system, I almost always used genkernel. I guess I forgot to check that it was mounted before I built the kernel manually. I'm building a new kernel now, WITH /boot mounted.

NeddySeagoon · Posted: Sat May 14, 2016 10:53 pm Post subject:

msulli1355,

You only needed to repeat the install steps. The kernel will be correctly made in /usr/src/linux.
With /boot not mounted the bzImage will be installed to the wrong place anh the modules to the right place, overwriting the existing modules.

At reboot, you load the old bzImage and the new modules.
_________________
Regards,

NeddySeagoon

Computer users fall into two groups:-
those that do backups
those that have never had a hard drive fail.

msulli1355 · Posted: Sat May 14, 2016 10:55 pm Post subject:

Well, I was hopeful, but it just wasn't enough. The dmesg errors are gone now. Still, no sound. I suppose it's a step in the right direction. The Gentoo ALSA guide was no help. I got completely confused with all the talk about ~/.asound. My dmesg now says

caitlyn ~ # dmesg | grep snd
[ 5.473225] usbcore: registered new interface driver snd-usb-audio

I thought there might be something about audio in there, so I grep'd for it:

caitlyn ~ # dmesg | grep -i audio
[ 0.632660] hdaudio hdaudioC0D0: Unable to bind the codec
[ 1.399090] usb 2-1.2: Product: USB AUDIO
[ 1.400184] input: USB AUDIO as /devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1d.0/usb2/2-1/2-1.2/2-1.2:1.2/0003:1130:1620.0001/input/input6
[ 1.450971] hid-generic 0003:1130:1620.0001: input,hidraw0: USB HID v1.10 Device [USB AUDIO ] on usb-0000:00:1d.0-1.2/input2
[ 5.473225] usbcore: registered new interface driver snd-usb-audio

lsmod isn't showing all the modules I have in /etc/conf.d/modules:

caitlyn ~ # lsmod
Module Size Used by
cfg80211 420525 0
r8168 473953 0
ipv6 307904 16
snd_usb_audio 130870 2
snd_usbmidi_lib 19323 1 snd_usb_audio
snd_rawmidi 17452 1 snd_usbmidi_lib
x86_pkg_temp_thermal 4727 0

caitlyn ~ # cat /etc/conf.d/modules
# You can define a list modules for a specific kernel version,
# a released kernel version, a main kernel version or just a list.
# The most specific versioned variable will take precedence.
#modules_2_6_23_gentoo_r5="ieee1394 ohci1394"
#modules_2_6_23="tun ieee1394"
#modules_2_6="tun"
#modules_2="ipv6"
#modules="ohci1394"

# You can give modules a different name when they load - the new name
# will also be used to pick arguments below.
#modules="dummy:dummy1"

# Give the modules some arguments if needed, per version if necessary.
# Again, the most specific versioned variable will take precedence.
#module_ieee1394_args="debug"
#module_ieee1394_args_2_6_23_gentoo_r5="debug2"
#module_ieee1394_args_2_6_23="debug3"
#module_ieee1394_args_2_6="debug4"
#module_ieee1394_args_2="debug5"

# You should consult your kernel documentation and configuration
# for a list of modules and their options.
modules="r8168"
modules="nf_log_ipv6"
modules="nf_log_ipv4"
modules="nf_log_arp"
modules="ipt_MASQUERADE"
modules="nf_nat_masquerade_ipv4"
modules="iptable_nat"
modules="nf_nat_ipv4"
modules="xt_nat"
modules="xt_mark"
modules="xt_LOG"
modules="xt_addrtype"
modules="nf_nat_sip"
modules="nf_nat_irc"
modules="nf_nat_ftp"
modules="nf_nat"
modules="nf_log_common"
modules="svgalib_helper"
modules="echainiv"
modules="snd_hda_intel"
modules="xfs"
modules="ac97_bus"
modules="snd-intel8x0"
modules="snd-intel8x0m"
modules="snd_hda_codec_realtek"
modules="snd_hda_codec_generic"
modules="snd_hda_codec"
modules="snd_usb_audio"
modules="snd_hda_core"
modules="snd_usbmidi_lib"
modules="snd_hwdep"
modules="snd_rawmidi"
modules="snd_seq_device"
modules="snd_pcm"
modules="snd_timer"
modules="soundcore"

Is there a way to re-execute the file after I've already booted? I remember seeing an /etc/init.d/modules file, but the handbook never mentioned it (at least in the first chapter, which is all I read.)

msulli1355 · Posted: Sat May 14, 2016 10:58 pm Post subject:

I restarted /etc/init.d/modules. It said that it autoloaded 1 module, but didn't say what exactly it was. My lsmod output doesn't look any different.

NeddySeagoon · Posted: Sat May 14, 2016 11:02 pm Post subject:

msulli1355,

The active modules statement needs to be a single line.

msulli1355 · Posted: Sat May 14, 2016 11:48 pm Post subject:

Now that I put them all on one line, my lsmod looks more like I'd expect it to:

caitlyn ~ # lsmod | grep snd
snd_intel8x0m 11340 0
snd_intel8x0 27364 0
snd_ac97_codec 107287 2 snd_intel8x0,snd_intel8x0m
ac97_bus 1630 1 snd_ac97_codec
snd_hda_codec_realtek 56090 0
snd_hda_codec_generic 54018 1 snd_hda_codec_realtek
snd_usb_audio 130870 2
snd_usbmidi_lib 19323 1 snd_usb_audio
snd_rawmidi 17452 1 snd_usbmidi_lib

I still have only the PCM control in xfce4-audio-mixer and no sound. I didn't see snd_hda_intel in the lsmod listing, so I modprobed it manually. It still doesn't show up on lsmod. Maybe I don't need it after all? I don't know at this point, but I still have no sound. Alsamixer says "This sound device doesn't have any controls."

msulli1355 · Posted: Sun May 15, 2016 12:20 am Post subject:

I rebooted into my slack environment to find out the kernel version. There are a few modules on the slack lsmod listing that don't seem to be available in gentoo-sources-4.4.6, like snd_usbmidi_lib. I can't find it in gentoo-sources-4.5.1 either. The slack liveusb runs:

caitlyn ~ # cat slack-uname.txt
Linux slack 4.5.1-x86_64-exton #2 SMP Tue Apr 12 22:17:40 GMT 2016 x86_64 Intel(R) Pentium(R) CPU G3250 @ 3.20GHz GenuineIntel GNU/Linux
caitlyn ~ #

caitlyn ~ # grep snd slack-lsmod.txt
snd_usb_audio 113880 1
snd_usbmidi_lib 15657 1 snd_usb_audio
snd_rawmidi 15186 1 snd_usbmidi_lib
snd_seq_device 2919 1 snd_rawmidi
snd_hda_codec_realtek 47592 1
snd_hda_codec_generic 40660 1 snd_hda_codec_realtek
snd_hda_intel 21056 3
snd_hda_codec 70626 3 snd_hda_codec_realtek,snd_hda_codec_generic,snd_hda_intel
snd_hda_core 32562 4 snd_hda_codec_realtek,snd_hda_codec_generic,snd_hda_codec,snd_hda_intel
snd_hwdep 4846 2 snd_usb_audio,snd_hda_codec
snd_pcm 65513 4 snd_usb_audio,snd_hda_codec,snd_hda_intel,snd_hda_core
snd_timer 16126 1 snd_pcm
snd 48528 18 snd_usb_audio,snd_hwdep,snd_timer,snd_pcm,snd_rawmidi,snd_hda_codec_generic,snd_usbmidi_lib,snd_hda_codec,snd_hda_intel,snd_seq_device
soundcore 4492 1 snd
caitlyn ~ #

I can't find snd_seq_device in gentoo-sources-4.5.1 either. Nor snd_hda_codec_generic or soundcore.

And I can't seem to find snd_pcm in the kernel menuconfig. It just tells me that:
Symbol: SND_PCM [=y] │
│ Type : tristate │
│ Defined at sound/core/Kconfig:5 │
│ Depends on: SOUND [=y] && !M68K && !UML && SND [=y] │
│ Selects: SND_TIMER [=y] │
│ Selected by: VIDEO_USBTV [=n] && USB [=y] && MEDIA_SUPPORT [=n] && MEDIA_USB_SUPPORT [=n] │

Could that be the problem, that MEDIA_USB_SUPPORT=n?

msulli1355 · Posted: Sun May 15, 2016 12:59 am Post subject:

I rebooted with the gentoo-sources-4.4.6 kernel, and although I still only have the PCM control in xfce4-audio-mixer, I DO have sound. It's a little weird to me, not having a Master control available, but I'm very happy the finally have sound...