[SOLVED] kernel config for sof (sound open firmware)?

[smartding]

I just got a tiger lake based laptop, and when I was installing arch Linux on it, it requires installing the sof firmware.

After installing `sys-firmware/sof-firmware-1.9`, the sound works on gentoo too.

But I noticed "lspci -k" output from arch Linux and gentoo are different.

"lspci -k" output from gentoo:

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00:1f.3 Multimedia audio controller: Intel Corporation Tiger Lake-LP Smart Sound Technology Audio Controller (rev 20)
	Subsystem: Device 1e83:3e35
	Kernel driver in use: snd_hda_intel

"lspci -k" output from arch Linux:

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00:1f.3 Multimedia audio controller: Intel Corporation Tiger Lake-LP Smart Sound Technology Audio Controller (rev 20)
	Subsystem: Device 1e83:3e35
	Kernel driver in use: sof-audio-pci-intel-tgl
	Kernel modules: snd_hda_intel, snd_sof_pci_intel_tgl

Did I miss something when configuring gentoo kernel? I can't find a gentoo wiki page for sof.

Here's my complete kernel config: https://pastebin.com/raw/6YD7TVZa

[NeddySeagoon]

smartding,

Maybe you did.

In the

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ALSA for SoC audio support --->

menu. Thats CONFIG_SND_SOC in search, which you set

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# CONFIG_SND_SOC is not set

are lots of Soc drivers but Tiger Lake-LP is not listed as its own entry.
The

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[*]   Sound Open Firmware Support

sub menu looks interesting.

You need

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 - -       SOF support for Tigerlake 

but in my kernel its forced off.

The help reads

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CONFIG_SND_SOC_SOF_TIGERLAKE:                                           │  
  │                                                                         │  
  │ This adds support for Sound Open Firmware for Intel(R) platforms        │  
  │ using the Tigerlake processors.                                         │  
  │ Say Y if you have such a device.                                        │  
  │ If unsure select "N".                                                   │  
  │                                                                         │  
  │ Symbol: SND_SOC_SOF_TIGERLAKE [=n]                                      │  
  │ Type  : tristate                                                        │  
  │ Defined at sound/soc/sof/intel/Kconfig:182                              │  
  │   Prompt: SOF support for Tigerlake                                     │  
  │   Depends on: SOUND [=y] && !UML && SND [=m] && SND_SOC [=m] && \       │  
  │ SND_SOC_SOF_TOPLEVEL [=y] && SND_SOC_SOF_INTEL_TOPLEVEL [=y] && \       │  
  │ SND_SOC_SOF_PCI [=n]                                                    │  
  │   Location:                                                             │  
  │     -> Device Drivers                                                   │  
  │       -> Sound card support (SOUND [=y])                                │  
  │         -> Advanced Linux Sound Architecture (SND [=m])                 │  
  │           -> ALSA for SoC audio support (SND_SOC [=m])                  │  
  │             -> Sound Open Firmware Support (SND_SOC_SOF_TOPLEVEL [=y])  │  
  │               -> SOF support for Intel audio DSPs (SND_SOC_SOF_INTEL_TO │  
  │ Selects: SND_SOC_SOF_INTEL_TGL [=n] 

But it will only appear in menuconfig if the boolean equation

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    Depends on: SOUND [=y] && !UML && SND [=m] && SND_SOC [=m] && \       │  
  │ SND_SOC_SOF_TOPLEVEL [=y] && SND_SOC_SOF_INTEL_TOPLEVEL [=y] && \       │  
  │ SND_SOC_SOF_PCI [=n] 

evaluate to true. Here it a string of things logically ANDed together.
It's forced off because I have SND_SOC_SOF_PCI [=n].

A few hints an working with menuconfig.
1. Things that cannot be selected are usually hidden.
2. There is a search function. Press / and enter a search term. It only shows selectable items.
That's sub optimal if the thing you want is hidden, so,
3. Press the 'z' key on any menu where 'z' is not a shortcut.
This toggles the display of hidden items. There are lots.
4. Search will now find hidden items. They cannot be selected until the Depends on: is true but now you can read it. :)

A side effect of this is that you find the kernel symbol you want and read its Depends on:
You got the the thing(s) you need to select and find its hidden too. Trace the Depends on: and fix it recursively.

[smartding]

I finally got the sound working.

It turned out that enabling those config related to "ALSA for SoC audio support" and "Sound Open Firmware Support" wasn't enough.

I had to enable configs related to following stuff:
1. Intel soundwire
1. machine driver for skylake (although I'm using tiger lake)
1. intel lpss

[AstroFloyd]

@Smartding,

Are you using initramfs (and/or genkernel)?

[smartding]

@Smartding,

Are you using initramfs (and/or genkernel)?

I build kernel manually with the gentoo-sources pkg, I'm not using initramfs

[AstroFloyd]

@Smartding I apologise for the slow response, I was occupied elsewhere. Thanks for your response, it 'sounds' (haha) promising for my situation. Would you be willing to paste your kernel config again? I'm running into the same/a similar problem and seem to be missing something...

Edit: I seem to have found the solution (with external help). Your info helped me exclude the necessity for genkernel and/or initramfs - thanks for that!