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Hardware - Sound card configuration - basics for all soundcards

mzilikazi - 25.08.2006, 00:53 Uhr
Titel: Sound card configuration - basics for all soundcards
I'd like to put together here a list of commands and things to try in the event your soundcard doesn't 'just-work'

As a new Linux user it may not be obvious to you that we do alot of configuration from the command line. Fire up your favorite terminal (Konsole) and get ready to type! Some of this can simpy be copy/pasted.

Step 1 See if your soundcard is detected:
Code:
cat /proc/asound/cards


Yes? Skip to step 3.
No? See step 2

Step 2 Configure the soundcard as root:
Code:
$ su
# alsaconf


Step 3 Play a file:
Code:
$ play /usr/share/sounds/startup.ogg


Working now?
Yes? - Join us in IRC if your favorite media player does not have sound or if you have other audio related questions.
No? See step 4.

Step 4 Check all volumes are up and nothing is muted.
Code:
alsamixer

Play a test file:
Code:
$ play /usr/share/sounds/startup.ogg


Still having problems? Try disabling ARTS sound server in Kcontrol:
Kcontrol->Sound and Multimedia -> Sound System

Some common errors/problems:

If your preferred media player does not work but you can play a sound from command line make sure your application is configured to use ALSA.

Getting an error like this?:
Code:
sox: Can't open output file '/dev/dsp': Device or resource busy

Kill whatever is using the sounds card.
Code:
$ fuser -k /dev/dsp 


If you have multiple sound devices you will need to tell alsamixer which device you wish to use:

Code:
alsamixer -c 1

See
Code:
alsamixer -h
for a quick list of commands or see man alsamixer for more details.

Note to Intel sound card owners. These have on occasion proven to be some difficult beasts to configure. It seems that there are quite a few different Intel chipsets used for sound. Some (most? all?) require specific parameters to be applied to the drivers when they are probed. If you are an owner of an Intel sound chip please post the output of
Code:
cat /proc/asound/cards
and anything else you had to do to get your specific card working. I have seen that some sound cards only work if detected as the first card. AFAIK your best bet may be to join #alsa in IRC and ask there what to do about your specific sound card.

I have several sound cards - how to configure them all?
Edit /etc/modprobe.d/sound to look something like so:
Code:
alias snd-card-0 snd-ice1712
options snd-ice1712 index=0

alias snd-card-1 snd-bt87x
options snd-bt87x index=1

alias snd-card-2 snd-intel8x0
options snd-intel8x0 index=2


If you run alsaconf it will ask if it can write to /etc/modprobe.d/sound - be sure to say NO or your file gets overwritten. It's just as easy to edit the file manually.
StevenX - 12.09.2006, 21:56 Uhr
Titel: RE: Sound card configuration - basics for all soundcards
thanks for this post. I just want to point out that in step 4 you have "alsamiser" instead of "alsamixer". Since this is obviously directed at noobs (such as me), I'm thinking you'd like to avoid them some headaches. Great post. It's helping me fix my problem. thank you.
mzilikazi - 13.09.2006, 00:12 Uhr
Titel: Re: RE: Sound card configuration - basics for all soundcards
StevenX hat folgendes geschrieben::
thanks for this post. I just want to point out that in step 4 you have "alsamiser" instead of "alsamixer". Since this is obviously directed at noobs (such as me), I'm thinking you'd like to avoid them some headaches. Great post. It's helping me fix my problem. thank you.


DOH! Thanks for pointing that out. Fixed!
zulu9 - 20.09.2006, 20:54 Uhr
Titel: LG P1 Express Dual (hda_intel)
Here is how I got speakers working on a LG P1 Express Dual laptop with hda_intel.

00:1b.0 Audio device: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) High Definition Audio Controller (rev 02)

cat /proc/asound/cards
Code:
 0 [Intel          ]: HDA-Intel - HDA Intel
                      HDA Intel at 0xd8500000 irq 82


Here is what had to be changed:
/etc/modprobe.d/sound
Code:
alias snd-card-0 snd-hda-intel
options snd_hda_intel model=lg


Kano already made a fix-script, so future releases will probably detect this automatically.
hubi - 23.09.2006, 16:29 Uhr
Titel: LG P1 Express Dual (hda_intel)
I do not hear anything on a HDA-Intel, the settings are:
Zitat:
markus@Tosh:~$ cat /proc/asound/cards
0 [Intel ]: HDA-Intel - HDA Intel
HDA Intel at 0xb0000000 irq 58
markus@Tosh:~$ cat /etc/modprobe.d/sound
alias snd-card-0 snd-hda-intel
options snd-hda-intel index=0

There are no problems listed anywhere, I just do not hear anything. Master and PCM are up in alsamixer, and there is nothing else I could mute, these are the only two things in it.

hubi

Edit: typo
hubi - 24.09.2006, 14:35 Uhr
Titel: LG P1 Express Dual (hda_intel)
zulu9,

how did you get the information that you need model=lg? I mean, that it is "lg" and not something else? I don't think "model=toshiba" would work.

hubi
zulu9 - 24.09.2006, 18:26 Uhr
Titel: LG P1 Express Dual (hda_intel)
Hi! To be honest, I just guessed. I googled and found a user with a hp-laptop and a similar problem.
There the solution was model=hp. Also the guys from #alsa channel told me that often some special options were needed. So I tried model=lg and it worked. I also found someone who needed model=acer.
So try model=toshiba Winken
Wydnas_uk - 16.10.2006, 23:44 Uhr
Titel: RE: LG P1 Express Dual (hda_intel)
Hi there First post here,

Was trying to get Kanotix 2006-1 rc up & running on some old Compaq AP400 Workstations now that Dual CPUs are supported by default. Everything worked great apart from sound.

In older versions of Kanotix I would just use alsaconf from the terminal and then save the settings (The soundchip is onboard and is an Ensoniq ess1869). This worked fine up to and including the Easter rc. However in 2006-1 all versions it seems that the alsaconf settings are lost on reboot, e.g. the conf doesn't seem to get written. Using the 'alsactl store' command also has no effect.

I googled this problem but none of the threads gave me a workable solution.

In the end I experimented with an idea from one of the threads and edited the /etc/modules file to include the line snd-es18xx (the name of the module referred to in the /sbin/modprobe.d/alsa-base file).

I rebooted and the module is inserted into the kernel on boot and hey presto sound! Not sure this is a very elegant fix as I'm no Linux expert but it works for me without seeming to cause any other problems. No need to run alsaconf at all.

Just thought I'd post as it took me about a month to work this out even though the solution is disgustingly simple!
diquesiyes - 18.10.2007, 13:20 Uhr
Titel: sound card doesn't work
hi,
I've followed the instructions and:

root@nuevoviejo:/home/manolo# cat /etc/modprobe.d/sound
alias snd-card-0 snd-bt87x
options snd-bt87x index=0

root@nuevoviejo:/home/manolo# alsamixer

alsamixer: function snd_ctl_open failed for default: No such device


and I did the fuser -k /dev/dsp

also:

root@nuevoviejo:/home/manolo# ps aux | grep arts
root 17832 0.0 0.0 4820 712 pts/0 R+ 18:22 0:00 grep arts
root@nuevoviejo:/home/manolo# ps aux | grep alsa
root 17834 0.0 0.0 4820 708 pts/0 R+ 18:22 0:00 grep alsa

root@nuevoviejo:/home/manolo# lsmod | grep bt
snd_bt87x 16164 0
snd_pcm 81028 2 snd_bt87x,snd_pcm_oss
snd 54020 5 snd_bt87x,snd_pcm_oss,snd_mixer_oss,snd_pcm,snd_timer
snd_page_alloc 10888 2 snd_bt87x,snd_pcm



any hint ?


greets
Kano - 18.10.2007, 13:32 Uhr
Titel: sound card doesn
thats your tv card, do you use a very old board? try

alsaconf
diquesiyes - 18.10.2007, 14:06 Uhr
Titel: sound card doesn
ok, I'll write what I see when I run alsaconf:
bt87x Booktree Corporation Bt878 Audio Capture (rev 02) {{{six times this line }}}
cs4236 Crystal Audio
cs4232 Crystal Audio
legacy Probe legacy...

When I choose cs4232 or cs4236 it doesn't work either.
root@nuevoviejo:/home/manolo# alsamixer

alsamixer: function snd_ctl_open failed for default: No such device
root@nuevoviejo:/home/manolo# lsmod | grep cs
snd_cs4236 19212 0
snd_opl3_lib 11392 1 snd_cs4236
snd_cs4236_lib 17408 1 snd_cs4236
snd_mpu401_uart 9728 1 snd_cs4236
snd_cs4231_lib 25728 2 snd_cs4236,snd_cs4236_lib
snd_pcm 81028 3 snd_cs4236_lib,snd_cs4231_lib,snd_pcm_oss
Kano - 18.10.2007, 14:09 Uhr
Titel: sound card doesn
I would buy a pci or usb soundcard...
cabalinho - 28.05.2008, 15:26 Uhr
Titel: RE: sound card doesn
I have an Acer Aspire 5110 with Kanotix installed on a usb hard drive. I am having fits trying to get the microphone and camera installed. I don't appear to have the /etc/modprobe.d/sound file that is mentioned in this thread. what should I do?
jpisini - 18.06.2010, 13:28 Uhr
Titel: RE: sound card doesn
I have reinstalled 4x and each of the first 3 it was identical, My laptop a Compaq cq61-420us lspci output below. LiveCD would have sound and after running alsaconf so would a fresh install. I would then run apt-get upgrade and install a couple of things and sound would no longer work. I then decided to pin alsa using the /etc/apt/preferences also below and I have now added about a hundred packages on top of upgrading and still have sound. Hopefully this will help someone else.

Just so everyone knows this is not a Kanotix only issue I also have sound issues on Lenny and Ubuntu with this laptop. Other distros such as Mandriva and PCLinuxOS do not have this problem. Overall a very good release thanks to all the developers.

Here is my /etc/apt/preferences
Package: alsa-base
Pin: version 1.0.17.dsfg-4
Pin-Priority:1001

Package: alsa-oss
Pin: version 1.0.15-1
Pin-Priority:1001

Package: alsa-base
Pin: version 1.0.16-2
Pin-Priority:1001

Package: asound
Pin: version 1.0.16-2
Pin-Priority:100
--------------------------------
Here is my lspci

00:00.0 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] RS780 Host Bridge Alternate
00:01.0 PCI bridge: Hewlett-Packard Company Device 9602
00:05.0 PCI bridge: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] RS780 PCI to PCI bridge (PCIE port 1)
00:06.0 PCI bridge: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] RS780 PCI to PCI bridge (PCIE port 2)
00:11.0 SATA controller: ATI Technologies Inc SB700/SB800 SATA Controller [AHCI mode]
00:12.0 USB Controller: ATI Technologies Inc SB700/SB800 USB OHCI0 Controller
00:12.1 USB Controller: ATI Technologies Inc SB700 USB OHCI1 Controller
00:12.2 USB Controller: ATI Technologies Inc SB700/SB800 USB EHCI Controller
00:13.0 USB Controller: ATI Technologies Inc SB700/SB800 USB OHCI0 Controller
00:13.1 USB Controller: ATI Technologies Inc SB700 USB OHCI1 Controller
00:13.2 USB Controller: ATI Technologies Inc SB700/SB800 USB EHCI Controller
00:14.0 SMBus: ATI Technologies Inc SBx00 SMBus Controller (rev 3c)
00:14.2 Audio device: ATI Technologies Inc SBx00 Azalia (Intel HDA)
00:14.3 ISA bridge: ATI Technologies Inc SB700/SB800 LPC host controller
00:14.4 PCI bridge: ATI Technologies Inc SBx00 PCI to PCI Bridge
00:18.0 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] K10 [Opteron, Athlon64, Sempron] HyperTransport Configuration
00:18.1 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] K10 [Opteron, Athlon64, Sempron] Address Map
00:18.2 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] K10 [Opteron, Athlon64, Sempron] DRAM Controller
00:18.3 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] K10 [Opteron, Athlon64, Sempron] Miscellaneous Control
00:18.4 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] K10 [Opteron, Athlon64, Sempron] Link Control
01:05.0 VGA compatible controller: ATI Technologies Inc Device 9712
02:00.0 Network controller: Atheros Communications Inc. AR9285 Wireless Network Adapter (PCI-Express) (rev 01)
03:00.0 Ethernet controller: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL8101E/RTL8102E PCI Express Fast Ethernet controller (rev 02)
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