Comprehensive Sound Problem Solutions Guide

[bixejo]

My sound module is listed as HDA Generic. Under zless /usr/share/doc/alsa-base/driver/ALSA-Configuration.txt.gz the instructions for generic modules are only " The model name "genric" is treated as a special case. When this
model is given, the driver uses the generic codec parser without
"codec-patch". It's sometimes good for testing and debugging." Any ideas on how to get a more specific patch?

I'm a bit confused... The text you quote here is related to module snd-hda-intel in the file /usr/share/doc/alsa-base/driver/ALSA-Configuration.txt.gz. I can find it about at the end of the codec chip list. Did you run the command lsmod | grep snd from a terminal? Could you paste here the modules you get listed? And what's your audio card codec chip reported by aplay -l ?

Since you've got a HP laptop, if you are indeed running snd-hda-intel, maybe one of the following choices may work for you if you include one (just one) of these lines at the end of your file /etc/modprobe.d/alsa-base:

options snd-hda-intel model=hp
options snd-hda-intel model=laptop

In either case, you may always try things like the above lines, as this is actually not invasive for the system setup and may easily be reverted just by removing the line and rebooting.

I'm also assuming that you took previously Step 1, and tried to enable all possibilities under "Edit --> Preferences", and also tried all possible devices in "File --> Change device", didn't you?

[kriukov]

A very helpful guide, thank you. I've had the problem on my machine reappearing many times: sound disappears, or just specific programs refuse to play sound (e.g. Gizmo does not log on saying it didn't find available sound devices, or sox doesn't play anything saying /dev/dsp is busy). By trial and error I found the following way without reinstalling drivers. I just do

sudo chmod 777 /dev/snd/*

and restart. Everything works well after that. I have no idea why the permissions get reset.

[bixejo]

[...] By trial and error I found the following way without reinstalling drivers. I just do

sudo chmod 777 /dev/snd/*

and restart. Everything works well after that. I have no idea why the permissions get reset.

If that fixes your issues, looks like your problem's something to do with groups. Normally, permissions of files under /dev/snd/ allow owner and group to read and write from/to them. Did you check whether your user(s) name(s) is(are) included in the group "audio"? If not, that may explain why you need to apply permissions to "everybody" in the way you do with chmod.

You may check what users are included in the group "audio" by typing in a terminal (I include my own output):

bixejo@colmena:~$ grep audio /etc/group
audio:x:29:bixejo,bixeja

To include users you may edit file /etc/group and include at the end of the line starting by "audio" the users names you want to allow access to audio devices, separated by commas just like in the example. You may also try to use the GUI tool you may find in "System --> Administration --> Users and Groups" (albeit I don't see the group "audio" in my system... *shrug*). After that, all those users will be able to use sound devices without need to chmod files.

[monkeymind90]

"ethan@ethan-laptop:~$ lsmod
Module Size Used by
ipv6 317192 10
af_packet 28172 4
ndiswrapper 233632 0
rfcomm 47656 2
l2cap 28672 11 rfcomm
bluetooth 63876 4 rfcomm,l2cap
ppdev 11272 0
powernow_k8 16608 1
cpufreq_powersave 3072 0
cpufreq_userspace 6048 0
cpufreq_stats 8160 0
cpufreq_ondemand 10896 1
freq_table 6464 3 powernow_k8,cpufreq_stats,cpufreq_ondemand
cpufreq_conservative 9608 0
video 21140 0
container 6400 0
ac 7304 0
sbs 21520 0
battery 12424 0
button 10400 0
dock 12264 0
sbp2 27144 0
parport_pc 41896 0
lp 15048 0
parport 44172 3 ppdev,parport_pc,lp
joydev 13440 0
snd_hda_intel 375848 1
snd_pcm_oss 47488 0
snd_mixer_oss 20096 1 snd_pcm_oss
snd_pcm 93832 2 snd_hda_intel,snd_pcm_oss
snd_page_alloc 12560 2 snd_hda_intel,snd_pcm
snd_hwdep 12168 1 snd_hda_intel
snd_seq_dummy 5380 0
snd_seq_oss 36864 0
snd_seq_midi 11008 0
snd_rawmidi 29824 1 snd_seq_midi
snd_seq_midi_event 9984 2 snd_seq_oss,snd_seq_midi
snd_seq 62624 6 snd_seq_dummy,snd_seq_oss,snd_seq_midi,snd_seq_mid i_event
snd_timer 27400 2 snd_pcm,snd_seq
snd_seq_device 10260 5 snd_seq_dummy,snd_seq_oss,snd_seq_midi,snd_rawmidi ,snd_seq
uvcvideo 52228 0
snd 69544 12 snd_hda_intel,snd_pcm_oss,snd_mixer_oss,snd_pcm,sn d_hwdep,snd_seq_oss,snd_rawmidi,snd_seq,snd_timer, snd_seq_device
compat_ioctl32 11136 1 uvcvideo
sdhci 21004 0
soundcore 10272 1 snd
i2c_nforce2 7808 0
videodev 31360 1 uvcvideo
v4l1_compat 15364 2 uvcvideo,videodev
v4l2_common 21888 3 uvcvideo,compat_ioctl32,videodev
psmouse 45596 0
serio_raw 9092 0
pcspkr 4608 0
k8temp 7680 0
i2c_core 30208 1 i2c_nforce2
mmc_core 33416 1 sdhci
shpchp 38300 0
pci_hotplug 36612 1 shpchp
evdev 13056 6
ext3 146576 1
jbd 69360 1 ext3
mbcache 11272 1 ext3
sg 41384 0
sd_mod 32512 3
ide_cd 35488 0
cdrom 41768 1 ide_cd
ahci 27012 2
ata_generic 9988 0
forcedeth 55048 0
ohci1394 38984 0
ieee1394 109528 2 sbp2,ohci1394
libata 138928 2 ahci,ata_generic
scsi_mod 172856 4 sbp2,sg,sd_mod,libata
amd74xx 17328 0 [permanent]
ide_core 141200 2 ide_cd,amd74xx
ehci_hcd 40076 0
ohci_hcd 25092 0
usbcore 161584 5 ndiswrapper,uvcvideo,ehci_hcd,ohci_hcd
thermal 16528 0
processor 36232 2 powernow_k8,thermal
fan 6920 0
fuse 52528 1
apparmor 47008 0
commoncap 9472 1 apparmor
ethan@ethan-laptop:~$ grep snd"

grep snd just froze it.

"ethan@ethan-laptop:~$ aplay -l
**** List of PLAYBACK Hardware Devices ****
card 0: NVidia [HDA NVidia], device 0: HDA Generic [HDA Generic]
Subdevices: 1/1
Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
ethan@ethan-laptop:~$ "

Yes I did try the earlier steps you suggested, as well as model=laptop, model=hp, model=laptop hp, and model=hp 3035. None of these seemed to change anything (and I did remember to reboot and try it after each change).

[bixejo]

ethan@ethan-laptop:~$ grep snd"

grep snd just froze it.

Well, the "grep snd" part was to be put in the same line of "lsmod" separated by a pipe bar | so that the list were restricted only to sound modules, and not all modules as you normally get with "lsmod". Anyhow, in your post I saw what I was interested in.

Looks like your driver does not fully recognize your sound hardware. If you tried with the latest alsa driver release, I'm afraid the most likely is that your hardware is still not supported. You may also check your audio hardware with a lower level identification command like the following:

yourlogin@yourhost:~$ lscpi -v

That will report a long list of devices. Look for the ones related to sound or audio. Maybe that will find out more details than "aplay -l".

I'm sorry buddy, but if you tried the latest alsa driver release and also your audio hardware doesn't seem to be supported, I'm afraid your issues solution falls beyond my knowledge limits. I've done my best to help you, because I know quite well how one feels when gets a problem, asks for help, and gets the silence as the only answer. But at this point there isn't anything else I can do but wishing good luck to you.

[JDorfler]

Okay, I guess I am hard headed, but I had to do it. I have found out how to have sound and my HyperThreading on at the same time. First of all, I had to do a fresh install of Hardy rc 6 while HT was off. Update my installation, then reboot with HT turned back on. Sound will still not work if I use the flgrx drivers from ATI, but I would rather have sound while HT is on. I am running so much faster now.

[litothegreat]

i didnt read through all the pages in this thread, so excuse me if this is a repeat, but i am new to linux. and i ran lspci and say my chipset is "ICH8". i looked on the ASLA supported chipset page and did not see my chipset family. the first post stated he couldnt help me. so can anyone else?

[monkeymind90]

I'm sorry buddy, but if you tried the latest alsa driver release and also your audio hardware doesn't seem to be supported, I'm afraid your issues solution falls beyond my knowledge limits. I've done my best to help you, because I know quite well how one feels when gets a problem, asks for help, and gets the silence as the only answer. But at this point there isn't anything else I can do but wishing good luck to you.

Thanks anyway bixejo. I really appreciate the time you spent helping out.

[monkeymind90]

00:08.0 PCI bridge: nVidia Corporation MCP65 PCI bridge (rev a1) (prog-if 01 [Subtractive decode])
Flags: bus master, 66MHz, fast devsel, latency 0
Bus: primary=00, secondary=07, subordinate=07, sec-latency=64
Memory behind bridge: f2100000-f21fffff
Capabilities: <access denied>

Could the access denied have anything to do with alsa's failure to recognize the device?
This is from lspci -v.

[bixejo]

i didnt read through all the pages in this thread, so excuse me if this is a repeat, but i am new to linux. and i ran lspci and say my chipset is "ICH8". i looked on the ASLA supported chipset page and did not see my chipset family. the first post stated he couldnt help me. so can anyone else?

Not much help, but I just can tell you that I've got also a ICH8 chipset family audio card, and alsa-1.0.15 works great for me.

My audio devices, as reported by lscpi -v are:

00:1b.0 Audio device: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) HD Audio Controller (rev 03)
Subsystem: Toshiba America Info Systems Unknown device ff00
Flags: bus master, fast devsel, latency 0, IRQ 22
Memory at f8300000 (64-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=16K]
Capabilities: <access denied>
01:00.1 Audio device: ATI Technologies Inc Unknown device aa08
Subsystem: ATI Technologies Inc Unknown device aa08
Flags: bus master, fast devsel, latency 0, IRQ 11
Memory at c7eec000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=16K]
Capabilities: <access denied>

The second device listed is the modem audio output, I believe, but not sure at all.