82801I (ICH9 Family) HD Audio Controller - MIC doesn't work on OpenSuse 11.3

English Hardware
1

I’m not able to configure my microfone. Audio works very well. HW it’s OK, mic works well on windows.

Thank’s!!

Recording WAVE ‘foo.wav’ : Signed 16 bit Little Endian, Rate 48000 Hz, Stereo
Plug PCM: Linear conversion PCM (S32_LE)
Its setup is:
stream : CAPTURE
access : RW_INTERLEAVED
format : S16_LE
subformat : STD
channels : 2
rate : 48000
exact rate : 48000 (48000/1)
msbits : 16
buffer_size : 8192
period_size : 1024
period_time : 21333
tstamp_mode : NONE
period_step : 1
avail_min : 1024
period_event : 0
start_threshold : 1
stop_threshold : 8192
silence_threshold: 0
silence_size : 0
boundary : 1073741824
Slave: Soft volume PCM
Control: Digital Capture Volume
min_dB: -30
max_dB: 30
resolution: 121
Its setup is:
stream : CAPTURE
access : MMAP_INTERLEAVED
format : S32_LE
subformat : STD
channels : 2
rate : 48000
exact rate : 48000 (48000/1)
msbits : 32
buffer_size : 8192
period_size : 1024
period_time : 21333
tstamp_mode : NONE
period_step : 1
avail_min : 1024
period_event : 0
start_threshold : 1
stop_threshold : 8192
silence_threshold: 0
silence_size : 0
boundary : 1073741824
Slave: Direct Snoop PCM
Its setup is:
stream : CAPTURE
access : MMAP_INTERLEAVED
format : S32_LE
subformat : STD
channels : 2
rate : 48000
exact rate : 48000 (48000/1)
msbits : 32
buffer_size : 8192
period_size : 1024
period_time : 21333
tstamp_mode : NONE
period_step : 1
avail_min : 1024
period_event : 0
start_threshold : 1
stop_threshold : 8192
silence_threshold: 0
silence_size : 0
boundary : 1073741824
Hardware PCM card 0 ‘HDA Intel’ device 0 subdevice 0
Its setup is:
stream : CAPTURE
access : MMAP_INTERLEAVED
format : S32_LE
subformat : STD
channels : 2
rate : 48000
exact rate : 48000 (48000/1)
msbits : 32
buffer_size : 8192
period_size : 1024
period_time : 21333
tstamp_mode : ENABLE
period_step : 1
avail_min : 1024
period_event : 0
start_threshold : 1
stop_threshold : 1073741824
silence_threshold: 0
silence_size : 0
boundary : 1073741824
appl_ptr : 0
hw_ptr : 0
################+ | 30%
############## + | 29%
###############+ | 29%^C

2

Apologies, but what you posted … those many many lines, … what were they supposed to mean ? Does it mean something to you? I confess, it meant nothing to me. … 'just asking 'cause I am keen to learn more. So if you can explain, it would help me.

Anyway, could you instead provide the information recommended to be provided in our multimedia stickie ?? that stickie can be found here: Welcome to multimedia sub-area

and so you do not have to chase down yet another link, I’ll quote the salient portion for you:

please post … providing in your post the following information:

/usr/sbin/alsa-info.sh

and select the SHARE/UPLOAD option and after the script finishes it will give you a URL to pass to the support personnel. Please post here the output URL/website-address that gives. Just the URL/website-address. You may need to run that script twice (the first time with root permissions to update in the /usr/sbin directory, and the second time to get the URL).
.
Note if for some reason that gives you no website/url/address then run it with the no-upload option:

/usr/sbin/alsa-info.sh --no-upload

and post the file /etc/alsa-info.txt it creates to Pastebin.com and press SUBMIT on that site and again post here the URL/website-address it provides.

.
… some clarification on running the script “alsa-info.sh” … when you run:

/usr/sbin/alsa-info.sh

you should get something like this (if it asks for an update, select NO):
http://thumbnails33.imagebam.com/9280/a5973e92794041.jpg](http://www.imagebam.com/image/a5973e92794041)

followed by this (select the SHARE/UPLOAD option):
http://thumbnails30.imagebam.com/9280/5e84f992794044.jpg](ImageBam)

followed by this (its quickest if you simply select ‘NO’ to seeing the output - you will see it on the web page) :
http://thumbnails32.imagebam.com/9280/214da092794048.jpg](ImageBam)

followed by this (where in RED is the URL).
http://thumbnails23.imagebam.com/9280/d9858092794051.jpg](ImageBam)

Just post the URL you get (similar to the RED URL in my example, but yours will be different).

Again, if you can not get that, then run this with the no upload option:

/usr/sbin/alsa-info.sh --no-upload


which will create the file /tmp/alsa-info.txt.  Copy that file and paste it on [Pastebin.com](http://pastebin.com) and press submit. That will give you a URL address. Please post that URL here.

Also provide the following:
  • in a terminal, or xterm, or konsole, type: rpm -qa ‘alsa’ #and post output here
  • in a terminal, or xterm, or konsole, type: rpm -qa ‘pulse’ #and post output here
  • in a terminal, or xterm, or konsole, type: rpm -q libasound2 #and post output here
  • in a terminal, or xterm, or konsole, type: uname -a #and post output here
  • …
  • for openSUSE-11.2 or newer, in a terminal, or xterm, or konsole, type: cat /etc/modprobe.d/50-sound.conf #and post output here

My apologies for asking for that information, but I’m not smart enough to make any sense out of what you posted (other than you a version of openSUSE-11.3 of unknown desktop, unknown kernel, unknown alsa version, unknown hardware in the ICH9 Family … etc … ), and often the information I requested in the above quote will help me provide better support.

Also, please advise if this is an internal mic or an external mic. I know, I know, its obvious to you, but I’m struggling with a flu and head cold (read sledgehammer hitting my brain every minute or so), and try hard as I can, I simply can not deduce that from the long post you provided. Sorry. …

3

He, I apologize for the poor information, for me is the first time with Linux eand forum.

After that the url where I uploaded the infos is
http://www.alsa-project.org/db/?f=300b4220ff89d1d27e781f759ac154cb5b0d8448

The Mic is external.

Tanck’s

4

Thanks for the script info.

From that I can see you are using a 32-bit openSUSE-11.3 with the older 2.6.34-12 kernel with alsa-1.0.22.1 / 1.0.23 on a CdcPointSpa MS-7357 with the ALC888 hardware audio codec.

Since pulse is installed, but not running, I am assuming you have a Gnome desktop (and yes it DOES make a difference to know what desktop you are using).

In terms of recording devices I note this from the script:


**ARECORD**

****** List of CAPTURE Hardware Devices ******
**card 0: Intel [HDA Intel], device 0: ALC888 Analog [ALC888 Analog]**
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
**card 0: Intel [HDA Intel], device 2: ALC888 Analog [ALC888 Analog]**
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0

ie there are two devices (device #0 and device#2) … ergo possibly 2 locations on your PC for the jack for the mic ? If I am correct, which external jack are you trying to use ? The front one on your PC ? The back one on your PC ?

I note this in your mixer controls:


**!!Amixer output**
!!-------------

**!!-------Mixer controls for card 0 [Intel]**

**Card hw:0 'Intel'/'HDA Intel at 0xfe7f8000 irq 31'**
  Mixer name	: 'Realtek ALC888'
**Simple mixer control 'Front Mic',0**
  Front Left: Playback 31 [100%] [12.00dB] [on]
  Front Right: Playback 31 [100%] [12.00dB] [on]
**Simple mixer control 'Front Mic Boost',0**
  Capabilities: volume penum
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Front Left: 0 **[0%]**
  Front Right: 0 **[0%]**
**Simple mixer control 'Mic',0**
  Capabilities: pvolume pswitch penum
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Front Left: Playback 0 **[0%]** -34.50dB] **[off]**
  Front Right: Playback 0 **[0%]** -34.50dB] **[off]**
**Simple mixer control 'Mic Boost',0**
  Capabilities: volume penum
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Front Left: 0 **[0%]**
  Front Right: 0 **[0%]**
**Simple mixer control 'Capture',0**
  Capabilities: cvolume cswitch penum
  Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Front Left: Capture 31 [100%] [30.00dB] [on]
  Front Right: Capture 31 [100%] [30.00dB] [on]
**Simple mixer control 'Capture',1**
  Capabilities: cvolume cswitch penum
  Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Front Left: Capture 0 **[0%]** -16.50dB] [on]
  Front Right: Capture 0 **[0%]** -16.50dB] [on]
**Simple mixer control 'Digital',0**
  Capabilities: cvolume penum
  Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Front Left: Capture 108 [90%] [24.00dB]
  Front Right: Capture 108 [90%] [24.00dB]
**Simple mixer control 'Input Source',0**
  Items: 'Mic' 'Front Mic' 'Line'
  Item0: **'Mic'**
**Simple mixer control 'Input Source',1**
  Items: 'Mic' 'Front Mic' 'Line'
  Item0: **'Mic'**

According to the above, you are not using the Front Mic, but rather you have selected BOTH possible captures to ONLY use the rear (?) mic.

But both Front Mic Boost and the other (rear (?)) Mic Boost are at 0%. My experience suggests you should put those at 66% or so initially. Too high causes excessive noise/distortion. Too low means the mic can not capture sound.

I note the ‘Simple mixer control’ for Mic 0 is OFF and at 0% playback. I think that a mistake. I think it should ON and playback levels raised.

I note the ‘Simple mixer control for Capture 1’ is OFF and at 0% playback. That is ok if you are certain you are using Capture 0, but is that the case ? How certain are you ? Maybe unmute/move those up Capture-1 for now, get the mic working and then figure out which MIc capture control you can put back to zero.

When testing you capability to record, I recommend you use something simple initially … for example:

arecord -vv test.wav

that is ‘dash v v’ … and I am guessing that may be something similar to what you tried initially.

I hope that helps.

If not, there are alsa configurations that can be forced upon boot, and there are also updates to both the kernel (as yours is not the most current, and alsa sound driver comes with the kernel) and updates to alsa itself via rpms on a special update repository for alsa. But to go down either of those routes you would need to provide the remainder of the information that stickie recommended to be provided.