ASUS M2N-E SLI onboard sound is silent

English Hardware
1

Motherboard ASUS M2N-E SLI has an onboard sound card that is not recognized by alsaconf or ossdetect. I downloaded Linux drivers from ASUS, and the install program says it needs to recompile the kernel. It starts to do so, but stalls. The final message looks like this:

 /tmp/selfgz1827/NFORCE-Linux-x86_64-1.0-0311-pkg1/nvsound/main/nvavm.h: In f
   unction ‘nv_flush_caches’:
   /tmp/selfgz1827/NFORCE-Linux-x86_64-1.0-0311-pkg1/nvsound/main/nvavm.h:215: 
   error: implicit declaration of function ‘global_flush_tlb’
   /tmp/selfgz1827/NFORCE-Linux-x86_64-1.0-0311-pkg1/nvsound/main/nvavm.h: In f
   unction ‘NV_SET_PAGE_ATTRIB_UNCACHED’:
   /tmp/selfgz1827/NFORCE-Linux-x86_64-1.0-0311-pkg1/nvsound/main/nvavm.h:234: 
   error: implicit declaration of function ‘change_page_attr’
   /tmp/selfgz1827/NFORCE-Linux-x86_64-1.0-0311-pkg1/nvsound/main/nvalinux.c: I
   n function ‘AosFpuSave’:
   /tmp/selfgz1827/NFORCE-Linux-x86_64-1.0-0311-pkg1/nvsound/main/nvalinux.c:21
   4: error: ‘struct task_struct’ has no member named ‘thread_info’
   /tmp/selfgz1827/NFORCE-Linux-x86_64-1.0-0311-pkg1/nvsound/main/nvalinux.c: I
   n function ‘AosFpuRestore’:
   /tmp/selfgz1827/NFORCE-Linux-x86_64-1.0-0311-pkg1/nvsound/main/nvalinux.c:23
   4: error: ‘struct task_struct’ has no member named ‘thread_info’
   /tmp/selfgz1827/NFORCE-Linux-x86_64-1.0-0311-pkg1/nvsound/main/nvalinux.c:23
   5: error: ‘struct task_struct’ has no member named ‘thread_info’
   /tmp/selfgz1827/NFORCE-Linux-x86_64-1.0-0311-pkg1/nvsound/main/nvalinux.c: I
   n function ‘AosMemoryPhysicalAddressListGet’:
   /tmp/selfgz1827/NFORCE-Linux-x86_64-1.0-0311-pkg1/nvsound/main/nvalinux.c:71
   0: warning: unused variable ‘phys_addr’
   make[4]: *** [/tmp/selfgz1827/NFORCE-Linux-x86_64-1.0-0311-pkg1/nvsound/main
   /nvalinux.o] Error 1
   make[3]: *** [_module_/tmp/selfgz1827/NFORCE-Linux-x86_64-1.0-0311-pkg1/nvso
   und/main] Error 2
   make[2]: *** [sub-make] Error 2
-> Error.
ERROR: The NVIDIA kernel module was not created.
ERROR: Installation of the audio driver has failed.  Please see the file
       '/var/log/nvidia-nforce-installer.log' for details.  You may find
       suggestions on  fixing installation problems in the README available on
       the Linux driver download page at www.nvidia.com.

What can be done?

From the install program from ASUS it is also possible to extract some precompiled executables. How can I try them?

On my computer the sound worked from start when installing Debian, Ubuntu and Fedora…

2

If you can avoid using the ASUS install program/drivers, I would recommend avoiding them. The reason I give this recommendation is you are unlikely to get much support using that driver. Instead if you use the alsa driver that comes with openSUSE , a number of us will attempt to help you on this forum. Plus if you write a bug report on openSUSE (to attempt to get a bug fixed in the audio) you are more likely to get the bug addressed if you are using the alsa driver, than you are if you are using the realtek driver.

You could try working your way through the openSUSE audio troubleshooting guide:
SDB:AudioTroubleshooting - openSUSE

Note, when testing if you have sound, please copy and paste the following speaker-test into a Gnome terminal or a kde konsole:

speaker-test -Dplug:front -c2 -l5 -twav
Note Linux is case sensitive, and “D” is not the same as “d”. To stop the above test, while the konsole/xterm has the mouse focus, press <CTRL><C> on the keyboard. Note you should check your mixer settings (kmix if using KDE, and alsamixer if using Gnome) to ensure that PCM and Master Volume are set around 95%. Once you have basic sound established you can back off to lower volume levels. Note the test for surround sound is different.

If that test yields errors (and its not uncommon to get errors there), try instead this more simple test: speaker-test -c2 -l5 -twavYou should hear a female voice saying ‘FRONT LEFT’, ‘FRONT RIGHT’ five times. Its quite common that one of those speaker tests will work and one will NOT work, so don’t be distressed if that is the case. IF that test gives sound, stop now, post that the sound test gives sound, and we will look at other possible causes for your applications not giving you the sound you want (such as missing codecs, using the wrong packaged version … etc … ).

Try those speaker-tests as both a regular user, and with root permissions. If you have a headset, try with your headset plugged in, and also with your headset not plugged in (for speakers).

Assuming no sound, can you provide more very detailed information so a good recommendation can be given? If using openSUSE-11.1, you can do that, with your laptop connected to the internet, by opening a gnome-terminal or a kde konsole and typing “su” (no quotes - enter root password) and then and typing and executing twice :
/usr/sbin/alsa-info.shthe first time it will ask to update. Select YES for the update. The second time that will run a diagnostic script and post the output to a web site on the Internet. It will give you the URL of the web site. Please post that URL here. JUST the URL.

Also, please copy and paste the following commands one line at a time into a gnome-terminal or a konsole and post here the output: rpm -qa | grep alsa
rpm -qa | grep pulse
rpm -q libasound2
uname -a
cat /etc/modprobe.d/sound… with that information I may be able to make a recommendation (as opposed to a guess).

3

I have an ASUS M2N4-SLI motherboard running OpenSuSE 11.1 AMD 64-bit. Sound worked fine until the last sound library update some time last week. Once you reboot, Evolution will crash/hang if you have mail notification configured to play a WAV file.

The little sound test lines work from the KDE Konsole though.

speaker-test -Dplug:front -c2 -l5 -twav
speaker-test -c2 -l5 -twav

I assume this is a case of left hand not knowing what right hand is doing. Start up and shutdown sounds no longer play either.

4

What library is that?

5

I don’t remember. I just know it was listed in an automatic update which came out some time last week. There were only two items and one of them was a sound library. Everyting was fine until I rebooted, then Evolution started having weird hangs. Took a while to figure out it was hanging trying to play the WAV file it normally played. That’s when I noticed I didn’t have startup/shutdown sounds either.

6

i am having this problem too.
i tried the speaker test and i got:
ALSA lib pcm.c:2144 (snd_pcm_open_noupdate) Unknown PCM default
Playback open error: -2,No such file or directory
ALSA lib confmisc.c:768 (parse_card) cannot find card ‘0’
ALSA lib conf.c:3513 (_snd_config_evaluate) function snd_func_card_driver returned error: No such file or directory
ALSA lib confmisc.c:392 (snd_func_concat) error evaluating strings
ALSA lib conf.c:3513 (_snd_config_evaluate) function snd_func_concat returned error: No such file or directory
ALSA lib confmisc.c:1251 (snd_func_refer) error evaluating name
ALSA lib conf.c:3513 (_snd_config_evaluate) function snd_func_refer returned error: No such file or directory
ALSA lib conf.c:3985 (snd_config_expand) Evaluate error: No such file or directory

repeating over and over again.

also, i don’t have the aforementioned alsa-info.sh file.

i’ve installed an nvidia geforce graphics card and cuda modules for it. if i recall correctly i had to recompile the kernel for this. that might be related.

any help would be appreciated. thanks!

7

Now the general advice I give for sound problems is to start trying to work your way through the openSUSE audio troubleshooting guide: SDB:AudioTroubleshooting - openSUSE.

Do NOT use the startup system sound as your criteria for stating sound does not work. Also be certain to check your mixer. Its not uncommon for a mixer setting (master, pcm or speaker) to be muted upon boot. In KDE your mixer is “kmix” (the small speaker in right hand corner). In Gnome your mixer is “alsamixer”.

Note, when testing if you have sound, please copy and paste the following speaker-test into a Gnome terminal or a kde konsole:

speaker-test -Dplug:front -c2 -l5 -twav
Note Linux is case sensitive, and “D” is not the same as “d”. To stop the above test, while the konsole/xterm has the mouse focus, press <CTRL><C> on the keyboard. Note you should check your mixer settings (kmix if using KDE, and alsamixer if using Gnome) to ensure that PCM and Master Volume are set around 95%. Once you have basic sound established you can back off to lower volume levels. Note the test for surround sound is different.

If that test yields errors (and its not uncommon to get errors there), try instead this more simple test: speaker-test -c2 -l5 -twavYou should hear a female voice saying ‘FRONT LEFT’, ‘FRONT RIGHT’ five times. Its quite common that one of those speaker tests will work and one will NOT work, so don’t be distressed if that is the case. IF that test gives sound, stop now, post that the sound test gives sound, and we will look at other possible causes for your applications not giving you the sound you want (such as missing codecs, using the wrong packaged version … etc … ).

Or alternatively, for testing the simple playback, use aplay program. Prepare a WAV file and simply run like:

aplay -vv somefile.wav

With the option -vv, aplay shows the verbose information of the PCM device, and a VU-peak meter during playing the file.

Try those speaker-tests as both a regular user, and also with root permissions. If you have a headset, try with your headset plugged in, and also with your headset not plugged in (for speakers).

Assuming no sound, can you provide more very detailed information so a good recommendation can be given? For openSUSE-11.1, you can do that, with your laptop connected to the internet, by opening a gnome-terminal or a kde konsole and twice copy and paste the following into that terminal/konsole

/usr/sbin/alsa-info.sh

Run it the 1st time with root permissions. It will ask if you wish to do an update of the script. Select YES.

Then run it again (as either a regular user or as root). This time it will diagnose your PC’s hardware and software configuration for audio, and it will post its output on the Internet/web. It will give you the URL of the web site. Please post that URL here. JUST the URL.

For openSUSE versions prior to 11.1, copy and paste this into a terminal or konsole:

wget -O alsa-info.sh http://www.alsa-project.org/alsa-info.sh && bash alsa-info.sh

It will diagnose your PC’s hardware and software configuration for audio, and it will post its output on the Internet/web. It will give you the URL of the web site. Please post that URL here. JUST the URL.

Also, please copy and paste the following commands one line at a time into a gnome-terminal or a konsole and post here the output: rpm -qa | grep alsa
rpm -qa | grep pulse
rpm -q libasound2
uname -a
cat /etc/modprobe.d/sound… with that information I may be able to make a recommendation.

Also, do NOT waste too much time on this. Simply post on our forum if you get stumped, and continue to look for help that way.