Hello all. I am Linux Newbe and am determined to learn the ins and outs of the New platform. I am thoroughly impressed with this so far. Need a little help though if someone would. The sound is not working. I have a ASUS M4A88T-M motherboard on a desk top. It is running a VIA audio card. Using the terminal per a Google search I can get the rear speaker to work but not the front head set and mic to work. Can anyone point me in the right direction. I am running SUSE 11.3 KDE. Am trying to post my system information. Had it opened before but can’t seem to find the file that lited it all in text instead of a GUI.
In openSUSE-11.3 KDE, the main tool you have is the application ‘kmix’. That is the small speaker application in the lower right corner.
Before going too far, ensure that you have your speakers connected properly. I know, a silly recommendation but I’ve read it happen where users had this basic wiring wrong !
Assuming you confirm that is fine, it would be helpful if you ran a diagnostic script from a GNU/Linux terminal (called ‘konsole’ in KDE). Open a konsole, with your PC connected to the Internet, and type:
/usr/sbin/alsa-info.sh
and select the UPLOAD/SHARE option. When that script is complete, it will provide you a URL/Web-address where it uploaded the audio configuration of your PC. Please copy the URL/Web-address and paste it here. We will then be able to examine that to see if there is a suggestion that we can provide. For example on my PC, I get: http://www.alsa-project.org/db/?f=147af1f858674dde68debfa1ae0b491fa50f5657 and you will get a different address. Please post the address that you get here in this thread (do NOT post the text of script output-content as it clutters the thread needlessly)
here is the information:
To view the ChangeLog, please visit git.alsa-project.org Git - alsa-driver.git/history - utils/alsa-info.sh
ALSA-Info script has been downloaded as /tmp/alsa-info.8HtLJpNDat.
Please re-run the script from new location
http://www.alsa-project.org/db/?f=d434001439bc5bbe129e0ff67e5c9dd9f6be2a35
Sorry this is the right one
Thanks. I note a 64-bit openSUSE-11.3 with the out-of-date 2.6.34.10-0.2-desktop kernel. Alsa driver version 1.0.22.1 and alsa utils version 1.0.23. I note a VIA VT1708S hardware audio codec in one sound device. I note loaded are alsa sound modules: snd_hda_intel (2 instances) and snd_dummy.
Please, what is this ‘snd_dummy’ module ? Did you change some configuration files to create this ? Or is this the default setting ?
I note detected sound cards:
!!Soundcards recognised by ALSA
!!-----------------------------
0 [SB ]: HDA-Intel - HDA ATI SB
HDA ATI SB at 0xfe9f4000 irq 16
1 [Generic ]: HDA-Intel - HD-Audio Generic
HD-Audio Generic at 0xfeabc000 irq 27
2 [Dummy ]: Dummy - Dummy
Dummy 1
ie you have TWO sound devices (3 if one counts the dummy). WHAT is this dummy ?
and I note this for sound devices:
!!Aplay/Arecord output
!!------------
APLAY
**** List of PLAYBACK Hardware Devices ****
**card 0**: SB [HDA ATI SB], **device 0**: VT1708S Analog [VT1708S Analog]
Subdevices: 1/2
Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
Subdevice #1: subdevice #1
**card 0**: SB [HDA ATI SB], **device 1**: VT1708S Digital [VT1708S Digital]
Subdevices: 1/1
Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
**card 1**: Generic [HD-Audio Generic], **device 3**: ATI HDMI [ATI HDMI]
Subdevices: 1/1
Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
**card 2**: Dummy [Dummy], device 0: Dummy PCM [Dummy PCM]
Subdevices: 8/8
Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
Subdevice #1: subdevice #1
Subdevice #2: subdevice #2
Subdevice #3: subdevice #3
Subdevice #4: subdevice #4
Subdevice #5: subdevice #5
Subdevice #6: subdevice #6
Subdevice #7: subdevice #7
If we ignore the dummy, that tells me the hardware devices are hw:0,0 (VT1708S analog), hw:0,1 (VT1708S digital), hw:1,3 (hdmi).
So one way to test sound is to try to push random noise alternatively through the speakers with (for hw:0,0) :
speaker-test -D hw:0,0 -c 2 /dev/urandom
or for hw:0,1
speaker-test -D hw:0,1 -c 2 /dev/urandom
LISTEN FOR THE NOISE in those two tests. Hopefully one will provide an indication of noise .
or if you have a .wav file, say called ‘test.wav’, then you could try for your analog sound hw:0,0:
aplay -D hw:0,0 test.wav
or for your digital sound hw:0,1 :
aplay -D hw:0,1 test.wav
Now reference the VIA VT1708S, I note if I do a search on the alsa site for the VT1708 I can see there were updates in alsa from the 1.0.22 driver to the current 1.0.24 driver.
My recommendation for you, IF you can not produce sound in the tests I have proposed, is to:
(1) update your kernel using the nominal YaST Update repository, from version 2.6.34.10-0.2-desktop to 2.6.34.12-1.1 … Reboot and test. That probably will not fix your sound but it is a prerequisite for the next step.
(2) ONLY after completing step-1 successfully, update your alsa version from 1.0.22 to 1.0.24, following this guide: SDB:Alsa-update - openSUSE PLEASE follow that guide CAREFULLY. I would estimate > 50% of the users who I point to that guide FAIL in following the guide, likely because I lost touch with my inner newb and I can’t make the guide any more simple.
Anyway, good luck, and let us know (1) what that dummy sound device might be ? (if you added it, then remove it), (2) what you try (3) how far you get.
A question on your mixer. What is this setting:
Simple mixer control 'Smart 5.1',0
Capabilities: pswitch pswitch-joined penum
Playback channels: Mono
Mono: Playback **[off]**
and should it be OFF ?
I cannot thank-you enough and am trying the fixes you suggested right now TY
The Dummy module was something I down loaded… I was looking and trying everything as I was reading it… I know sloppy. It says Dummy for it said generic on the ATI repository. I would like to remove that one so as not to be confused later.
This is the result of the first test
linux-pxkr:/home/john # speaker-test -D hw:0,0 -c 2 /dev/urandom
speaker-test 1.0.23
Playback device is hw:0,0
Stream parameters are 48000Hz, S16_LE, 2 channels
Using 16 octaves of pink noise
Playback open error: -16,Device or resource busy
Second test:
Playback device is hw:0,1
Stream parameters are 48000Hz, S16_LE, 2 channels
Using 16 octaves of pink noise
Rate set to 48000Hz (requested 48000Hz)
Buffer size range from 64 to 16384
Period size range from 32 to 8192
Using max buffer size 16384
Periods = 4
was set period_size = 4096
was set buffer_size = 16384
0 - Front Left
1 - Front Right
Time per period = 5.632750
0 - Front Left
1 - Front Right
Time per period = 5.972084
No Sound from neither test Trying third.
linux-pxkr:/home/john # aplay -D hw:0,0 test.wav
aplay: main:654: audio open error: Device or resource busy
linux-pxkr:/home/john # aplay -D hw:0,1 test.wav
aplay: main:654: audio open error: Device or resource busy
Please remove it , restart, and test again. AFTER it is removed, please run that diagnostic script again, and again provide the output URL.
What application is using the audio device to make it busy ?
After restarting and disposing of that ‘dummy’ device, try EACH those commands IMMEDIATELY after a restart of the PC.
IF you still get the ‘Device or resource busy’ then restart the PC, and IMMEDIATELY after restart is complete, type in a konsole:
su
rcalsasound restart
[enter your root password when prompted for a password after typing ‘su’ ]
and if prompted by KDE to keep old configurations, do NOT keep the old configuration. And then again try each of those TESTS (ie try one after each ‘rcalsasound restart’ ).
Did you go to YaST > Hardware > Sound and confirm your sound device is configured ? Did you try to test the sound there ?
Did you go to KMENU > Configure Desktop > Multimedia > Phonon ? If so what backend do you have selected ? gstreamer ? xine ?