No Sound...

English Hardware
1

I have installed openSUSE 13.2 (64-bit) with the KDe desktop environment. My dedicated sound card is an ASUS Xonar DX.
I am unable to hear any audio whenever I try to play a radio station with Firefox or insert a music CD and launch Kaffeine or KsCD.

Please note:

  1. I know that my speakers work just fine because I get sound when I use Windows 7;
  2. All volume knobs that I am aware of are turned to 100%;
  3. I have re-started my PC many times after the below-mentioned steps.

What I have tried:

  1. ALSAMIXER; no sound;
  2. Installed alsa-firmware: does not help;
  3. Pavucontrol: nothing;

cat /proc/asound/modules
0 snd_virtuoso
1 snd_hda_intel

cat /proc/asound/cards
0 [DX ]: AV200 - Xonar DX
Asus Virtuoso 100 at 0x9800, irq 16
1 [HDMI ]: HDA-Intel - HDA ATI HDMI
HDA ATI HDMI at 0xfbaec000 irq 48

Can anybody please help?

2

I would like to help. Please can you run a diagnostic script that will provide some more information ? You can do this by sending the following command, as a regular user, in a konsole/xterm, while your pc is connected to the internet:


/usr/sbin/alsa-info.sh

and do not choose to update (if asked) and select the SHARE/UPLOAD option and let the script run to completion. After it is complete in the konsole/xterm it will give you a web-address/url where it uploaded information on your PC’s audio configuration. Please copy the web/address URL (not the page, just the address/url). Hopefully that information will give some hints.

3

Thank you for the willingness to help me.
Here’s the requested URL: http://www.alsa-project.org/db/?f=b502aac5177de7c172d0c9a8784996316affa31a

4

I can confirm from your mixer that sound should be working. I assume you are NOT using HDMI for sound. I note this for your audio devices:


!!Aplay/Arecord output
!!--------------------

APLAY

**** List of PLAYBACK Hardware Devices ****
card 0: DX [Xonar DX], device 0: Multichannel [Multichannel]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 0: DX [Xonar DX], device 1: Digital [Digital]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 1: HDMI [HDA ATI HDMI], device 3: HDMI 0 [HDMI 0]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0

which has your multichannel sound as default (ie as hw:0,0 ) .

Your sound should be working.

You say you tested with firefox and Kaffeine/KsCD with a music CD. Did you test with anything else ? Have you installed the Packman repository and updated your multimedia with that ?

Is this a fresh (new) /home/yourusername or are you reusing your /home from a previous install ?

Sometimes, (if reusing /home) one can restore sound by removing ~/.pulse and ~/.config/pulse.

Possibly also try the following sound tests as a regular user, and also with root permissions:


aplay -vv /usr/share/sounds/alsa/test.wav

and


aplay -d plughw:0,0 -vv /usr/share/sounds/alsa/test.wav

and


speaker-test -c2 -l2 -twav

Let us know if any of those work either as a regular user, or as a regular user with root permissions.

5

I just tried with a whole bunch of Internet radio stations and music CDs. Don’t know what else to try…

Have you installed the Packman repository and updated your multimedia with that ?

Yes.

Is this a fresh (new) /home/yourusername or are you reusing your /home from a previous install ?

I had 13.1 installed before and am re-using /home. Sound was working before.

Sometimes, (if reusing /home) one can restore sound by removing ~/.pulse and ~/.config/pulse.

Did that but still no sound.

Possibly also try the following sound tests as a regular user, and also with root permissions:

aplay -vv /usr/share/sounds/alsa/test.wav

and

aplay -d plughw:0,0 -vv /usr/share/sounds/alsa/test.wav

and

speaker-test -c2 -l2 -twav

Let us know if any of those work either as a regular user, or as a regular user with root permissions.

Tried all three but no sound.

6

Did you see any error messages when you tried those ?

also, have you rebooted (to restart pulse) since removing ~/.pulse and ~/.config/pulse ?

7

No, I did not. Just to be on the safe side, I am reporting below the output of the three commands as root.

aplay -vv /usr/share/sounds/alsa/test.wav

Playing WAVE ‘/usr/share/sounds/alsa/test.wav’ : Signed 16 bit Little Endian, Rate 44100 Hz, Stereo
ALSA <-> PulseAudio PCM I/O Plugin
Its setup is:
stream : PLAYBACK
access : RW_INTERLEAVED
format : S16_LE
subformat : STD
channels : 2
rate : 44100
exact rate : 44100 (44100/1)
msbits : 16
buffer_size : 22050
period_size : 5512
period_time : 125000
tstamp_mode : NONE
tstamp_type : GETTIMEOFDAY
period_step : 1
avail_min : 5512
period_event : 0
start_threshold : 22050
stop_threshold : 22050
silence_threshold: 0
silence_size : 0
boundary : 6206523236469964800
#+ | 01%

aplay -d plughw:0,0 -vv /usr/share/sounds/alsa/test.wav

Playing WAVE ‘/usr/share/sounds/alsa/test.wav’ : Signed 16 bit Little Endian, Rate 44100 Hz, Stereo
ALSA <-> PulseAudio PCM I/O Plugin
Its setup is:
stream : PLAYBACK
access : RW_INTERLEAVED
format : S16_LE
subformat : STD
channels : 2
rate : 44100
exact rate : 44100 (44100/1)
msbits : 16
buffer_size : 22050
period_size : 5512
period_time : 125000
tstamp_mode : NONE
tstamp_type : GETTIMEOFDAY
period_step : 1
avail_min : 5512
period_event : 0
start_threshold : 22050
stop_threshold : 22050
silence_threshold: 0
silence_size : 0
boundary : 6206523236469964800
#+ | 00%

speaker-test -c2 -l2 -twav

speaker-test 1.0.28

Playback device is default
Stream parameters are 48000Hz, S16_LE, 2 channels
WAV file(s)
Rate set to 48000Hz (requested 48000Hz)
Buffer size range from 96 to 1048576
Period size range from 32 to 349526
Using max buffer size 1048576
Periods = 4
was set period_size = 262144
was set buffer_size = 1048576
0 - Front Left
1 - Front Right
Time per period = 3.027763
0 - Front Left
1 - Front Right
Time per period = 3.031183

also, have you rebooted (to restart pulse) since removing ~/.pulse and ~/.config/pulse ?

Yes.

8

As root, it reads that user root has the mixer tuned for 0% volume output.

What do you get as a regular user ? The same text ?

9

This is what I get as a user:

~> aplay -vv /usr/share/sounds/alsa/test.wav
Playing WAVE ‘/usr/share/sounds/alsa/test.wav’ : Signed 16 bit Little Endian, Rate 44100 Hz, Stereo
ALSA <-> PulseAudio PCM I/O Plugin
Its setup is:
stream : PLAYBACK
access : RW_INTERLEAVED
format : S16_LE
subformat : STD
channels : 2
rate : 44100
exact rate : 44100 (44100/1)
msbits : 16
buffer_size : 22050
period_size : 5512
period_time : 125000
tstamp_mode : NONE
tstamp_type : GETTIMEOFDAY
period_step : 1
avail_min : 5512
period_event : 0
start_threshold : 22050
stop_threshold : 22050
silence_threshold: 0
silence_size : 0
boundary : 6206523236469964800

+ | 04%

~> aplay -d plughw:0,0 -vv /usr/share/sounds/alsa/test.wav
Playing WAVE ‘/usr/share/sounds/alsa/test.wav’ : Signed 16 bit Little Endian, Rate 44100 Hz, Stereo
ALSA <-> PulseAudio PCM I/O Plugin
Its setup is:
stream : PLAYBACK
access : RW_INTERLEAVED
format : S16_LE
subformat : STD
channels : 2
rate : 44100
exact rate : 44100 (44100/1)
msbits : 16
buffer_size : 22050
period_size : 5512
period_time : 125000
tstamp_mode : NONE
tstamp_type : GETTIMEOFDAY
period_step : 1
avail_min : 5512
period_event : 0
start_threshold : 22050
stop_threshold : 22050
silence_threshold: 0
silence_size : 0
boundary : 6206523236469964800
#+ | 01%

~> speaker-test -c2 -l2 -twav

speaker-test 1.0.28

Playback device is default
Stream parameters are 48000Hz, S16_LE, 2 channels
WAV file(s)
Rate set to 48000Hz (requested 48000Hz)
Buffer size range from 96 to 1048576
Period size range from 32 to 349526
Using max buffer size 1048576
Periods = 4
was set period_size = 262144
was set buffer_size = 1048576
0 - Front Left
1 - Front Right
Time per period = 3.031415
0 - Front Left
1 - Front Right
Time per period = 3.025087

Where do you see that the volume is turned to 0? Is it the silence_threshold and/or silence_size values?

The volume icdon in the Task Manager is set to 100%. So is the one in pavucontrol.

10

The mixer looks ok to me.

I note this:


# + | 04% 



#+ | 01%

and the following with no audible sound


0 - Front Left
1 - Front Right
Time per period = 3.031415
0 - Front Left
1 - Front Right

In many cases where sound is seized by another device, aplay and speaker test will not work at all, and will note resource/device busy when they are run. You are not seeing that.

Further the % at the end, indicates that aplay is working but that the mixer reads to be set to mute the sound. Yet when I look at the mixer, it does not appear muted. That is strange.

I’ve seen that happen when one has a bad alsa application install. I’ve seen that happen when one’s alsa driver has chosen the wrong hardware audio codec upon boot. I’ve also seen it happen when there is a kernel bug for one’s sound.

I recommend you force a re-install of all of your ‘alsa’ applications and of all your ‘pulse’ applications. Then restart and try again. Failing that, force a re-install of the same kernel you are using, then restart and try again.

If it does not work then, we are likely in bug reporting territory.

11

I’m not quite sure how to force a re-install of anything…
I used YaST to delete and then re-install “alsa”. That went fine but upon re-booting there was still no sound.
I then wanted to use YaST for deleting/re-installing “pulseaudio” but that caused a bazillion warning windows to pop up, all of them wanting me to choose one of several conflict resolution solutions. I gave up after the tenth such warning window because I just don’t know what conflict resolution solution to choose and also because the warning windows never appeared to stop…

So, how do I force re-install “pulseaudio” and the kernel “3.16.7-21-desktop” without resorting to YaST? I’m sure there is a way to do it with the Konsole, but what is it?

12

wrt alsa, removing 1st was not a particular good idea. When I said force a re-install I guess I should have been more precise (I had thought this intuitively obvious - apologies - I struggle to find again my inner newb).
Force a re-install on top of the existing install.

Look at yast:

http://thumbnails108.imagebam.com/40876/431bc5408759493.jpg](ImageBam)

and

http://thumbnails105.imagebam.com/40876/2816a6408759495.jpg](http://www.imagebam.com/image/2816a6408759495)

No de-install first needed. Do exercise caution wrt the versions you select (select the same version as you already have installed).

13

Did everything as instructed but still no sound. How do I file a bug?
Went to https://bugzilla.opensuse.org/, selected File a Bug and then I’m unsure how to proceed.

14

There is some guidance here: openSUSE:Submitting bug reports - openSUSE Wiki

You can log on to bugzilla with your openSUSE forum username and password.

Attach to the bug report the output file you get from running the diagnostic script:


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

where the file will be /tmp/alsa-info.txt.xxxxxxxx which you attach to the bug report.

Ensure your bug report is complete. Don’t bother referencing this thread as the person who answers the bug report (likely an alsa sound driver developer and also a packager for openSUSE sound) will not read a forum thread.

15

Ok, thanks for your help!

16

I got a reply from Bugzilla regarding this problem.

They want me to try newer upstream kernels. For example, install a kernel from
OBS Kernel:stable or Kernel:HEAD repository.

The problem is that I have no idea how to install such a kernel… How do I do that?

17

Could you point me to the exact bug # so I can understand better what they recommend ?

I note one can update one’s alsa without updating the kernel, using this Kernel:Stable repository for an alsa update. I can give specific instructions on that if that is the correct repos - but I need to see the bug report to confirm.

or

I note there is kernel stable repository here . There are various kernels there that can be installed. Again, I can give specific instructions on that, if that is the correct repository.

Note if one is installing a custom kernel, the kernel install is very easy BUT one needs to be careful if one is using proprietary drivers (as as Nvidia or AMD/FGLRX) or if one has proprietary apps such as VirtualBox installed. Extra steps are needed in such cases and only YOU would know what care is needed there as you are the one who knows if you have installed proprietary drivers/apps.

wrt the correct repository, possibly the easiest, is to ask them to point you to the correct respository in the bug report.

18

Bugzilla – Bug 930483
https://bugzilla.opensuse.org/show_bug.cgi?id=930483
Thanks.

19

I recommend you post on Bugzilla and ask them to confirm that by Kernel:Head they mean:


http://download.opensuse.org/repositories/Kernel:/HEAD/standard/

Then assuming that is correct, and assuming your kernel is kernel-desktop, for Kernel:Head you would install kernel-desktop-4.1.rc3-1.1.gb798b43.x86_64.rpm (or some newer version)

and that by Kernel:stable they mean:


http://download.opensuse.org/repositories/Kernel:/stable/standard/

Then assuming that is correct, and assuming your kernel is kernel-desktop, for Kernel stable you would install kernel-desktop-4.0.4-1.1.g383ecdf.x86_64.rpm (or some newer version)

Note the beauty of openSUSE is it will allow you to install a new kernel, while keeping the old kernel. Then in the grub menu (possibly under advanced < not sure > as I have not done this for a while ) you select the kernel in which you wish to boot from.

20

Yes, Bugzilla has confirmed that these are the correct repositories. I am using a desktop kernel.

Went to YaST -> Software Repositories -> Add -> HTTP… and tried to create a new repository using http://download.opensuse.org/repositories/Kernel:/HEAD/standard/x86_64/ but I get an “Unable to create repository” error message. The same thing happens when I do YaST -> Software Repositories -> Add -> Specify URL…

How do I install a new kernel with YaST?