opensuse 11 - ALC889A front panel problem

Dexter1979 · July 1, 2008, 2:54pm

I have given up on getting my X-fi working under this kernel so I have reinstated my on board ALC889A codec (it uses snd-hda-intel).

Sound is now working OK in all applications but my front mic and headphones are not. If I enable front mic as a output it work but as an input it’s silent.
Also the front output doesn’t work either.

I did some browsing on the board (not much in fairness :)) and foundthis tread.

Oldcpu helped him out and one of the posts gives a link:

This isn’t working. I was hoping someone could help me
This is what I get when I try and get tsalsa

su -c 'wget -O tsalsa wget http://home.cfl.rr.com/infofiles/tsalsa && bash tsalsa'
Password:
--2008-07-01 13:25:54--  http://wget/
Resolving wget... 208.69.34.132
Connecting to wget|208.69.34.132|:80... connected.
HTTP request sent, awaiting response... 302 Found
Location: http://guide.opendns.com/?url=wget [following]
--2008-07-01 13:25:57--  http://guide.opendns.com/?url=wget
Resolving guide.opendns.com... 208.67.217.136
Connecting to guide.opendns.com|208.67.217.136|:80... connected.
HTTP request sent, awaiting response... 200 OK
Length: unspecified [text/html]
Saving to: `tsalsa'

     &lt;=&gt;                                   ] 1,905       --.-K/s   in 0.003s

2008-07-01 13:25:57 (536 KB/s) - `tsalsa' saved [1905]

--2008-07-01 13:25:57--  http://home.cfl.rr.com/infofiles/tsalsa
Resolving home.cfl.rr.com... 208.79.153.50
Connecting to home.cfl.rr.com|208.79.153.50|:80... connected.
HTTP request sent, awaiting response... 200 OK
Length: 20158 (20K) [text/html]
Saving to: `tsalsa'

100%======================================&gt;] 20,158      61.6K/s   in 0.3s

2008-07-01 13:25:59 (61.6 KB/s) - `tsalsa' saved [20158/20158]

FINISHED --2008-07-01 13:25:59--
Downloaded: 2 files, 22K in 0.3s (66.7 KB/s)
tsalsa: line 1: syntax error near unexpected token `newline'
tsalsa: line 1: `<html>'

This is my cat etc/modprobe.d/sound output

# u1Nb.m5Zx97I2gHE:82801I (ICH9 Family) HD Audio Controller
alias snd-card-0 snd-hda-intel

amixer shows this:

Simple mixer control 'Master',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pvolume-joined pswitch pswitch-joined
  Playback channels: Mono
  Limits: Playback 0 - 64
  Mono: Playback 64 [100%] [0.00dB] [on]
Simple mixer control 'Headphone',0
  Capabilities: pswitch
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Mono:
  Front Left: Playback [off]
  Front Right: Playback [off]
Simple mixer control 'PCM',0
  Capabilities: pvolume
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 255
  Mono:
  Front Left: Playback 255 [100%] [0.00dB]
  Front Right: Playback 255 [100%] [0.00dB]
Simple mixer control 'Front',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pswitch
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 64
  Mono:
  Front Left: Playback 64 [100%] [0.00dB] [on]
  Front Right: Playback 64 [100%] [0.00dB] [on]
Simple mixer control 'Front Mic',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pswitch
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 31
  Mono:
  Front Left: Playback 0 [0%] -34.50dB] [off]
  Front Right: Playback 0 [0%] -34.50dB] [off]
Simple mixer control 'Front Mic Boost',0
  Capabilities: volume
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: 0 - 3
  Front Left: 0 [0%]
  Front Right: 0 [0%]
Simple mixer control 'Surround',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pswitch
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 64
  Mono:
  Front Left: Playback 0 [0%] -64.00dB] [on]
  Front Right: Playback 0 [0%] -64.00dB] [on]
Simple mixer control 'Center',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pvolume-joined pswitch pswitch-joined
  Playback channels: Mono
  Limits: Playback 0 - 64
  Mono: Playback 0 [0%] -64.00dB] [on]
Simple mixer control 'LFE',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pvolume-joined pswitch pswitch-joined
  Playback channels: Mono
  Limits: Playback 0 - 64
  Mono: Playback 0 [0%] -64.00dB] [on]
Simple mixer control 'Side',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pswitch
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 64
  Mono:
  Front Left: Playback 0 [0%] -64.00dB] [on]
  Front Right: Playback 0 [0%] -64.00dB] [on]
Simple mixer control 'Line',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pswitch
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 31
  Mono:
  Front Left: Playback 31 [100%] [12.00dB] [on]
  Front Right: Playback 31 [100%] [12.00dB] [on]
Simple mixer control 'CD',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pswitch
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 31
  Mono:
  Front Left: Playback 31 [100%] [12.00dB] [on]
  Front Right: Playback 31 [100%] [12.00dB] [on]
Simple mixer control 'Mic',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pswitch
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 31
  Mono:
  Front Left: Playback 31 [100%] [12.00dB] [off]
  Front Right: Playback 31 [100%] [12.00dB] [off]
Simple mixer control 'Mic Boost',0
  Capabilities: volume
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: 0 - 3
  Front Left: 3 [100%]
  Front Right: 3 [100%]
Simple mixer control 'IEC958',0
  Capabilities: pswitch pswitch-joined cswitch cswitch-joined
  Playback channels: Mono
  Capture channels: Mono
  Mono: Playback [on] Capture [on]
Simple mixer control 'IEC958 Default PCM',0
  Capabilities: pswitch pswitch-joined
  Playback channels: Mono
  Mono: Playback [on]
Simple mixer control 'PC Speaker',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pswitch
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 31
  Mono:
  Front Left: Playback 0 [0%] -34.50dB] [on]
  Front Right: Playback 0 [0%] -34.50dB] [on]
Simple mixer control 'Capture',0
  Capabilities: cvolume cswitch
  Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Capture 0 - 46
  Front Left: Capture 0 [0%] -16.00dB] [off]
  Front Right: Capture 0 [0%] -16.00dB] [off]
Simple mixer control 'Capture',1
  Capabilities: cvolume cswitch
  Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Capture 0 - 46
  Front Left: Capture 0 [0%] -16.00dB] [off]
  Front Right: Capture 0 [0%] -16.00dB] [off]
Simple mixer control 'Capture',2
  Capabilities: cvolume cswitch
  Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Capture 0 - 46
  Front Left: Capture 0 [0%] -16.00dB] [off]
  Front Right: Capture 0 [0%] -16.00dB] [off]
Simple mixer control 'Channel Mode',0
  Capabilities: enum
  Items: '6ch' '8ch'
  Item0: '6ch'
Simple mixer control 'Input Source',0
  Capabilities: cenum
  Items: 'Mic' 'Front Mic' 'Line' 'CD'
  Item0: 'Mic'
Simple mixer control 'Input Source',1
  Capabilities: cenum
  Items: 'Mic' 'Front Mic' 'Line' 'CD'
  Item0: 'Front Mic'
Simple mixer control 'Input Source',2
  Capabilities: cenum
  Items: 'Mic' 'Front Mic' 'Line' 'CD'
  Item0: 'Mic'

and some more:

jan-bart@Dexter:~> rpm -qa | grep alsa
alsa-tools-1.0.16.91.git20080610-1.3
alsa-plugins-jack-1.0.16.92.git20080617-5.1
alsa-firmware-1.0.16.92.git20080617-1.1
alsa-plugins-jack-32bit-1.0.16-57.1
alsa-plugins-1.0.16.92.git20080617-5.1
alsa-1.0.16.92.git20080617-3.1
alsa-plugins-32bit-1.0.16-57.1
alsa-utils-1.0.16.92.git20080617-1.3
alsa-oss-1.0.15.git20080610-3.6
alsa-oss-32bit-1.0.15-48.1
alsa-driver-kmp-default-1.0.16.20080701_2.6.25.5_1.1-1.1
jan-bart@Dexter:~> rpm -q libasound2
libasound2-1.0.16.92.git20080617-2.1
jan-bart@Dexter:~> uname -a
Linux Dexter 2.6.25.5-1.1-default #1 SMP 2008-06-07 01:55:22 +0200 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux

Hope this is all you need.

Save me, Oldcpu, you are my only hope. insert R2-D2 beeps here

Thanks in advance

oldcpu · July 1, 2008, 3:51pm

Arrgggg an ALC889A. You had to pic that codec. :eek: Why not something easier. :rolleyes:

I wish you had included the tsalsa script output URL. Its much easier to read than what you pasted. Simply copy into an xterm/konsole:

su -c 'wget -O tsalsa wget http://home.cfl.rr.com/infofiles/tsalsa && bash tsalsa'

that will give you a URL. Its the output URL I want to see, not your complete console output!! You did not include the output URL in your post. Can you try again??

Also, what test are you doing for your mic (to see if it works)? How certain are you that the app you are using (to test your mic) is configured properly?

Looking at the mixer output you provided (which is difficult to read, the tsalsa output URL is much easier to read).

I simply don’t understand what you are saying here, … likely because I don’t understand what input/output jacks you have.

I do note that in the mixer settings you provided:
Front mic mixer is OFF. Why?
Front mic boost is 0. Why?
Simple mixer ‘mic’ is OFF. Why?
Simple mixer capture 0, 1, and 2 are all OFF. Should they be?
Simple mixer “input source” is set to ‘mic’ and not front ‘mic’. Note, you need to ensure you have consistent settings across your mixer.

Its also possible you need to update to 1.0.17RC3 of alsa, as I noted this change in 1.0.17RC1 of alsa:
Search results - AlsaProject for ALC889A
Instructions for updating for openSUSE-11.0 are here:
Alsa-update via rpms - openSUSE-11.0
note one should restart after updating alsa.

Just that one line? Nothing else?

The ALSA-Configuration.txt has no entry for an ALC889A. Its possible that an ALC883/888 setting will work for an ALC889A. So if you can’t get the above to work, then we could try some custom edits to your /etc/modprobe.d/sound file.

I note the following from the ALSA-Configuration.txt file for the ALC883/888 Linux Kernel Documentation :: sound : alsa : ALSA-Configuration.txt

857		ALC883/888
858		  3stack-dig	3-jack with SPDIF I/O
859		  6stack-dig	6-jack digital with SPDIF I/O
860		  3stack-6ch    3-jack 6-channel
861		  3stack-6ch-dig 3-jack 6-channel with SPDIF I/O
862		  6stack-dig-demo  6-jack digital for Intel demo board
863		  acer		Acer laptops (Travelmate 3012WTMi, Aspire 5600, etc)
864		  acer-aspire	Acer Aspire 9810
865		  medion	Medion Laptops
866		  medion-md2	Medion MD2
867		  targa-dig	Targa/MSI
868		  targa-2ch-dig	Targs/MSI with 2-channel
869		  laptop-eapd   3-jack with SPDIF I/O and EAPD (Clevo M540JE, M550JE)
870		  lenovo-101e	Lenovo 101E
871		  lenovo-nb0763	Lenovo NB0763
872		  lenovo-ms7195-dig Lenovo MS7195
873		  haier-w66	Haier W66
874		  6stack-hp	HP machines with 6stack (Nettle boards)
875		  3stack-hp	HP machines with 3stack (Lucknow, Samba boards)
876		  6stack-dell	Dell machines with 6stack (Inspiron 530)
877		  mitac		Mitac 8252D
878		  auto		auto-config reading BIOS (default)

So if all else fails, you could try applying some of those settings as a model=something option in your /etc/modprobe.d/sound file. I assume you need help with the syntax?

Dexter1979 · July 1, 2008, 9:48pm

Sorry

su -c ‘wget -O tsalsa wget http://home.cfl.rr.com/infofiles/tsalsa && bash tsalsa’ … Its the output URL I want to see, not your complete console output!! You did not include the output URL in your post. Can you try again??
That was what I got. I looked up the URL given and it’s not found. I’m looking for the script now.

How certain are you that the app you are using (to test your mic) is configured properly?
Good point, I have been using Skype call testing with the different inputs and Skype can adjust the volumes itself. I will try Krecord in a min.

Looking at the mixer output you provided (which is difficult to read, the tsalsa output URL is much easier to read).

I simply don’t understand what you are saying here, … likely because I don’t understand what input/output jacks you have.
Again, good point. When I find a working Talsa script I will post it here.

Its also possible you need to update to 1.0.17RC3 of alsa, as I noted this change in 1.0.17RC1 of alsa:
Search results - AlsaProject for ALC889A
Instructions for updating for openSUSE-11.0 are here:
Alsa-update via rpms - openSUSE-11.0
note one should restart after updating alsa.
Looking into this now. The latest version of Alsa in the repository is installed at the moment. Maybe I’ll get the one from the Alsa site and install that.

Just that one line? Nothing else?
Yeah, this is all that Yast put there.

My head is spinning with info at the moment. Thanks for the help and I will report back with any progress or questions.

Dexter1979 · July 2, 2008, 6:40pm

Okay, small update.

I noticed my front headphones where not working either so I started to suspect a hardware error. Checked my hookup in the PC and found it was hooked up to the HD-intel plug of my front panel. According to my motherboard manual the codec supports both HD-intel and AC’97 but you will have to enable the latter in the software. Out of curiousity and desperation I tried the AC’97 hookup and I now have headphones. I still have not been able to get the microphone working but I feel I’m on the right track.

I updated Alsa to 1.0.17RC3 and that killed sound all together. I had to manually compile and install this. I have the latest ALSA installed that is available on the Multimedia repo’s including the kdm one.
I tried Krecord after reverting back to 1.0.16 and no luck.
If I enable the front mic in the OUTPUT section it causes feedback. I will mess with it some more later when I am back home. At work now :rolleyes:

Thanks for the sugestions so far.

oldcpu · July 2, 2008, 7:24pm

Why? manually compiling can make it difficult to remove. You do know there are rpms available for 1.0.17RC3 ?

Dexter1979 · July 3, 2008, 12:43pm

No, I did not know that. I could not find them in the multimedia repo mentioned under the update alsa page. Unless the git versions there are also known as 1.0.17RC3. I have my alsa updated to the latest version in that repo.

If this is not correct where can I find the RC3 RPM’s?

oldcpu · July 3, 2008, 12:58pm

My understanding is the git and kmp versions are the lastest alsa (currently 1.0.17RC3 for alsa-driver and 1.0.17 RC2 and RC1 for the remainder)

The alsa developer Tawia recently updated the “openSUSE alsa-update page” noting the cutting edge rpm packaged alsa-driver is now located in a separate repos from the other alsa applications:
Alsa-update - openSUSE-11.0 rpm install

Dexter1979 · July 3, 2008, 1:42pm

Yeah, I tried that. That driver for the kernel 2.6.25.5-1.1**-default** doesn’t work since you need to look for alsa-driver**-kmp**-default. However I just updated it and will try it later this afternoon. Thanks for the help yet again. I know I’m a slow learner

Dexter1979 · July 4, 2008, 2:01am

jan-bart@Dexter:~> cat /proc/asound/card0/codec#* | grep Codec
Codec: Realtek ALC885

Would this be a source of the problem. Alsa is seeing the card as a ALC885 and not a ALC889A. I googled this problem but can’t find anything that makes sense to me.

oldcpu · July 4, 2008, 2:09am

Dexter1979:

jan-bart@Dexter:~> cat /proc/asound/card0/codec#* | grep Codec
Codec: Realtek ALC885
Would this be a source of the problem. Alsa is seeing the card as a ALC885 and not a ALC889A. I googled this problem but can’t find anything that makes sense to me.

Lets clarify this a bit, if we can … please run the following two scripts

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

For this next script, enter root password when prompted and type “NO” if you do not undertand the question:

su -c 'wget -O tsalsa wget http://home.cfl.rr.com/infofiles/tsalsa && bash tsalsa'

Please post here the URLs that each of those two scripts provide.

Dexter1979 · July 4, 2008, 10:39am

First one ran fine:
general pastebin - jan-bart - post number 1062070

When I look at it it says my volume’s at 0. I’m at max in for both the front and the rear mic in Kmix.

This one like I posted earlier gave the following konsole output that looks like the script is not there.

su -c 'wget -O tsalsa wget http://home.cfl.rr.com/infofiles/tsalsa && bash tsalsa'
Password:
--2008-07-04 09:27:52--  http://wget/
Resolving wget... 208.69.34.132
Connecting to wget|208.69.34.132|:80... connected.
HTTP request sent, awaiting response... 302 Found
Location: **http://guide.opendns.com/?url=wget** [following]
--2008-07-04 09:28:01--  http://guide.opendns.com/?url=wget
Resolving guide.opendns.com... 208.67.217.136
Connecting to guide.opendns.com|208.67.217.136|:80... connected.
HTTP request sent, awaiting response... 200 OK
Length: unspecified [text/html]
Saving to: `tsalsa'

     &lt;=&gt;                                                                                              ] 1,905       --.-K/s   in 0.004s

2008-07-04 09:28:02 (462 KB/s) - `tsalsa' saved [1905]

--2008-07-04 09:28:02--  http://home.cfl.rr.com/infofiles/tsalsa
Resolving home.cfl.rr.com... 208.79.153.50
Connecting to home.cfl.rr.com|208.79.153.50|:80... connected.
HTTP request sent, awaiting response... 200 OK
Length: 20298 (20K) [text/html]
Saving to: `tsalsa'

100%=================================================================================================&gt;] 20,298      61.8K/s   in 0.3s

2008-07-04 09:28:03 (61.8 KB/s) - `tsalsa' saved [20298/20298]

FINISHED --2008-07-04 09:28:03--
Downloaded: 2 files, 22K in 0.3s (66.8 KB/s)
**tsalsa: line 1: syntax error near unexpected token `newline'
tsalsa: line 1: `<html>'**

It’s downloading my OpenDNS page stating the page is not found.

oldcpu · July 4, 2008, 12:52pm

Thanks. The second script runs fine on my PC. I don’t know why it does not run on yours. …

Reference the 1st script, I note in your mixer (selected cut and paste from script output):

Simple mixer control 'Mic Boost',0
  Front Left: 0 [0%]
  Front Right: 0 [0%]

Simple mixer control 'Capture',0
  Front Left: Capture 21 [46%] [5.00dB] [off]
  Front Right: Capture 21 [46%] [5.00dB] [off]

Simple mixer control 'Capture',1
  Front Left: Capture 0 [0%] -16.00dB] [off]
  Front Right: Capture 0 [0%] -16.00dB] [off]

Simple mixer control 'Capture',2
  Front Left: Capture 0 [0%] -16.00dB] [off]
  Front Right: Capture 0 [0%] -16.00dB] [off]

Simple mixer control 'Input Source',0
 Items: 'Mic' 'Front Mic' 'Line' 'CD'
 Item0: 'Front Mic'

Simple mixer control 'Input Source',1
 Items: 'Mic' 'Front Mic' 'Line' 'CD'
 Item0: 'Front Mic'

Simple mixer control 'Input Source',2
 Items: 'Mic' 'Front Mic' 'Line' 'CD'
 Item0: 'Front Mic'

Selection of Front Mic appears consistent, but why leave the Mic boost at 0%? And why have the capture off?

Can you also please provide the contents of your
/etc/modprobe.d/sound file? You can do this copy typing in an xterm/konsole (and paste the output here) of:
cat /etc/modprobe.d/sound

oldcpu · July 4, 2008, 12:57pm

Please, what application(s) are you using as a test to see if your mic is working? Have you tried using an external mic?

Dexter1979 · July 5, 2008, 4:14pm

I use Skype and krecord in combination with a headset I have. I don’t really understand what is going on anymore.

Thanks. The second script runs fine on my PC. I don’t know why it does not run on yours. …

The URL doesn’t seem to work. The wget command downloads my openDNS error page stating page not found. So I wonder is the script gone from this location. I have looked on google for the script but cannot find it. Maybe they should include it with the alsa-utils? Have you a mirror for this script that does work?

Dexter1979 · July 5, 2008, 4:33pm

Okay, I have it working. I don’t know how or why but it is.

I moved all the record sources up to the last and that seems to have done the trick.

Okay, I am officially an idiot for keeping the volume down. :o

Current situation:
Kmix volumes: All max except the PCM and master under the output. If I leave the front mic turned on for the output it creates feedback. I left the volume at 100% tho. Mic boost is at 66%.

Sound capture is fine with Skype and Krecord.
Again, I cannot believe it worked probably all along. :o

OldCPU, thank you for your help and feel free to call me a n00b! (Or anything else you can think of, oh wise-one!)

oldcpu · July 5, 2008, 4:37pm

Glad to read its working … I suspected it might be a mixer problem, but without the output of that remaining script, it was difficult to get a good insight.

Thanks for sharing your solution.

Dexter1979 · July 5, 2008, 7:41pm

Did you find another place where that script is?

For this next script, enter root password when prompted and type “NO” if you do not undertand the question:
su -c ‘wget -O tsalsa wget http://home.cfl.rr.com/infofiles/tsalsa && bash tsalsa’
Try the above and see if it works for you. If it does than my OpenDNS is wrong

oldcpu · July 5, 2008, 8:41pm

It works for me. It does give an initial error, but then it runs. You just need patience to let it finish, and not kill the xterm/konsole too soon.