S/PDIF only found in User GUI

English Multimedia
#1

Hello,

My motherboard has an optical S/PDIF output that I wish to use.
When I browse through my Desktop Kickoff | System Settings | Multimedia, I see this:
My digital audio output
Furthermore, selecting “Test”, results in the test track being heard. I can also see and use this output port in the Amaroc media player (don’t know how many other - see later).

However, when I try and see this S/PDIF interface from a “system” view point - YaST | Hardware | Sound, this is all I see:
My sound configuration

The issue I’m trying to solve, is that there is no audio output on the S/PDIF for general “system” activities - logon fanfares, Firefox media (Flash), alerts etc.?

Any suggestions to put this right, will be most welcome.
Regards, Martin

#2

Have you installed alsamixer?

#3

Thanks for the suggestion. No I hadn’t but now I have (or to be a bit more exact, alasmixergui - is that what you ment?):

#zypper -is | grep alsa
i | alsa               | package | 1.0.23-2.12    | x86_64 | openSUSE-11.3-Oss
i | alsa-firmware      | package | 1.0.23-1.2     | noarch | openSUSE-11.3-Oss
i | alsa-oss           | package | 1.0.17-29.2    | x86_64 | openSUSE-11.3-Oss
i | alsa-oss-32bit     | package | 1.0.17-29.2    | x86_64 | openSUSE-11.3-Oss
i | alsa-plugins       | package | 1.0.23-1.9     | x86_64 | openSUSE-11.3-Oss
i | alsa-plugins-32bit | package | 1.0.23-1.9     | x86_64 | openSUSE-11.3-Oss
i | alsa-tools         | package | 1.0.23-1.8     | x86_64 | openSUSE-11.3-Oss
i | alsa-utils         | package | 1.0.23-1.8     | x86_64 | openSUSE-11.3-Oss
i | alsamixergui       | package | 0.9.0rc1-746.1 | x86_64 | openSUSE-11.3-Oss

Unfortunately, that makes no difference.
A bit more information however. Just popping up the KDE mixer: kmix, the two left channels “look” strange? No volume control for the IEC958 (S/PDIF) and no Mute for the PCM.
Secondly, if I Mute the IEC958 and then play a test from System Settings | Multimedia (the User GUI), the Mute gets un-ticked and plays?

Regards, Martin

#4

alsamixer is part of the alsa-utils package


~> rpm -qf /usr/bin/alsamixer
alsa-utils-1.0.24.2-2.1.x86_64
#5

write in your terminal

alsamixer

and increase sound bars.

#6

Sorry, but no! The S/PDIF stubbornly refuses to respond?

This is all that I see in: AlsaMixer
Which, in principle is the same in all the other mixers (kmix, alsamixergui)?
To check that I’m using alsamixer correctly, if I change the level (+/- or up/down arrow) for say the, CD, I see the sliders moving up/down in all three mixers that I have open.

Regards, Martin

#7

This might help you if you haven’t solve your problem.
DigitalOut - ALSA wiki

#8

Thank you for the pointer Conram,

Unfortunately, I still need help. Following your link, I note the output from aplay -L, which in my case, says this:


mprowe@gzunder:~> aplay -L
null
    Discard all samples (playback) or generate zero samples (capture)
default:CARD=Intel
    HDA Intel, VT1828S Analog
    Default Audio Device
front:CARD=Intel,DEV=0
    HDA Intel, VT1828S Analog
    Front speakers
surround40:CARD=Intel,DEV=0
    HDA Intel, VT1828S Analog
    4.0 Surround output to Front and Rear speakers
surround41:CARD=Intel,DEV=0
    HDA Intel, VT1828S Analog
    4.1 Surround output to Front, Rear and Subwoofer speakers
surround50:CARD=Intel,DEV=0
    HDA Intel, VT1828S Analog
    5.0 Surround output to Front, Center and Rear speakers
surround51:CARD=Intel,DEV=0
    HDA Intel, VT1828S Analog
    5.1 Surround output to Front, Center, Rear and Subwoofer speakers
surround71:CARD=Intel,DEV=0
    HDA Intel, VT1828S Analog
    7.1 Surround output to Front, Center, Side, Rear and Woofer speakers
iec958:CARD=Intel,DEV=0
    HDA Intel, VT1828S Digital
    IEC958 (S/PDIF) Digital Audio Output
mprowe@gzunder:~>

Which confirms what I find in practice: that if I don’t request a sound device, I’m going to get the analog channel. However, if I create either an /etc/asound.conf or ~/.asoundrc, I see this:

mprowe@gzunder:~> aplay -L
null
    Discard all samples (playback) or generate zero samples (capture)
front:CARD=Intel,DEV=0
    HDA Intel, VT1828S Analog
    Front speakers
surround40:CARD=Intel,DEV=0
    HDA Intel, VT1828S Analog
    4.0 Surround output to Front and Rear speakers
surround41:CARD=Intel,DEV=0
    HDA Intel, VT1828S Analog
    4.1 Surround output to Front, Rear and Subwoofer speakers
surround50:CARD=Intel,DEV=0
    HDA Intel, VT1828S Analog
    5.0 Surround output to Front, Center and Rear speakers
surround51:CARD=Intel,DEV=0
    HDA Intel, VT1828S Analog
    5.1 Surround output to Front, Center, Rear and Subwoofer speakers
surround71:CARD=Intel,DEV=0
    HDA Intel, VT1828S Analog
    7.1 Surround output to Front, Center, Side, Rear and Woofer speakers
iec958:CARD=Intel,DEV=0
    HDA Intel, VT1828S Digital
    IEC958 (S/PDIF) Digital Audio Output
mprowe@gzunder:~>

i.e. the default entry has gone? However, non-specified sound still goes to the analog channel.

I have tried various variants of asound.conf and .asoundrc based on examples found on the web. But even if that was successful, it seems to me to be “working” round the problem.

What I think I need to find out are: “were are the settings reported by asound -L set?” And what should they be so that the default entry says:

default:CARD=Intel
    HDA Intel, VT1828S Digital
    IEC958 (S/PDIF) Digital Audio Output

Regards, Martin

#9

Hi Martin,

I think if you want it to be the default entry instead of aplay -L you should use aplay -l
to show the card and device number and use it in you /home/user/.asoundrc.
To do please refer back again to the alsa wiki on my first post.

#10

Go to start menu–>system settings–>Yast
And then Yast–>Hardware–>sound
Go here

http://img23.imageshack.us/img23/180/46065169.png

And then Test the sound from your sound card.

#11

Thank you for your suggestion stamostolias,

However, as reported at the head of this thread, this is my view atYaST | Hardware | Sound and when I select “Other | Play a Test Sound”, it is output on the analog channel.

Regards, Martin

#12

Have you sound now in Test sound?

#13

No! The only sound that I get from YaST | Hardware | Sound | Other | Play a Test Sound, comes from the analog (3.5mm jack) connection. And nothing on the Optical S/PDIF.

But if I go to KDE | System Settings | Multimedia (select the S/PDIF channel) | Test, I get audio on the Optical S/PDIF jack.

Regards, Martin

#14

Make this card main.

#15

Go now to start menu–>system settings–>multimedia–>Phonon–>music first
and check the sound here
And then go phonon–>notifications and check the sound.
If you have sound make up your sound card wich has sound.
http://img683.imageshack.us/img683/1620/64614789.png

#16

Go here first and make your sound card as main sound card(YaST | Hardware | Sound | Other | Play a Test Sound)

#17

Hi all,

Just a quick update…
Logged on as Root the other day. And… TaaDaa… I was welcomed with a fanfair via the S/PIDF output!!

So, I guess that it is permisions? But on what/where?

Regards, Martin

#18

It could be you are not in the audio group.
Check your user and group management in yast2 and edit to add audio.
Hopefully it work.

#19

Thanks for the suggestion. Unfortunately, I had checked and discounted that possibility already.
As well as the checking the settings, if I wasn’t in the AUDIO group, there wouldn’t be any output via the analog channels?

Regards, Martin

#20

Don’t know if this is relevant to your situation, but I had a problem recently with SPDIF output from my onboard soundcard, which also uses the Intel HDA driver.

Sound was fine from the test button within System Settings/Multimedia, and most KDE/phonon apps. Firefox, flash and alsa based apps were silent, however.

I posted the solution at the end of the thread.