sound and wireless on Dell D-630

English Hardware
#1

I’m trying to convert from windows to Linux but issues like this make it very hard. I loaded SUSE and was extremely impressed on how far Linux has come and the new KDE GUI is awesome.

-Sound-
So I went into yast and my sound is recognized but the driver does not seem to be working, can anyone give some advice on how to adjust the driver/kernel to get it working?

-Wireless-
My wlan0 interface seems to be recognized but I can’t connect to my wireless network. I am using WPA2 AES so I switched to WPA2 TKIP-WEP40 and still no luck.

Please help the frustrated windows learn to love Linux:-)

-lo

#2

lodogg wrote:
> I’m trying to convert from windows to Linux but issues like this make it
> very hard. I loaded SUSE and was extremely impressed on how far Linux
> has come and the new KDE GUI is awesome.
>
> -Sound-
> So I went into yast and my sound is recognized but the driver does not
> seem to be working, can anyone give some advice on how to adjust the
> driver/kernel to get it working?
>
> -Wireless-
> My wlan0 interface seems to be recognized but I can’t connect to my
> wireless network. I am using WPA2 AES so I switched to WPA2 TKIP-WEP40
> and still no luck.
>
> Please help the frustrated windows learn to love Linux:-)

For the wireless, please go to the wireless forum, read the stickies,
and report the information that is needed for the experts to help you.
We have no idea what interface is contained in a Dell D-630.

BTW, WPA2 AES is what I use with 4 different wireless interfaces. It
works just fine, and is not your problem.

Larry

#3

How did you setup WPA2 with AES? Did you do it through a GUI or did you alter a config file somewhere?

-lo

#4

Actually AES is not even an option through the GUI I have WPA or WPA2 with TKIP.

#5

I moved my wireless question to the other forum but what about sound?

00:1b.0 Audio device: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) HD Audio Controller (rev 02)
Subsystem: Dell Dell Latitude D630
Flags: bus master, fast devsel, latency 0, IRQ21
Memory at fe9fc000 (64-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=16]
Capabilities: <accessdenied>
Kernel driver in use: HDA Intel
Kernel modules: snd-hda-intel

-lo[/size]

#6

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:

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 gnome terminal has the mouse focus, press <CTRL><C> on the keyboard. Note you should check your mixer settings (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 still no sound, can you provide more very detailed information so a good recommendation can be given? You can do that with openSUSE-11.1, with your laptop connected to the internet, by opening a gnome-terminal 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. After the script completes executing, it will give you the URL of the web site. Please post that URL here. JUST the URL.

If instead you are using openSUSE-11.0 or earlier, then with your PC connected to the Internet, copy and paste the following command into a terminal or konsole:

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

after the script completes executing, that will provide you a URL. Please post the URL here. Just the URL.

Also, please copy and paste the following commands one line at a time into a gnome-terminal 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.

#7

The audio tests failed so I gathered more information listed below.

alsa-config.sh
http://www.alsa-project.org/db/?f=7e887ef65a0bc2911f0e64b4ab0d5cdb9e1abf6f

:~> rpm -qa | grep alsa
alsa-utils-1.0.18-6.4
alsa-plugins-1.0.18-6.12
alsa-1.0.18-8.7
alsa-plugins-pulse-1.0.18-6.12
alsa-oss-1.0.17-1.37

:~> rpm -qa | grep pulse
pulseaudio-module-zeroconf-0.9.12-9.6
libpulsecore4-0.9.12-9.6
libpulse-browse0-0.9.12-9.6
pulseaudio-utils-0.9.12-9.6
pulseaudio-module-x11-0.9.12-9.6
pulseaudio-module-bluetooth-0.9.12-9.6
pulseaudio-module-lirc-0.9.12-9.6
libpulse0-0.9.12-9.6
pulseaudio-0.9.12-9.6
pulseaudio-esound-compat-0.9.12-9.6
libpulse-mainloop-glib0-0.9.12-9.6
alsa-plugins-pulse-1.0.18-6.12
libxine1-pulse-1.1.15-23.3.3
pulseaudio-module-jack-0.9.12-9.6

:~> rpm -q libasound2
libasound2-1.0.18-8.7

:~> uname -a
Linux linux-0uzp 2.6.27.21-0.1-pae #1 SMP 2009-03-31 14:50:44 +0200 i686 i686 i386 GNU/Linux

:~> cat /etc/modprobe.d/sound
options snd slots=snd-hda-intel

u1Nb.0CMh_00Dca3:Dell Latitude D630

alias snd-card-0 snd-hda-intel

#8

OK, I see a stac9205 running on a 32-bit openSUSE-11.1 with a 2.6.21.27-pae kernel with the installed 1.0.17/1.0.18 alsa mix with a stac9205 hardware audio codec.

First you could install alsa-firmware in case it is needed. Restart after that is installed and test.

Its also possible the auto probe by alsa of your hardware, upon boot, did not properly configure your Dell-630’s sound. You could try an edit to your PCs /etc/modprobe.d/sound file … I’ll describe below how to do this.

The HD-Audio-Models.txt file suggests the following options are possible for the STAC9205:

STAC9205/9254
=============
  ref		Reference board
  dell-m42	Dell (unknown)
  dell-m43	Dell Precision
  dell-m44	Dell Inspiron

So lets apply dell-m42, dell-m43, dell-m44 and ref, one at a time, to see if any work.

To edit with KDE, you type: ** kdesu ‘kwrite /etc/modprobe.d/sound’**
To edit with Gnome you type: gnomesu 'gedit /etc/modprobe.d/sound’
in both cases enter root password when prompted.

So for the first attempt (with “dell-m42”), add a line to the start of your /etc/modprobe.d/sound file so that it looks like this:

options snd-hda-intel model=dell-m42
options snd slots=snd-hda-intel
# u1Nb.0CMh_00Dca3:Dell Latitude D630
alias snd-card-0 snd-hda-intel

save the change, and then restart your alsa sound driver by typing in a terminal/konsole su -c ‘rcalsasound restart’ enter root password when prompted and then restart your mixer (‘kmix’ on kde and ‘alsamixer’ on gnome) and then test your sound.

If that does not work, replace dell-m42 with the next option (dell-m43) and save the change, restart your alsa sound driver per above, restart your mixer, and test. Do that for each of the model options.

If none of that works, then you could try updating to 1.0.20 of alsa. There is guidance here for that: Alsa-update - openSUSE
but often users fail to send the six necessary commands to update to 1.0.20 and mess up their audio more, so if its not clear to you, post here and I’ll give you the six commands to send to update your alsa to 1.0.20.

#9

Thanks for the great response but I still have no sound:\

I tried changing each Dell model number, m42, m43 and m44:

1):~> sudo nano /etc/modprobe.d/sound

options snd-hda-intel model=dell-m42
#options snd slots=snd-hda-intel

u1Nb.0CMh_00Dca3:Dell Latitude D630

alias snd-card-0 snd-hda-intel

  1. su -c ‘rcalsasound restart’
  2. Start kmix
  3. speaker-test -c2 -l5 -twav

Each test with the speaker-test command was unsuccessful.

I then tried the alsa-update link with the following links:

checked kernel
:~> uname -a
Linux linux-0uzp 2.6.27.21-0.1-xen #1 SMP 2009-03-31 14:50:44 +0200 i686 i686 i386 GNU/Linu

Then ran the following:

zypper ar Index of /repositories/multimedia:/audio/openSUSE_10.3 multimedia
zypper install alsa-utils alsa-tools alsa-firmware alsa-oss alsa-plugins
zypper rr multimedia

zypper ar Index of /repositories/multimedia:/audio:/KMP/openSUSE_11.1_Update multimedia
zypper install alsa-driver-kmp-pae
zypper rr multimedia

I then booted on the new kernel and tried the commands that you specified above with no luck. Hopefully I followed your directions in a correct fashion. I really appreciate the detailed help. It’s frustrating getting “sound” and “wireless” to work with Linux. I am a GUI plug and play kind of guy:)

-lo

#10

Wow I just tested sound from pandora.com and Amarok and it works great with dell-m42 setting:-) The problem is I don’t have a clue what fixed the issue? The kernel change or the config change? The sound is pretty good now I wonder if the mini jack works on the side of my laptop, time to test :slight_smile: Yeahhh

Should I be worried every time a kernel update is released?

–

Also you have been such an awesome help maybe you help with my last issue? “Wireless”

dell d630 - PRO/Wireless 3945ABG - openSUSE Forums

-lo

#11

Possibly both.

Good luck there!

Yes, … there is a significantly likelihood the new kernel will break your audio. I recommend you ignore the update until next week, until after we can confirm that a version of alsa packaged for the new kernel is available. …(its not ready yet).

Sorry, you should start a new thread in the wireless section for this.

#12

Well I ran updates yesterday then I read your post above today and now I am SOL… :\ I upgraded to the following.

uname -a
Linux linux-0uzp 2.6.27.23-0.1-pae #1 SMP 2009-05-26 17:02:05 -0400 i686 i686 i386 GNU/Linux

And I went out to your link listed above and they do not have repositories yet for the new kernel, any suggestions?


 kernel 2.6.27.23_TBD-pae i386 GNU/Linux (openSUSE-11.1)

The following commands are only for kernel 2.6.27.23_TBD-pae

         TBD - repositories not yet populated

         TBD - repositories not yet populated

         TBD - repositories not yet populated

-lo

#13

Some users have been able to sort their sound by going into YaST > Hardware > Sound and editing pulse. Some found their sound stopped working because their mixer was simply muted and by merely umuting they were able to sort their sound. And some simply had their sound broken by the new kernel and they are waiting for updated drivers. I suspect your case is the later.

IMHO you will simply have to wait for an update to the alsa rpms. Typically the SuSE-GmbH packager will package such an update within a few days to a week of a new kernel release. There was a holiday in Germany on Thursday this week and many people took the entire week as a holiday, so if the past is any guide its possible sometime next week we will see an update to alsa on the multimedia repository.

The only other alternatives are for one to custom compile the various alsa applications (probably one should be an advanced openSUSE user for that) or one rolls back their kernel to the initial version that came with openSUSE (2.6.27.9) and try to get their sound working with that.

Yes I put those TBDs in the wiki.

#14

For those with non-functioning sound as a result of the new 2.6.27.23 kernel, the SuSE-GmbH packager has now released the rpms for the update to 1.0.20 of alsa for the 2.6.27.23 kernel. Note this is on a special multimedia repository and not on the standard “update” repository.

There is guidance here for doing the update:
Alsa-update - openSUSE

Note one MUST send six zypper commands, being certain to pick the one’s specific to one’s openSUSE version. I recommend one optimize the alsa apps to be installed to match what one has on one’s PC already. … and also the second last command in the 3 command group should be specific to one’s kernel. Do NOT install multiple alsa-driver-kmp-<packages> … Only install the ONE that is applicable.

#15

ahhh that fixed it:) The sound is still not ultra clear? A little grainy with m42, m43 and m44. I think m44 sounds the best out of the three. Thanks for getting my sound working again!

-lo