Sound only working from headphones

user · June 3, 2009, 1:44pm

I have a Gateway P-6831FX laptop. My sound seems to work fine through my headphones, but I can’t seem to get sound through my speakers. I’ve been playing with my mixer settings and I can’t find anything that seems to fix it. I’ve been looking at a lot of the other threads regarding sound problems, so i’ll just post what I think will be asked for.

http://www.alsa-project.org/db/?f=6c9040e81e0623d0406ca1bfe3059a1f5e3ce4bb

i ran these commands:

rpm -qa | grep alsa
rpm -qa | grep pulse
rpm -q libasound2
uname -a
cat /etc/modprobe.d/sound

and got this output:

peter@linux-dclo:~> rpm -qa | grep alsa
alsa-1.0.18-8.9                        
alsa-utils-1.0.18-6.4                  
alsa-oss-32bit-1.0.17-1.37             
alsa-firmware-1.0.17-1.51              
alsa-plugins-pulse-1.0.18-6.13         
alsa-plugins-1.0.18-6.13               
alsa-oss-1.0.17-1.43                   
peter@linux-dclo:~> rpm -qa | grep pulse
pulseaudio-utils-0.9.12-9.5             
pulseaudio-esound-compat-0.9.12-9.5     
pulseaudio-module-x11-0.9.12-9.5        
libpulse0-0.9.12-9.5                    
pulseaudio-0.9.12-9.5                   
pulseaudio-module-lirc-0.9.12-9.5       
libpulse-browse0-0.9.12-9.5             
libpulse-mainloop-glib0-0.9.12-9.5
alsa-plugins-pulse-1.0.18-6.13
pulseaudio-module-bluetooth-0.9.12-9.5
libxine1-pulse-1.1.16.3-0.pm.2
libpulsecore4-0.9.12-9.5
pulseaudio-module-zeroconf-0.9.12-9.5
pulseaudio-module-jack-0.9.12-9.5
peter@linux-dclo:~> rpm -q libasound2
libasound2-1.0.18-8.9
peter@linux-dclo:~> uname -a
Linux linux-dclo 2.6.27.21-0.1-trace #1 SMP 2009-03-31 14:50:44 +0200 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux
peter@linux-dclo:~> cat /etc/modprobe.d/sound
alias snd-card-0 snd-hda-intel
alias sound-slot-0 snd-hda-intel
options snd-hda-intel model=auto enable_msi=1
peter@linux-dclo:~>

Contents of /etc/modprobe.d/sound

alias snd-card-0 snd-hda-intel
alias sound-slot-0 snd-hda-intel
options snd-hda-intel model=auto enable_msi=1

I appreciate any help that might be given.

oldcpu · June 3, 2009, 7:53pm

Well done in getting this far.

I note a 64-bit openSUSE-11.1 with the latest SuSE-GmbH packaged (for 11.1) kernel 2.6.21.27-trace with a mix of 1.0.17 and 1.0.18 alsa. I note also an IDT 92HD71B8X hardware audio codec.

If you stick with the 2.6.21.27-trace kernel then I am not confident that I can help you. I recommend you switch back to the 2.6.21.27-default kernel. Why are you using the trace?

The next thing I noted is the model option “auto” that you have selected. That is NOT an option for the IDT 92HD71B8X for 1.0.17/1.0.18 of alsa, … or if it is an option, then it is not a documented option.

Glad to read your sound works in your headphones, but according to the alsa-configuration.txt file for 1.0.18 of alsa, the model options for the IDT 92HD71Bx are:

	STAC92HD71B*
	  ref		Reference board
	  dell-m4-1	Dell desktops
	  dell-m4-2	Dell desktops

Try each of those, one at a time, in place of “auto” in the /etc/modprobe.d/sound file (restart your alsa sound driver with su -c ‘rcalsasound restart’ - enter root passward, and restart your mixer and test your sound . ie replace “auto” with “ref” … restart alsa, restart mixer, test sound. Then replace “ref” with “dell-m4-1” , restart alsa, restart mixer, test sound. Then replace “dell-m4-1” with “dell-m4-2”, restart alsa, restart mixer, and test sound.

If that does not work, try updating alsa. You can do that with your PC connected to the internet by opening a terminal or a konsole and copy and pasting and executing, in sequence, one at a time, the following six zypper commands to update alsa to 1.0.20 (I typed the command under the assumption that you reverted to the “default” kernel from the “trace” kernel):

zypper ar http://download.opensuse.org/repositories/multimedia:/audio/openSUSE_11.1/ multimedia

zypper install alsa-oss alsa-oss-32bit alsa-utils alsa-tools alsa-firmware alsa-plugins alsa-plugins-pulse

zypper rr multimedia

zypper ar http://download.opensuse.org/repositories/multimedia:/audio:/KMP/openSUSE_11.1_Update/ multimedia

zypper install alsa-driver-kmp-default

zypper rr multimedia

The 5th command is different if using the trace kernel.

Again, after the update is complete restart and test your audio.

Note version 1.0.20 of alsa, in the HDA-Audio-Models.txt file has the following list of model options for the 92HD71B* hardware audio codec:

STAC92HD71B*
============
  ref		Reference board
  dell-m4-1	Dell desktops
  dell-m4-2	Dell desktops
  dell-m4-3	Dell desktops
  hp-m4		HP mini 1000
  hp-dv5	HP dv series
  hp-hdx	HP HDX series
  auto		BIOS setup (default)

I note in this case, the model “auto” is an option.

Good luck. It took some time to type the above, so I hope this works.

user · June 3, 2009, 9:02pm

After changing the mode in the /etc/modprobe.d/sound like you suggested, my sound works perfectly. Thanks!

As for why I’m using the -trace kernel, I’m not really sure. I don’t know what the difference is between the default and trace. Grub selected this kernel after I installed the nvidia drivers. When I choose to boot in to the default kernel, X won’t start. Is it important for me to be using the default kernel? If so, is there a way to switch back to the default kernel? I’m sorry about asking for more help, but if it’s an easy fix and I’d be better off with the default kernel, I’d like to do that.

oldcpu · June 3, 2009, 9:16pm

Super! Glad to read its working. In case anyone one else reading this thread has same PC as you, what model option works best for you?

Grub selected it when the nvidia drivers were installed? Thats strange. I have not heard of that. Did you install a nVidia driver version that was built specifically for the “trace” kernel, which caused a kernel change due to dependency checking (as part of the driver installation process) ?

user · June 3, 2009, 9:17pm

Sorry, disregard the changing the kernel stuff, i figured that out. No problems now. Thanks for the help.

user · October 3, 2009, 10:44pm

If your sound is not working from your latop but the headphones will work with the sound only if your having trouble with the sound working with your headphones only here’s what you can do

Start On The Menu Section
On The Right Side Of The Menu Go To Control Panel
(Click) On Smart Audio
Once you click on smart Audio
Click On Audio Director
Under Test 1 & 2 Click On Classic Mode To Check It Off.
7.Once the classic mode is checked off make sure you restart Your Latop
Once Your Latop Is Restarted Then Go To Windows MEdia Player Click On Any Song you want,and then click on the song and then your sound will be working again.
Hope This Works Bye.

oldcpu · October 3, 2009, 11:27pm

Thanks for your efforts to contribute.

I guess you did not realize, openSUSE forums are a Linux operating system forum, and not for the MS-Windows operating systems. The solution you gave is presumably for MS-Windows computers.

But please give Linux a try sometime.