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ominomedievale

Member

Registered: 2016-05-24

Posts: 7

Sound problem with VAIO VGN-A317S

Hi everybody,
I'm having troubles with my laptop Sony VAIO VGN-A317S. Few weeks ago I switched from Ubuntu 12 to Arch Linux.
Unfortunately this upgrading procedure totally removed the sound from my speakers (the ones built in the laptop) and from headphones. The strange fact is that my computer recognizes the soundcard: it's an 00:1b.0 Audio device: Intel Corporation 82801FB/FBM/FR/FW/FRW (ICH6 Family), while the coded is Realtek ALC260.
I already tried to do what I read in related posts about VAIO laptops: I set to maximum the audio levels in alsamixer, added the option snd-intel model=laptop (I tried also with vaio, auto, asus), tried to compile the drivers from the realtek webpage (receiving an error from the compiler in the source file) but nothing changed.
When I open pavucolntrol with vlc playing an mp3 file in background, I can see the level of the output moving, like it were really emitting a sound.
This model was sold with a docking station, I still haven't tried to connect it there and see if all the sound signal is deviated to the docking station connector. As soon as I will able to test this hypothesis I will udate my post.
The hardware is for sure not broken, since during the boot, the VAIO logo screen appears with its classical sound. This is reproduced both from the speakers and the headphones.

Would you be so kind to help me with this problem? Is it because the laptop is too old and cannot withstand new kernels?
Thanks for your attention.

V1del

Forum Moderator

Registered: 2012-10-16

Posts: 24,857

Re: Sound problem with VAIO VGN-A317S

Remove the options snd-hda-intel (if you actually wrote just snd-intel the module name would be wrong anyway) line and reboot, one shouldn't be using the model overrides usually, and they might interfere with things.

After that post within [ code ] tags

aplay -l
pacmd list-cards
pacmd list-sinks
pacmd list-sink-inputs #While playing something in vlc

For the future please refrain from crossposting, if you want a thread to be moved use the report link to request a move. Since I've answered here, I'll report your other thread to be removed.

Last edited by V1del (2016-05-26 08:48:37)

ominomedievale

Member

Registered: 2016-05-24

Posts: 7

Re: Sound problem with VAIO VGN-A317S

Thanks for fixing my posting mistake, I just wrote one post and I already did a mess...
Here are the answers to the commands you wrote:

[niccolo@ominomedievale ~]$ aplay -l
**** List of PLAYBACK Hardware Devices ****
card 1: Intel [HDA Intel], device 0: ALC260 Analog [ALC260 Analog]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 1: Intel [HDA Intel], device 1: ALC260 Digital [ALC260 Digital]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0

[niccolo@ominomedievale ~]$ pacmd list-cards
1 card(s) available.
    index: 0
	name: <alsa_card.pci-0000_00_1b.0>
	driver: <module-alsa-card.c>
	owner module: 6
	properties:
		alsa.card = "1"
		alsa.card_name = "HDA Intel"
		alsa.long_card_name = "HDA Intel at 0xfebf8000 irq 26"
		alsa.driver_name = "snd_hda_intel"
		device.bus_path = "pci-0000:00:1b.0"
		sysfs.path = "/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1b.0/sound/card1"
		device.bus = "pci"
		device.vendor.id = "8086"
		device.vendor.name = "Intel Corporation"
		device.product.id = "2668"
		device.product.name = "82801FB/FBM/FR/FW/FRW (ICH6 Family) High Definition Audio Controller"
		device.form_factor = "internal"
		device.string = "1"
		device.description = "Built-in Audio"
		module-udev-detect.discovered = "1"
		device.icon_name = "audio-card-pci"
	profiles:
		input:analog-stereo: Analog Stereo Input (priority 60, available: unknown)
		input:iec958-stereo: Digital Stereo (IEC958) Input (priority 55, available: unknown)
		output:analog-stereo: Analog Stereo Output (priority 6000, available: unknown)
		output:analog-stereo+input:analog-stereo: Analog Stereo Duplex (priority 6060, available: unknown)
		output:analog-stereo+input:iec958-stereo: Analog Stereo Output + Digital Stereo (IEC958) Input (priority 6055, available: unknown)
		output:iec958-stereo: Digital Stereo (IEC958) Output (priority 5500, available: unknown)
		output:iec958-stereo+input:analog-stereo: Digital Stereo (IEC958) Output + Analog Stereo Input (priority 5560, available: unknown)
		output:iec958-stereo+input:iec958-stereo: Digital Stereo Duplex (IEC958) (priority 5555, available: unknown)
		off: Off (priority 0, available: unknown)
	active profile: <output:analog-stereo+input:analog-stereo>
	sinks:
		alsa_output.pci-0000_00_1b.0.analog-stereo/#0: Built-in Audio Analog Stereo
	sources:
		alsa_output.pci-0000_00_1b.0.analog-stereo.monitor/#0: Monitor of Built-in Audio Analog Stereo
		alsa_input.pci-0000_00_1b.0.analog-stereo/#1: Built-in Audio Analog Stereo
	ports:
		analog-input-front-mic: Front Microphone (priority 8500, latency offset 0 usec, available: yes)
			properties:
				device.icon_name = "audio-input-microphone"
		analog-input-rear-mic: Rear Microphone (priority 8200, latency offset 0 usec, available: yes)
			properties:
				device.icon_name = "audio-input-microphone"
		analog-input-linein: Line In (priority 8100, latency offset 0 usec, available: yes)
			properties:
				
		iec958-stereo-input: Digital Input (S/PDIF) (priority 0, latency offset 0 usec, available: unknown)
			properties:
				
		analog-output-headphones: Headphones (priority 9000, latency offset 0 usec, available: no)
			properties:
				device.icon_name = "audio-headphones"
		iec958-stereo-output: Digital Output (S/PDIF) (priority 0, latency offset 0 usec, available: unknown)
			properties:

[niccolo@ominomedievale ~]$ pacmd list-sinks
1 sink(s) available.
  * index: 0
	name: <alsa_output.pci-0000_00_1b.0.analog-stereo>
	driver: <module-alsa-card.c>
	flags: HARDWARE HW_MUTE_CTRL HW_VOLUME_CTRL DECIBEL_VOLUME LATENCY DYNAMIC_LATENCY
	state: SUSPENDED
	suspend cause: IDLE 
	priority: 9959
	volume: front-left: 65536 / 100% / 0.00 dB,   front-right: 65536 / 100% / 0.00 dB
	        balance 0.00
	base volume: 65536 / 100% / 0.00 dB
	volume steps: 65537
	muted: no
	current latency: 0.00 ms
	max request: 0 KiB
	max rewind: 0 KiB
	monitor source: 0
	sample spec: s16le 2ch 44100Hz
	channel map: front-left,front-right
	             Stereo
	used by: 0
	linked by: 0
	configured latency: 0.00 ms; range is 0.50 .. 2000.00 ms
	card: 0 <alsa_card.pci-0000_00_1b.0>
	module: 6
	properties:
		alsa.resolution_bits = "16"
		device.api = "alsa"
		device.class = "sound"
		alsa.class = "generic"
		alsa.subclass = "generic-mix"
		alsa.name = "ALC260 Analog"
		alsa.id = "ALC260 Analog"
		alsa.subdevice = "0"
		alsa.subdevice_name = "subdevice #0"
		alsa.device = "0"
		alsa.card = "1"
		alsa.card_name = "HDA Intel"
		alsa.long_card_name = "HDA Intel at 0xfebf8000 irq 26"
		alsa.driver_name = "snd_hda_intel"
		device.bus_path = "pci-0000:00:1b.0"
		sysfs.path = "/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1b.0/sound/card1"
		device.bus = "pci"
		device.vendor.id = "8086"
		device.vendor.name = "Intel Corporation"
		device.product.id = "2668"
		device.product.name = "82801FB/FBM/FR/FW/FRW (ICH6 Family) High Definition Audio Controller"
		device.form_factor = "internal"
		device.string = "front:1"
		device.buffering.buffer_size = "352800"
		device.buffering.fragment_size = "176400"
		device.access_mode = "mmap+timer"
		device.profile.name = "analog-stereo"
		device.profile.description = "Analog Stereo"
		device.description = "Built-in Audio Analog Stereo"
		alsa.mixer_name = "Realtek ALC260"
		alsa.components = "HDA:10ec0260,02600000,00100300 HDA:14f12bfa,20030003,00090000"
		module-udev-detect.discovered = "1"
		device.icon_name = "audio-card-pci"
	ports:
		analog-output-headphones: Headphones (priority 9000, latency offset 0 usec, available: yes)
			properties:
				device.icon_name = "audio-headphones"
	active port: <analog-output-headphones>

[niccolo@ominomedievale ~]$ pacmd list-sink-inputs
1 sink input(s) available.
    index: 5
	driver: <protocol-native.c>
	flags: START_CORKED FIX_RATE 
	state: RUNNING
	sink: 0 <alsa_output.pci-0000_00_1b.0.analog-stereo>
	volume: front-left: 65536 / 100% / 0.00 dB,   front-right: 65536 / 100% / 0.00 dB
	        balance 0.00
	muted: no
	current latency: 396.55 ms
	requested latency: 40.00 ms
	sample spec: float32le 2ch 44100Hz
	channel map: front-left,front-right
	             Stereo
	resample method: copy
	module: 8
	client: 13 <VLC media player>
	properties:
		media.role = "video"
		media.name = "audio stream"
		application.name = "VLC media player"
		native-protocol.peer = "UNIX socket client"
		native-protocol.version = "30"
		application.id = "org.VideoLAN.VLC"
		application.version = "2.2.3"
		application.icon_name = "vlc"
		application.language = "C"
		application.process.id = "2436"
		application.process.user = "niccolo"
		application.process.host = "ominomedievale"
		application.process.binary = "vlc"
		window.x11.display = ":0.0"
		application.process.machine_id = "458bf2c7411f4197b6191188ae99e27c"
		application.process.session_id = "c1"
		module-stream-restore.id = "sink-input-by-media-role:video"

Thanks a lot for your help!

V1del

Forum Moderator

Registered: 2012-10-16

Posts: 24,857

Re: Sound problem with VAIO VGN-A317S

This does look correct at first glance, only weird thing is that your card is initalized as card 1 as opposed to card 0 but this shouldn't matter that much. Can you post

sudo fuser -v /dev/snd/*
amixer -c1

maybe there's a flip switch or similar.

ominomedievale

Member

Registered: 2016-05-24

Posts: 7

Re: Sound problem with VAIO VGN-A317S

Here you are:

USER        PID ACCESS COMMAND
/dev/snd/controlC0:  niccolo     527 F.... pulseaudio

[niccolo@ominomedievale ~]$ amixer -c0
Simple mixer control 'Master',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 '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 Mic',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pswitch
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 65
  Mono:
  Front Left: Playback 0 [0%] [-35.00dB] [off]
  Front Right: Playback 0 [0%] [-35.00dB] [off]
Simple mixer control 'Line',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pswitch
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 65
  Mono:
  Front Left: Playback 0 [0%] [-35.00dB] [off]
  Front Right: Playback 0 [0%] [-35.00dB] [off]
Simple mixer control 'CD',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pswitch
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 65
  Mono:
  Front Left: Playback 0 [0%] [-35.00dB] [off]
  Front Right: Playback 0 [0%] [-35.00dB] [off]
Simple mixer control 'IEC958',0
  Capabilities: pswitch pswitch-joined cswitch cswitch-joined
  Playback channels: Mono
  Capture channels: Mono
  Mono: Playback [off] Capture [on]
Simple mixer control 'IEC958 Default PCM',0
  Capabilities: pswitch pswitch-joined
  Playback channels: Mono
  Mono: Playback [on]
Simple mixer control 'Beep',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pswitch
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 65
  Mono:
  Front Left: Playback 65 [100%] [30.00dB] [on]
  Front Right: Playback 65 [100%] [30.00dB] [on]
Simple mixer control 'Aux',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pswitch
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 65
  Mono:
  Front Left: Playback 0 [0%] [-35.00dB] [off]
  Front Right: Playback 0 [0%] [-35.00dB] [off]
Simple mixer control 'Capture',0
  Capabilities: cvolume cswitch
  Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Capture 0 - 35
  Front Left: Capture 34 [97%] [34.00dB] [on]
  Front Right: Capture 34 [97%] [34.00dB] [on]
Simple mixer control 'Capture',1
  Capabilities: cvolume cswitch
  Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Capture 0 - 35
  Front Left: Capture 35 [100%] [35.00dB] [off]
  Front Right: Capture 35 [100%] [35.00dB] [off]
Simple mixer control 'Digital',0
  Capabilities: cvolume
  Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Capture 0 - 120
  Front Left: Capture 60 [50%] [0.00dB]
  Front Right: Capture 60 [50%] [0.00dB]
Simple mixer control 'Input Source',0
  Capabilities: cenum
  Items: 'Rear Mic' 'Front Mic' 'Line' 'CD' 'Aux'
  Item0: 'Front Mic'
Simple mixer control 'Input Source',1
  Capabilities: cenum
  Items: 'Rear Mic' 'Front Mic' 'Line' 'CD' 'Aux'
  Item0: 'Front Mic'
Simple mixer control 'Loopback Mixing',0
  Capabilities: enum
  Items: 'Disabled' 'Enabled'
  Item0: 'Enabled'
Simple mixer control 'Rear Mic',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pswitch
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 65
  Mono:
  Front Left: Playback 0 [0%] [-35.00dB] [off]
  Front Right: Playback 0 [0%] [-35.00dB] [off]

I posted the answer for amixer -c0, since using aplay -l now says that the number of the card is 0.

V1del

Forum Moderator

Registered: 2012-10-16

Posts: 24,857

Re: Sound problem with VAIO VGN-A317S

That looks mostly fine as well, 2 things jump out that might be something:

1. Can you flip the loopback mixing switch to disabled? If this is enabled on the hardware, chances are that your audio output is routed to your microphone. (not really familiar with amixer syntax, but you should find a corresponding control in alsamixer, likely on the capture devices page)
2. If that wasn't it, try upping the line out, sometimes on weird setups the output is regulated by that control

ominomedievale

Member

Registered: 2016-05-24

Posts: 7

Re: Sound problem with VAIO VGN-A317S

Unfortunately both did not work. In few days I will let you know if the docking station works, meaning that alla the signal is expelled there. But I hardly dout so.

ominomedievale

Member

Registered: 2016-05-24

Posts: 7

Re: Sound problem with VAIO VGN-A317S

So, I plug my laptop in the docking station, and now the external speakers (the ones provided together with the docking station, not the ones on the laptop) works perfectly!
The problem is though, is still that the headphones do not work. Is there any "brutal" solution to this problem? Like telling the computer to create a second fake sound card where all the signal is deviated in the headphones channel or similar? Or maybe it's easier to buy a 2,50 € external USB sound card?
I thank everyone for the help provided and apologize if my questions show deep ignorance.

V1del

Forum Moderator

Registered: 2012-10-16

Posts: 24,857

Re: Sound problem with VAIO VGN-A317S

Well there's the AUX control which I'd associate with headphones, the only other suggestion I have is that you might be able  to experiment with the PIN layout using hdajackretask from the alsa-utils package. I assume some of the pins are wired to the wrong output(s).

A quick google search got me this: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+sour … omments/17 which seems to apply to your situation (older kernels used a quirk that has been removed and one has to set the correct pins with hdajackretask again)

Last edited by V1del (2016-05-30 14:09:20)

ominomedievale

Member

Registered: 2016-05-24

Posts: 7

Re: Sound problem with VAIO VGN-A317S

After trying some combinations with hdajackretask, I finally found the correct one. I post my settings, so that, in the remote case that somebody else is experiencing audio problems with a VAIO vgn-a317s, may find it helpful.

PIN 0x0f override Line out (front)

PIN 0x10 override Line out (center/LFE)

Then, most important thing, in pavucontrol select "Analog stereo duplex" from the "Configurations" options.

V1del

Forum Moderator

Registered: 2012-10-16

Posts: 24,857

Re: Sound problem with VAIO VGN-A317S

Nice to hear that you managed to solve this, quite a roundabout way of getting to the end result, you might want to edit your initial post and prepend a [SOLVED] to the title so that future readers will know that they can find a solution here