[SOLVED] ALSA Sound problem: sound card / device suddenly not found

Ploppz · 2020-05-16 09:53:11

It was all working fine for a while. When I booted today I had no sound.

Using Pulseaudio, in pavucontrol under "Output devices" there is only "Dummy Output".

I tried a lot of commands just to get any output that anyone might ask for.

But I think this one is most important

~  $ cat /proc/asound/cards
 0 [Snowball       ]: USB-Audio - Blue Snowball
                      BLUE MICROPHONE Blue Snowball at usb-0000:03:00.0-2, full speed
 1 [HDMI           ]: HDA-Intel - HDA ATI HDMI
                      HDA ATI HDMI at 0xfe960000 irq 49

While the output when it worked was:

$    cat /proc/asound/cards
 0 [Snowball       ]: USB-Audio - Blue Snowball
                      BLUE MICROPHONE Blue Snowball at usb-0000:03:00.0-2, full speed
 1 [HDMI           ]: HDA-Intel - HDA ATI HDMI
                      HDA ATI HDMI at 0xfe960000 irq 49
 2 [Generic        ]: HDA-Intel - HD-Audio Generic
                      HD-Audio Generic at 0xfe800000 irq 51

So for some reason, without doing anything overnight, the "Generic" audio card has vanished. (that is the one that I need to use)

Just for completeness I include all other output.

~  $ aplay -lL
sysdefault
    Default Audio Device
null
    Discard all samples (playback) or generate zero samples (capture)
samplerate
    Rate Converter Plugin Using Samplerate Library
speexrate
    Rate Converter Plugin Using Speex Resampler
jack
    JACK Audio Connection Kit
oss
    Open Sound System
pulse
    PulseAudio Sound Server
speex
    Plugin using Speex DSP (resample, agc, denoise, echo, dereverb)
upmix
    Plugin for channel upmix (4,6,8)
vdownmix
    Plugin for channel downmix (stereo) with a simple spacialization
usbstream:CARD=Snowball
    Blue Snowball
    USB Stream Output
hdmi:CARD=HDMI,DEV=0
    HDA ATI HDMI, HDMI 0
    HDMI Audio Output
hdmi:CARD=HDMI,DEV=1
    HDA ATI HDMI, HDMI 1
    HDMI Audio Output
hdmi:CARD=HDMI,DEV=2
    HDA ATI HDMI, HDMI 2
    HDMI Audio Output
hdmi:CARD=HDMI,DEV=3
    HDA ATI HDMI, HDMI 3
    HDMI Audio Output
hdmi:CARD=HDMI,DEV=4
    HDA ATI HDMI, HDMI 4
    HDMI Audio Output
hdmi:CARD=HDMI,DEV=5
    HDA ATI HDMI, HDMI 5
    HDMI Audio Output
usbstream:CARD=HDMI
    HDA ATI HDMI
    USB Stream Output
**** List of PLAYBACK Hardware Devices ****
card 1: HDMI [HDA ATI HDMI], device 3: HDMI 0 [HDMI 0]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 1: HDMI [HDA ATI HDMI], device 7: HDMI 1 [HDMI 1]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 1: HDMI [HDA ATI HDMI], device 8: HDMI 2 [HDMI 2]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 1: HDMI [HDA ATI HDMI], device 9: HDMI 3 [HDMI 3]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 1: HDMI [HDA ATI HDMI], device 10: HDMI 4 [HDMI 4]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 1: HDMI [HDA ATI HDMI], device 11: HDMI 5 [HDMI 5]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0

`speaker-test -c 2` seems to work fine (no errors) except there is no sound at all.

~  $ amixer
Simple mixer control 'Master',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pswitch pswitch-joined
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 65536
  Mono:
  Front Left: Playback 64245 [98%] [on]
  Front Right: Playback 64245 [98%] [on]
Simple mixer control 'Capture',0
  Capabilities: cvolume cvolume-joined cswitch cswitch-joined
  Capture channels: Mono
  Limits: Capture 0 - 65536
  Mono: Capture 62473 [95%] [on]

~  $ pacmd list-cards
2 card(s) available.
    index: 0
	name: <alsa_card.usb-BLUE_MICROPHONE_Blue_Snowball_797_2019_11_13_17707-00>
	driver: <module-alsa-card.c>
	owner module: 6
	properties:
		alsa.card = "0"
		alsa.card_name = "Blue Snowball"
		alsa.long_card_name = "BLUE MICROPHONE Blue Snowball at usb-0000:03:00.0-2, full speed"
		alsa.driver_name = "snd_usb_audio"
		device.bus_path = "pci-0000:03:00.0-usb-0:2:1.0"
		sysfs.path = "/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:01.3/0000:03:00.0/usb1/1-2/1-2:1.0/sound/card0"
		udev.id = "usb-BLUE_MICROPHONE_Blue_Snowball_797_2019_11_13_17707-00"
		device.bus = "usb"
		device.vendor.id = "0d8c"
		device.vendor.name = "C-Media Electronics, Inc."
		device.product.id = "0005"
		device.product.name = "Blue Snowball"
		device.serial = "BLUE_MICROPHONE_Blue_Snowball_797_2019_11_13_17707"
		device.string = "0"
		device.description = "Blue Snowball"
		module-udev-detect.discovered = "1"
		device.icon_name = "audio-card-usb"
	profiles:
		input:mono-fallback: Mono Input (priority 1, available: unknown)
		input:multichannel-input: Multichannel Input (priority 1, available: unknown)
		off: Off (priority 0, available: unknown)
	active profile: <input:mono-fallback>
	sources:
		alsa_input.usb-BLUE_MICROPHONE_Blue_Snowball_797_2019_11_13_17707-00.mono-fallback/#0: Blue Snowball Mono
	ports:
		analog-input-mic: Microphone (priority 8700, latency offset 0 usec, available: unknown)
			properties:
				device.icon_name = "audio-input-microphone"
		multichannel-input: Multichannel Input (priority 0, latency offset 0 usec, available: unknown)
			properties:
				
    index: 1
	name: <alsa_card.pci-0000_20_00.1>
	driver: <module-alsa-card.c>
	owner module: 7
	properties:
		alsa.card = "1"
		alsa.card_name = "HDA ATI HDMI"
		alsa.long_card_name = "HDA ATI HDMI at 0xfe960000 irq 49"
		alsa.driver_name = "snd_hda_intel"
		device.bus_path = "pci-0000:20:00.1"
		sysfs.path = "/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:03.1/0000:20:00.1/sound/card1"
		device.bus = "pci"
		device.vendor.id = "1002"
		device.vendor.name = "Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI]"
		device.product.id = "aab0"
		device.product.name = "Oland/Hainan/Cape Verde/Pitcairn HDMI Audio [Radeon HD 7000 Series]"
		device.string = "1"
		device.description = "Oland/Hainan/Cape Verde/Pitcairn HDMI Audio [Radeon HD 7000 Series]"
		module-udev-detect.discovered = "1"
		device.icon_name = "audio-card-pci"
	profiles:
		output:hdmi-stereo: Digital Stereo (HDMI) Output (priority 5900, available: no)
		output:hdmi-surround: Digital Surround 5.1 (HDMI) Output (priority 800, available: no)
		output:hdmi-surround71: Digital Surround 7.1 (HDMI) Output (priority 800, available: no)
		output:hdmi-stereo-extra1: Digital Stereo (HDMI 2) Output (priority 5700, available: no)
		output:hdmi-surround-extra1: Digital Surround 5.1 (HDMI 2) Output (priority 600, available: no)
		output:hdmi-surround71-extra1: Digital Surround 7.1 (HDMI 2) Output (priority 600, available: no)
		output:hdmi-stereo-extra2: Digital Stereo (HDMI 3) Output (priority 5700, available: no)
		output:hdmi-surround-extra2: Digital Surround 5.1 (HDMI 3) Output (priority 600, available: no)
		output:hdmi-surround71-extra2: Digital Surround 7.1 (HDMI 3) Output (priority 600, available: no)
		output:hdmi-stereo-extra3: Digital Stereo (HDMI 4) Output (priority 5700, available: no)
		output:hdmi-surround-extra3: Digital Surround 5.1 (HDMI 4) Output (priority 600, available: no)
		output:hdmi-surround71-extra3: Digital Surround 7.1 (HDMI 4) Output (priority 600, available: no)
		output:hdmi-stereo-extra4: Digital Stereo (HDMI 5) Output (priority 5700, available: no)
		output:hdmi-surround-extra4: Digital Surround 5.1 (HDMI 5) Output (priority 600, available: no)
		output:hdmi-surround71-extra4: Digital Surround 7.1 (HDMI 5) Output (priority 600, available: no)
		output:hdmi-stereo-extra5: Digital Stereo (HDMI 6) Output (priority 5700, available: no)
		output:hdmi-surround-extra5: Digital Surround 5.1 (HDMI 6) Output (priority 600, available: no)
		output:hdmi-surround71-extra5: Digital Surround 7.1 (HDMI 6) Output (priority 600, available: no)
		off: Off (priority 0, available: unknown)
	active profile: <off>
	ports:
		hdmi-output-0: HDMI / DisplayPort (priority 5900, latency offset 0 usec, available: no)
			properties:
				device.icon_name = "video-display"
		hdmi-output-1: HDMI / DisplayPort 2 (priority 5800, latency offset 0 usec, available: no)
			properties:
				device.icon_name = "video-display"
		hdmi-output-2: HDMI / DisplayPort 3 (priority 5700, latency offset 0 usec, available: no)
			properties:
				device.icon_name = "video-display"
		hdmi-output-3: HDMI / DisplayPort 4 (priority 5600, latency offset 0 usec, available: no)
			properties:
				device.icon_name = "video-display"
		hdmi-output-4: HDMI / DisplayPort 5 (priority 5500, latency offset 0 usec, available: no)
			properties:
				device.icon_name = "video-display"
		hdmi-output-5: HDMI / DisplayPort 6 (priority 5400, latency offset 0 usec, available: no)
			properties:
				device.icon_name = "video-display"

~  $ pacmd list-sinks
1 sink(s) available.
  * index: 0
	name: <auto_null>
	driver: <module-null-sink.c>
	flags: DECIBEL_VOLUME LATENCY FLAT_VOLUME DYNAMIC_LATENCY
	state: IDLE
	suspend cause: (none)
	priority: 1000
	volume: front-left: 64245 /  98% / -0.52 dB,   front-right: 64245 /  98% / -0.52 dB
	        balance 0.00
	base volume: 65536 / 100% / 0.00 dB
	volume steps: 65537
	muted: no
	current latency: 30.41 ms
	max request: 13 KiB
	max rewind: 13 KiB
	monitor source: 1
	sample spec: float32le 2ch 44100Hz
	channel map: front-left,front-right
	             Stereo
	used by: 0
	linked by: 1
	configured latency: 40.00 ms; range is 0.50 .. 2000.00 ms
	module: 15
	properties:
		device.description = "Dummy Output"
		device.class = "abstract"
		device.icon_name = "audio-card"

Last edited by Ploppz (2020-05-22 14:29:26)

Ploppz · 2020-05-16 10:00:23

Rebooting once did not help. Rebooting a second time did help. But for next time: Any idea what can cause linux to not see a sound device on boot?
There is also a small problem I have always had in Linux: When I boot, I must always have a jack plugged in. Otherwise I will not get any sound and I have to reboot with a jack plugged in.
(I did have a jack plugged at all times during this issue)

Last edited by Ploppz (2020-05-16 10:02:48)

V1del · 2020-05-16 11:14:02

Post a journal log when the issue reappears

sudo journalctl -b

and maybe, just generally

systool -vm snd_hda_intel #Needs sysfstools

a common cause of "randomly" not seeing a sounddevice is a misconfigured modprobe.d configuration where an incomplete set of index arguments can lead to the situation that a soundcards intended index is overriden by another and thus it is blocked from loading.

Also are you dualbooting a Windows? Did you ensure to disable fast-boot there if that is the case?

d_fajardo · 2020-05-16 14:38:00

V1del wrote:

an incomplete set of index arguments can lead to the situation that a soundcards intended index is overriden by another and thus it is blocked from loading

It seems to me your Snowball gets on the way. Can you post your /etc/modprobe.d/alsa-base.conf? Perhaps you can add Snowball to its indexing.

Ploppz · 2020-05-16 19:35:29

Alright it happened again, and this time additionally I had an XKey midi usb keyboard connected so:

~  $ cat /proc/asound/cards
 0 [Snowball       ]: USB-Audio - Blue Snowball
                      BLUE MICROPHONE Blue Snowball at usb-0000:03:00.0-2, full speed
 1 [HDMI           ]: HDA-Intel - HDA ATI HDMI
                      HDA ATI HDMI at 0xfe960000 irq 49
 2 [Xkey           ]: USB-Audio - Xkey
                      CME Xkey at usb-0000:21:00.3-3, full speed

~  $ systool -vm snd_hda_intel
Module = "snd_hda_intel"

  Attributes:
    coresize            = "57344"
    initsize            = "0"
    initstate           = "live"
    refcnt              = "1"
    srcversion          = "6E5BF6DBCBD8D775003B202"
    taint               = ""
    uevent              = <store method only>

  Parameters:
    align_buffer_size   = "-1"
    bdl_pos_adj         = "-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1"
    beep_mode           = "Y,Y,Y,Y,Y,Y,Y,Y,Y,Y,Y,Y,Y,Y,Y,Y,Y,Y,Y,Y,Y,Y,Y,Y,Y,Y,Y,Y,Y,Y,Y,Y"
    dmic_detect         = "Y"
    enable_msi          = "-1"
    enable              = "Y,Y,Y,Y,Y,Y,Y,Y,Y,Y,Y,Y,Y,Y,Y,Y,Y,Y,Y,Y,Y,Y,Y,Y,Y,Y,Y,Y,Y,Y,Y,Y"
    id                  = "(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null)"
    index               = "1,0,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1"
    jackpoll_ms         = "0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0"
    model               = "(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null)"
    patch               = "(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null),(null)"
    pm_blacklist        = "Y"
    position_fix        = "-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1"
    power_save          = "0"
    power_save_controller= "Y"
    probe_mask          = "-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1"
    probe_only          = "0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0"
    single_cmd          = "-1"
    snoop               = "-1"

  Sections:

journalctl -b: http://sprunge.us/laudU8

I did indeed earlier edit /etc/modprobe.d/alsa-base.conf to make the right soundcard be default, contents provided by V1del in the previous forum post I made:

$ cat /etc/modprobe.d/alsa-base.conf
#This shifts the analog card to position 0 and the HDMI card to 1
options snd_hda_intel index=1,0
#This tells the snd_usb_audio to take whatever index up to 2 -(index+1) but if 2 isn't free it's also free to take position 3
options snd_usb_audio index=-3

And maybe useful:

$ cat /proc/asound/modules
 0 snd_usb_audio
 1 snd_hda_intel
 2 snd_usb_audio

Edit: About dual-boot, I have Windows on another disk entirely. That means that when I want to boot into Windows, I have to go into BIOS and change boot order of disks, so I don't think this counts as dual boot.

Last edited by Ploppz (2020-05-16 19:40:02)

d_fajardo · 2020-05-16 22:19:25

$ cat /
proc/asound/modules
 0 snd_usb_audio
 1 snd_hda_intel
 2 snd_usb_audio

As my intuition told me, ALSA is reading from your USB card instead of the intel module. Perhaps set snd_hda_intel in your /etc/modprobe.d/alsa-base.conf to index to 0 and the rest negative.

Last edited by d_fajardo (2020-05-16 22:30:28)

V1del · 2020-05-18 08:31:35

Ah well yes that makes sense, sorry I didn't realize you were the same person. If that's a situation you are in often (having multiple different sound devices), we can make the original proposal more failsafe with e.g.

options snd_hda_intel index=-2,-1
options snd_usb_audio index=-3,-3

That way it should at least be able to load, and not fail should any more devices be around, while still having the same "ordering" guarantees. (If you have more than these two USB devices you can also "pad-out" the indices by adding a few more -3 than just these two)

Last edited by V1del (2020-05-18 08:36:53)

Ploppz · 2020-05-22 14:29:16

Seems to have solved it! Thanks!

Arch Linux

#1 2020-05-16 09:53:11

[SOLVED] ALSA Sound problem: sound card / device suddenly not found

#2 2020-05-16 10:00:23

Re: [SOLVED] ALSA Sound problem: sound card / device suddenly not found

#3 2020-05-16 11:14:02

Re: [SOLVED] ALSA Sound problem: sound card / device suddenly not found

#4 2020-05-16 14:38:00

Re: [SOLVED] ALSA Sound problem: sound card / device suddenly not found

#5 2020-05-16 19:35:29

Re: [SOLVED] ALSA Sound problem: sound card / device suddenly not found

#6 2020-05-16 22:19:25

Re: [SOLVED] ALSA Sound problem: sound card / device suddenly not found

#7 2020-05-18 08:31:35

Re: [SOLVED] ALSA Sound problem: sound card / device suddenly not found

#8 2020-05-22 14:29:16

Re: [SOLVED] ALSA Sound problem: sound card / device suddenly not found

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