[solved] Strange Audio Issue

david_e · 2006-09-20 15:51:13

I am experiencing a strange audio issue with my Intel-HDA ICH7:

# lspci -v
00:1b.0 Class 0403: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) High Definition Audio Controller (rev 01)
        Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company Unknown device 30a5
        Flags: bus master, fast devsel, latency 0, IRQ 22
        Memory at d2400000 (64-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=16K]
        Capabilities: <access>

when I installed Arch linux the first time a mounth ago on this computer, I had a sound problem that was solved in a very strange way.

Everything worked fine until a week or so (I believe from Alsa 1.0.12). Now sometimes sound works and sometimes it doesn't. For example sometime I boot the computer and have no sound, then I reboot it without doing anything, and then sound works.

I have tried messing with the modprobe.conf:

#
# /etc/modprobe.conf (for v2.6 kernels)
#
# --- BEGIN: Generated by ALSACONF, do not edit. ---
# --- ALSACONF version 1.0.11 ---
#alias snd-card-0 snd-hda-intel
#alias sound-slot-0 snd-hda-intel
# --- END: Generated by ALSACONF, do not edit. ---
#options snd-hda-intel model=F1734
options snd-hda-intel model=z71v
options snd-hda-intel position_fix=1

but it was useless. If I put back the modules in rc.conf everything is worse: sound doesn't work at all.

A diff between lsmod in a "working boot" and a "without sound boot" showed that the same modules where in kernel memory.

A diff between dmesg showed this difference:

< hda_intel: azx_get_response timeout, switching to single_cmd mode...

was present in the not working boot. This line is absent in a working boot dmesg.

The only way to make the sound card working everytime is to remove the snd* modules load from the boot sequence and load the modules "by hand" after the login.

Any ideas?

PS : If something is unclear due to my poor English please tell my and I'll try to explain it better.

brain0 · 2006-09-20 16:16:35

Before you try anything else, update to testing. linux 2.6.18 has been uploaded to testing today, so your issue may already be fixed.

david_e · 2006-09-20 16:24:34

brain0 wrote:

Before you try anything else, update to testing. linux 2.6.18 has been uploaded to testing today, so your issue may already be fixed.

Wednesday I have to use this computer to show the slides for my thesis (and I have only arch linux on it) so I don't feel like testing a new kernel until the next week... After that day I'll try the new kernell ASAP and report.

david_e · 2006-09-22 22:59:28

For now I have found a walk around. I added this script to my rc.local:

#!/bin/bash
# This script will remount the snd-hda-intel module
# until there appears to be a succesfull modprobe.
modprobe snd-hda-intel
COUNTER=1
ERROR=$(dmesg | grep -c -e "hda_intel")
while [ $COUNTER = $ERROR  ]; do
        modprobe -r snd-hda-intel
        modprobe snd-hda-intel
        let COUNTER=COUNTER+1
        ERROR=$(dmesg | grep -c -e "hda_intel")
        if [ $COUNTER -ge 20 ];
                then
                $COUNTER=$[$ERROR+1]
        fi
done
modprobe snd-pcm
modprobe snd-pcm-oss
/usr/sbin/alsactl restore

and erased alsa from the DEAMONS array in rc.conf as I fought it would call alsactl before the modules are loaded.

I am still thinking there should be a better way to make it work, but I'll wai t untill kernel-2.6.18

phrakture · 2006-09-23 00:33:27

snd-hda-intel is screwed up - on my thinkpad I had to go into the bios and enable the modem for sound to work. Oddly enough, the modem was off by default.
Also, mine has no PCM listed, I need to use "front" as my PCM level... not to mention the UI is way off with 'tpb' (if you have a thinkpad)

david_e · 2006-09-23 10:45:33

phrakture wrote:

snd-hda-intel is screwed up - on my thinkpad I had to go into the bios and enable the modem for sound to work. Oddly enough, the modem was off by default.
Also, mine has no PCM listed, I need to use "front" as my PCM level... not to mention the UI is way off with 'tpb' (if you have a thinkpad)

Yes it's not an Arch Linux related problem: I had problems with Debian (Etch and Sid based distros like ubuntu) too (but there I had no modprobe issue on the init sequence. Maybe is a problem of shared IRQs, but I have to study the existing documentation as I am a newbie). The difference is that Arch is simple enought for me to try something like modprobing "by hand" in the init sequence. PCM seems to work, however the volume is very low and I have found no way to make the mic work. Under Mepis I was able to make it work only if I plugged it in windows xp and then reboot into Linux. But I can't try it with Arch as I have erased the windows partition...

I will try the new kernel, study the documentation and then report. Hoping this will be usefull to others too.

david_e · 2006-09-29 22:12:16

Everithing seems to work now with the new kernel. The volume is still low and I haven't tested the mic, but I was able to load the sound modules by simply adding them to the rc.conf.

Bye bye ugly "modprobe script"! :twisted:

arthurgeek · 2006-10-31 15:26:34

david_e wrote:

Everithing seems to work now with the new kernel. The volume is still low and I haven't tested the mic,

I haven't tested the mic yet, but you solved the low sound problem?

david_e · 2006-10-31 16:38:37

arthurgeek wrote:

david_e wrote:
Everithing seems to work now with the new kernel. The volume is still low and I haven't tested the mic,
I haven't tested the mic yet, but you solved the low sound problem?

No. The volume is still low. Many times lower than it was with windows... I have to say I didn't have time to work on it again. If I find a solution or if this is fixed with some update I will report it here.

aquila_deus · 2006-11-02 07:05:56

david_e wrote:

arthurgeek wrote:
david_e wrote:
Everithing seems to work now with the new kernel. The volume is still low and I haven't tested the mic,
I haven't tested the mic yet, but you solved the low sound problem?
No. The volume is still low. Many times lower than it was with windows... I have to say I didn't have time to work on it again. If I find a solution or if this is fixed with some update I will report it here.

tried oss/commercial driver?

david_e · 2006-11-02 14:10:21

Thanks aquila_deus for the suggestion.

No. I would like to make the audio work with ALSA...

I will work on this as soon as I will have time to. Maybe I will try OSS-Commerciallab. Now I use all my spare time working on a PKGBUILD for FreeFem++ which I need for my classes...

david_e · 2006-11-03 22:03:16

I have succesfully "built" the OSS-Commercial drivers from aquila_deus AUR PKGBUILD.

The volume is not a problem anymore: I can raise it as much as with windows.

I have not tested the mic as I don't use it.

Arch Linux

#1 2006-09-20 15:51:13

[solved] Strange Audio Issue

#2 2006-09-20 16:16:35

Re: [solved] Strange Audio Issue

#3 2006-09-20 16:24:34

Re: [solved] Strange Audio Issue

#4 2006-09-22 22:59:28

Re: [solved] Strange Audio Issue

#5 2006-09-23 00:33:27

Re: [solved] Strange Audio Issue

#6 2006-09-23 10:45:33

Re: [solved] Strange Audio Issue

#7 2006-09-29 22:12:16

Re: [solved] Strange Audio Issue

#8 2006-10-31 15:26:34

Re: [solved] Strange Audio Issue

#9 2006-10-31 16:38:37

Re: [solved] Strange Audio Issue

#10 2006-11-02 07:05:56

Re: [solved] Strange Audio Issue

#11 2006-11-02 14:10:21

Re: [solved] Strange Audio Issue

#12 2006-11-03 22:03:16

Re: [solved] Strange Audio Issue

Board footer