Arch Linux

haroldjclements

Member

Registered: 2010-07-19

Posts: 30

Bose USB Speakers (Companion 5) Not Working

Hello Forum,

I am new to Arch Linux and have just installed the core (no GUI). I have been following the Beginners' Guide on the wiki. However, I am having major problems getting my Bose USB speakers working.

I have reached Part III: Install X and configure ALSA and have followed the instructions up to the Play Test. Executing the aplay /usr/share/sounds/alsa/Front_Center.wav command I receive this error:

ALSA lib pcm_dmix.c:1018:(snd_pcm_dmix_open) unable to open slave
aplay: main:654: audio open error: No such file or directory

Any help with this error will be gratefully received.

Kind Regards,
Harold Clements

haroldjclements

Member

Registered: 2010-07-19

Posts: 30

Re: Bose USB Speakers (Companion 5) Not Working

Follow up:

After running cat /proc/asound/cards

0 [Generic        ] HDA-Intel - HD-Audio Generic
               HD-Audio Generic at 0xe0120000 irq 34
1 [Audio        ] USB-Audio - Bose USB Audio
              Bose Corporation Bose USB Audio at usb-0000:00:1a.0-1.1, full speed

I noticed that the audio card that I wanted to use was in position 1 (USB-Audio)
I ammended /usr/share/alsa/alsa.conf

defaults.ctl.card 1
defaults.pcm.card 1

I then tried to play the test file again, aplay /usr/share/sounds/alsa/Front_Center.wav

Playing WAVE '/usr/share/sounds/alsa/Front_Center.wav' : Signed 16 bit Little Endian, Rate 48000 Hz, Mono

However, I still cannot get any sound from my Bose USB Speakers...

Any advice would be very gratefully  received

Kind Regards,
Harold Clements

haroldjclements

Member

Registered: 2010-07-19

Posts: 30

Re: Bose USB Speakers (Companion 5) Not Working

I now have sound from my usb speakers.

I don't know how much of this is actually needed but I will describe my actions.

I edited /etc/modprobe.d/modprobe.conf :

options snd_usb_audio index=1
options snd_pcsp index=2

I then loaded the module:

# modprobe snd_usb_audio

I then set the volume and unmuted the PCM

# amixer set PCM 90% unmute

Now when I run aplay /usr/share/sounds/alsa/Front_Center.wav I get audio

I hope that this helps anyone who has had the same problem as me....

Harold Clements