No sound ouput -- possible lack of driver?

**Paul Adasiak** · 07-14-2009

I'm trying to get my new install of Debian Lenny functional, but the lack of audio output is a major stumbling block. My previous experience is with SimplyMEPIS, Kubuntu, Ubuntu, and Linux Mint, all of which (I think) played sound out of the box.

The machine is a laptop -- currently in a docking station, though audio is equally absent when it's free standing. MEPIS 8.0 is currently operating with sound on another partition of the same machine. Here are a few things that may help diagnosis.

Output of lspci:

Code:

00:00.0 Host bridge: Intel Corporation Mobile PM965/GM965/GL960 Memory Controller Hub (rev 0c)
00:01.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation Mobile PM965/GM965/GL960 PCI Express Root Port (rev 0c)
00:1a.0 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) USB UHCI Controller #4 (rev 02)
00:1a.1 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) USB UHCI Controller #5 (rev 02)
00:1a.7 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) USB2 EHCI Controller #2 (rev 02)
00:1b.0 Audio device: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) HD Audio Controller (rev 02)
00:1c.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) PCI Express Port 1 (rev 02)
00:1c.1 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) PCI Express Port 2 (rev 02)
00:1c.3 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) PCI Express Port 4 (rev 02)
00:1c.5 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) PCI Express Port 6 (rev 02)
00:1d.0 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) USB UHCI Controller #1 (rev 02)
00:1d.1 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) USB UHCI Controller #2 (rev 02)
00:1d.2 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) USB UHCI Controller #3 (rev 02)
00:1d.7 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) USB2 EHCI Controller #1 (rev 02)
00:1e.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801 Mobile PCI Bridge (rev f2)
00:1f.0 ISA bridge: Intel Corporation 82801HEM (ICH8M) LPC Interface Controller (rev 02)
00:1f.1 IDE interface: Intel Corporation 82801HBM/HEM (ICH8M/ICH8M-E) IDE Controller (rev 02)
00:1f.2 IDE interface: Intel Corporation 82801HBM/HEM (ICH8M/ICH8M-E) SATA IDE Controller (rev 02)
00:1f.3 SMBus: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) SMBus Controller (rev 02)
01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: nVidia Corporation Quadro NVS 135M (rev a1)
03:01.0 CardBus bridge: O2 Micro, Inc. Cardbus bridge (rev 21)
03:01.4 FireWire (IEEE 1394): O2 Micro, Inc. Firewire (IEEE 1394) (rev 02)
09:00.0 Ethernet controller: Broadcom Corporation NetXtreme BCM5755M Gigabit Ethernet PCI Express (rev 02)
0c:00.0 Network controller: Intel Corporation PRO/Wireless 3945ABG [Golan] Network Connection (rev 02)

Output (partial) of lshw:

Code:

        *-multimedia
             description: Audio device
             product: 82801H (ICH8 Family) HD Audio Controller
             vendor: Intel Corporation
             physical id: 1b
             bus info: pci@0000:00:1b.0
             version: 02
             width: 64 bits
             clock: 33MHz
             capabilities: pm msi pciexpress bus_master cap_list
             configuration: driver=HDA Intel latency=0 module=snd_hda_intel

Output of /usr/sbin/hwinfo --sound:

Code:

27: PCI 1b.0: 0403 Audio device                                 
  [Created at pci.310]
  UDI: /org/freedesktop/Hal/devices/pci_8086_284b
  Unique ID: u1Nb.bHIrUAw8+c5
  SysFS ID: /devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1b.0
  SysFS BusID: 0000:00:1b.0
  Hardware Class: sound
  Model: "Intel 82801H (ICH8 Family) HD Audio Controller"
  Vendor: pci 0x8086 "Intel Corporation"
  Device: pci 0x284b "82801H (ICH8 Family) HD Audio Controller"
  SubVendor: pci 0x1028 "Dell"
  SubDevice: pci 0x01fe 
  Revision: 0x02
  Driver: "HDA Intel"
  Driver Modules: "snd_hda_intel"
  Memory Range: 0xfebfc000-0xfebfffff (rw,non-prefetchable)
  IRQ: 21 (65267 events)
  Module Alias: "pci:v00008086d0000284Bsv00001028sd000001FEbc04sc03i00"
  Driver Info #0:
    Driver Status: snd_hda_intel is active
    Driver Activation Cmd: "modprobe snd_hda_intel"
  Config Status: cfg=new, avail=yes, need=no, active=unknown

Output of lsmod | grep snd:

Code:

snd_hda_intel         436440  4 
snd_pcm_oss            41760  0 
snd_mixer_oss          18816  1 snd_pcm_oss
snd_pcm                81672  3 snd_hda_intel,snd_pcm_oss
snd_seq_dummy           7428  0 
snd_seq_oss            33280  0 
snd_seq_midi           11072  0 
snd_rawmidi            26784  1 snd_seq_midi
snd_seq_midi_event     11904  2 snd_seq_oss,snd_seq_midi
snd_seq                54304  6 snd_seq_dummy,snd_seq_oss,snd_seq_midi,snd_seq_midi_event
snd_timer              25744  3 snd_pcm,snd_seq
snd_seq_device         11668  5 snd_seq_dummy,snd_seq_oss,snd_seq_midi,snd_rawmidi,snd_seq
snd                    63688  15 snd_hda_intel,snd_pcm_oss,snd_mixer_oss,snd_pcm,snd_seq_oss,snd_rawmidi,snd_seq,snd_timer,snd_seq_device
soundcore              12064  1 snd
snd_page_alloc         13072  2 snd_hda_intel,snd_pcm

Output of cat /proc/asound/version:

Code:

Advanced Linux Sound Architecture Driver Version 1.0.16.

I have run alsaconf and re-booted since then. I have also run alsamixer and made sure the sound is not muted on Master, PCM, or Front.

I get the impression from the ALSA site (Matrix:Vendor-Intel - AlsaProject) that my sound card (ICH8 family) isn't supported. Is that right? If so, how can I get and install a driver?

If not... what suggestions do you have?

**Segfault** · 07-15-2009

I'd look up what modules Mepis loads for sound.

**Paul Adasiak** · 07-15-2009

Originally Posted by Segfault

I'd look up what modules Mepis loads for sound.

I assume you mean, run lsmod | grep snd within MEPIS? Here's the output of that:

Code:

snd_hda_intel         336912  0
snd_pcm_oss            34720  0
snd_mixer_oss          14208  1 snd_pcm_oss
snd_pcm                58756  2 snd_hda_intel,snd_pcm_oss
snd_seq_dummy           4484  0
snd_seq_oss            26880  0
snd_seq_midi            7584  0
snd_rawmidi            18592  1 snd_seq_midi
snd_seq_midi_event      7552  2 snd_seq_oss,snd_seq_midi
snd_seq                41968  6 snd_seq_dummy,snd_seq_oss,snd_seq_midi,snd_seq_midi_event
snd_timer              18440  2 snd_pcm,snd_seq
snd_seq_device          7564  5 snd_seq_dummy,snd_seq_oss,snd_seq_midi,snd_rawmidi,snd_seq
snd                    42660  9 snd_hda_intel,snd_pcm_oss,snd_mixer_oss,snd_pcm,snd_seq_oss,snd_rawmidi,snd_seq,snd_timer,snd_seq_device
soundcore               7648  1 snd
snd_page_alloc          8584  2 snd_hda_intel,snd_pcm

(If that's not what you had in mind, could you unpack your suggestion a little, please?)

I can see that there are differences, but I don't know how to interpret them.

**Paul Adasiak** · 07-15-2009

Here are the two lsmod outputs, paired up for easy comparison:

Code:

M snd_hda_intel         336912  0
D snd_hda_intel         436440  4 

M snd_pcm_oss            34720  0
D snd_pcm_oss            41760  0 

M snd_mixer_oss          14208  1 snd_pcm_oss
D snd_mixer_oss          18816  1 snd_pcm_oss

M snd_pcm                58756  2 snd_hda_intel,snd_pcm_oss
D snd_pcm                81672  3 snd_hda_intel,snd_pcm_oss

M snd_seq_dummy           4484  0
D snd_seq_dummy           7428  0 

M snd_seq_oss            26880  0
D snd_seq_oss            33280  0 

M snd_seq_midi            7584  0
D snd_seq_midi           11072  0 

M snd_rawmidi            18592  1 snd_seq_midi
D snd_rawmidi            26784  1 snd_seq_midi

M snd_seq_midi_event      7552  2 snd_seq_oss,snd_seq_midi
D snd_seq_midi_event     11904  2 snd_seq_oss,snd_seq_midi

M snd_seq                41968  6 snd_seq_dummy,snd_seq_oss,snd_seq_midi,snd_seq_midi_event
D snd_seq                54304  6 snd_seq_dummy,snd_seq_oss,snd_seq_midi,snd_seq_midi_event

M snd_timer              18440  2 snd_pcm,snd_seq
D snd_timer              25744  3 snd_pcm,snd_seq

M snd_seq_device          7564  5 snd_seq_dummy,snd_seq_oss,snd_seq_midi,snd_rawmidi,snd_seq
D snd_seq_device         11668  5 snd_seq_dummy,snd_seq_oss,snd_seq_midi,snd_rawmidi,snd_seq

M snd                    42660  9 snd_hda_intel,snd_pcm_oss,snd_mixer_oss,snd_pcm,snd_seq_oss,snd_rawmidi,snd_seq,snd_timer,snd_seq_device
D snd                    63688  15 snd_hda_intel,snd_pcm_oss,snd_mixer_oss,snd_pcm,snd_seq_oss,snd_rawmidi,snd_seq,snd_timer,snd_seq_device

M soundcore               7648  1 snd
D soundcore              12064  1 snd

M snd_page_alloc          8584  2 snd_hda_intel,snd_pcm
D snd_page_alloc         13072  2 snd_hda_intel,snd_pcm

**Segfault** · 07-15-2009

aplay -l
This will tell you what chip you have. Then check your kernel configuration to make sure support for your chip is included.

**Paul Adasiak** · 07-16-2009

Output of aplay -l:

Code:

**** List of PLAYBACK Hardware Devices ****
card 0: Intel [HDA Intel], device 0: STAC92xx Analog [STAC92xx Analog]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 0: Intel [HDA Intel], device 1: STAC92xx Digital [STAC92xx Digital]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0

Can you suggest how to check my kernel configuration? I searched with man -k kernel and found more possibilities than I know what to do with.

**Segfault** · 07-16-2009

Code:

--- Intel HD Audio
[ ]   Build hwdep interface for HD-audio driver 
[ ]   Support digital beep via input layer 
[*]   Build Realtek HD-audio codec support  
[ ]   Build Analog Device HD-audio codec support  
[ ]   Build IDT/Sigmatel HD-audio codec support  
[ ]   Build VIA HD-audio codec support    
[ ]   Build ATI HDMI HD-audio codec support   
[ ]   Build NVIDIA HDMI HD-audio codec support   
[ ]   Build INTEL HDMI HD-audio codec support   
[ ]   Build Conexant HD-audio codec support 
[ ]   Build C-Media HD-audio codec support 
[ ]   Build Silicon Labs 3054 HD-modem codec support  
[ ]   Enable generic HD-audio codec parser
[ ]   Aggressive power-saving on HD-audio

This is a snippet from my kernel configuration. As you can see I have a Realtek chip. If you are using stock kernel then usually config file for reference is /proc/config.gz

Your chip is SigmaTel.

**Paul Adasiak** · 07-17-2009

Okay, I'm a little embarrassed.

I ran alsamixer again and noticed the chip inside my HDA Intel sound card: it's a SigmaTel STAC9205. Then I looked at System > Preferences > Sound, and changed all my sound playback devices to STAC92xx Digital, instead of Autodetect. Now there's sound. Works just fine. (OSS also works, but not STAC92xx Analog or ALSA.)

I hadn't put it together that the chip = the device = what I have to select for sound playback.

Thanks for your help.

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No sound ouput -- possible lack of driver?

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