How to troubleshoot hardware?

[awc]

Does anyone have advice on how to troubleshoot hardware issues? Specifically intermittent audio. I have an idea where to look, I'm just not entirely sure what to look for.

About 20% of the time when I boot up my audio doesn't work. Sometimes sound only comes out of one speaker, sometimes there's no sound at all. The problem is always solved by a reboot.

I'm using a PCI audio card and Mint 13 Maya.

uname -a
Linux colt45 3.2.0-23-generic #36-Ubuntu SMP Tue Apr 10 20:41:14 UTC 2012 i686 i686 i386 GNU/Linux

lshw
*-multimedia
                description: Multimedia audio controller
                product: VT1720/24 [Envy24PT/HT] PCI Multi-Channel Audio Controller
                vendor: VIA Technologies Inc.
                physical id: 5
                bus info: pci 0000:04:05.0
                version: 01
                width: 32 bits
                clock: 33MHz
                capabilities: pm bus_master cap_list
                configuration: driver=snd_ice1724 latency=32
                resources: irq:20 ioport:9080(size=32) ioport:9000(size=128)

lspci -v
04:05.0 Multimedia audio controller: VIA Technologies Inc. VT1720/24 [Envy24PT/HT] PCI Multi-Channel Audio Controller (rev 01)
    Subsystem: VIA Technologies Inc. Device 2403
    Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 32, IRQ 20
    I/O ports at 9080 [size=32]
    I/O ports at 9000 [size=128]
    Capabilities: [80] Power Management version 1
    Kernel driver in use: snd_ice1724
    Kernel modules: snd-ice1724

lsmod | grep snd_ice
snd_ice1724           107002  1 
snd_ice17xx_ak4xxx     13163  1 snd_ice1724
snd_ac97_codec        106082  1 snd_ice1724
snd_ak4xxx_adda        18464  2 snd_ice1724,snd_ice17xx_ak4xxx
snd_ak4114             14326  1 snd_ice1724
snd_pt2258             12986  1 snd_ice1724
snd_i2c                13863  2 snd_ice1724,snd_pt2258
snd_ak4113             14307  1 snd_ice1724
snd_pcm                80845  4 snd_ice1724,snd_ac97_codec,snd_ak4114,snd_ak4113
snd_rawmidi            25424  2 snd_ice1724,snd_seq_midi
snd                    62064  14 snd_ice1724,snd_ac97_codec,snd_ak4xxx_adda,snd_ak4114,snd_pt2258,snd_i2c,snd_ak4113,snd_pcm,snd_rawmidi,snd_seq,snd_timer,snd_seq_device

[Rubberman]

I've had these problems also, and usually there is no fix other than to update or sometimes downgrade the audio driver, use a different driver (pulse vs alsa for example), or update/downgrade the kernel. In any case, usually I find that this sort of thing happens when I have updated either the audio driver or the system kernel. The fix has always been to either reboot the system (as you found sometimes works), or to revert to the previous system configuration.

Sorry I can't be of more help to you. Fortunately for me, my system audio has been pretty stable for the past year or so. I am running Scientific Linux 6.x (fully updated clone of RHEL 6.x) with Pulse Audio, and the hardware is an Intel HD audio system built into the Intel motherboard I use.

[oz]

Does anyone have advice on how to troubleshoot hardware issues? Specifically intermittent audio. I have an idea where to look, I'm just not entirely sure what to look for.

About 20% of the time when I boot up my audio doesn't work. Sometimes sound only comes out of one speaker, sometimes there's no sound at all. The problem is always solved by a reboot.

Hello, awc

The best hardware troubleshooting method I've found is to replace any suspect components with known good components to see what happens. In this case, I'd start with the sound card, then move on to other sound components from there. You can borrow known good components from another computer if you don't have any new parts on hand. Another thing you could try is to drop your sound card into another computer to see what happens. In other words, use the process of elimination to find bad vs good components.

[awc]

Thanks for the tips. It's a tough call, there's so much that can go wrong.

[rokytnji]

If you have a old stereo amplifier. I use one of these

GE Y Audio Adapter, 6': TV & Video : Walmart.com

out of the headphone jack and hook it up to aux input on the back of the stereo amplifier. Hook up some big speakers and blast rock and roll through my motorcycle shop via xmms and streaming radio.
It may rule out usb external speaker connection problems or sound card problems with a cheap fix. Anyhows. That is how i roll.

Edit: I run

$ inxi -Fxz
System:    Host: bikertest Kernel: 3.6.0-antix.1-amd64-smp x86_64 (64 bit, gcc: 4.7.2) 
           Desktop: Fluxbox 1.3.2 Distro: antiX-base-maintenance-amd64 Edelweißpiraten 06 October 2012
Machine:   System: LENOVO product: 6075BHU version: ThinkCentre M57
           Mobo: LENOVO model: LENOVO Bios: LENOVO version: 2RKT41AUS date: 03/20/2008
CPU:       Dual core Intel Pentium Dual CPU E2160 (-MCP-) cache: 1024 KB flags: (lm nx sse sse2 sse3 ssse3) bmips: 7182.56 
           Clock Speeds: 1: 1200.00 MHz 2: 1200.00 MHz
Graphics:  Card: Intel 82Q35 Express Integrated Graphics Controller bus-ID: 00:02.0 
           X.Org: 1.12.3.902 drivers: vesa,intel (unloaded: fbdev) Resolution: 1280x1024@0.0hz 
           GLX Renderer: N/A GLX Version: N/A Direct Rendering: N/A
Audio:     Card: Intel 82801I (ICH9 Family) HD Audio Controller driver: snd_hda_intel bus-ID: 00:1b.0 Sound: ALSA ver: 1.0.25
Network:   Card-1: Ralink RT2561/RT61 802.11g PCI driver: rt61pci ver: 2.3.0 bus-ID: 11:0c.0
           IF: wlan0 state: down mac: <filter>
           Card-2: Intel 82566DM-2 Gigabit Network Connection driver: e1000e ver: 2.0.0-k port: 1820 bus-ID: 00:19.0
           IF: eth0 state: up speed: 100 Mbps duplex: full mac: <filter>
Drives:    HDD Total Size: 80.0GB (-) 1: id: /dev/sda model: ST380815AS size: 80.0GB 
Partition: ID: / size: 11G used: 2.7G (27%) fs: ext4 ID: swap-1 size: 3.27GB used: 0.00GB (0%) fs: swap 
Sensors:   System Temperatures: cpu: 49.0C mobo: N/A 
           Fan Speeds (in rpm): cpu: N/A 
Info:      Processes: 86 Uptime: 3:14 Memory: 399.1/1982.1MB Runlevel: 5 Gcc sys: 4.7.1 Client: Shell inxi: 1.8.19

and do hardware checks at
http://kmuto.jp/debian/hcl/

[awc]

$ inxi -Fxz
System:    Host: bikertest Kernel: 3.6.0-antix.1-amd64-smp x86_64 (64 bit, gcc: 4.7.2) 
           Desktop: Fluxbox 1.3.2 Distro: antiX-base-maintenance-amd64 Edelweißpiraten 06 October 2012
Machine:   System: LENOVO product: 6075BHU version: ThinkCentre M57
           Mobo: LENOVO model: LENOVO Bios: LENOVO version: 2RKT41AUS date: 03/20/2008
CPU:       Dual core Intel Pentium Dual CPU E2160 (-MCP-) cache: 1024 KB flags: (lm nx sse sse2 sse3 ssse3) bmips: 7182.56 
           Clock Speeds: 1: 1200.00 MHz 2: 1200.00 MHz
Graphics:  Card: Intel 82Q35 Express Integrated Graphics Controller bus-ID: 00:02.0 
           X.Org: 1.12.3.902 drivers: vesa,intel (unloaded: fbdev) Resolution: 1280x1024@0.0hz 
           GLX Renderer: N/A GLX Version: N/A Direct Rendering: N/A
Audio:     Card: Intel 82801I (ICH9 Family) HD Audio Controller driver: snd_hda_intel bus-ID: 00:1b.0 Sound: ALSA ver: 1.0.25
Network:   Card-1: Ralink RT2561/RT61 802.11g PCI driver: rt61pci ver: 2.3.0 bus-ID: 11:0c.0
           IF: wlan0 state: down mac: <filter>
           Card-2: Intel 82566DM-2 Gigabit Network Connection driver: e1000e ver: 2.0.0-k port: 1820 bus-ID: 00:19.0
           IF: eth0 state: up speed: 100 Mbps duplex: full mac: <filter>
Drives:    HDD Total Size: 80.0GB (-) 1: id: /dev/sda model: ST380815AS size: 80.0GB 
Partition: ID: / size: 11G used: 2.7G (27%) fs: ext4 ID: swap-1 size: 3.27GB used: 0.00GB (0%) fs: swap 
Sensors:   System Temperatures: cpu: 49.0C mobo: N/A 
           Fan Speeds (in rpm): cpu: N/A 
Info:      Processes: 86 Uptime: 3:14 Memory: 399.1/1982.1MB Runlevel: 5 Gcc sys: 4.7.1 Client: Shell inxi: 1.8.19

Wait, hold on a second. What's this inxi?

$ apt-cache search inxi
inxi - System info script for irc (forked from infobash by locsmith)

I'm impressed! Well played rokytnji