No sound/mixer with new laptops on board sound - hda_intel ALC883

No sound/mixer with new laptops on board sound - hda_intel ALC883

[Kristoffer Janke]

Hello list,
I have a newer Medion Akoya MD 96420 Laptop (Mitac 8227D Barebone). The 
card is an Intel HDA compatible device, the codec is ALC883. There is no 
suitable model for the alc883 codec, tested all - no sound. So I think 
there is some work needed, I have not much knowledge in this area but 
would like to help if possible.
Alsa-info.sh output with newest(hg 6120) alsa driver: 
http://pastebin.ca/997178

--
Kristoffer Janke

Re: No sound/mixer with new laptops on board sound - hda_intel ALC883

[Kristoffer Janke]

Here is a more informative alsa-info.sh output generated with the same 
alsa version but with model=medion (but still no sound): 
http://pastebin.ca/998349

Re: No sound/mixer with new laptops on board sound - hda_intel ALC883

[stan]

Kristoffer Janke wrote:
> Here is a more informative alsa-info.sh output generated with the same 
> alsa version but with model=medion (but still no sound): 
> http://pastebin.ca/998349
>   
I'm not an expert and don't even have an intel card.  But I notice there 
is no output for amixer.  Do you have alsa-utils installed?  And when I 
look at the output of alsactl, all of the volumes are 0, muted.  Have 
you tried turning up the volumes?  After you install alsa-utils you 
should be able to run alsamixer in a console or terminal.  Or even from 
a menu.  In Gnome it is Applications->Sound & Video->ALSA mixer.  I'm 
sure the equivalent exists in KDE.  Maybe it is there already before 
alsa-utils.  Sound is muted on initial startup, so will be silent until 
you turn it up.

It looks like your card is being recognized.  Again, in a console 
(Ctrl-Alt-F[1-6], Alt-F7 gets you back to X) or terminal type aplay -L 
to see if any formats were configured.  Here is what it looks like on my 
system:

default:CARD=Revolution51
    M Audio Revolution-5.1, ICE1724
    Default Audio Device
front:CARD=Revolution51,DEV=0
    M Audio Revolution-5.1, ICE1724
    Front speakers
surround40:CARD=Revolution51,DEV=0
    M Audio Revolution-5.1, ICE1724
    4.0 Surround output to Front and Rear speakers
surround41:CARD=Revolution51,DEV=0
    M Audio Revolution-5.1, ICE1724
    4.1 Surround output to Front, Rear and Subwoofer speakers
surround50:CARD=Revolution51,DEV=0
    M Audio Revolution-5.1, ICE1724
    5.0 Surround output to Front, Center and Rear speakers
surround51:CARD=Revolution51,DEV=0
    M Audio Revolution-5.1, ICE1724
    5.1 Surround output to Front, Center, Rear and Subwoofer speakers
surround71:CARD=Revolution51,DEV=0
    M Audio Revolution-5.1, ICE1724
    7.1 Surround output to Front, Center, Side, Rear and Woofer speakers
iec958:CARD=Revolution51,DEV=0
    M Audio Revolution-5.1, ICE1724
    IEC958 (S/PDIF) Digital Audio Output
null
    Discard all samples (playback) or generate zero samples (capture)

Hope that helps.

Re: No sound/mixer with new laptops on board sound - hda_intel ALC883

[Kristoffer Janke]

I have alsa-utils installed, but alsamixer does not run, instead it 
gives this:
  ALSA lib simple_none.c:1491:(simple_add1) helem (MIXER,'Headphone 
Playback Switch',0,2,0) appears twice or more
  alsamixer: function snd_mixer_load failed: Invalid argument

So i cant modify the volumes...

Re: No sound/mixer with new laptops on board sound - hda_intel ALC883

[stan]

Kristoffer Janke wrote:
> I have alsa-utils installed, but alsamixer does not run, instead it 
> gives this:
>   ALSA lib simple_none.c:1491:(simple_add1) helem (MIXER,'Headphone 
> Playback Switch',0,2,0) appears twice or more
>   alsamixer: function snd_mixer_load failed: Invalid argument
>
> So i cant modify the volumes...
>   
Two things.

This looks like a bug in alsa lib.  You can get the latest alsa lib hg 
snapshot at ftp://ftp.suse.com/pub/projects/alsa/snapshot/, compile it, 
and install it.  The bug might be gone as things move very fast in 
alsa.  If it isn't, it would be good to post this problem on alsa-devel.

You can edit /etc/asound.state directly.  This file resides in /etc or 
/etc/alsa/ depending on your distro.  Here is a representative entry 
from mine.

 control.18 {
                comment.access 'read write'
                comment.type INTEGER
                comment.count 2
                comment.range '0 - 127'
                iface MIXER
                name 'PCM Playback Volume'
                value.0 103
                value.1 103
        }

What you want is to look for the same name (if you are using PCM), and 
then set the value.0 and value.1 to be something greater than 0.  Try 
half at first (of the range) so you won't blow anything out if it is 
very sensitive.  This at least gets you sound, though it isn't as 
convenient as using the mixer.  You will have to be root to edit this 
and if you aren't familiar with unix editors (vim or emacs) you should 
probably use something like pico.  Or Knotes or Text Editor in the gui.

Re: No sound/mixer with new laptops on board sound - hda_intel ALC883

[Kristoffer Janke]

stan schrieb:
> Kristoffer Janke wrote:
>   
>> I have alsa-utils installed, but alsamixer does not run, instead it 
>> gives this:
>>   ALSA lib simple_none.c:1491:(simple_add1) helem (MIXER,'Headphone 
>> Playback Switch',0,2,0) appears twice or more
>>   alsamixer: function snd_mixer_load failed: Invalid argument
>>
>> So i cant modify the volumes...
>>   
>>     
> Two things.
>
> This looks like a bug in alsa lib.  You can get the latest alsa lib hg 
> snapshot at ftp://ftp.suse.com/pub/projects/alsa/snapshot/, compile it, 
> and install it.  The bug might be gone as things move very fast in 
> alsa.  If it isn't, it would be good to post this problem on alsa-devel.
>   
With the newest hg alsa-lib it still does not work, same output.
> You can edit /etc/asound.state directly.  This file resides in /etc or 
> /etc/alsa/ depending on your distro.  Here is a representative entry 
> from mine.
>
>  control.18 {
>                 comment.access 'read write'
>                 comment.type INTEGER
>                 comment.count 2
>                 comment.range '0 - 127'
>                 iface MIXER
>                 name 'PCM Playback Volume'
>                 value.0 103
>                 value.1 103
>         }
>
> What you want is to look for the same name (if you are using PCM), and 
> then set the value.0 and value.1 to be something greater than 0.  Try 
> half at first (of the range) so you won't blow anything out if it is 
> very sensitive.  This at least gets you sound, though it isn't as 
> convenient as using the mixer.  You will have to be root to edit this 
> and if you aren't familiar with unix editors (vim or emacs) you should 
> probably use something like pico.  Or Knotes or Text Editor in the gui.
>   
The problem here is, that alsactl cant save the values, too with the 
same error than alsamixer:
alsactl: set_control:1269: failed to obtain info for control #3 (No such 
file or directory)
alsactl: set_control:1269: failed to obtain info for control #4 (No such 
file or directory)
alsactl: set_control:1269: failed to obtain info for control #15 (No 
such file or directory)
alsactl: set_control:1269: failed to obtain info for control #16 (No 
such file or directory)
alsactl: set_control:1269: failed to obtain info for control #18 (No 
such file or directory)
alsactl: set_control:1269: failed to obtain info for control #27 (No 
such file or directory)
alsactl: set_control:1269: failed to obtain info for control #35 (No 
such file or directory)
alsactl: set_control:1269: failed to obtain info for control #36 (No 
such file or directory)
alsactl: set_control:1269: failed to obtain info for control #37 (No 
such file or directory)
alsactl: set_control:1269: failed to obtain info for control #38 (No 
such file or directory)

> _______________________________________________
> Alsa-devel mailing list
> Alsa-devel@alsa-project.org
> http://mailman.alsa-project.org/mailman/listinfo/alsa-devel
>   

Re: No sound/mixer with new laptops on board sound - hda_intel ALC883

[stan]

Kristoffer Janke wrote:
> stan schrieb:
>   
>> Kristoffer Janke wrote:
>>   
>>     
>>> I have alsa-utils installed, but alsamixer does not run, instead it 
>>> gives this:
>>>   ALSA lib simple_none.c:1491:(simple_add1) helem (MIXER,'Headphone 
>>> Playback Switch',0,2,0) appears twice or more
>>>   alsamixer: function snd_mixer_load failed: Invalid argument
>>>
>>> So i cant modify the volumes...
>>>   
>>>     
>>>       
>> Two things.
>>
>> This looks like a bug in alsa lib.  You can get the latest alsa lib hg 
>> snapshot at ftp://ftp.suse.com/pub/projects/alsa/snapshot/, compile it, 
>> and install it.  The bug might be gone as things move very fast in 
>> alsa.  If it isn't, it would be good to post this problem on alsa-devel.
>>   
>>     
> With the newest hg alsa-lib it still does not work, same output.
>   
>> You can edit /etc/asound.state directly.  This file resides in /etc or 
>> /etc/alsa/ depending on your distro.  Here is a representative entry 
>> from mine.
>>
>>  control.18 {
>>                 comment.access 'read write'
>>                 comment.type INTEGER
>>                 comment.count 2
>>                 comment.range '0 - 127'
>>                 iface MIXER
>>                 name 'PCM Playback Volume'
>>                 value.0 103
>>                 value.1 103
>>         }
>>
>> What you want is to look for the same name (if you are using PCM), and 
>> then set the value.0 and value.1 to be something greater than 0.  Try 
>> half at first (of the range) so you won't blow anything out if it is 
>> very sensitive.  This at least gets you sound, though it isn't as 
>> convenient as using the mixer.  You will have to be root to edit this 
>> and if you aren't familiar with unix editors (vim or emacs) you should 
>> probably use something like pico.  Or Knotes or Text Editor in the gui.
>>   
>>     
> The problem here is, that alsactl cant save the values, too with the 
> same error than alsamixer:
> alsactl: set_control:1269: failed to obtain info for control #3 (No such 
> file or directory)
> alsactl: set_control:1269: failed to obtain info for control #4 (No such 
> file or directory)
> alsactl: set_control:1269: failed to obtain info for control #15 (No 
> such file or directory)
> alsactl: set_control:1269: failed to obtain info for control #16 (No 
> such file or directory)
> alsactl: set_control:1269: failed to obtain info for control #18 (No 
> such file or directory)
> alsactl: set_control:1269: failed to obtain info for control #27 (No 
> such file or directory)
> alsactl: set_control:1269: failed to obtain info for control #35 (No 
> such file or directory)
> alsactl: set_control:1269: failed to obtain info for control #36 (No 
> such file or directory)
> alsactl: set_control:1269: failed to obtain info for control #37 (No 
> such file or directory)
> alsactl: set_control:1269: failed to obtain info for control #38 (No 
> such file or directory)
>   
This sounds like it could be a mismatch between the versions of the 
program alsactl and alsa-lib.  It seems to be looking in the wrong place 
for information.  The files that alsa looks in are by default installed 
in /usr/share/alsa.  Some distros put them in /etc/alsa or /etc.  Check 
if that is the case by looking at the timestamp on the files.  If the 
newer files from the upgrade to alsa-lib are in /usr/share/alsa, you can 
put symbolic links to those files, or copy them to the location where 
your distro expects them to be.

After you updated alsa-lib, did you run /sbin/ldconfig?  This updates 
the version of library being referenced for sharing.  Could be the problem.

This doesn't seem to be the same problem as the first problem.  What 
happens when you use aplay (aplay -v -D plughw:0,0 some.wav)?  Can you 
run amixer (note, not alsamixer) in a console or terminal and get 
output?  Is the output your changed file?  Can you use the gui sound 
administration tools to play the test sound and does it work?