No Sound - HDA Intel ALC887 - Mint 11, 64bit

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Hey guys, sorry if this has been covered. If it has, I was unable to find it. I've been searching and trying whatever I find - so far nothing has worked. Everything is back to "factory condition" now - anything I tried that didn't work, I reset back to the way it was.

I don't know exactly what information you need to help - ask and I will provide it. I'm still fairly new to Linux when it comes to stuff like this...

This is the output of aplay -l:

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**** List of PLAYBACK Hardware Devices ****
card 0: Intel [HDA Intel], device 0: ALC887 Analog [ALC887 Analog]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 0: Intel [HDA Intel], device 3: HDMI 0 [HDMI 0]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0

I think what is happening is that it is using card 0, device 3 - and I need it to use device 0. How do I make it use card 0, device 0?

[mank_in]

open terminal :

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alsamixer

F6 key to select soundcard, Esc key to quit

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I tried that, and it didn't seem to do anything. (I tried both options.)


Terminal_006 by J E, on Flickr

When I go to "enter device name", I see this:

Terminal_007 by J E, on Flickr


Can I specify in that box to use Card 0, Device 0? (If so, how?)

edit
I tried both options with the onboard speakers, and extrenal speakers plugged into the headphone jack.

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BTW - I'm on an Asus all-in-one - ET2400I, if that matters.


System Monitor_008 by J E, on Flickr

[mank_in]

I not using LM11 right now, but i remember in sound preference you can select device :



Can you try that

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This is what I see under Sound Preferences:

Sound Preferences_009 by J E, on Flickr
I have tried each option, and it doesn't seem to make any difference...

This is what I have under the 'Output' tab:

Sound Preferences_010 by J E, on Flickr

[mank_in]

I am using Mint 12 MATE
How about change profile into analog stereo output in hardware tab , or change to internal audio analog stereo in output Tab

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Still no luck.

BTW - I tried the Live CD of Mint 12 hoping the sound would just work, and it was the same there. (...Still holding out for one program I use frequently before I upgrade to 12.)

[mads]

Hi! Try this:

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gksudo gedit /etc/modprobe.d/alsa-base.conf

Add the following line at the end of the file:

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options snd-hda-intel model=generic

Save and exit. Reboot to make changes take effect

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Added the line, rebooted, still nothing. I'm pretty sure I tried that before, and also tried 'Asus' instead of generic.

Here is what that file looked like before adding the line:

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# autoloader aliases
install sound-slot-0 /sbin/modprobe snd-card-0
install sound-slot-1 /sbin/modprobe snd-card-1
install sound-slot-2 /sbin/modprobe snd-card-2
install sound-slot-3 /sbin/modprobe snd-card-3
install sound-slot-4 /sbin/modprobe snd-card-4
install sound-slot-5 /sbin/modprobe snd-card-5
install sound-slot-6 /sbin/modprobe snd-card-6
install sound-slot-7 /sbin/modprobe snd-card-7

# Cause optional modules to be loaded above generic modules
install snd /sbin/modprobe --ignore-install snd $CMDLINE_OPTS && { /sbin/modprobe --quiet --use-blacklist snd-ioctl32 ; /sbin/modprobe --quiet --use-blacklist snd-seq ; }
#
# Workaround at bug #499695 (reverted in Ubuntu see LP #319505)
install snd-pcm /sbin/modprobe --ignore-install snd-pcm $CMDLINE_OPTS && { /sbin/modprobe --quiet --use-blacklist snd-pcm-oss ; : ; }
install snd-mixer /sbin/modprobe --ignore-install snd-mixer $CMDLINE_OPTS && { /sbin/modprobe --quiet --use-blacklist snd-mixer-oss ; : ; }
install snd-seq /sbin/modprobe --ignore-install snd-seq $CMDLINE_OPTS && { /sbin/modprobe --quiet --use-blacklist snd-seq-midi ; /sbin/modprobe --quiet --use-blacklist snd-seq-oss ; : ; }
#
install snd-rawmidi /sbin/modprobe --ignore-install snd-rawmidi $CMDLINE_OPTS && { /sbin/modprobe --quiet --use-blacklist snd-seq-midi ; : ; }
# Cause optional modules to be loaded above sound card driver modules
install snd-emu10k1 /sbin/modprobe --ignore-install snd-emu10k1 $CMDLINE_OPTS && { /sbin/modprobe --quiet --use-blacklist snd-emu10k1-synth ; }
install snd-via82xx /sbin/modprobe --ignore-install snd-via82xx $CMDLINE_OPTS && { /sbin/modprobe --quiet --use-blacklist snd-seq ; }

# Load saa7134-alsa instead of saa7134 (which gets dragged in by it anyway)
install saa7134 /sbin/modprobe --ignore-install saa7134 $CMDLINE_OPTS && { /sbin/modprobe --quiet --use-blacklist saa7134-alsa ; : ; }
# Prevent abnormal drivers from grabbing index 0
options bt87x index=-2
options cx88_alsa index=-2
options saa7134-alsa index=-2
options snd-atiixp-modem index=-2
options snd-intel8x0m index=-2
options snd-via82xx-modem index=-2
options snd-usb-audio index=-2
options snd-usb-caiaq index=-2
options snd-usb-ua101 index=-2
options snd-usb-us122l index=-2
options snd-usb-usx2y index=-2
# Ubuntu #62691, enable MPU for snd-cmipci
options snd-cmipci mpu_port=0x330 fm_port=0x388
# Keep snd-pcsp from being loaded as first soundcard
options snd-pcsp index=-2
# Keep snd-usb-audio from beeing loaded as first soundcard
options snd-usb-audio index=-2

Is there something in there that is 'wrong' or needs to be changed?

[mads]

Added the line, rebooted, still nothing. I'm pretty sure I tried that before, and also tried 'Asus' instead of generic.

Try this:

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options snd-hda-intel model=ideapad

If still not working, try to add 'index=0', like this:
options snd-hda-intel index=0 model=generic
or
options snd-hda-intel index=0 model=ideapad
or
options snd-hda-intel index=0 model=asus-laptop

Reboot is necessary.

[AlbertP]

Unfortunately there aren't any model= settings yet to experiment with ALC887, except generic. Other ALC chips have lots of model settings to try.

Having multiple sound cards (HDMI and ALC) is not such a problem. All soundcards are used in most programs, unless configured otherwise.

Mads, I know you are trying to be helpful. But there aren't yet any model settings for ALC887. HDMI does not even allow model settings (apart from generic) so index=0 is not really necessary for settings like ideapad and acer-laptop. You only need index= when a certain setting exists on both sound codecs, or if you want to give both codecs a model.

Realtek ALC codecs are usually working, but the ALC887 is a notorious one. You're the third or fourth person I've seen with ALC887 problems in 2012. I suppose the chip is new, as the ALC887 problems seem new as well and new chips often aren't immediately supported on Linux. From what I've heard, Mint 12 doesn't seem to work either.

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I suppose the chip is new, as the ALC887 problems seem new as well and new chips often aren't immediately supported on Linux. From what I've heard, Mint 12 doesn't seem to work either.

That's kind of what I was afraid of... I tried a demo of Mint 12 (I'm running it on another computer), and I couldn't get the sound to work on that either. Everything works fine (with 11 and 12) on the other computer, but of course - it's totally different.

At one time, with external speakers hooked up, I could hear very faint audio with the speakers cranked all the way up. I'm using different speakers now, and they must not be as loud - I can't hear anything with them up all the way. Even with the other ones, it wasn't loud enough to actually listen to - you could just barely hear it.


So, it sounds like the solution is to just wait it out...? (I was afraid of that.)

[AlbertP]

Faint sound, that sounds like the amplifier of the ALC887 is not working. One of the weaknesses of Realtek's ALC is that software has to enable amplifying of the sound in a lot of configurations, which often causes problems on Linux. Also, computer manufacturers like to have their own implementation of HD Audio instead of following Intel's standard. With older chips like my laptop's ALC268 it's usually working in today's Linux, but with ALC887 it appears to be a very different story.
model=generic treats the chip as a normal HD Audio device, without the Realtek and Asus stuff. That may explain why the sound was so faint.

That you can get a bit of sound, shows that having both HDMI and onboard audio is not causing your problems.

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Update in case anyone having the same problem finds this...

I could never get the sound working in Mint 11 or 12, but I just installed Mint 13 (Cinnamon, 64 bit) and it works great right out of the box - sound and everything. I have to say that I am very pleased with Linux Mint 13!


I guess this was just a case of my hardware being too new for Linux support. Everything works perfectly under Mint 13.