No sound on Lenovo R61 [SOLVED]

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manosagn

No sound on Lenovo R61 [SOLVED]

Post by manosagn »

Hello there!

I've virtually tried anything that I have found on the web. My laptop does not play any sound. It used to play a sound at login and that was it, but after messing around it is gone too.

It's a Lenovo R61.
lspci (among others) returns:
00:1b.0 Audio device: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) HD Audio Controller (rev 03)

Linux (*******) 3.2.0-31-generic #50-Ubuntu SMP Fri Sep 7 16:16:45 UTC 2012 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux
Distributor ID: LinuxMint
Description: Linux Mint 13 Maya

Any idea?

thanks!
Last edited by LockBot on Wed Dec 28, 2022 7:16 am, edited 2 times in total.
Reason: Topic automatically closed 6 months after creation. New replies are no longer allowed.
caf4926
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Re: No sound on Lenovo R61

Post by caf4926 »

I have an R61e
It's never not worked in any way. It has to be the most friendly laptop I have ever had, albeit now somewhat ageing.

Check the mixer settings
Test a new user
Test the Live session from the DVD
Linux Mint 21.1 Cinnamon
igor83

Re: No sound on Lenovo R61

Post by igor83 »

This is the article you want to read.
The R61 uses the AD1984 audio codec. I haven't tinkered with sound, because I don't really want it on the laptop, but I may some day.

I've been very pleased with my Thinkpad R61. Since Ubuntu's CFO started blogging about his Thinkpad a couple years ago, Thinkpads have been nothing but joy where Ubuntu is concerned... just a really nice problem-free install for me. Up and running and nothing more to say... except, wow. Just a quality product all around. I've always liked Thinkpads though.

They are so cheap on Ebay right now...

Just a joy.
May your joy return...
manosagn

Re: No sound on Lenovo R61

Post by manosagn »

So, I did the following
* I Read igor83's link but did not find anything useful. (Also, most links were down).
Modem is enabled (as advised on the link).
caf4926 wrote: Check the mixer settings
* alsamixer "looks" ok, volume control through control center has no sound card.
caf4926 wrote: Test a new user
* New user also has no sound
caf4926 wrote: Test the Live session from the DVD
* Currently, WinXP works ok with sound. Ubuntu and Debian used to work fine regarding sound, so I skipped this.

Since Christmas is around the corner, I wish you Merry Christmas and a happy New Year!
igor83

Re: No sound on Lenovo R61

Post by igor83 »

manosagn wrote:So, I did the following
* I Read igor83's link but did not find anything useful. (Also, most links were down).
Modem is enabled (as advised on the link).
caf4926 wrote: Check the mixer settings
* alsamixer "looks" ok, volume control through control center has no sound card.
caf4926 wrote: Test a new user
* New user also has no sound
caf4926 wrote: Test the Live session from the DVD
* Currently, WinXP works ok with sound. Ubuntu and Debian used to work fine regarding sound, so I skipped this.

Since Christmas is around the corner, I wish you Merry Christmas and a happy New Year!
I have accepted the flung gauntlet and am now in the process of installing sound on my Thinkpad R61. I will let you know any gyrations I had to perform. This is a good project for me to work on while I wait for the arrival of my new desktop motherboard.
igor83

Re: No sound on Lenovo R61

Post by igor83 »

manosagn wrote:Hello there!

I've virtually tried anything that I have found on the web. My laptop does not play any sound. It used to play a sound at login and that was it, but after messing around it is gone too.

It's a Lenovo R61.
lspci (among others) returns:
00:1b.0 Audio device: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) HD Audio Controller (rev 03)

Linux (*******) 3.2.0-31-generic #50-Ubuntu SMP Fri Sep 7 16:16:45 UTC 2012 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux
Distributor ID: LinuxMint
Description: Linux Mint 13 Maya

Any idea?

thanks!
Remember last message when I said I was going to install sound on my Lenovo Thinkpad R61?
Well, I'm back.
Sound is already installed and ready to go. I enabled system sounds, listened to some beeps, and then watched a YouTube video, something about Gangnam Style.
I didn't do a blessed thing.
My system runs Linux Mint Maya Mate, 64-bit, same as yours I believe? You didn't say which desktop.
There is nothing to do, nothing to configure, sound works out of the box just like everything else on these adorable, lovely Thinkpads, which are so very Linux-friendly.

As for your R61 with no sound, there are three possibilities, in increasing order of probability:

1. you've set a Mute or lowered volume to zip somewhere in the settings. I realize this is unlikely, because you've been working on the problem for a while and seem to know what you are doing. However, I'm just saying this for the record, you can right-click on the speaker icon at the bottom-right of the screen and check your preferences just to be sure you haven't selected Mute or turned the volume down to zero or something obvious like that.

2. you've fiddled around with the default configuration and broken something. If so, your guess is as good as mine, but reinstalling will fix things in that case. If sound works in Windows, but not Linux, then #2 is the answer. You might browse /etc/alsa and examine that configuration file. Other than that, I don't really know. I'm a Linux novice.

3. your laptop's sound is defective. Maybe somebody spilled coffee in the speakers. It happens when people are working late night shifts, they get careless, don't be too hard on them. If sound is a very big deal for you, then I'd just buy another one without a second thought, as they run around $130 on ebay, and you could easily find someone willing to buy yours who doesn't care about sound, thus offsetting your cost. Be sure to disclose the sound issue if you do sell, and discount the price by about $20 to compensate for no sound.
manosagn

Re: No sound on Lenovo R61

Post by manosagn »

Sorry, for not posting for this time. Partly 'cause of the days (X-mas & New Year), partly because I messed up so much my system, I had no internet connection.
igor83 wrote: 2. you've fiddled around with the default configuration and broken something. If so, your guess is as good as mine, but reinstalling will fix things in that case. If sound works in Windows, but not Linux, then #2 is the answer. You might browse /etc/alsa and examine that configuration file. Other than that, I don't really know. I'm a Linux novice.
So, I JUST installed Mint Nadia and sound is back! I still have to update/upgrade/install packages, but I think it all will be ok.

If someone has the same problem, I would advise him to re-install. (Unless he's really good and knows his way around /etc/alsa) :wink:
igor83

Re: No sound on Lenovo R61

Post by igor83 »

manosagn wrote:Sorry, for not posting for this time. Partly 'cause of the days (X-mas & New Year), partly because I messed up so much my system, I had no internet connection.
igor83 wrote: 2. you've fiddled around with the default configuration and broken something. If so, your guess is as good as mine, but reinstalling will fix things in that case. If sound works in Windows, but not Linux, then #2 is the answer. You might browse /etc/alsa and examine that configuration file. Other than that, I don't really know. I'm a Linux novice.
So, I JUST installed Mint Nadia and sound is back! I still have to update/upgrade/install packages, but I think it all will be ok.

If someone has the same problem, I would advise him to re-install. (Unless he's really good and knows his way around /etc/alsa) :wink:
Glad to hear it. Now, would you be so kind as to modify the subject with [SOLVED] for the good of posterity?

Thanks...
And yeah, I'm installed and reinstalled many a distro... for sure, for SURE, reinstalling Linux is a breeze compared with Windows. Oh, don't get me started on that time-killing mess of an operating system. The only way I see that people use it is it comes preinstalled already, and corporations have a big IT department to configure automated installs. I guess we should thank our lucky stars for Windows, because if Linux were used, a lot of IT people would become unemployed.
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