No Sound...

[DevGate]

Hi guys. Kinda new to Linux Mint... never had this problem on other distributions before... I'd like to resolve it. Basically, no sound, anywhere. Checked alsamixer and sound settings. Only one board avaliable so it's not incorrectly selected. An "lspci -nn" returns this:

00:14.5 Multimedia audio controller [0401]: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] nee ATI IXP SB400 AC'97 Audio Controller [1002:4370] (rev 80)

I did browse a little around on google but was unable to find an answer that worked for me. If it matters any, I am currently updating this fresh install from 4.4.4 to 4.4.7. This is a parts computer, with the parts being from some pretty ancient hardware (but Mint runs amazing! <3... well minus the lack of sound ) but I figured that would make it easier to find software but I guess not?

[Tit]

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1885240

[pgmer6809]

1.

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cd /proc/asound
cat cards


and post output here.
2. did you go to Menu=>ControlCenter=>Sound
then click on the Hardware tab.
You should see at least one device listed there.
At the bottom of the window there is a drop down list of modes to use.
Try a simple Analog Stereo Duplex
Then try the TEST Speakers buttons.

If that works Linux knows about the sound cards. Now all you need to do is make sure that the apps know about them.
Start with the above though.
pgmer6809

[anandrkris]

http://community.linuxmint.com/idea/view/3844 - Plese note that I have posted an idea on having a Troubleshotting wizard in Mint for audio related issues. Request you have a look at it and provide your views and if it makes sense - cast your vote on it. Thanks

Am rallying the user forums who have sound issues to get consensus on the idea. Let us join our hands together in building a user-friendly Linux Mint.

[este.el.paz]

1.

Code: Select all

cd /proc/asound
cat cards


and post output here.
2. did you go to Menu=>ControlCenter=>Sound
then click on the Hardware tab.
You should see at least one device listed there.
At the bottom of the window there is a drop down list of modes to use.
Start with the above though.
pgmer6809

@pgmer6809:

Soory to jump in here, but the "no sound" issue is exactly what's happening . . . so I'm asking about it. I've had LM13 MATE installed for 6 months, but also have dual boot setup with OSX and most of my time is there. Recently finished up a project and so I've been trying to do my thing in LM. Today I discovered that even though the log in chime chimes, there is no sound otherwise; found this thread, looked at the Ubuntu troubleshooting page a minute, but it said, "This is really rough" or something . . . I like to do it the easy way. Followed your suggestion and ran:

Code: Select all

/proc/asound $ cat cards
 0 [NVidia         ]: HDA-Intel - HDA NVidia
                      HDA NVidia at 0xd3580000 irq 20


Then I went to the Control Center >Sound and clicked on the Hardware tab . . . and there was no device listed there . . . and there is no drop down list of modes either. Based on some attempts to get sound working in MintPPC I ran the command "alsamixer" and I got the columns and was looking to toggle an "unmute" box, but it wasn't there . . . I tried to play around with the settings using the arrow keys, but all I could do is move horizontally to each column, but couldn't get anything else to work with the up/down arrow keys . . . like in trying to get the "speaker" column to increase . . . didin't happen. I'm wondering if there is an easy way to get sound working . . . ???

[pgmer6809]

Looks like you have the same issue as this thread:
viewtopic.php?f=48&t=126889

i.e. the kernel knows about your hardware but the software drivers for that hardware are not being loaded.
The drivers are kernel modules (suffix .ko) and you get a list of them by using the

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lsmod

cmd. try it with grep so as to focus on the ones you want.

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lsmod | grep snd

and

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lsmod | grep soundcore

If these cmds don't show the module you will have to load it:

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sudo modprobe soundcore

and probably

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sudo modprobe snd_hda_intel

. The last one will depend on what module fits your sound card. I am guessing the hda intel one will do it, but I could be wrong.

see the above thread for further discussion.

once you have the modules loaded, try the speaker test and the alsamixer test before anything else.

[este.el.paz]

@pgmer6809:

Thanks kindly for that information, I see from the other thread that you have been through this before, so thanks for the tips here. I'll have to try in a day or so because the wireless at work is not working with LM right now, so I'm back in OSX . . . it's just easier to be able to read the browser and run cmds in Terminal . . . . Appreciate your time and insights into the problem, I'm CLI challenged in terms of trouble shooting problems . . . . I'll check through what you've provided here, and if I need to check the other thread and try some simple steps to get sound, and post back.

e.e.p.

[este.el.paz]

[quote]If these cmds don't show the module you will have to load it:/quote]

@pgmer6809:

Quick question, trying to avoid making more of a problem if I can; I can't get connected in LM so I can't copy/paste all the results here. I ran the "lsmod | grep snd" and the "soundcore" and "snd" showed at least 13 modules with "snd" in it . . . but "soundcore" showed just one, "soundcore 15091 1 snd" . . . so there appear to be modules loaded?? So, I wasn't sure if I should run the "modprobe" command??? or it would be OK to do that even if the modules are already loaded???

e.e.p.

[pgmer6809]

If these cmds don't show the module you will have to load it:/quote]

@pgmer6809:

Quick question, trying to avoid making more of a problem if I can; I can't get connected in LM so I can't copy/paste all the results here. I ran the "lsmod | grep snd" and the "soundcore" and "snd" showed at least 13 modules with "snd" in it . . . but "soundcore" showed just one, "soundcore 15091 1 snd" . . . so there appear to be modules loaded?? So, I wasn't sure if I should run the "modprobe" command??? or it would be OK to do that even if the modules are already loaded???

e.e.p.

Yes that is what you should be seeing. there is only one soundcore module, and in debian (which is the basis for MINT) it has an alias of snd.
the other snd modules are like one per 'feature' of your sound card. i.e. the analog speakers will have a module, the digital ones will have one and so on.
So it looks like your modules are loaded.

That being the case I don't know why you don't see anything when you enter the control panel from the mint menu.
I wish I knew how to include images in this note, i could give you a screenshot....

Quick Question: What application are you using that will not give you sound?
If it is flash or a web browser thing, the problem may be with the plug-ins. But if something like aplay wont play that is a real sound issue.


however you can still try the alsa utilities.

try

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aplay -l

and

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aplay -L

if those look OK, the next step is to try alsamixer.
alsamixer will allow you to set the volume levels for the various sound card outputs.

once you have done that you can try to test the speakers manually with the speaker-test cmd (see other thread) and also play a wav file manually.

[este.el.paz]

Quick Question: What application are you using that will not give you sound?
If it is flash or a web browser thing, the problem may be with the plug-ins. But if something like aplay wont play that is a real sound issue.

@pgmer6809:

Thanks for the followup, so it seems like what you are saying is that I don't need to "modprobe" anything right now? because the modules are showing up in lsmod?

But, to answer your question, yes the sound issue was discovered in FF when I tried to get a Pandora station to play . . . and I don't have any tunes loaded in LM to test otherwise . . . so it might be a plug-in thing there. I tried to test streaming radio, but didn't have an address to use . . . . I do have a .wav file somebody sent me in Gmail, maybe I could find it. So anyway, thanks for the additonal info, that'll give me something to test. The slightly strange thing was that in Alsamixer the controls were not responding to the arrow keys beyond being able to switch columns . . . .

In terms of attachments of screen shots, at the bottom of the reply window is the "options" tab and the "upload attachments" tab . . . so you can navi to the file and upload it. Some of the forums like the files to be compressed as .tar or .gz?? or something else, it's been awhile since I did that here, I think nothing will happen if it isn't the right file type . . . can't remember if the LM forum lets all file types through or not. Anyway, no worries . . . .

e.e.p.

[este.el.paz]

Quick Question: What application are you using that will not give you sound?
If it is flash or a web browser thing, the problem may be with the plug-ins. But if something like aplay wont play that is a real sound issue.
however you can still try the alsa utilities.

try
Code: Select all
aplay -l
and
Code: Select all
aplay -L

@pgmer6809:

Just to update, I found the .wav file and it played in Movie Player . . . it isn't a high quality file, but it did play. So then I checked add-ons in FF and it has quite a number of them that are supposed to play media . . . . I don't think I added any of them so they must be the defaults. But, nothing was playing the other day in Pandora . . . I'll have to try again or see if I can play something else . . . or, see if I can get something to change on alsmamixer. Is there a specific add-on for playing online music?

e.e.p.
PS: Edited: After I posted this post, and basically only running the above commands in Terminal . . . I then checked streaming radio online . . . and we have sound. I went to Pandora, and this time it played . . . ??? Having done really nothing that I could think would have changed anything. So, for now, all is well with sound . . . thanks for your psychic support #6809.