no sound on ThinkCentre A50 (8148-33U)

[Rita G.]

Linux Mint 16 XFCE x86

My old IBM (lenovo) ThinkCentre A50 (8148-33U) is deaf! . . or maybe I am? . but it makes no sound at all.

This problem exists on all linux distros i've tried. I even tried plugging in a pci slot sound card (that works on other rig) and still get no sound.

anybody have any ideas?


. . went to lenovo site & downloaded audio driver & installed (i think) using wine. . . still nothing.
any way to test if driver actually installed?

[karlchen]

Hello, Rita G.

Sorry, I cannot give any good piece of advice on how to diagnose and solve the no sound problem on a IBM ThinkCentre A50 (8148-33U), but I can confirm that this way is guaranteed to fail:

went to lenovo site & downloaded audio driver & installed (i think) using wine. . . still nothing.

You are no longer running on Windows. You cannot download Windows drivers, install them through Wine and expect Linux Mint to use them.
Just as Windows requires Windows drivers, Linux Mint requires genuine Linux Mint / Ubuntu drivers.

OK, first step to diagnosis, before I forget:
Please open a terminal window. Execute the command

Code: Select all

inxi -Fxz

and post the complete screen output here. Paste the screen output between [ code ] tags please to make reading it easier.

Kind regards,
Karl

[Rita G.]

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rp@lm-xfc ~ $ sudo su -
[sudo] password for rp: 
lm-xfc ~ # inxi -Fxz
System:    Host: lm-xfc Kernel: 3.11.0-12-generic i686 (32 bit, gcc: 4.8.1) 
           Desktop: Xfce 4.10.2 (Gtk 2.24.20) Distro: Linux Mint 16 Petra
Machine:   System: IBM product: 814833U version: ThinkCentre A50
           Mobo: Intel model: D865GKD Bios: IBM version: 2CKT25AUS date: 01/21/2008
CPU:       Single core Intel Pentium 4 CPU (-HT-) cache: 512 KB flags: (sse sse2) bmips: 4787.82 
           Clock Speeds: 1: 2393.914 MHz 2: 2393.914 MHz
Graphics:  Card: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD/ATI] RV635 [Radeon HD 3650/3750/4570/4580] bus-ID: 01:00.0 
           X.org: 1.14.5 drivers: ati,radeon (unloaded: fbdev) FAILED: vesa tty size: 80x24 Advanced Data: N/A for root 
Audio:     Card: Intel 82801EB/ER (ICH5/ICH5R) AC'97 Audio Controller driver: snd_intel8x0 ports: 1c00 18c0 bus-ID: 00:1f.5
           Sound: Advanced Linux Sound Architecture ver: k3.11.0-12-generic
Network:   Card: Intel 82562EZ 10/100 Ethernet Controller driver: e100 ver: 3.5.24-k2-NAPI port: 3000 bus-ID: 03:08.0
           IF: eth0 state: up speed: 100 Mbps duplex: full mac: <filter>
Drives:    HDD Total Size: 80.0GB (4.9% used) 1: id: /dev/sda model: ST380011A size: 80.0GB temp: 42C 
Partition: ID: / size: 12G used: 3.7G (34%) fs: ext3 ID: swap-1 size: 1.07GB used: 0.00GB (0%) fs: swap 
RAID:      No RAID devices detected - /proc/mdstat and md_mod kernel raid module present
Sensors:   System Temperatures: cpu: 70.0C mobo: N/A gpu: 56.0 
           Fan Speeds (in rpm): cpu: N/A 
Info:      Processes: 149 Uptime: 1:23 Memory: 265.5/3663.4MB Runlevel: 2 Gcc sys: 4.8.1 Client: Shell inxi: 1.8.4 
lm-xfc ~ # 

[karlchen]

Hello, Rita G.

This looks strange:

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Audio:     Card: Intel 82801EB/ER (ICH5/ICH5R) AC'97 Audio Controller driver: snd_intel8x0 ports: 1c00 18c0 bus-ID: 00:1f.5
           Sound: Advanced Linux Sound Architecture ver: k3.11.0-12-generic

The Advanced Linux Sound Architecture gives as its version string the name of the kernel module. Hm.
Looks different here:

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Audio:     Card: Intel 7 Series/C210 Series Chipset Family High Definition Audio Controller driver: snd_hda_intel bus-ID: 00:1b.0
           Sound: Advanced Linux Sound Architecture ver: 1.0.25

OK, of course, this is a different machine, but 1.0.25 looks like a version string, k3.11.0-12-generic does not.

Guess I will have to do some googling now ...

Karl

[karlchen]

Hello, Rita G.

The 2 details that do not make me optimistic that there is a solution for the "no sound" problem are these:
+ Lenovo only lists an old Suse 8.2 and a similarly old other Linux as supported with ThinkCentres on their webpage, no Ubuntu at all
+ Even Windows 7 does not seem to bring along any drivers for the SoundMax Cadenza sound card of the ThinkCentres (cf. No sound after W7 install - Soundmax card

OK. Will go on searching ...

Karl

[Rita G.]

Problem solved.

Thanks for all your help Karl, but i took out that board. I found my old Dell dimension 2400 board in the basement pile of ‘old computer trash’ and replaced it; and now the a-50 is in the ‘pile’. the 2400 board is in now & all is well . . .audio and all!

[karlchen]

Hello, Rita G.

This is really a very special solution. I doubt, however, that too many other users will be able to take the same step: Turn your IBM into a Dell.

Cheers,
Karl

[nissimnanach]

I have a similar problem with my ThinkCentre M52 (8215-22U) and only get sound from the mono system speak on the box, not from the back audio jack. Back audio jack works fine when I boot XP.

I also have a Dimension 2400 but I'm not interested in dowgrading to that so I am interested in a solution!

[nissimnanach]

Forgot to post my hardware output. Thanks much!

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user@user-ThinkPad-T400 ~ $ inxi -Fxz
System:    Host: user-ThinkPad-T400 Kernel: 3.11.0-12-generic i686 (32 bit, gcc: 4.8.1) 
           Desktop: N/A Distro: Linux Mint 16 Petra
Machine:   System: IBM product: 821522U version: ThinkCentre M52
           Mobo: IBM model: IBM Bios: IBM version: 2EKT27AUS date: 10/07/2005
CPU:       Single core Intel Pentium 4 CPU (-HT-) cache: 2048 KB flags: (lm nx sse sse2 sse3) bmips: 5984.99 
           Clock Speeds: 1: 1400.00 MHz 2: 1400.00 MHz
Graphics:  Card: Intel 82945G/GZ Integrated Graphics Controller bus-ID: 00:02.0 
           X.Org: 1.14.3 drivers: intel (unloaded: fbdev,vesa) Resolution: 1024x768@70.1hz 
           GLX Renderer: Mesa DRI Intel 945G x86/MMX/SSE2 GLX Version: 1.4 Mesa 9.2.1 Direct Rendering: Yes
Audio:     Card: Intel NM10/ICH7 Family High Definition Audio Controller driver: snd_hda_intel bus-ID: 00:1b.0
           Sound: Advanced Linux Sound Architecture ver: k3.11.0-12-generic
Network:   Card: Intel 82573E Gigabit Ethernet Controller (Copper) driver: e1000e ver: 2.3.2-k port: 4000 bus-ID: 02:00.0
           IF: eth1 state: up speed: 100 Mbps duplex: full mac: <filter>
Drives:    HDD Total Size: 500.1GB (5.1% used) 1: id: /dev/sda model: WDC_WD5000AAKX size: 500.1GB 
Partition: ID: / size: 28G used: 8.4G (33%) fs: ext4 ID: swap-1 size: 3.90GB used: 0.13GB (3%) fs: swap 
RAID:      No RAID devices detected - /proc/mdstat and md_mod kernel raid module present
Sensors:   System Temperatures: cpu: 60.0C mobo: N/A 
           Fan Speeds (in rpm): cpu: N/A 
Info:      Processes: 148 Uptime: 1 day Memory: 415.7/991.6MB Runlevel: 2 Gcc sys: 4.8.1 Client: Shell inxi: 1.8.4 
user@user-ThinkPad-T400 ~ $ 

[nissimnanach]

Oops, correction regarding my last to posts -- on my ThinkCentre M52 the rear audio jack is indeed working fine -- I had the speakers' vol knob turned down and couldn't tell -- but I get mono (merged left and right) out of the system speaker on the box at the same time (which I don't mind, just odd).