(SOLVED) ASUS XONAR DG Wierd Sound Card Problem with Linux Mint

[PlutoPup]

I have read some Topics on this from Linux Mint 13 - that said it worked - to Linux 14 and up - that said it didn't work.

I have tried Linux Mint Mate 17.3 and Cinnamon, and also Linux Mint Cinnamon 18.1. Here is the problem:

I have the front Audio from the case hooked up - (you know the front jacks for headphones and mic) - I get sound from the front headphone jack (speakers plugged into the case front) but NO SOUND from the rear jacks. Why is this.? It's obviously a driver issue that's been going on a long time. I haven't found a solution from the forums or web. Anybody out there know to make the rear jacks work.? ASUS Xonar DG

I only get a "headphones" option in the sound settings. If there is no solution for Linux and the Xonar PCI Card, can you tell me what PCI sound card with front audio for the case hook-up works with Linux,?

[TeaSwigger]

Hm, I have a Xonar ST PCI card in a case with front jacks like you describe plugged into it but normally use its rear analog (RCA) outs. No problems using any of the 4 outputs though (digital, analog RCA, rear headphone, front panel headphone). I pick the output in alsamixer (if you haven't tried that, open a terminal and just enter alsamixer). In this case, there is an analog output line that one can toggle to switch between speakers, headphones and "fp headphones." It might be different with pulseaudio installed (as it is by default; I've removed it for technical reasons) but there should still be a similar facility. Does the motherboard also have built-in sound? If so, perhaps that's confusing things?

[PlutoPup]

Hm, I have a Xonar ST PCI card in a case with front jacks like you describe plugged into it but normally use its rear analog (RCA) outs. No problems using any of the 4 outputs though (digital, analog RCA, rear headphone, front panel headphone). I pick the output in alsamixer (if you haven't tried that, open a terminal and just enter alsamixer). In this case, there is an analog output line that one can toggle to switch between speakers, headphones and "fp headphones." It might be different with pulseaudio installed (as it is by default; I've removed it for technical reasons) but there should still be a similar facility. Does the motherboard also have built-in sound? If so, perhaps that's confusing things?

I have Onboard Sound, AC97, but it does not work so I switched it off in the Bios.

I installed the mixer last night but the only option I get is HEADPHONES, nothing else.

Should I get Xonar ST card.? The driver for the DG is correct but no sound from rear jacks.

[TeaSwigger]

I have Onboard Sound, AC97, but it does not work so I switched it off in the Bios.

That's ok (I've switched my onboard sound off too).

I installed the mixer last night but the only option I get is HEADPHONES, nothing else.

Did you have anything plugged into the front jacks when trying to use the rear jacks?

The way the default sound setup may be is (simplifying here), there's the hardware, drivers etc in the kernel, a layer called ALSA, a layer called Pulseaudio, the audio backend and the app on top. Pulseaudio's importance is debateable, it might be called an exchange used for convenience. If pulseaudio is being a problem, one could remove or disable it and use "straight" ALSA (wouldn't recommend doing so unless you're out of viable options). Maybe it's a bug in the mixer app. We can sort of bypass the default mixer app by using alsamixer.

alsamixer is a command-line utility, a part of ALSA that should already be installed by default. I'll attach a screenshot -

Screenshot from 2017-06-16 09-49-32.png

Unfortunately our different setups limit my ability to walk you through options. As you see there, F1 should bring up the help, which can tell you how to navigate around in it and use it (err, except that in Cinnamon at least, it instead brings up help for using the Terminal app. Argh. So, in a terminal, enter 'man alsamixer' which will display the help). Anyway. Over to the right side in this case, there's "Analog O" [output] where I can switch outputs between speakers (RCA jacks), headphones (rear) and front panel headphones. I was hoping there's something like that for your system. There may also be different volume and mute options for the different outputs, so you'd want to check the rear jacks aren't muted for instance.

Should I get Xonar ST card.? The driver for the DG is correct but no sound from rear jacks.

The Xonar ST PCI card is fantastic, but may no longer be available. I've had it for years. There is or was also a PCI-E version though iirc it's not quite as good. But the point of my attempted help above is that there's surely a way to get the hardware you have working as you'd like.

[PlutoPup]

But the point of my attempted help is that there's surely a way to get the hardware you have working as you'd like.[/quote]

Yes. That would be nice to get it working properly. Since adding the card and turning off on-board sound, the system is a bit more responsive. Which stands to reason. I am not sure how to add a pic, but here is the Alsa return:

[An error occurred while loading or saving configuration information for GNOME ALSA Mixer. Some of your configuration settings may not work properly.]
Details:
Bad key or directory name: "/apps/gnome-alsamixer/display_mixers/": Key/directory may not end with a slash '/'
Bad key or directory name: "/apps/gnome-alsamixer/display_names/": Key/directory may not end with a slash '/'

The sound only gives the "headphones" option, plugged in or not plugged in,.

[PlutoPup]

Found this link among the many Xonar DG and Linux problems. It sounds like he solved a very similiar problem to mine but I don't understand anything in the post.

If you care to, take a look:

https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+sour ... ug/1385770

See if this can help me.

[TeaSwigger]

Yes. That would be nice to get it working properly. Since adding the card and turning off on-board sound, the system is a bit more responsive. Which stands to reason. I am not sure how to add a pic, but here is the Alsa return:

[An error occurred while loading or saving configuration information for GNOME ALSA Mixer. Some of your configuration settings may not work properly.]
Details:
Bad key or directory name: "/apps/gnome-alsamixer/display_mixers/": Key/directory may not end with a slash '/'
Bad key or directory name: "/apps/gnome-alsamixer/display_names/": Key/directory may not end with a slash '/'

The sound only gives the "headphones" option, plugged in or not plugged in,.

Hm. From the face of it, that would appear to be a bug with 'gnome alsa mixer'... Doesn't help us anyway, let's try to work around that for the moment.

Found this link among the many Xonar DG and Linux problems. It sounds like he solved a very similiar problem to mine but I don't understand anything in the post.

If you care to, take a look:

https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+sour ... ug/1385770

See if this can help me.

Read it. Can't make much from the fractured english of the original bug report post but from the rest of the posts, it looks like the right controls weren't present or weren't working in, I guess, the desktop's default sound control app, but that they were able to use alsamixer (the terminal app I suggested before, not gnome alsa mixer) or qasmixer (it's provided in the repositories - I've never used it) to select the right output. Have you tried alsamixer yet? Open the terminal and at the prompt, type alsamixer, then press enter. You should get something that resembles the pic I posted before. You use the arrow keys to navigate around (left or right) and work the controls (up or down), the m button for mute, as the last post at the bottom of the page in that link adds, "go to tab <analog out> and use up/down to change output..." If you need help using it, you can check out the manual page for it by entering man alsamixer in the terminal.

If you can't control the sound as you need with alsamixer (or that 'qasmixer' if you want to try it), perhaps install pavucontrol and try that.

[PlutoPup]

Yes. That would be nice to get it working properly. Since adding the card and turning off on-board sound, the system is a bit more responsive. Which stands to reason. I am not sure how to add a pic, but here is the Alsa return:

[An error occurred while loading or saving configuration information for GNOME ALSA Mixer. Some of your configuration settings may not work properly.]
Details:
Bad key or directory name: "/apps/gnome-alsamixer/display_mixers/": Key/directory may not end with a slash '/'
Bad key or directory name: "/apps/gnome-alsamixer/display_names/": Key/directory may not end with a slash '/'

The sound only gives the "headphones" option, plugged in or not plugged in,.

Hm. From the face of it, that would appear to be a bug with 'gnome alsa mixer'... Doesn't help us anyway, let's try to work around that for the moment.

Found this link among the many Xonar DG and Linux problems. It sounds like he solved a very similiar problem to mine but I don't understand anything in the post.

If you care to, take a look:

https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+sour ... ug/1385770

See if this can help me.

Read it. Can't make much from the fractured english of the original bug report post but from the rest of the posts, it looks like the right controls weren't present or weren't working in, I guess, the desktop's default sound control app, but that they were able to use alsamixer (the terminal app I suggested before, not gnome alsa mixer) or qasmixer (it's provided in the repositories - I've never used it) to select the right output. Have you tried alsamixer yet? Open the terminal and at the prompt, type alsamixer, then press enter. You should get something that resembles the pic I posted before. You use the arrow keys to navigate around (left or right) and work the controls (up or down), the m button for mute, as the last post at the bottom of the page in that link adds, "go to tab <analog out> and use up/down to change output..." If you need help using it, you can check out the manual page for it by entering man alsamixer in the terminal.

If you can't control the sound as you need with alsamixer (or that 'qasmixer' if you want to try it), perhaps install pavucontrol and try that.

Solved:
{it looks like the right controls weren't present or weren't working in, I guess, the desktop's default sound control app,}
absolutely correct.. Confusing for a newbie like me....

{alsamixer (the terminal app I suggested before, not gnome alsa mixer) or qasmixer
again, Absolutely correct - very confusing - didn't know there were two types and I was trying to use the wrong one - gnome alsa mixer

I uninstalled pavucontrol and gnome alsa mixer to get unconfused and installed qasmixer from the software manager and actually had the option to change to multichannel.

Viola' - sound from the rear ports. I am so happy when things work the way they are supposed to.

I want to "Thank You" for sticking with me through this problem. You have been a huge help with guiding me to the solution. Thank You..!

[TeaSwigger]

Things can be very confusing, even when not-so-new-bie, but one can usually find their way with patience and the occasional helping hand. Glad it's working and pleased to have been of help.