(SOLVED) No Sound Linux Mint 16

[Thomas JC]

Absolutely no sound coming from my computer.
I am new to Linux. Tried to fix my problem by looking at the forum and tried various things. I wish I had kept a journal of everyhting I tried so I could explain it here. Sorry. It seems Linux does not see my sound card at all.
Here is what I got by entering 'inxi' on the command line:
CPU~Single core Intel Pentium 4 CPU (-UP-) clocked at 2660.044 Mhz Kernel~3.11.0-12-generic i686 Up~1:15 Mem~451.1/2016.0MB HDD~320.1GB(1.3% used) Procs~136 Client~Shell inxi~1.8.4

My motherboard is ASUS P5V800. Seems to have a built in sound card.

when I go to 'system settings' and then click on 'sound' the only tabs are "output", "input", "Sound effects", "applications". No Hardware tab.

Does anyone have any suggestions?

[SOLVED] see last post!!

[Kalyk]

First look in your BIOS as it might be disabled.
And isn't there a pci soundcard in one of the slots?
Because that could also disable the onboard audio.
Doesn't the audio work in the live environment either?
Try a live Mint 13, the Long Term Support version, there might be a problem in the latest version only.

[Thomas JC]

I checked the bios, the sound card is enabled.
I do not have a pci sound card.
The audio does not work in the live environment.
Are there any other suggestions other than changing to a different OS?

[gtsfer]

Try this (either of these will give you some additional info) ...

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inxi -Fx
inxi -A

Should give an indication of what sound chip you have for starters. It sounds like no driver is loaded, perhaps you can load one if you know where to look.

[Thomas JC]

This is what I got:

sandra@sandra-System-Product-Name ~ $ inxi -Fx
System: Host: sandra-System-Product-Name Kernel: 3.11.0-12-generic i686 (32 bit, gcc: 4.8.1)
Desktop: Gnome Distro: Linux Mint 16 Petra
Machine: Mobo: ASUSTeK model: P5V800-MX version: Rev 1.xx Bios: American Megatrends version: 0405 date: 11/24/2005
CPU: Single core Intel Pentium 4 CPU (-UP-) cache: 1024 KB flags: (lm nx sse sse2 sse3) bmips: 5319.82 clocked at 2659.913 MHz
Graphics: Card: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD/ATI] RV350 [Radeon 9550] bus-ID: 01:00.0
X.Org: 1.14.3 drivers: ati,radeon (unloaded: fbdev,vesa) Resolution: 1920x1080@60.0hz
GLX Renderer: Gallium 0.4 on ATI RV350 GLX Version: 2.1 Mesa 9.2.1 Direct Rendering: Yes
Audio: Card: VIA VT8237A/VT8251 HDA Controller bus-ID: 02:01.0 Sound: ALSA ver: k3.11.0-12-generic
Network: Card-1: VIA VT6102 [Rhine-II] driver: via-rhine port: d400 bus-ID: 00:12.0
IF: eth1 state: unknown speed: 100 Mbps duplex: full mac: 00:15:f2:5b:ee:cb
Card-2: ADMtek NC100 Network Everywhere Fast Ethernet 10/100 driver: tulip ver: 1.1.15 port: c800 bus-ID: 05:09.0
IF: eth0 state: unknown speed: N/A duplex: N/A mac: 00:1a:70:10:ba:5c
Drives: HDD Total Size: 320.1GB (1.5% used) 1: id: /dev/sda model: WDC_WD3200AAJB size: 320.1GB
Partition: ID: / size: 292G used: 4.4G (2%) fs: ext4 ID: /boot size: 236M used: 42M (19%) fs: ext2
ID: swap-1 size: 2.14GB used: 0.00GB (0%) fs: swap
RAID: No RAID devices detected - /proc/mdstat and md_mod kernel raid module present
Sensors: System Temperatures: cpu: 42.0C mobo: 41.0C
Fan Speeds (in rpm): cpu: 3590 sys-1: 0
Info: Processes: 132 Uptime: 1:43 Memory: 526.2/2016.0MB Runlevel: 2 Gcc sys: 4.8.1 Client: Shell inxi: 1.8.4

[Thomas JC]

And I got this;

sandra@sandra-System-Product-Name ~ $ inxi -A
Audio: Card: VIA VT8237A/VT8251 HDA Controller Sound: ALSA ver: k3.11.0-12-generic

[Thomas JC]

I don't know if thsi was the right thing to do, but I tried this:

$ /sbin/alsa force-reload
mkdir: cannot create directory ‘/var/run/alsa’: Permission denied
/sbin/alsa: Warning: Failed to create /var/run/alsa/.
/sbin/alsa: Warning: Not keeping list of removed modules because /var/run/alsa is absent.
It will not be possible automatically to reload these modules.
Unloading ALSA sound driver modules:/sbin/alsa: 135: /sbin/alsa: cannot create /var/run/alsa/modules-removed: Directory nonexistent
snd-hda-intel snd-hda-codec snd-hwdep snd-pcm snd-page-alloc snd-seq-midi snd-seq-midi-event snd-rawmidi snd-seq snd-seq-device snd-timer.
mkdir: cannot create directory ‘/var/run/alsa’: Permission denied
Loading ALSA sound driver modules: (none to reload).

Do I need to load different drivers for Linux. This computer always ran windows and the sound worked fine.

[gtsfer]

See if you can run this first. It looks alike a driver is loaded

Code: Select all

sudo alsamixer

And change the default sound device. If that fails see if this link helps. (the force-reload part) http://itsfoss.com/fix-sound-ubuntu-1304-quick-tip/

[Thomas JC]

Results:

$ sudo alsamixer
cannot open mixer: No such file or directory

[gtsfer]

Well the device is there (from the inxi command in Audio:) but there's no "Driver:" entry and there should be. It appears you don't have the alsa sound utilities installed either. I'm not sure if this will help, but you can try installing them for starters. In Synaptic "Package Manager" type" alsa in the search box. Click on both alsa-base and alsa-utils and install them both. Then you can retry the "sudo alsa force-reload" command.

This link has some suggestions about that particular sound chip as well. http://www.mysamplecode.com/2012/05/no- ... nt-12.html If none of this works we'll have to research that chip and driver a bit more. There are quite a few links on this driver not loading on installation in Linux.

[Thomas JC]

I'm sorry, I hate to sound like a complete moron, but I have no idea what this means:
"In Synaptic "Package Manager" type" alsa in the search box"

What is Synaptic "Package Manager"??

[Thomas JC]

i found Synaptic Package Manager. It took me a minute to think about how to find it.
Thank You.

[Thomas JC]

I tried reloading both alsa-base and alsa-utils. Then I retetried the "sudo alsa force-reload" command.

I also tried the suggestion at http://www.mysamplecode.com/2012/05/no- ... nt-12.html. Neither of these worked.

[Thomas JC]

I have googled and searched the forums and tried many things. Much of it I do not understand, although I have learned a lot since starting this adventure.
If anyone thinks of anything, please let me know.

[gtsfer]

Try alsamixer now that you have it installed. Don't give up yet, there's a sound chip detected. Just gotta find a way to load a simple driver for it.

Code: Select all

sudo alsamixer

See if you can use F6 to change the default sound device. It may work and there may be none detected yet. But with alsa loaded at least you'll be able to try some more options at this point.

[Thomas JC]

sudo alsamixer results:
$ sudo alsamixer cannot open mixer: No such file or directory

I could not figure out where to use F6 to change the default sound device. So I was not able to try that.

Just to be clear. Alsa was already loaded when I did what you suggested. There was a button that said reload or reinstall.
I clicked on that.

Thank you for your help. I appreciate the effort. I found a site that had a driver for linux and this sound card, and tried the instructions but I must be doing it wrong. Because nothing loads.

[Thomas JC]

[SOLVED]

Well after trying everything I could find in the forums and on google. Nothing made the sound work with this sound card.
So I went out and bought a new pci sound card. Pandora never sounded better.
I am wondering if the sound chip on my motherboard was some how damaged. I never got sound like I have now, even when it was working on windows.

Thanks for all your efforts!

[Chrisnz]

It might seem the thread is taken up again. I too have just reinstalled "Petra" on a new build PC.

Again as above i too have a "no sound" issue from the "on board sound chip".

I have no PCIx sound card fitted.

inxi -A gives me
Audio: Card: NVIDIA High Definition Audio Controller driver: snd_hda_intel Sound: ALSA ver: k3.11.0-12-generic

Inxi -Fx gives me
System: Host: z9box-desktop Kernel: 3.11.0-12-generic i686 (32 bit, gcc: 4.8.1) Desktop: N/A Distro: Linux Mint 16 Petra
Machine: Mobo: ASUSTeK model: M5A97 R2.0 version: Rev 1.xx Bios: American Megatrends version: 2103 date: 11/06/2013
CPU: Hexa core AMD FX-6300 Six-Core (-MCP-) cache: 12288 KB flags: (lm nx sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 sse4a ssse3 svm) bmips: 42141.8
Clock Speeds: 1: 1400.00 MHz 2: 1400.00 MHz 3: 1400.00 MHz 4: 1400.00 MHz 5: 1400.00 MHz 6: 1400.00 MHz
Graphics: Card: NVIDIA GT218 [GeForce 210] bus-ID: 06:00.0
X.Org: 1.14.3 drivers: (unloaded: fbdev,vesa) FAILED: nouveau Resolution: 1280x1024@60.0hz
GLX Renderer: Gallium 0.4 on NVA8 GLX Version: 3.0 Mesa 9.2.1 Direct Rendering: Yes
Audio: Card: NVIDIA High Definition Audio Controller driver: snd_hda_intel bus-ID: 06:00.1
Sound: Advanced Linux Sound Architecture ver: k3.11.0-12-generic
Network: Card-1: Realtek RTL8111/8168/8411 PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet Controller
driver: r8169 ver: 2.3LK-NAPI port: e000 bus-ID: 02:00.0
IF: eth0 state: up speed: 100 Mbps duplex: full mac: e0:3f:49:9f:99:d9
Card-2: Realtek RTL8188CUS 802.11n WLAN Adapter driver: rtl8192cu usb-ID: 0bda:8176
IF: wlan0 state: up mac: 00:e0:4c:04:9e:d0
Drives: HDD Total Size: 3000.6GB (8.0% used) 1: id: /dev/sda model: WDC_WD10EZEX size: 1000.2GB
2: USB id: /dev/sdb model: My_Book_1140 size: 2000.4GB
Partition: ID: / size: 913G used: 5.8G (1%) fs: ext4 ID: /boot size: 236M used: 42M (19%) fs: ext2
ID: swap-1 size: 4.19GB used: 0.00GB (0%) fs: swap
RAID: No RAID devices detected - /proc/mdstat and md_mod kernel raid module present
Sensors: None detected - is lm-sensors installed and configured?
Info: Processes: 204 Uptime: 6:29 Memory: 849.0/3931.8MB Runlevel: 2 Gcc sys: 4.8.1 Client: Shell inxi: 1.8.4

I tried the Force Reload alsa as well...

Terminating processes: 1905 10833 10896 10960 (with SIGKILL:) 11022 (failed: processes still using sound devices: 11086(pulseaudio)).
/sbin/alsa: Warning: Processes using sound devices: 11086(pulseaudio).
Unloading ALSA sound driver modules: snd-hda-codec-hdmi snd-hda-intel snd-hda-codec snd-hwdep snd-pcm snd-page-alloc snd-seq-midi snd-seq-midi-event snd-rawmidi snd-seq snd-seq-device snd-timer (failed: modules still loaded: snd-hda-codec-hdmi snd-hda-intel snd-hda-codec snd-hwdep snd-pcm snd-page-alloc snd-timer).
Loading ALSA sound driver modules: snd-hda-codec-hdmi snd-hda-intel snd-hda-codec snd-hwdep snd-pcm snd-page-alloc snd-seq-midi snd-seq-midi-event snd-rawmidi snd-seq snd-seq-device snd-timer.

Running a *Asus M5A97 R2.0 mobo. Everything else seems to work ok.

If any one can help please post me. I too am "feeling like Thomas JC do I really need to buy something else for the mobo??

[rijnsma]

I'm not so technical, but it reminds me of this: I couldn't record any sound in Mint 17 Qiana on an Asus-pc.

So good sound went in Mint 13 (and [X]ubuntu 12.04) so bad it was in this version of the OS.
(In Audacity there is no 'default mixer' for input of sound, it said, which I always used in the old Xubuntu and Mint 13.
Pulse did not do the trick.)

Recording was not possible with Audacity, not with MhWavedit, not with QArecord. I had seen it already in Xubuntu 14.04.
I expected Clem to correct that problem because sound is one of his speciallities. It almost always works out of the box.
And recording etc. is so important these days. So far so good.


In the meantime I cán record now. Tiny monitor-switch in the 'recording-section' of pulse, wich lights up when some device is present if all is right (Qarecord does only some noise-recording). But finding out was sort of accident. I don't know what it was in detail.
I hope sometime a sound-system will come along which is clear for dummies like me and understandable.