Getting Sound Card to work.

M

Mandane

Limp Gawd
Joined
Nov 12, 2003
Messages
164
Yes, I would like to get my sound card working... but I'm not sure how.

I have an Integrated Audio card... so I'm guessing I need to install an Intel driver or something... but I don't know.

I've already compiled the kernel and included any Intel sound drivers, but sound still doesn't exist.

Mandane

P.S.- If it helps, whenever I try to play an audio file, it comes up with an error in my terminal saying that it cannot open audio device "/dev/sound/psd" : No such file or directory.
 
What distro, and if you upgraded the kernel - what version?
 
I'm currently running Gentoo... and running linux Kernel 2.6.8.

Mandane
 
What sound chipset do you have? I run gentoo; I can walk you through it, but I'd need to make sure Alsa supports the chip first (it supports most of 'em).
 
did you emerge alsa-utils?

if you did:
run alsamixer
Raise the volume in Master to 100% and make sure its not muted (would have MM on top, press M to unmute), and do the same for PCM.
 
Hmm... when running alsamixer, I get this error:

function snd_ctl_open failed for default: No such file or directory

Umm... I get that a file or directory wasn't found... but I don't know how to refer that back to the function snd_ctl_open....

Mandane
 
Are you using KDE 3.2 by any chance?? there is a known sound problem with it. Let me know if you are and I'll help you through it.
 
Okay... I followed those instructions, but it seems that I'm missing the snd-intel8x0 module.

Umm... would you happen to know where I could find it?

Mandane

Note: I don't know if it is the "snd-intel8x0" module, or the "intel8x0" module. Either way, I seem to be missing it.
 
What do you mean your missing it?

It's not one of the options in the kernel? or you don't have it available already as a module?
 
I'm guessing both.

I looked in my kernel, and I don't see an option for it.

Mandane
 
It in --

Device Drivers > Sound > Advanced Linux Sound Architecture > PCI devices > Intel i8x0

there are two options for that device, not sure which one you would need.

If it's not there, what kernel version are you using?
 
puck said:
If it's not there, what kernel version are you using?
Click to expand...
I'm currently running Gentoo... and running linux Kernel 2.6.8.
Click to expand...

it should be there. Go to the device driver section specified above, and you might as well compile it in as its not like you will be removing sound support ever. Once you have the kernel compiled with the correct driver, emerge alsa-utils (you should already have it), and run

amixer set Master 100 unmute
amixer set PCM 100 unmute

should work then. also, look at the gentoo alsa guide. It should walk you through the whole process
 
Crap... sorry... I screwed up there. Yeah.. it's there.

Okay, but when I try to run amixer, I get this error:

Mixer attach default error: No such file or directory

Also, what would I put in my /etc/modules.d/alsa file.... I had it to where it said: snd-intel8x0, snd-i8x0, and snd-Intel8x0... but nothing works. Everytime I reboot my system, it just says that the modules could not be found. I've even left off the 'snd-' part (I don't know if that was a good idea)... but still nothing.

Mandane
 
look in /lib/modules/(kernel version)/kernel/sound

and see if anything close to the module name is in there
 
do you have a kernel with the correct alsa driver options? you will need to specify i8x0 under
device drivers->sound->alsa->pci devices and recompile your kernel. but first, see if you already have the modules
see if
find /lib/modules -name *.ko | grep i8x0
returns anything. If it does, modprobe the module name. For example, /lib/modules/2.6.8/blah blah blah/snd-alsa-i8x0.ko would be
modprobe snd-alsa-i8x0 (as root) (just and example)
 
The only folder I have in the /lib/modules/2.6.8-gentoo-r3/kernel/ directory is drivers.

Mandane
 
as i read the posts, it seems that you havent compiled your modules? have you?

cd /usr/src/linux

make xconfig

check the that intel8x0 is selected as module

make && make modules_install
this compiles only the newly added modules and should be really quick

modprobe snd-intel8x0

then on gentoo:
edit your /etc/modules.autoload.d/kernel-2.6 file and add

snd-intel8x0

after that you should be able to run all that alsamixer-related stuff.

and have you tried the the docs at www.alsa-project.org ?
they're bulletproof for setting up youre sound...
 
Okay... I just realized my mistake. I wasn't compiling them as modules... Hmm....

Thanks, but I have one last question:

What does this error mean: Unable to find simple control 'Master',0? I get it whenever I run "amixer".

Mandane
 
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