Sound problem

[toothandnail]

I'm running Salix (64-bit) on an HP dc7900 small form factor machine. I had some problems with the onboard video (could only get X to run by using modeset=0, which messed up a few other things), so I fitted an Ausus EN210 pci-e video card (Geoforce G210 chipset). That works pretty well, except it seems to have killed the onboard sound - I have no sound, and an lspci only shows the Nvidia sound, which is not usable, since it is associated with the HDMI support on the card. This is what lspci give me:

Code: Select all

20:00.0 VGA compatible controller: nVidia Corporation GT218 [GeForce 210] (rev a2) (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
        Subsystem: ASUSTeK Computer Inc. EN210 SILENT
        Flags: bus master, fast devsel, latency 0, IRQ 16
        Memory at f2000000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=16M]
        Memory at e0000000 (64-bit, prefetchable) [size=256M]
        Memory at f0000000 (64-bit, prefetchable) [size=32M]
        I/O ports at 1100 [size=128]
        [virtual] Expansion ROM at f3080000 [disabled] [size=512K]
        Capabilities: [60] Power Management version 3
        Capabilities: [68] MSI: Enable- Count=1/1 Maskable- 64bit+
        Capabilities: [78] Express Endpoint, MSI 00
        Capabilities: [b4] Vendor Specific Information: Len=14 <?>
        Capabilities: [100] Virtual Channel
        Capabilities: [128] Power Budgeting <?>
        Capabilities: [600] Vendor Specific Information: ID=0001 Rev=1 Len=024 <?>
        Kernel driver in use: nouveau
        Kernel modules: nouveau, nvidiafb

20:00.1 Audio device: nVidia Corporation High Definition Audio Controller (rev a1)
        Subsystem: ASUSTeK Computer Inc. Device 8334
        Flags: bus master, fast devsel, latency 0, IRQ 17
        Memory at f3000000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=16K]
        Capabilities: [60] Power Management version 3
        Capabilities: [68] MSI: Enable- Count=1/1 Maskable- 64bit+
        Capabilities: [78] Express Endpoint, MSI 00
        Kernel driver in use: HDA Intel
        Kernel modules: snd-hda-intel

The Nvidia high def audio controller is the only audio device that appears in the list. Prior to installing the video card, I had audio from the onboard audio (can't recall what it is, looks like I'll have to pull the video card to find out).

Can anyone suggest a way of fixing this? I've no real use for the Nvida audio (even assuming I could get it to do something), and would like my normal sound back.....

Paul.

[caitlyn]

Do you know what audio chipset the onboard sound uses? Have you tried blacklisting the NVIDIA audio driver?

[toothandnail]

Do you know what audio chipset the onboard sound uses? Have you tried blacklisting the NVIDIA audio driver?

Sorry for the slow reply - until a few minutes ago, I was only able to access the machine remotely...

I'm not sure about the audio chipset. I think its Intel HDA, but the Nvidia seems to be obscuring it. lspci doesn't show it at all - only shows the Nvidia, though even then, the loaded modules seem strange:

Code: Select all

        Kernel driver in use: HDA Intel
        Kernel modules: snd-hda-intel

I had a look at the loaded modules, and found snd_hda_codec_hdmi. Blacklisted that, and now the mixer won't load - complains that it can't find an audio device.

Very strange. It seems that the Nvidia HDMI stuff is obscuring the onboard sound completely. I'm not sure if there is any way to fix this. I don't have any real need for the HDMI on this machine - its purely an office machine. I can probably survive without sound completely, but it would be nice to get it to work.

Paul.

[Shador]

Maybe you have a bios option to explicitly enable/disable on-board sound? Set it to on/enabled and not auto/off/....

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1731782

[toothandnail]

Maybe you have a bios option to explicitly enable/disable on-board sound? Set it to on/enabled and not auto/off/....

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1731782

Thanks for the link. I'll have a look when I get home in the morning (I do love night shifts... NOT). I can't remember looking at the options in the BIOS, so it may well be similar auto/on/off type setup.

Paul.

[thenktor]

New graphics cards with HDMI out usually have an audio controller on board, e.g. my AMD graphics card uses snd-hda-intel module, too. Of course this audio out only works with the HDMI connection, but maybe it is set as default for you. You can check if you have more sound cards availabel with alsamixer and pressing F6.

[toothandnail]

New graphics cards with HDMI out usually have an audio controller on board, e.g. my AMD graphics card uses snd-hda-intel module, too. Of course this audio out only works with the HDMI connection, but maybe it is set as default for you. You can check if you have more sound cards availabel with alsamixer and pressing F6.

Shador had the clue When I got home this morning I went into the BIOS and found that the system had automatically disabled the onboard sound when I installed the Nvidia card. I've now got it up and running. I'd be interested to see whether the HDMI audio works as well, but don't have any way of testing it at present.

What threw me was I installed an identical card in an earlier HP small-form-factor machine (a dc7700). In that instance, the onboard sound continued to work, and I had trouble (under Windows) getting the HDMI sound to work. I found a way round that problem - its a client's machine, and I've now converted him to Salix.....

Paul