Via 8235 AC97 sound workaround

[rblanken]

I'm finding a lot to like about Knoppix, but it won't operate onboard sound--Via 8235 AC97-- unless " knoppix alsa" is entered on the boot command line.

With hard drive Knoppix installation I've found no way to make the sound system work. Alsa is installed, according to KDE software configuration tables. The enable sound system box is checked on sound configuration panel, but no cigar. SuSE 9.0 runs the sound without any massaging.

What needs to be added or modified to start up Alsa at bootup on hard drive Knoppix installation?

Stumped Texan

[pulsar]

If you use xmms, after installing knoppix you might try to ''apt-get install xmms-alsa'' in a shell as root.

[cintra]

I'm finding a lot to like about Knoppix, but it won't operate onboard sound--Via 8235 AC97-- unless " knoppix alsa" is entered on the boot command line.

With hard drive Knoppix installation I've found no way to make the sound system work. Alsa is installed, according to KDE software configuration tables. The enable sound system box is checked on sound configuration panel, but no cigar. SuSE 9.0 runs the sound without any massaging.

What needs to be added or modified to start up Alsa at bootup on hard drive Knoppix installation?

Stumped Texan

Hei rblanken

Does your lsmod look anything like this?

bash-2.05b# lsmod
Module Size Used by
tda9887 6532 0
tuner 16652 0
saa7134 86988 0
video_buf 16004 1 saa7134
i2c_core 18836 3 tda9887,tuner,saa7134
ir_common 3716 1 saa7134
tg3 78980 0
rivafb 45636 0
uhci_hcd 28428 0
snd_intel8x0 28552 1
snd_ac97_codec 63236 1 snd_intel8x0
snd_mpu401_uart 6144 1 snd_intel8x0
snd_rawmidi 19520 1 snd_mpu401_uart
snd_pcm_oss 48040 0
snd_pcm 80548 3 snd_intel8x0,snd_pcm_oss
snd_page_alloc 8840 2 snd_intel8x0,snd_pcm
snd_timer 20868 1 snd_pcm
snd_mixer_oss 17152 1 snd_pcm_oss
snd 44388 9 snd_intel8x0,snd_ac97_codec,snd_mpu401_uart,snd_ra wmidi,snd_pcm_oss,snd_pcm,snd_timer,snd_mixer_oss
soundcore 7520 2 saa7134,snd
sd_mod 15872 2
hisax 236740 2
isdn 131040 3 hisax
slhc 6400 1 isdn
unix 22832 222

and, can you run alsamixer and/or Kmix?

regards

[rblanken]

Pulsar and Cintra:

Thanks for your replies. Package xxmx-alsa is not present on my installation, so I assume l need to download it in order to run " apt-get install xxms-alsa ". Will study the matter further.

My understanding of Linux is probably too limited to fully understand cintra's suggestion as stated. Running lsmod produced a return that did not resemble cintra's. Your listing was clearly sound oriented. The return I got was a simple listing of a variety of modules unrelated to sound.

Regarding alsamixer, it is not an option in Knoppix 3.4, as nearly as I can determine. K-Mix works when operating from CD, and sound works (with boot instruction" knoppix alsa", as I said before) The notation "VIA 8235 appears at the bottom of the mixer panel.

Operating Knoppix fom hard drive, K-Mix appears with fewer sliders controlling inputs and outputs, no sound present in any mode, and the notation "UNKNOWN" appears at the bottom of the mixer panel.

I may need further clarification regarding lsmod, in order to answer cintra's question.

Thanks again for your interest and responses, my friends.

rblanken

[rblanken]

Typo correction on previous reply: I meant to type "xxms-alsa" package is not present.

rblanken

[cintra]

Hei again

I'm back on Knoppix.. the lsmod I sent you was from a similar Gentoo setup. I just wanted you to be sure you had the snd entries.

Here on knoppix I still use 'alsa' on the boot line of my grub menu.lst entry and notice, when booting now without it, that snd entries in lsmod look OK, alsamixer works OK, but I have no sound.. i.e. try putting alsa in your boot line..

regards

[champagnemojo]

Try logging in as root and running:

/etc/init.d/alsa-autoconfig

[rblanken]

Ran alsa-autoconfig as suggested, no error msg, but still no sound. Verified presence of /etc/init/d/alsa-autoconfig, and see a link to /usr.sbin/alsa_init. Also see alsa snddevices file in /usr/sbin.

In sound system panel of KDE control center when I select ALSA, and apply, I get a message that indicates error while initializing sound driver, & says default device can't be opened for playback (no sound driver)

rblanken

[rblanken]

Reading /etc/init.d/alsaconfig with KWrite (I'm in way over my head, but this looks like C++), the remarks imply that onboard sound is not supported, only pci-pnp cards. I have the feeling a programmer could sort this out. Deep puzzlement as to why the sound can be made to work running a Knoppix CD, but not when running a hard drive installation. It seems to have been done intentionally. Maybe I'll just have to hope for the remedy in a future release of Knoppix.

rblanken

[champagnemojo]

I don't know what to tell you. Could it be a bios setting? Maybe you have onboard sound turned off or something? It's possible someone could help you if you posted your lsmod output.

Onboard soundcards will work with linux. Don't give up...you'll figure it out.

[Xwrapper3]

hi

i'm new to the board and hope to learn alot. that being said, i have a simular problem. i have an abit board with the onboard nvidia soundstorm audio. in the control center i get sound when i click the test button, but not the midi test button. cd audio won't play in any of the audio programs installed with the knoppix distro(hdd installed) but will play with the xine program only. i ran the soundcard config program(the one that warns you about running in x window) and it recognized the sound chip but stated that it wasn't supported. but i do get sound with xine. any ideas on this will be appreciated. TIA

[srivas]

In order to get the onboard AC97 sound working from Hard disk install, you will have to do the correct installation. As U are aware that if U boot from CD using "knoppix alsa" at booth prompt, that sound works fine. So U boot from CD using "knoppix alsa" and then do the HD installation. U can also make the Boot floppy during install and then U will find that sound will work even from HD install.
I have got that working last night.

[klokwork]

Xwrapper3:

Hey, I had exactly the same problem, and as far as I know I am using the oss drivers. Everything worked great from a CD boot, but I could only get sound from xmms and that "test sound" button in the KDE control centre after a hdd install.

I'm not sure exactly what I did.
Try editing ~/.kde/share/config/knotifyrc


[StartProgress]
Arts Init=true
KNotify Init=true
Use Arts=true

I messed mine up by setting an external player in "Player Settings" and then KDE wouldn't let me remove it again, and had to edit this config file. I don't know what the default settings of this file were, but it seems to work okay for me know.

[after this and before i noticed the sound was working fine, I booted with the 2.6.6 kernel which seemed to have more luck with my soundcard (but not with anything X) so I don't know if this triggered something instead]

k.