No sound from Toshiba Satellite 4020CDT

[RK]

I have been unable to get my soundcard in my Toshiba Satellite 4020CDT working with Knoppix v 3.3 (Nov 19 ed).

I tired the following at boot:

fb1024x768 lang=us dma screen=1024x768 alsa=opl3sa2

But Knoppix could NOT find the opl3sa2 module. (I also tried alsa=opl3sa and just alsa alone for autoconfig. I also tried pci=biosirq. None of these kernel options work. ).

Apparently, the snd-opl3sa2 module for ALSA does exist. The web site refers to it. If you go to Linux on Laptops website and check out user posts on the 4020CDT laptop, others have been able to get ALSA working with the opl3sa2 module using other Linux distributions.

Perhaps the opl3sa2 ALSA module is missing in Knoppix?

Oh yes, I tried running sndconfig but it fails with a "segmentation" fault message.

Any ideas?

Is there a way I can compile the opl3sa2 module using Knoppix and install it at boot up using a floppy?


Rob

[rickenbacherus]

The opl3sa2 is a sound blaster compatible card. You may have some luck after boot with

sudo modprobe sb irq=5

Drop the irq paramater if you need to.

[RK]

I tired sudo modprobe sb irq=5. Still nothing happens.
I suspect the real problem is the absence of the snd-opl3sa2 ALSA driver. It is not on the CD...

Rob

[jschuk]

I found this when I googled for "opl3 modprobe "tecra 8000"".
I think I tried this without the alsa option.
Boot to Knoppix.
Go to root shell (under Knoppix menu) and change password "passwd".
Type in:
insmod soundcore
insmod sound
insmod mpu401
insmod ad1848 io=0x530 irq=5 dma=1 dma2=0
insmod opl3 io=0x388
Now I have sound (for my Tecra 8000 - opl3-sa2)

[RK]

Thanks that worked!!!

I also found an easier way. Use the alsa=opl3sa2 boot option. It will load soundcore, sound, mpu401 and ad1848. But it will fail to load opl3sa2 since it needs irq, dma, dma2, io and io_mss.

So you can type

Modprobe opl3sa2 irq=5 dma=1 dma2=0 io=0x220 mss_io=0x530

Then everything will work. I do not know what mss_io is for but modprobe needs it.

I wish I can pass arguments with the ALSA boot option at boot time.

Maybe I will try passing arguments with the alsa boot option using quotes like -- Alsa="opl3sa2 irq=5 dma=1 dma2=0 io=0x220 mss_io=0x530"

I doubt that will work at boot up time. So I am stuck with typing in a modprobe command after the system has booted up.

Is there a way I can get Knoppix to automatically type this modprobe command for me at boot up? Can Knoppix be told to load and execute any start up files from the Hard disk during bootup?

Rob

[RK]

Here are some more of my findings.

I could not pass any arguments in the ALSA=opl3sa2 boot option.

I must type the modprobe command.

But something strange happens when I use modprobe.

The first time I type modprobe it chokes.

e.g.
modprobe opl3sa2 irq=5 dma=1 dma2=0 io=0x538 mss_io=0x530

It complains that control io 0x530 is not free but seemed to load the module.

I tried io=0x220 where I got the message that the io 220 is not a YMF7xx chipset and the module was not loaded.

I must type the modprobe again.
e.g
modprobe opl3sa2 irq=5 dma=1 dma2=0 io=0x220 mss_io=0x530

Then it works! Very strange.

Can anyone tell me what the io and mss_io arguments are? I looked at the alsa website but could not get any answers.

Rob

[RK]

I finally figured out how to use the 'modprobe opl3sa2' command properly.

Here is how you can get a laptop with the Yamaha opl3sa2 sound chip working under Knoppix.

1) Use the 'alsa=opl3sa2' boot option when booting off the Knoppix CD.

2) After Knoppix has loaded the desktop, switch to the root console. (i.e. Click on the Knoppix icon in KDE and select root console)

3) Type the following into the root console:

modprobe soundcore
modprobe sound
modprobe opl3sa2 irq=5 dma=1 dma2=0 io=0x538 mss_io=0x530 \
mpu_io=0x330

That's it! Your opl3sa2 sound chip will now be working!!
Too bad the alsa=opl3sa2 doesn't do all this automatically..

Rob

[Stephen]

That's it! Your opl3sa2 sound chip will now be working!!
Too bad the alsa=opl3sa2 doesn't do all this automatically..

Rob

File a bug report in the Bugzilla.

[Maverick45]

I know this is an old thread, but I have a silly question. I'm on a Tecra 8000 and have installed to the local HD. How do I set it up to do the alsa command on startup? I'm a newb with Linux, so any help is greatly appreciated. thank you.