No sound for Via AC'97 in Slackware 8.1

[Shilo]

I am new to Linux and this last week I installed Slakware 8.1. I did a full install form the ISO. I haven't been able to get any sound at all. I have a via vt82c686a motherboard which, I believe, has on-board sound.

What I've got:

********** From Windows Device Manger **********

ESS Solo-1 PCI AudioDrive (WDM)
Interrupt Request 05
Input/Output Range 9400-943f
Input/Output Range 9800-980F
Input/Output Range 9c00-9C0F
Input/Output Range A000-A003
Input/Output Range A400-A403
VIA AC'97 Audio Controller (WDM)
Interrupt Request 10
Input/Output Range B800-B8FF
Input/Output Range BC00-BC03
Input/Output Range C000-c003

********** From dos command 'set' **********

BLASTER=A220 I5 D1 T4 P330

Which I believe means that for my sound card -
Address= 220
Interrupt= 5
DMA Channel= 1
T= I don't know what this is
Port= 4
****************************************
What I've tried (suggestions I read on this forum):

- chmod 666 /dev/dsp
- chmod 666 /dev/mixer
- /sbin/modprobe via82cxxx_audio
- re-named /dev/audio to /dev/audiobak
- turned up the volume on my mixer in gnome
- tried playing an audio cd (looked like it was playing, no sound)
- tried playing sounds from the gnome control center (no sound)
- tried to recompile the kernel, (got an error message about ESS Solo-1 and an invalid gameport?)
- Looked for my sound card in /etc/rc.d/rc.modules to uncomment it (it wasn't listed)

I am very new to Linux and am not 100% on compiling the kernel, but when used make menuconfig, it looks like all of the sound cards are already set as modules. I would think that I would just have to /sbin/modprobe the correct module to get sound. I have included all of the info I could get from Windows ME, but the device manager for ME does not give me DMA or any other information other than what I have posted.

Sorry to be so long winded, but I wanted to make sure and include everything I know about my system and what I've tried. I have tried all of this as root to ensure it wasn't a problem with permissions or something.

Any help will be greatly appreciated

TIA,

Shilo

shilo_bacca@hotmail.com

[mdwatts]

First of all, make sure you have PnP OS disabled in the bios as that alone can cause certain devices to not be detected and configured.

You can look through these G4L search results for 'vt82c 686a ac97' (http://www.google.com/linux?hl=en&lr=&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=vt82c686a+ac97) to see if you can find any suggestions that might help.

What sound modules does 'lsmod' show as being loaded?

Try the volume controls in aumix to see if they help. Ensure nothing is muted.

[JohnT]

Your sound module should be in /lib/modules/2.x.x/

If you know the module that is supposed to load at the terminal type in

insmod xxxxx
(where x's are name of module).
This will load your kernel if it's available.
See manpages "man insmod".



Then go to your /etc/rc.d/rc.modules and add the line at the end to reflect it, such as

/sbin/modprobe xxxxxxx
(where x's are name of module).

Save and reboot. This might not be the total solution at this time, but these are necessary steps to further configuring your sound. Re-post after you've done this.

[Shilo]

Thank you both for your replies. I am still working at getting sound, but I am definately on the right track.

After posting, I tried /sbin/modprobe esssolo1 and it appeared to work. I tried using kde instead of gnome and almost fell over when I heard sound during the splash screen. I then changed back to gnome, but didn't hear any sounds. Not to fear, I just adjusted the sound settings in control center and I got sound, albiet a litlle "crackle-y".

Well, here is the sad part. I had already used /sbin/modprobe via82cxxx_audio, so I added the lines
/sbin/modprobe via82c_xxx_audio
/sbin/modprobe esssolo1
to my etc/rc.d/rc.modules sound section and rebooted. NO SOUND!!! Well, almost no sound. I found that I could play CDs now.

So I am still a little stuck and a little confused.

The output of lsmod is as follows:

Module Size Used by Not tainted
pcmcia_core 40896 0
ide-scsi 7456 0
8139too 13792 1
mii 1008 0 [8139too]
esssolo1 25504 1
gameport 1308 0 [esssolo1]
via82cxxx_audio 18080 2
ac97_codec 9568 0 [via82cxxx_audio]
soundcore 3236 6 [esssolo1 via82cxxx_audio]

I hope this helps. Will disabling PnP OS in my BIOS affect Windows Millenium? (I have my computer set up to dual boot.)

What is aumix? I have used kmix and don't see anything muted. It may be helpful to not that when I use the sound mixer in gnome or kde, I see two tabs, one labled 'ESS Solo1', and another labled 'SigmaTel STAC????'. I don't know if the 'SigmaTel STAC????' is supposed to be there or if it is supposed to have those question marks.

Also, when I run the aRts control tool, it indicates that sounds are being produced whenever I do anything, I just don't hear them.

Thanks again for the replies. They both helped. Hope that you have some more ideas.

TIA,
Shilo
shilo_bacca@hotmail.com

[JohnT]

Links to .................................................. ....

SigmaTelSTAC???? (http://www.google.com/linux?hl=en&lr=&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=SigmaTel+STAC%3F%3F%3F%3F&btnG=Google+Search)

My thinking is that it should be one or another.

Do you use those other modules (sound) listed under the lsmod command ?

[JohnT]

I have only my chipset module loaded (cmpci) and soundcore (cmpci). In KDE, aRts is enabled. I don't use Gnome. In my /etc/rc.d/rc.modules only the one chipset is loaded. My sound is fine on my box with these settings. Your sound card seems to get variable mileage with these settings.

[Shilo]

Success!!!

That last tip got me to thinking something I should have thought of already. I simply uncommented the /sbin/modprobe via82cxxx_audio so that I only had /sbin/modprobe esssolo1 . I re-booted and everything is working great. Such a simple solution, it made me feel slow for taking so long to figure it out. Thanks to everyone for your help. Now I can get on with learning how to configure my dvd-rom and cd-rw.

I'm really liking the fact that I am learning a whole lot just getting Slackware set up.

A tip for anyone else trying to configure sound, go to the device manager in Windows and write down all of the sound card information. Then, in x-windows, use the file search tool and type the first few letters of your sound card name, followed by an '*' (an asterick, without quotes). Then look at the results that end with '.o' . Try to /sbin/modprobe the ones that look like the name of your card. That's how I found the esssolo1 module that I needed.

[JohnT]

Originally posted by Shilo
Success!!!
I'm really liking the fact that I am learning a whole lot just getting Slackware set up.

One of the best for learning Linux conventions. You'll find that due to Slacks directory structure it will be the easiest to install new software by downloading source and compiling. Optimizes excellently.