# I can't find out how to compile my sound card?

## jazzi

```
# lspci | grep -i audio

00:05.0 Audio device:nVidia Corporation MCP61 High Definition Audio(rev a2)
```

 *Quote:*   

> My mainbord is BIOSTAR's NF6IV Micro AM2
> 
> Sound card is Realtek ALC8616

 

My alsa doesn't work now, havn't I compiled it into the kernel? 

Could someone show the the detail steps of how to compil it?

I'm using gentoo-2.6.24-r8

Thanks.

jazzi

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## jazzi

IN the ALSA sound matrix card:http://bugtrack.alsa-project.org/main/index.php/Matrix:Main

Which driver should I choose?

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## cyrillic

In most cases, you want to use the kernel's alsa instead of the media-sound/alsa-driver package.

Here is the one for your soundcard.

```
Device Drivers  --->

  Sound  --->

    Advanced Linux Sound Architecture  --->

      PCI devices  --->

        <M> Intel HD Audio

        [*]   Build Realtek HD-audio codec support 
```

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## jazzi

Thanks, there is another problem.

```
# alsamixer

no mixer elems found
```

So, I still got no sound now.

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## jazzi

In this post I found the same problem, his solution is 

```
alsamixer -c 1
```

I have only one soundcard, so I 

```
alsamixer -c 0
```

but got the same error

 *Quote:*   

> No mixer elems found

 

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## mikegpitt

Is the snd-intel-hda module loaded?  You might want to check out this link:

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=202555&highlight=sound+acer&page=5

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## DaggyStyle

 *jazzi wrote:*   

> 
> 
> ```
> # lspci | grep -i audio
> 
> ...

 

have you tried to upgrade to most stable kernel?

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## i92guboj

 *cyrillic wrote:*   

> In most cases, you want to use the kernel's alsa instead of the media-sound/alsa-driver package.
> 
> Here is the one for your soundcard.
> 
> ```
> ...

 

cyrllic already told you: go to your kernel source directory, usually /usr/src/linux/, do "make menuconfig", Select that option in your kernel menu. Then exit and save the options, do "make && make install modules_install". Reboot.

Until the new driver is loaded the mixer device will not be found, and hence, alsamixer will not work. You can check the modules that are loaded with "lsmod" as root. Of course, that will not work if you compiled the driver statically (marked as <*> instead of <M> in the kernel config.

When recompiling your kernel:

1.- make sure you choose the same exact version that you are using (the info of uname -r and the link shown by ls -ld /usr/src/linux/ should match, if not, correct the link)

2.- note that more than one kernel might reside under /usr/src/, this is why (1) is important

3.- remember to mount /boot/ if it's a separate partition before doing the make install part

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## jazzi

yeah, my kernel is updated.

and snd_hda_intel has been loaded.

```
alsamixer -c 1
```

I can open the window but has no master

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## mikegpitt

If you can open alsamixer it probably means your card is working.  Some cards I've seen don't have a Master channel.  I would unmute and turn up the volume on anything that looks like PCM, Front, Center, Surround, Side, Rear, Headphone, etc...

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## jazzi

I'll try 

```
amixer set Master unmute

amixer set Master 75%
```

or

```
alsactl
```

and see what I get.

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## jazzi

part of them solved, run alsamixer, i got master now.

but still have no sound, i've set master 80%

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## mikegpitt

 *jazzi wrote:*   

> part of them solved, run alsamixer, i got master now.
> 
> but still have no sound, i've set master 80%

 Can you post all the channels the percent volume and if they are muted or not?

Alos, make sure Master and PCM is not muted and PCM's volume is turned up.  Also make sure your speakers are plugged into the green input.

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