# nForce2 doesn't work

## gearheadsmp

I've got the modules for ALSA 0.9.2 installed, and it loads ok.  /dev/dsp and /dev/sound/audio,dsp,mixer are there.  But when I try to actually use the sound, even when I max it to 100% in alsamixer, all I get is faint popping noises - only when I max the volume on my headphones or speakers.  Aside from uninstalling and reinstalling all the Alsa packages, I don't know what else to do.  I already tried installing the nForce sound modules, and they behaved the same way - no sound when I tried 'cat /bin/* > aplay' or 'cat /bin/* > /dev/dsp'.

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## blueworm

i have an asus a7n8x . to make the onboard audio work I downloaded

 alsa-driver-0.9.0rc8d.tar.bz.2

 alsa-lib-0.9.0rc8c.tar.bz2

 alsa-utils-0.9.0rc8a.tar.bz2

and followed to the letter the instructions regarding intel8x0

You can find the instructions at this url:- http://www.alsa-project.org/alsa-doc/doc-php/template.php3?company=Intel&card=i820&chip=i820&module=intel8x0

You will also have to include the following modules in your modules.autoload:

snd-intel8x0

snd-pcm-oss

snd-mixer-oss

snd-seq-oss

and bear in mind the first time you boot levels will be muted

type:

$amixer set Master 100 unmute

$amixer set PCM 100 unmute

I find it easier to use kmix because I always forget the comands

anyhow  I must find out howto configure so that my settings are remembered without using kde (I run fluxbox)

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## gearheadsmp

I removed and recompiled the driver (0.9.2), and still no joy.  My board is a Biostar M7NCG.

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## gearheadsmp

Does anyone here have a Biostar M7NCG (or nForce2) that has experienced a similar issue?  The modules load fine, and they don't cause errors or lockups.  I even disabled APIC & ACPI just to make sure.

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## Martigen

I've made an nforce2 drivers ebuild of the latest 1.0-0256 drivers for sound and network you can grab here.

Just decompress it to /usr/portage/sys-apps and emerge nforce-drivers. Take note of the message after installation.

Modprobe the nvaudio.o module and use aumix (emerge aumix) to unmute channels.

SPDIF is supported in the new drivers, and works like a charm  :Smile: 

Mart

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## gearheadsmp

Ok, here's my dmesg for nvaudio. 

```
PCI: Setting latency timer of device 00:04.0 to 64

Nvidia + AC97 Audio, version 0.24, 00:39:01 May 15 2003

Nvaudio: in Funcction Nvaudio_init_module 

PCI: Setting latency timer of device 00:06.0 to 64

Nvaudio: NVIDIA nForce2 Audio found at IO 0xdc00 and 0xd800, IRQ 12

Nvaudio: Audio Controller supports 6 channels.

NVaudio: Defaulting to base 2 channel mode.

ac97_codec: AC97 Audio codec, id: ALG32(ALC650)

Nvaudio: only 48Khz playback available.

Nvaudio: AC'97 codec 0, new EID value = 0x05c7

Nvaudio: AC'97 codec 0, DAC map configured, total channels = 6

Nvaudio: PROBE is done 
```

And here's my currently loaded modules:

```
Module                  Size  Used by    Tainted: P  

nvidia               1536672  10  (autoclean)

w83781d                20336   0  (unused)

nvaudio                31060   0 

ac97_codec             11080   0  [nvaudio]

nvnet                  26464   1 

```

I set the Vol, PCM, and Speaker to 100% in aumix.  When I try to play the Nvidia SoundStorm MP3 with mpg123, it gives me this error:

```
No supported rate found!
```

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## Martigen

Don't use mpg123  :Smile:  The nforce audio driver currently fixes the output rate to 48KHz, which mpg123 doesn't support (as the error message states). Use XMMS, or madplay, or one of many other players which do.

Mart

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## delaowen

martigen, 

I have spdif working with the nividia drivers, but I don't have all my speakers (5.1) working. Do you? What have you done?

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## gearheadsmp

I tried both madplay and XMMS, and they both displayed the same "issue": when I listen to an MP3 it plays the song, but very faintly (I have to turn my speakers all the way up).  And even then, it's crackly and difficult to make out the lyrics.  Thanks for the help so far guys.   :Very Happy: 

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## gearheadsmp

I've identified the "issue" -  it's all my music at 48khz.  I  tried setting the PCM to 75%, 70%, and 50%, but that didn't resolve it.

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## gearheadsmp

Does anyone know how to "fix" the nvaudio driver so that it doesn't force-play sound at 48khz?  I've tried ALSA(0.9.2), and it behaved in similar fasion (faint scratchy noise).

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## gearheadsmp

I've given up on Nvidia's nForce2 sound driver.  I put my trusty SB Live! in it.  I dunno if the sound was wanked because of heat or what, but I'd love to test it with a LiveCD disk sometime to make sure it's just not defective hardware *cough* Biostar *cough*.  Working 2 channel sound is better than wanked 6-channel sound, IMHO.

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## ksuther

I've tried using nvaudio with my nForce2, and when I try to modprobe it the whole system locks up.   :Shocked: 

I'm using ALSA now, but it's not working too well: https://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic.php?p=330103#330103

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## gearheadsmp

I looked at a bunch of the sound posts on nforcershq.com forums, and it appears my "issue" could be IRQ sharing.  But my bios (Biostar board, award bios) doesn't have an option that say, "Plug and Play OS installed" - it just has ACPI and APIC.  And I don't think APIC or ACPI work that well with the nForce2 in Linux (especially ACPI).  APIC is activated according to dmesg, but it doesn't do anything particularly usefull, such as double the amount of IRQ's (which is what APIC is supposed to do AFAIK).

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