# sound card not detected

## Wyrm

I have 2.6.5-gentoo-r1 and alsa 0.9.8. I followed the alsa-installation guide, but my sound card isn't being detected. It also doesn't show up on the ALSA SC matrix.

My southbridge is a VIA VT8237, but I also have a PCI audio controller (VIA VT1720). Is there anything I can do? It seems my board is too new for the alsa-drivers.

----------

## x2z

probably use the snd-via82xx kernel module

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## Wyrm

Thank, I think that was the right driver. I still have some problems though. I only got this far, and I don't know what this error message means:

```
bash-2.05b# /etc/init.d/alsasound start

 * Loading ALSA drivers...

 * Using ALSA OSS emulation

 * Running card-dependent scripts

 * Restoring Mixer Levels

 * No mixer config in /etc/asound.state, you have to unmute your card!    [ !! ]

                                                                          [ ok ]

bash-2.05b# amixer

amixer: Mixer attach default error: No such device
```

This file "/etc/asound.state" doesn't exist. How do I get a mixer device?

```
bash-2.05b# lsmod

Module                  Size  Used by

snd_via82xx            19904  0 

snd_pcm                92616  1 snd_via82xx

snd_timer              22920  1 snd_pcm

snd_ac97_codec         65220  1 snd_via82xx

snd_page_alloc         10696  2 snd_via82xx,snd_pcm

snd_mpu401_uart         7168  1 snd_via82xx

snd_rawmidi            19840  1 snd_mpu401_uart

snd                    42856  6 snd_via82xx,snd_pcm,snd_timer,snd_ac97_codec,snd

_mpu401_uart,snd_rawmidi

soundcore               9056  1 snd

sk98lin               155500  1 

nvidia               2566740  0 
```

----------

## x2z

run alsamixer

----------

## Wyrm

```
bash-2.05b# alsamixer

alsamixer: function snd_ctl_open failed for default: No such device 
```

So I emerge smixer and it got me (-p is for "print settings"):

```

bash-2.05b# smixer -p

open /dev/mixer: No such file or directory
```

Now, in /etc/modules.d/alsa I have these three lines:

alias /dev/mixer snd-mixer-oss

alias /dev/dsp snd-pcm-oss

alias /dev/midi snd-seq-oss

But I don't seem to have any of these modules:

```
bash-2.05b# pwd

/lib/modules/2.6.5-gentoo-r1/kernel/sound

bash-2.05b# find *

core

core/ioctl32

core/ioctl32/snd-ioctl32.ko

core/snd-page-alloc.ko

core/snd-pcm.ko

core/snd-rawmidi.ko

core/snd-timer.ko

core/snd.ko

drivers

drivers/mpu401

drivers/mpu401/snd-mpu401-uart.ko

pci

pci/ac97

pci/ac97/snd-ac97-codec.ko

pci/snd-intel8x0.ko

pci/snd-via82xx.ko

soundcore.ko

```

Since they all end with "-oss" I looked for them in the kernel .config, but there, all OSS modules start wich "sound-", not "snd-", and even that left aside, I couldn't find any of them.

So I guess I either need to get these modules or replace them in the  config file with equivalent modules. I have no idea how to do either. 

Thank you for your patience in helping me.

----------

## Wyrm

I ermerged alsa-driver-1.0.4, alsa-oss-1.0.4 and alsa-utils-1.0.4 and now I have the required modules:

```
bash-2.05b# lsmod

Module                  Size  Used by

snd_via82xx            20096  0 

snd_ac97_codec         65476  1 snd_via82xx

snd_mpu401_uart         7360  1 snd_via82xx

snd_rawmidi            21984  1 snd_mpu401_uart

snd_seq_oss            35392  0 

snd_seq_midi_event      7744  1 snd_seq_oss

snd_seq                54400  4 snd_seq_oss,snd_seq_midi_event

snd_seq_device          7884  3 snd_rawmidi,snd_seq_oss,snd_seq

snd_pcm_oss            53924  0 

snd_pcm                93640  2 snd_via82xx,snd_pcm_oss

snd_page_alloc         10760  2 snd_via82xx,snd_pcm

snd_timer              23048  2 snd_seq,snd_pcm

snd_mixer_oss          18176  1 snd_pcm_oss

snd                    49576  12 snd_via82xx,snd_ac97_codec,snd_mpu401_uart,snd_rawmidi,snd_seq_oss,snd_seq_midi_event,snd_seq,snd_seq_device,snd_pcm_oss,snd_pcm,snd_timer,snd_mixer_oss

soundcore               9056  1 snd

sk98lin               155500  1 

nvidia               2566740  0 

```

The error message is still the same though:

```
bash-2.05b# smixer -p

open /dev/mixer: No such file or directory
```

I even cretad a dir named "/dev/mixer", but then I got:

```
bash-2.05b# smixer -p

open /dev/mixer: Is a directory
```

What can I do? How do I get this "/dev/mixer" file?

Also, there is something strange when I stop alsa:

```
bash-2.05b# /etc/init.d/alsasound stop   

 * Unloading ALSA...

 * Storing ALSA Mixer Levels

/usr/sbin/alsactl: save_state:1061: No soundcards found...

 * Unloading modules                                                      [ ok ]
```

Why does it say "No soundcards found", even though snd-via82xx is loaded?

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## needforspeed

I'm having the exact same problem.  My sound card is Intel 8x0 BAM AC'97 codec, kernel is 2.6.3.  I followed the ALSA installation guide, doesn't work, I found a howto on this forum where the ALSA is compiled in the kernel and unemerged alsa-drivers, still not working.  XMMS plays if I use OSS, and mplayer plays also, but the volume is so low, that it is super quiet on my laptop.  Is there an OSS mixer or can somebody tell us how to fix ALSA?

Not trying to hijack the thread or anything, btw.

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## jthompson

I am also having the exact same troubles.  I have emerged version 1.04 of the drivers and utilities.  I have a SB Live Audigy 2 on a 875P chipset.  ...just thought I would add to the list.

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## jthompson

Whoa I think I just fixed it.  In my case just did

```
modprobe snd-emu10k1
```

And then I ran amixer.  Everything went off without a hitch, but do I need to load this module on boot?  Is this the module that emerge alsa-drivers loaded?

The other problem I'm having is when I run modules-update I get a cannot generate /etc/modprobe.conf...

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## Wyrm

It didn't work for me. How can I find out if my soundcard even works? Is there a device I can cat a .wav file to? I even tried OSS, but I think the driver there didn't work - I cat'ed a .wav do /dev/dspW and it didn't produce any sound at all. How can I test my alsa-driver?

----------

## infirit

To find all soundcards in your system do (as root)

```
lspci | grep audio
```

The via southbridge is supported by module snd-via82xx

To enable it go to your kernel config (/usr/src/linux) do make menuconfig and navigate to

```
Device Drivers -> Sound
```

Next set Sound card suppor to M and navigate to 

```
Advanced Linux Sound Architectur -> PCI devices
```

 and set VIA 82C686A/B, 8233 South Bridge also to M. 

Next do 

```
make && make modules_install
```

 and edit the config files as described in the gentoo alsa guide. Now unmerge all alsa 0.98 packages and do

```
ACCEPT_KEYWORDS="~x86" emerge alsa-utils
```

This will install the alsa 1.0.4 rc scripts and alsamixer etc. Now when you do 

```
/etc/init.d/alsasound start
```

the snd-via82xx should be loaded.

If you are using a kernel 2.6.xx do not emerge alsa-driver-0.98 it is already included in the kernel. 2.6.5 has alsa 1.04-rc2

For the vt1720 you can try the modules snd-ice1712 or snd-ice1724, dont know if it works.

----------

## Wyrm

```
bash-2.05b# lspci | grep audio

00:06.0 Multimedia audio controller: IC Ensemble Inc ICE1724 [Envy24HT] (rev 01)
```

I recompiled the kernel with both snd-via82xx and snd-ice1724, I even reemerged alsa-utils 1.0.4, but the problem remains the same:

 *Quote:*   

> bash-2.05b# /etc/init.d/alsasound start
> 
>  * Loading ALSA drivers...
> 
>  * Using ALSA OSS emulation
> ...

 

----------

## infirit

 *Quote:*   

> bash-2.05b# /etc/init.d/alsasound start 
> 
> * Loading ALSA drivers... 
> 
> * Using ALSA OSS emulation 
> ...

 This part sugest it is only loading the via82xx module, is this the card you want to use? Or is it the this one: *Quote:*   

> IC Ensemble Inc ICE1724 [Envy24HT] (rev 01)

 

What happens if you do a modprobe snd-ice1724   :Question: 

----------

## Wyrm

Actually I don't care which card is used, I would be glad about any kind of sound. When I modprobe the snd-ice1724, it gets loaded, but nothing changes, same problems.

I even tried compiling the kernel without the via82xx module, but even when the ICE-module was the only one available, alsa asked for the VIA-module. I even reemerged alsa-utils, bit it still asked for the VIA-module, so I recompiled it.

----------

