# [solved] snd-hda-intel (stac92xx) problems

## draino

ALSA kernel code [1.0.14] does not seem to work. The hda-intel (stac92xx) soundcard that is inside my Dell XPS M1730 will load the kernel modules, but with errors and does not setup a dsp device.

```

# dmesg |less

<...>

stac92xx_auto_fill_dac_nids: No available DAC for pin 0x13

hda-intel: no codecs initialized

ACPI: PCI interrupt for device 0000:00:1b.0 disabled

<...>

```

At this stage lsmod shows the modules that are loaded, but there is no dsp device.

```

# lsmod |grep snd

snd_hda_intel         257824  0

snd_pcm                59208  1 snd_hda_intel

snd_timer              18184  1 snd_pcm

snd                    39976  3 snd_hda_intel,snd_pcm,snd_timer

soundcore               6560  1 snd

snd_page_alloc          8272  2 snd_hda_intel,snd_pcm

```

Hopefully this information (bellow) that might be helpfull:

```

# uname -a

Linux quagmire 2.6.22-suspend2-r2 #1 SMP Sun Dec 16 11:32:40 WST 2007 x86_64 Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Extreme CPU X7900 @ 2.80GHz GenuineIntel GNU/Linux

```

```

# lspci

<...>

00:1b.0 Audio device: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) HD Audio Controller (rev 02)

<...>

```

```

# zcat /proc/config.gz | grep SND |grep =

CONFIG_SND=m

CONFIG_SND_TIMER=m

CONFIG_SND_PCM=m

CONFIG_SND_SEQUENCER=m

CONFIG_SND_SEQ_DUMMY=m

CONFIG_SND_OSSEMUL=y

CONFIG_SND_MIXER_OSS=m

CONFIG_SND_PCM_OSS=m

CONFIG_SND_PCM_OSS_PLUGINS=y

CONFIG_SND_SEQUENCER_OSS=y

CONFIG_SND_RTCTIMER=m

CONFIG_SND_SEQ_RTCTIMER_DEFAULT=y

CONFIG_SND_SUPPORT_OLD_API=y

CONFIG_SND_VERBOSE_PROCFS=y

CONFIG_SND_HDA_INTEL=m

```

```

# dmesg

<...>

PCI: Setting latency timer of device 0000:00:1b.0 to 64

ALSA /var/tmp/portage/media-sound/alsa-driver-1.0.14-r1/work/alsa-driver-1.0.14/

pci/hda/../../alsa-kernel/pci/hda/patch_sigmatel.c:1232: stac92xx_auto_fill_dac_

nids: No available DAC for pin 0x13

ALSA /var/tmp/portage/media-sound/alsa-driver-1.0.14-r1/work/alsa-driver-1.0.14/pci/hda/../../alsa-kernel/pci/hda/hda_intel.c:1020: hda-intel: no codecs initialized

<...>

```

As you can see the dmesg output (above) shows a similar error when using media-sound/alsa-driver-1.0.14-r1 ebiuld. I have tested checked that the soundcard works by booting Knoppix [5.1.1] witch uses ALSA 1.0.13 and it works fine.

I am at my wits end with this...  :Crying or Very sad: 

----------

## NeddySeagoon

draino,

You probably need a module option when the module is loaded to describe your setup to to snd-intel-hda.

Read  /usr/src/linux/Documentation/sound/alsa/ALSA-Configuration.txt to see what you need.

----------

## draino

NeddySeagoon,

Thankyou for your reply but it seems that some significant (unknown) options may have changed from alsa 1.0.13 - 1.0.14 as I have discovered that the Knoppix [5.1.1] LiveDVD seems to have kernel module (/lib/modules/2.6.19/kernel/sound/pci/hda/snd-hda-codec.ko) that doesn't seem to exist on my system, whereas I only have snd-hda-intel.ko kernel module...

I think this might explain why it can't find the codecs but it surely doesn't explain why I don't have the module on the system I installed gentoo on.

Any ideas why this might be? anyone?

I am ready to post this as a bug to the alsa team, but I am hoping to get an answer here before I do.

----------

## NeddySeagoon

draino,

grepping the kernel source, it appears as if the snd-hda-codec module has been subsumed into snd-intel-hda.

----------

## skunk

disable kernel's modules and install media-sound/alsa-driver-1.0.15, it works fine here...

----------

## draino

I removed alsa from my kernel, unmasked alsa-driver-1.0.15 and emerged it, but with the same problem.

This is looking more and more like an alsa bug. ALSA version 1.0.13 (on Knoppix LiveDVD) does work but no other version from either the kernel source or the alsa-driver ebuilds works.

I am going to clean out the alsa-driver kernel modules (again) and I will try the live kernel source patch using mercurial svn method.

I don't understand why it's such a hard task to get something as simple as a supported soundcard to work.  :Confused: 

----------

## NeddySeagoon

draino,

The problem is that there are lots of different snd-intel-hda chips that need slightly different driver options.

Worse, more are being added.

snd-intel-hda tries to autodetect the needed settings but doesn't always get it right, hence the requirement for you to supply load time module options.

----------

## draino

If that is the case, should I try to replicate the module load options from the Knoppix LiveDVD from it's /etc/modules.conf or /etc/modules.d/alsa?

BTW: I tried the Live kernel patch (http://gentoo-wiki.com/HOWTO_Compile_Kernel_with_ALSA), but the alsa cloning using mercurial failed (something about an incorrect or unknown service?) and I didn't have time to sort that out before left for work.

When I get back home (next week) I will try some module config option tweaking and post the results.

By the way, when I bought this Notebook (It's actually more like a luggable  :Razz: ), I did upgrade the sound card to what Dell supposedly listed as "Sound Blaster" so it may be using that sound blaster codecs are licensed to intel (or Dell) for this sort of thing?

Thanks for your help (and patience) so far.

----------

## NeddySeagoon

draino,

Almost every sound card made is compatible with the original Creative Sound Blaster, as that became a defacto 'standard', so your sound blaster statement may mean nothing. However, coupled with the words "Dell" and "upgrade" I wonder if you actually have a emu10k1x which is/was a Creative chip specially crippled for Dell. It does not work with snd-intel-hda. 

Please post your lspci output when you get a chance - that will tell use exactly whats in your system.

----------

## draino

Good news everyone!

I rolled my kernel back to a known working version [2.6.19-r7] and sound is instantly working. Is this not a kernel bug? The alsa drivers for this thing seem to have stopped working from somewhere between kernel 2.6.19 and 2.6.23...

Any suggestions on how I could follow this up so that I can run a newer kernel?

----------

## PaulBredbury

 *draino wrote:*   

> the alsa cloning using mercurial failed (something about an incorrect or unknown service?)

 

Retry that, and give a decent error report.

----------

## draino

 *Quote:*   

> Retry that, and give a decent error report.

 

I just did and the URL that is listed in both the gentoo-wiki and the alsa wiki simply times out (I was just very tired and in a hurry to leave for work when I posted that reply soz).

I would have gone back to using 2.6.22-suspend2 with alsa-driver-1.0.13, but that ebuild has been removed from portage  :Sad: 

So, Up until now, I have never had any major problems with Linux but this seems like a pretty bad bug that hasn't been fixed in quite a few kernel releases. I can't be the only person with this issue?

Should I try the alsa-driver-1.0.14 ebuild with debugging turned on so that I might send a bug report?

----------

## ctgmao

Hello

To create the / dev / snd you tera complilar in the kernel that supports OSS

```
CONFIG_SND_OSSEMUL=y

CONFIG_SND_MIXER_OSS=y

CONFIG_SND_PCM_OSS=y

CONFIG_SND_PCM_OSS_PLUGINS=y

```

----------

## NeddySeagoon

ctgmao,

ALSA can create two groups of /dev entries.

/dev/snd, which is created by the ALSA PCI module and

/dev/sound which is the emulated OSS interface. /dev/snd can work alone (as long as OSS is not required) /dev/sound also needs /dev/snd.

The naming came about as real OSS was first and took /dev/sound.

----------

## PaulBredbury

```
hg -q clone http://hg-mirror.alsa-project.org/alsa-kernel alsa-kernel
```

Works fine for me. Firewall problem?

----------

## draino

PaulBredbury,

It may have been an issue with my dhcpcd-generated /etc/resolve.conf at the time (my router doesn't seem to play nicely with linux as an unauthoritative DNS forwarder...), but I have been somewhat able to get the alsa-driver-9999.ebuild to fetch the sources (using hg) without errors but then the compile dies  :Sad: 

I can not post the exact error message here yet because I am on-site again... I will resync my portage tree tomorrow (when I get back from work) and try it again and post the results here if you like, but I would prefer to avoid using this package and the manual live kernel patch.

I have also opened up an alsa bug for this as well (https://bugtrack.alsa-project.org/alsa-bug/view.php?id=3695)

----------

## draino

Fixed. Once 2.6.23 was released all sound related issue became non-existent, and sound works a treat. Sorry for the late reply to this. Please mark this as solved.

----------

