No Sound, One More Time!

Forum: Multimedia
Topic: No Sound, One More Time!
started by: tedmoore99

Posted by tedmoore99 on May 22 2006,22:00

(PROBLEM SOLVED - SEE LAST POST)

Well I am back! For some reason, my Compaq Armada laptop will not find the sound card in dsl. I tried sndconfig and used the "ESS1868" selection, but no sound. In WindowsME on the same computer, I looked at the driver information and found the following: ES1869, I/O 0230-023F, I/O 0250-0257, I/O 0388-0388, I/O 0320-0321, IRQ 5, DMA 5, DMA 0
When I ran sndconfig and selected the various ESS card selections, nothing worked.
Where do I go from here Forum?
--Ted

Posted by jot on May 22 2006,22:33

Hi tedmoore99,

I have a Compaq Armada 1598DMT, glad to find someone with similiar model

I had many troubles getting sound to work on my laptop, well I didn't have sound at all for about a year.

In my case I had to go to BIOS andbring back the default settings.

Ok, but I don't think you should do that. Maybe try to issue this command :

modprobe sb io=0x220 irq=5 dma=1 dma16=5 mpu_io=0x330 isapnp=0

those values work for me well, but you should try to change them to, for example :

modprobe sb io=0x230 irq=5 dma=0 dma16=5 mpu_io=0x320 isapnp=0

don't forget about raising the default volumes with mixer (dmix)

Posted by tedmoore99 on May 23 2006,20:17

Thanks for the information. I tried the two modprobe commands and neither one worked. I am not very familiar with sound card commands so I don't know what to do now. Any more ideas?
--Ted

Posted by tedmoore99 on May 23 2006,21:31

Update:
Installed the ALSA module fromm dsl. Tried to install "es18xx" which is supposed to be the driver for my card. modprobe came back with "no device or device busy." I am stumped. Forum, I need your help. Remember, this card works fine when I boot up in WindowsME! What am I missing? Thanks in advance.
--Ted

Posted by piccolo on May 24 2006,21:20

Quote

Installed the ALSA module from dsl

If you installed correctly ALSA you must be able to execute the command:

alsamixer

If errors then two ideas:

IDEA I (Configuring OSS)

1. Execute command:

cat /proc/interrupts

Below a example of result from "cat /proc/interrupts"

CPU0
0: 10784844 XT-PIC timer
1: 27945 XT-PIC keyboard
2: 0 XT-PIC cascade
3: 310046 XT-PIC orinoco_cs
8: 1 XT-PIC rtc
11: 0 XT-PIC Texas Instruments PCI1251A, Texas Instruments PCI1251A (#2), usb-uhci
12: 1380425 XT-PIC PS/2 Mouse
14: 74469 XT-PIC ide0
15: 2202 XT-PIC ide1
NMI: 0
LOC: 0
ERR: 0
MIS: 0

First column is the assigned interrupts (assigned irqs).
In this example, free irqs are: 6, 7, 9, 10, 13.

Analogically, to know free dma's following command:

cat /proc/dma

That information will be useful for next step.

2. Execute the sndconfig utility with the option --noprobe so:

sndconfig --noprobe

Using the option "noprobe" sndconfig pass directly to manual configuration.

3. Choose the driver, assign the free irq's and the free dma's from your system according to information from first step.

If IDEA I fails then IDEA II:

IDEA II (Configuring ALSA)

The "alsaconf" utility is for ALSA like to the "sndconfig" utility for OSS.

1. Download alsaconf utility:

sudo su
apt-get install alsaconf

2. Execute utility so:

alsaconf

Choosing the correct driver and using the same criteria to assign resources descripted on IDEA I

3. alsaconf utility can configure several sound cards, then you must choose the first option when the utility begin again (no sound card) to exit from utility and to save the first configuration or the utility will continue indefinitely configuring sound cards.

Posted by tedmoore99 on May 27 2006,11:29

Update on the struggle:
Installed alsaconf
Ran alsaconf and selected "ES18xx"
Set Card #0, I/O=0x230, I/O=0x320
Get message at prompt "Aborted"
Tried several settings for Card#, and both I/O's, no change. it still sends me back to the prompt with the message, "aborted"
I am stumped.
--Ted

Posted by piccolo on May 27 2006,14:20

Quote

it still sends me back to the prompt with the message, "aborted"

There are conflicts with the previous sound configuration or incorrect driver.
Unfortunately, as you begin to know, when the automatic sound configuration by DSL fails is not a easy job to do a manual configuration.
When a test fails, you must not be satisfied with only one attempt. The smallest details does the difference between success and unsuccess.

First check if your steps was this when you installed ALSA:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. If boot from LiveCD you must use the boot option "dsl alsa".
If DSL was installed to hard disk you must add the option "alsa" (without quotation marks) to file /etc/lilo.conf file if the boot loader installed is Lilo, or to /boot/grub/menu.lst file if the boot loader installed is Grub.

2. Install the 3 following MyDSL extensions:

-gnu-utils.dsl
-dsl-dpkg.dsl
-If your DSL is v2.0 or v2.1 then install alsa.dsl, else install alsadebs.dsl. (IMPORTANT: Choose the correct file for your DSL version or the ALSA driver not will work)

3. Execute the "ALSA install" script by go to MyDSL -> ALSA menu.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
If you did not something from above, you must do the installation again.

Next, check the installation by reading the result from this command :

lsmod

Check if appears the snd-es18xx module.
If not, try this:

sudo su
update-modules

And execute "alsaconf" utility:

alsaconf

When installs ALSA all mixer channels are muted by default. Then execute "alsamixer" utility so:

alsamixer

Using the keyboard, the Left and right arrow keys are used to select the channel, while 'M' key toggles muting for the current channel.

Posted by Jerome on May 27 2006,16:49

Just to say that "modprobe sb ..." worked fine on my Armada 4210; ALSA didnt work ("no supported souncard found")

Posted by piccolo on May 27 2006,17:40

Thanks for the input Jerome.
Can you post the result from the "lsmod" command?. That could be very useful.

Posted by tedmoore99 on May 27 2006,23:34

Piccolo you have been soooo patient, thanks a lot but...
I have dsl-2.4 installed, so which alsa package do I want?
I tried them both and have gotten nowhere. When I installed alsa.dsl I got errors that the "es18xx" module was not found (along with many others). When I installed alsadebs.dsl, I could not run alsaconf without using "apt-get install alsaconf" When I ran alsaconf after using apt-get to install it, I tried selecting the "es18xx" driver but the program aborted.

I am in total agreement that it isn't easy installing sound drivers manually. But I will stick to it.
--Ted

Posted by piccolo on May 28 2006,11:40

Thank tedmoore99 for the good words.
The correct package is "alsadebs.dsl"
The correct ALSA driver is "es18xx"

Try we to put in order the ideas:

In Linux there are two driver families or types: ALSA and OSS
When boot DSL install by defect and automatically a OSS driver.

But using ISA Plug and Play sound cards, Linux can't assign the resources (dma, irq) automatically and sound driver install fails. Use ALSA or use OSS fails anyway. Really this is very frustrating.

The "normal" ALSA installations on DSL are rare, because if ALSA can be installed without problems mean that also DSL can install the driver OSS without problems automatically and nobody or fews will install ALSA if the sound runs well since the beginning.

At one "normal" ALSA installation, after to do the last step from ALSA Installation (is say, to execute the "ALSA install" script) the sound driver is installed and running.

But your installation is not a "normal" installation, then "ALSA install" script fails and ALSA is not installed totally. Therefore "alsaconf" utility also fails with "aborted" message.

From my tests I do know that can be solved executing the "update-modules" command after to execute "ALSA install" script, so:

sudo su
update-modules
alsaconf
--------------------------------------------------------------
THIS SEEM A BETTER OPTION:
But besides is possible install a specific driver as "es18xx" version ALSA or version OSS, also many sound card support a standard driver: Sound Blaster ("sb").
The post from the "Jot" and "Jerome" users suggest you to use the driver Sound Blaster so:

modprobe sb io=0x220 irq=5 dma=1 dma16=5 mpu_io=0x330 isapnp=0

Or you can to do the same so:

sndconfig --noprobe

And choosing the "Sound Blaster Pro" driver.

For both two cases, you must test changing the values for "irq" and "mpu_irq" parameters according to result from "cat /proc/interrupts" command as I explained you on my previous post.
---------------------------------------------
Please, read also this information:
< ESS 1869 Audio Drive >

Posted by tedmoore99 on May 29 2006,00:10

Picollo:
I have spent a very tiring day trying to get my poor old Armada 1750 to work. I read the articles you directed me to and it looks so easy to hear them tell it. But alas, I am still soundless. I even tried to run dsl embedded in WindowsME hoping that I would have sound, no luck and did dsl ever run slow!
I think I will let it go for now. I read one post where someone said it took a year to get sound - that might be me.
I again want to thank you for your help.
--Ted

Posted by tedmoore99 on June 03 2006,01:32

Piccolo:
Maybe I am "cheating," but I loaded vmware on my WinXP machine, downloaded the dsl-2.4-vmx distro, started the vmware player and presto! I had dsl running. Still did not have sound but I figured out how to change the dsl.vmx config file and sound came up! I will retire the Compaq Armada 1750 laptop.
Again, thanks for all of your help. I see your helpful comments all over the forum. Keep it up!
--Ted

Posted by tedmoore99 on June 03 2006,01:33

Posted by tedmoore99 on June 03 2006,01:34

OOPS! Sent it twice!

Posted by piccolo on June 03 2006,10:03

Hi tedmoore99
Gooood, I never will play cards with you. You have circumvented the audio Linux driver using the emulator.
However on a newer computer DSL not would have audio problems and you can try it running DSL from LiveCD so the information on hard disk will remain unaffected.
Thanks you sincerely for appreciate my help.

Posted by cbagger01 on June 04 2006,05:24

FYI, I googled Compaq Armada 1750 knoppix and also Compaq Armada 1750 linux
and came up with some interesting info.

First, there is some BIOS info with your laptop sound device:

< http://www.fuschlberger.net/armada/ >

then some "modprobe" commands to launch sound:

< http://www.leuf.net/ww/wikidn?CompaqArmada1750LinuxNotes >

There was some other sites with information but I thought these ones would be a good start.

Posted by tedmoore99 on June 09 2006,13:46

THE LAST WORD (I PROMISE)
In one last effort to tackle the Armada 1750 no-sound problem, I downloaded and installed DSL-N (with the 2.6.11 kernel). While it didn't find my sound card automatically, I was able to enter the "modprobe sb io=0x230 irg=5 dma=1 dma16=5 mpu_io=0x330" entry and then tried "tone://1000" in the xmms player and what do you know, I heard sound!

So, apparently dsl-2.4 doesn't install what I needed even when I tried to download it. I never could get the "sb" driver to load.

So now I am ready to end this post and I will mark the first entry as closed. Thanks Forum
--Ted

Posted by doobit on June 09 2006,16:06

I just want to add that in extreme cases of not being able to get sound to work, there is a little USB sound adapter called a "Sound Fairy" which is actually a C-Media chip in a USB plug case. It is recognized and works on all versions of DSL and every other distribution I have tried for that matter. I bought it for $7.00 on ebay.
The sound from it is obviously better than the onboard sound from the mini-itx boards and the three laptops I tried it on.

Posted by tedmoore99 on June 13 2006,02:40

THE "LAST" LAST ENTRY IN THE ARMADA 1750 SAGE:
I knew that since so many people have been able to get the sound card ESS1869 working, that somehow I must be at fault. After being able to install DSL-N and getting the sound to work, I came back for one more attempt.
Someone had given me the following modprobe entry:
"modprobe sb io=0x220 irq=5 dma=1 dma16=5 mpu_io=0x330 isapnp=no"
When entered that way the modprobe would fail and I'd get errors
On a whim I tried it without the "isapnp=no" entry and to my surprise it worked.
So I am here to tell my fellow forum freaks - The Armada 1750 has sound on the dsl-2.4.26 kernel
While I was away I played around with Kubuntu 6.06. The KDE system seems pretty neat but I felt encumbered with how large the system was. It just wasn't as nimble as dsl. So I am back.
--Ted

Posted by Damn_Small_Jeff on June 26 2006,15:43

i cant even get the alsa plugin for xmms. does it still exist?

Posted by piccolo on June 26 2006,16:49

I do know that installing the ALSA driver from MyDSL extensions appears an ALSA plugin in the XMMS plugin list. I'm not sure if is the plugin that you is looking for. However XMMS can play using an ALSA driver without that plugin due ALSA can emulate OSS very well.

Posted by dellorto on June 27 2006,20:25

just to whom it concerns:
modprobe sb io=0x220 irq=5 dma=1 dma16=5 mpu_io=0x330 isapnp=no

also brought the sound on my compaq armada 7770dmt (ess1878 soundchip) to live!

very happy me! ;)

Posted by Damn_Small_Jeff on June 28 2006,01:06

Quote (dellorto @ June 27 2006,16:25)

just to whom it concerns:
modprobe sb io=0x220 irq=5 dma=1 dma16=5 mpu_io=0x330 isapnp=no

also brought the sound on my compaq armada 7770dmt (ess1878 soundchip) to live!

very happy me! ;)

where do you put that info into?

Posted by dellorto on June 28 2006,05:53

Quote (Damn_Small_Jeff @ June 27 2006,21:06)

Quote (dellorto @ June 27 2006,16:25)

just to whom it concerns:
modprobe sb io=0x220 irq=5 dma=1 dma16=5 mpu_io=0x330 isapnp=no

also brought the sound on my compaq armada 7770dmt (ess1878 soundchip) to live!

very happy me! ;)

where do you put that info into?

you have to enter the modprobe command in a rootshell ...
but i don't know if that is what you're asking for ... i'm not getting your question exactly ... sorry ;)

Posted by cbagger01 on July 02 2006,14:53

If a manual test works, you can then put that command into your /opt/bootlocal.sh file and it will work automatically at bootup (assumes you use the DSL backup/restore process).

Posted by spmcg on July 13 2006,14:45

I have a Compaq Armada 1520D and loaded DSL a couple of days ago. Lucky me came right to this forum and found Piccolo's suggestion. This command:

modprobe sb io=0x220 irq=4 dma=1 dma16=5 mpu_io=0x330

worked straight away for me!

Thanks:laugh:

Posted by Wirrkopf on April 14 2007,10:19

Quote

"modprobe sb io=0x220 irq=5 dma=1 dma16=5 mpu_io=0x330 isapnp=no"

works for my old Compaq Armada 4160T (Pentium I 166 Mhz, 80 MB Ram)

But if i try to play MP3s i get only a bad Sound with interrupts. The CPU usage seems not over 60%. Is there a chane to get a better sound?

The notebook has no problems with MP3 playing in Windows NT 4.0...

Posted by altona93 on July 15 2007,20:42

after fighting with my acer note lite 370 (ES1688 soundchip) i finally found a solution to get the sound working!

and it was SO STUPID SIMPLE...

i just added "alsa=es1688" as a boot-parameter in GRUBs menu.list.

i am running DSL 3.4 RC1 - and this little command does the trick: sound, just as i want it!

so you might want to give this a try?

Posted by john.martzouco on Nov. 19 2007,03:55

Code Sample

modprobe sb io=0x220 irq=5 dma=1 dma16=5 mpu_io=0x388

Thanks Ted... this worked for me too!