Re: CMI8738 sound card - cannot hear sound in Lenny
On Friday 16 January 2009 14:13, Robert Canner wrote:
> On Fri, 2009-01-16 at 01:04 +0100, Nigel Henry wrote:
> > On Friday 16 January 2009 00:10, Robert Canner wrote:
> > > Hi folks,
> > >
> > > I've installed a CMI8738 PCI sound card (C-Media 8738) on my dual-boot
> > > machine. When I boot Windows, I can hear sound, but when I boot
> > > GNU/Linux, I can't hear any sound.
> > > [... snip ...]
> > > ==
> > > $ uname -a
> > > Linux mercury 2.6.18-6-686 #1 SMP Fri Dec 12 16:48:28 UTC 2008 i686
> > > GNU/Linux
> > > ==
> > > $ groups
> > > robert dialout cdrom floppy audio video plugdev netdev powerdev
> > > ==
> > >
> > > $ lspci -v
> > > ...
> > > 02:00.0 Multimedia audio controller: C-Media Electronics Inc CM8738
> > > (rev 10)
> > > Subsystem: C-Media Electronics Inc CMI8738/C3DX PCI Audio
> > > Device Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 32, IRQ 209
> > > I/O ports at b800 [size=256]
> > > Capabilities: <access denied>
> > > ==
> > > $ cat /proc/asound/cards
> > > 0 [CMI8738 ]: CMI8738 - C-Media PCI CMI8738
> > > C-Media PCI CMI8738 (model 37) at 0xb800, irq 209
> > > [ ... snip ...]
> >
> > Hi Robert.
> >
> > Well the cards being detected according to /proc/asound/cards, and you're
> > a member of the audio group. The card is supported with the alsa driver
> > 1.0.16, which comes with Lenny, see below.
> >
> > Module snd-cmipci
> > -----------------
> >
> > Module for C-Media CMI8338/8738/8768/8770 PCI sound cards.
> >
> > mpu_port - port address of MIDI interface (8338 only):
> > 0x300,0x310,0x320,0x330 = legacy port,
> > 0 = disable (default)
> > fm_port - port address of OPL-3 FM synthesizer (8x38 only):
> > 0x388 = legacy port,
> > 1 = integrated PCI port (default on 8738),
> > 0 = disable
> > soft_ac3 - Software-conversion of raw SPDIF packets (model 033
> > only) (default = 1)
> > joystick_port - Joystick port address (0 = disable, 1 = auto-detect)
> >
> > This module supports autoprobe and multiple cards.
> >
> > The power-management is supported.
> >
> > You may just need to open alsamixer in Gnomes terminal, and check the
> > sound levels, or for any controls that may be muted. the "M" key toggles
> > the mute/unmute.
> >
> > Running the command, "speaker-test" , without the quotes, should give you
> > some pink noise output from your speakers (CTRL +C to quit speaker-test),
> > if all the levels are ok, and nothing is muted that should be unmuted.
> > The usual controls that need to be up are, Master, PCM, Front, CD.
> >
> > I don't use Gnome, but KDE, but it's worth right clicking on Gnomes
> > volume control (top right), and see if anythings muted. I'm not sure if
> > it's a right or left click, but there should also be a button for the
> > mixer there as well.
> >
> > Sorry for the lack of info, but it's getting a bit late here in
>
> northern
>
> > france, and I'm about to crash out.
>
> Many thanks Nigel, I hope you slept well :-)
>
> First, Gnome Volume Control looks OK. (Master, PCM, Line-in, CD and PC
> Speaker are all unmuted, with sliders at the top. Microphone is muted,
> but I don't have a microphone connected anyway.)
>
> I've never used alsamixer before -- here is what I see:
> PCM, Line, CD, Phone = 100, 100, unmuted
> Synth = 100, 100, muted
> Master = 100, 100 (**but no mute/unmute box is shown**)
> 3D Contr = unmuted (but no volume box is shown)
>
> And speaker-test gives following **error messages**:
> ==
> speaker-test 1.0.13
>
> Playback device is default
> Stream parameters are 48000Hz, S16_LE, 1 channels
> Using 16 octaves of pink noise
> ALSA lib pcm_dmix.c:864:(snd_pcm_dmix_open) unable to open slave
> Playback open error: -16,Device or resource busy
> [... repeated until I hit Ctrl-C]
> ===
>
> Next I listed open files (after reading
> http://www.debianhelp.org/node/12012 ):
> ==
> $ lsof -w | egrep 'snd|dsp|NAME'
> COMMAND PID USER ... NODE NAME
> esd 3169 robert ... 5675 /dev/dsp
> mixer_app 3241 robert ... 5685 /dev/snd/controlC0
> ==
> and killed the 'esd' process.
> Then I tried speaker-test again:
> ==
> speaker-test 1.0.13
>
> Playback device is default
> Stream parameters are 48000Hz, S16_LE, 1 channels
> Using 16 octaves of pink noise
> Rate set to 48000Hz (requested 48000Hz)
> Buffer size range from 2048 to 16384
> Period size range from 1024 to 1024
> Using max buffer size 16384
> Periods = 4
> was set period_size = 1024
> was set buffer_size = 16384
> 0 - Front Left
> Time per period = 2.664647
> 0 - Front Left
> Time per period = 2.985804
> 0 - Front Left
> Time per period = 2.985816
> 0 - Front Left
> Time per period = 2.985820
> ==
> ... but I still can't hear any sound.
>
> Has anyone any further ideas?
>
> Thank you very much,
> Robert
Hi Robert.
I'd try unmuting that synth control. Strange name as it is, it does have
control over sound output. Pull the slider down a bit before unmuting it,
just in case your ears get damaged.
If that does work, you may have to disable ESD in Gnomes audio settings,
otherwise it may grab /dev/dsp, preventing other audio apps playing directly
through alsa. I get the same with KDE's aRts soundserver.
Nigel.
Reply to: