[SOLVED] PC speaker beeps every few minutes

[AopicieR]

Hi,

my computer is the Asus A6VM-Q004H laptop. I have the following very annoying problem under Ubuntu: the PC speaker beeps every few minutes. The beeps seem to occur randomly: sometimes there are two beeps within 5 minutes, sometimes there isn't a single beep for a whole hour. It doesn't matter whether I'm sitting at the laptop or what I'm doing with it, it also beeps when it's just standing there without any programs running. The beep is always the same and lasts approximately one second (maybe a bit less).
I was using Windows XP before and there wasn't a single beep during two years.
I've tried unloading the drivers with
sudo modprobe -r pcspkr
and by adding
blacklist pcspkr
to my /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist, but without any effect.

At first I thought that I could live with it, but it is starting to annoy the heck out of me. So I'll be very grateful for any suggestions.

[pytheas22]

The next time you hear a beep, please immediately open a terminal, run the following commands and post the output:


dmesg | tail -50
lsmod | grep pc

[Jose Catre-Vandis]

try
xset -b
or
setx -b

in ~/.bashrc

and/or

set bell-style none
in ~/.inputrc

Or change the frequency of the beep (in shell)
setterm -blength 0

the number is the frequency, so ‘0′ turns it off.

[AopicieR]

Here are the outputs:
dmesg:


[ 19.388248] =======================
[ 19.388656] input: Video Bus as /devices/LNXSYSTM:00/device:00/PNP0A03:00/device:26/device:27/input/input7
[ 19.404028] ACPI: Video Device [VGA] (multi-head: yes rom: no post: no)
[ 19.415825] parport_pc 00:08: reported by Plug and Play ACPI
[ 19.415854] parport0: PC-style at 0x378, irq 7 [PCSPP,EPP]
[ 19.747421] nvidia 0000:03:00.0: PCI INT A -> GSI 16 (level, low) -> IRQ 16
[ 19.747430] nvidia 0000:03:00.0: setting latency timer to 64
[ 19.747590] NVRM: loading NVIDIA UNIX x86 Kernel Module 177.80 Wed Oct 1 14:38:10 PDT 2008
[ 21.195340] cs: IO port probe 0x100-0x3af: clean.
[ 21.196781] cs: IO port probe 0x3e0-0x4ff: clean.
[ 21.197164] cs: IO port probe 0x820-0x8ff: clean.
[ 21.197454] cs: IO port probe 0xc00-0xcf7: clean.
[ 21.198076] cs: IO port probe 0xa00-0xaff: clean.
[ 22.102868] lp0: using parport0 (interrupt-driven).
[ 22.203082] Adding 1984016k swap on /dev/sda3. Priority:-1 extents:1 across:1984016k
[ 148.734719] EXT3 FS on sda2, internal journal
[ 150.146933] type=1505 audit(1230245530.170:2): operation="profile_load" name="/usr/lib/cups/backend/cups-pdf" name2="default" pid=3910
[ 150.147209] type=1505 audit(1230245530.170:3): operation="profile_load" name="/usr/sbin/cupsd" name2="default" pid=3910
[ 150.245670] ip_tables: (C) 2000-2006 Netfilter Core Team
[ 150.885321] ACPI: WMI: Mapper loaded
[ 151.699051] warning: `avahi-daemon' uses 32-bit capabilities (legacy support in use)
[ 151.750195] apm: BIOS not found.
[ 151.799362] ppdev: user-space parallel port driver
[ 154.432051] Bluetooth: Core ver 2.13
[ 154.434035] NET: Registered protocol family 31
[ 154.434041] Bluetooth: HCI device and connection manager initialized
[ 154.434045] Bluetooth: HCI socket layer initialized
[ 154.462326] Bluetooth: L2CAP ver 2.11
[ 154.462333] Bluetooth: L2CAP socket layer initialized
[ 154.495753] Bluetooth: SCO (Voice Link) ver 0.6
[ 154.495760] Bluetooth: SCO socket layer initialized
[ 154.518448] Bluetooth: BNEP (Ethernet Emulation) ver 1.3
[ 154.518455] Bluetooth: BNEP filters: protocol multicast
[ 154.553960] Bridge firewalling registered
[ 154.554597] pan0: Dropping NETIF_F_UFO since no NETIF_F_HW_CSUM feature.
[ 154.597695] Bluetooth: RFCOMM socket layer initialized
[ 154.597927] Bluetooth: RFCOMM TTY layer initialized
[ 154.597933] Bluetooth: RFCOMM ver 1.10
[ 158.684435] skge eth0: enabling interface
[ 2061.502271] skge eth0: Link is up at 100 Mbps, full duplex, flow control none
[ 2062.259524] NET: Registered protocol family 17
[ 2065.698502] skge eth0: Link is down.
[ 2253.141031] skge eth0: Link is up at 100 Mbps, full duplex, flow control none
[ 2261.911437] PPP generic driver version 2.4.2
[ 2262.099014] padlock: VIA PadLock Hash Engine not detected.
[ 2262.131820] PPP MPPE Compression module registered
[ 2262.349505] GRE over IPv4 tunneling driver
[ 2271.293014] NET: Registered protocol family 10
[ 2271.296179] lo: Disabled Privacy Extensions
[ 2281.940033] eth0: no IPv6 routers present


lsmod:



pci_slot 12552 0
pcmcia 43052 0
parport_pc 39204 1
parport 42604 3 ppdev,lp,parport_pc
snd_pcm_oss 46848 0
snd_mixer_oss 22784 1 snd_pcm_oss
snd_pcm 83204 2 snd_hda_intel,snd_pcm_oss
sdhci_pci 15360 0
sdhci 23940 1 sdhci_pci
pcmcia_core 43412 3 pcmcia,yenta_socket,rsrc_nonstatic
snd_timer 29960 2 snd_pcm,snd_seq
snd 63268 9 snd_hda_intel,snd_pcm_oss,snd_mixer_oss,snd_pcm,sn d_seq_oss,snd_rawmidi,snd_seq,snd_timer,snd_seq_de vice
snd_page_alloc 16136 2 snd_hda_intel,snd_pcm
shpchp 37908 0
pci_hotplug 35236 1 shpchp


The beep occured when I had just reconnected my PC to the internet which should correspond to the messages containing eth0 in the dmesg output.

Jose's suggestions did not have any effect.

Edit: I've just heard another beep and the output of dmesg has not changed.

[pytheas22]

That's strange. What is the total output of:


lsmod

Also, I assume you tried this already, but just in case: if you double-click on your volume icon in the Gnome panel (or type 'alsamixer' in a terminal), you should be presented with a sound-control utility that should include a section for the PC speaker. Did you try muting it there?

[hysteresis]

My desktop PC speaker used to beep when the CPU was too hot.

[AopicieR]

lsmod gives


pci_slot 12552 0
pcmcia 43052 0
parport_pc 39204 1
parport 42604 3 ppdev,lp,parport_pc
snd_pcm_oss 46848 0
snd_mixer_oss 22784 1 snd_pcm_oss
snd_pcm 83204 2 snd_hda_intel,snd_pcm_oss
sdhci_pci 15360 0
sdhci 23940 1 sdhci_pci
pcmcia_core 43412 3 pcmcia,yenta_socket,rsrc_nonstatic
snd_timer 29960 2 snd_pcm,snd_seq
snd 63268 9 snd_hda_intel,snd_pcm_oss,snd_mixer_oss,snd_pcm,sn d_seq_oss,snd_rawmidi,snd_seq,snd_timer,snd_seq_de vice
snd_page_alloc 16136 2 snd_hda_intel,snd_pcm
shpchp 37908 0
pci_hotplug 35236 1 shpchp
Module Size Used by
ipv6 263972 8
ip_gre 19076 0
sha1_generic 10368 0
arc4 9984 0
ecb 10880 0
crypto_blkcipher 25476 1 ecb
ppp_mppe 14852 0
ppp_generic 32668 1 ppp_mppe
slhc 14208 1 ppp_generic
af_packet 25728 2
ppdev 15620 0
speedstep_centrino 15360 0
cpufreq_conservative 14600 0
cpufreq_powersave 9856 0
cpufreq_stats 13188 0
cpufreq_userspace 11396 0
cpufreq_ondemand 14988 1
freq_table 12672 3 speedstep_centrino,cpufreq_stats,cpufreq_ondemand
sbs 19464 0
sbshc 13440 1 sbs
wmi 14504 0
container 11520 0
pci_slot 12552 0
iptable_filter 10752 1
ip_tables 19600 1 iptable_filter
x_tables 22916 1 ip_tables
sbp2 29324 0
lp 17156 0
joydev 18368 0
pcmcia 43052 0
evdev 17696 12
serio_raw 13444 0
psmouse 45200 0
snd_hda_intel 381488 0
sdhci_pci 15360 0
sdhci 23940 1 sdhci_pci
snd_pcm_oss 46848 0
snd_mixer_oss 22784 1 snd_pcm_oss
yenta_socket 31756 1
rsrc_nonstatic 19072 1 yenta_socket
snd_pcm 83204 2 snd_hda_intel,snd_pcm_oss
mmc_core 58268 1 sdhci
pcmcia_core 43412 3 pcmcia,yenta_socket,rsrc_nonstatic
nvidia 6900560 28
i2c_core 31892 1 nvidia
snd_seq_dummy 10884 0
parport_pc 39204 1
parport 42604 3 ppdev,lp,parport_pc
video 25104 5
output 11008 1 video
battery 18436 0
ac 12292 0
snd_seq_oss 38528 0
snd_seq_midi 14336 0
snd_rawmidi 29824 1 snd_seq_midi
snd_seq_midi_event 15232 2 snd_seq_oss,snd_seq_midi
asus_laptop 24440 0
snd_seq 57776 6 snd_seq_dummy,snd_seq_oss,snd_seq_midi,snd_seq_mid i_event
led_class 12164 1 asus_laptop
button 14224 0
snd_timer 29960 2 snd_pcm,snd_seq
snd_seq_device 15116 5 snd_seq_dummy,snd_seq_oss,snd_seq_midi,snd_rawmidi ,snd_seq
iTCO_wdt 18596 0
iTCO_vendor_support 11652 1 iTCO_wdt
snd 63268 9 snd_hda_intel,snd_pcm_oss,snd_mixer_oss,snd_pcm,sn d_seq_oss,snd_rawmidi,snd_seq,snd_timer,snd_seq_de vice
soundcore 15328 1 snd
snd_page_alloc 16136 2 snd_hda_intel,snd_pcm
intel_agp 33724 0
agpgart 42184 2 nvidia,intel_agp
shpchp 37908 0
pci_hotplug 35236 1 shpchp
ext3 133384 1
jbd 55444 1 ext3
mbcache 16004 1 ext3
sr_mod 22212 0
cdrom 43168 1 sr_mod
sd_mod 42264 4
crc_t10dif 9984 1 sd_mod
sg 39732 0
usbhid 35840 0
hid 50560 1 usbhid
ata_piix 24580 3
ata_generic 12932 0
pata_acpi 12160 0
libata 177312 3 ata_piix,ata_generic,pata_acpi
ohci1394 37936 0
scsi_mod 155212 5 sbp2,sr_mod,sd_mod,sg,libata
dock 16656 1 libata
ieee1394 96324 2 sbp2,ohci1394
skge 48144 0
uhci_hcd 30736 0
ehci_hcd 43276 0
usbcore 148848 4 usbhid,uhci_hcd,ehci_hcd
thermal 23708 0
processor 42156 2 thermal
fan 12548 0
fbcon 47648 0
tileblit 10880 1 fbcon
font 16512 1 fbcon
bitblit 13824 1 fbcon
softcursor 9984 1 bitblit
fuse 60828 3


I don't use gnome but alsa-mixer doesn't contain a section for the PC speaker. Maybe because I've unloaded the drivers.

The CPU being too hot is impossible, I'm only running firefox right now and the fan is not even working. But I guess the beep has to come from the BIOS or whatever, Ubuntu should not be able to beep without the drivers, should it? But why did it never occur in Windows? Maybe Ubuntu is sending the BIOS false information concerning the CPU temperature? I don't know whether this makes any sense.

[pytheas22]

I don't see any modules in your list that would be able to drive the PC speaker, as far as I know. And since you also don't seem to have a PC speaker in alsa, I think the only thing to conclude is that the beeping is beyond Ubuntu's control.

This thread (https://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/linux-general-1/pc-speaker-beeping-occasionally-337847/) describes a similar problem that came down to CPU overheating. On the other hand, it's weird that nothing's getting sent to dmesg if your machine is getting too hot, but if this is all happening because of BIOS, that might explain why dmesg doesn't mention it. It's also of course weird that the beeping doesn't occur in Windows, but it's possible that either Windows is suppressing it somehow or that Ubuntu runs hotter than Windows for some reason.

You can install some stuff (http://www.bradtrupp.com/ubuntu-cpu-temperature.html) to monitor machine temperature to see if it really is getting hot, or you could do CPU-intensive stuff (e.g. compile something big or render some video) to see if that triggers more beeping (you may also want to play some 3D game to give the GPU a workout; that could also be the source of overheating). You could also check BIOS to see if there are any options regarding beeping.

Beyond that, unfortunately, the only answer I can think of is to unplug the PC speaker...

[AopicieR]

Thank you for your suggestions.
I've just installed lm-sensors and the CPU temperature is indeed surprisingly high considering I'm not running a single program(!), namely around 70°C.

Windows XP manages the CPU frequency dynamically and reduces it to 40% for most of the time. I'm not using a desktop manager and I don't know how to make Ubuntu reduce the frequency. I'll ask google, but any suggestions will be appreciated.

Edit: I've found the following tutorial which desribes exactly what I was looking for:
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=248867

However, this does not seem to be the answer to the initial question as a beep just occured with the CPU temperature being around 50°C.

[AopicieR]

I have to push this topic again. The beeps are incredibly annoying and very loud. Is it possible to physically unplug the PC speaker in a laptop? Or are there any other possible reasons besides CPU temperature?

[pytheas22]

I can't think of anything besides overheating...but that itself was just speculation. More importantly, your dmesg output doesn't mention anything that would relate to the beeping.

I would check BIOS to see if there's an option to turn off the speaker. You should also be able to unplug it physically if you open up your laptop case, but it's hard to say where exactly you should look. If you google your laptop model, however, you may be able to find disassembly instructions to help you take it apart. Keep in mind that disassembling the machine probably voids the warranty, etc.

[AopicieR]

I'm checking sensors from time to time and the CPU temperature is stable around 50°C.
Actually my hard disk is making strange noises under Ubuntu from time to time and I start to suspect that they are related to the beeps. They occur when no hard drive activity is shown by the corresponding lamp and when there really isn't any reason for activity. I'll google on the issue.

[AopicieR]

Sorry, a network error occured.

[AopicieR]

My guess seems to have been correct.
I've entered hdparm -B 255 /dev/sda and I've written it into my /etc/hdparm.conf as described in
http://eric.biven.us/2008/10/09/my-hard-drive-is-clicking-again-so-im-stopping-it-cold-when-ubuntu-boots/
and I haven't heard a beep in hours.
Strange thing but I really hope that this solves the problem.

[pytheas22]

hmmm, that's strange, but I'm glad it seems to have fixed the problem. Please confirm later on if this does prove to be a solution.

[AopicieR]

I'm pretty sure now that this was indeed the problem.
I set hdparm -B back to its default value and a beep occured shortly afterwards. After setting it back to 255, I have now been beep-free for several hours again.
Thanks for your help, I'll mark the thread as solved.

[star3x]

Hi, I have the same problem the computer beeps.

This thread solved the problem (I hope)but in a little different way.
When I use hdparm -B 254 the beep stops but using ....apm = 254.... in /etc/hdparm.conf does not. I have now tried with:
command_line {
hdparm -B 245 /dev/sda
}

I will report the result of this.

I'am running ubuntu 8.10 on a ThinkPad T61

// Robert

[AopicieR]

Glad it seems to help others.
What do you see after typing
hdparm -B 255 /dev/sda ?
You should see "power management disabled" or so.
When writing it into your hdparm.conf, it should automatically be set to 255 after reboot. Try
hdparm -I /dev/sda | grep power
after reboot. You should see "power management disabled." or something similar (can't test it right now).
Good luck.

[star3x]

I am really glad to get rid of the beeping,

If I use the hdparm -B 255 it says "setting Advanced power management level to disabled" and 254 say .....level to 0xfe (254).

Setting:
command_line {
hdparm -B 254 /dev/sda
}
has been working for 2 days, I will try to set apm = 255 and see what hdparm -I gives me, checked 2 days ago but don't remember, and at that time I just tried with 254.