Nvidia 4xx fermi series & HDMI sound

[ARTO222]

I'm using Ubuntu Maverick (64bit) on a core i5 750 with nvidia gtx 460 1GB graphics card setup.
The card along with the drivers obtained from the "additional hardware support" app (nvidia-current) works the best I've experienced so far.
There's no tearing or other artifacts on video playback even with full compiz effects on. However, there's no HDMI audio.

Googling the problem only brings up a few sites. One of them is the following forum post:

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1560288

Most of them point to the following link:

http://www.nvnews.net/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=154755&highlight=hdmi+audio

On the last link the focus is on post #7.
Anyone who has any idea how to get and apply the patches mentioned in post #7, via GIT, should feel free to post step by step instructions.

Are only 10 -20 people using ubuntu with nvidia 4XX cards currently around the world?

Aside from the GIT patches, several other simpler tweeks surfaced while researching the issue from people claiming that it solved the problem.
I tried some and they failed. Some are mentioned here.

1) Tried adding various lines to the sound configuration files. After deleting the relevant lines when there were no positive results (and rebooting each time) I started experiencing problems with desktop rendering.
Windows appearing with no frames which cannot be moved and total loss of theme sometimes. I Have to log out and back in to get a normal desktop.

2)Upgraded to the most recent mainline kernel version ( 2.6.37-999-generic) from here.
That solved the issue of the card not being recognised.
lspci -v now outputs:

01:00.1 Audio device: nVidia Corporation GF104 High Definition Audio Controller (rev a1)
    Subsystem: Micro-Star International Co., Ltd. Device 2322
    Flags: bus master, fast devsel, latency 0, IRQ 10
    Memory at fa080000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=16K]
    Capabilities: <access denied>
    Kernel modules: snd-hda-intel

After this I went into sound preferences from the speaker icon and the nvidia audio device was already there and activated. I then used alsamixer and unmutted the spdif settings as many proposed. Despite all this, there still was no sound.

3) Next suggestion was to reinstall ALSA. I used the method outlined here.
This didn't work because the repository does not have a version for the most current mainline kernel.

4) Following this was alsa compilation from source. Compilation terminated with no error messages but alsa is not installed at all. I tried installing the current snapshot from here.

I forgot to read the "kernels supported" file which states:

The alsa-drivers in this package are designed for the following kernels:

 - Vanilla 2.6.29 or earlier
 - Vanilla 2.4.31 or earlier
 - Vanilla 2.2.26 or earlier

It's not guaranteed that they work with any newer version than above
or modified kernels by distributors.

Apparently, the bleeding edge alsa source version does not even support the stock maverick kernel.

5) I updated the nvidia-current drivers to the latest version from ubuntu-x-swat ppa while running the latest mainline kernel (2.6.37-999-generic).

This updated the drivers but now when I switch to the older kernel version (2.6.35-22-generic) via the grub menu X wont start because the kernel module for the updated drivers was not installed.

When I tried installing from the command line while using 2.6.35-22 I got a "drivers are already in the most current version" and so I still can't start X with the old kernel (where ALSA works).

So now I can boot with 2 kernels.
With 2.6.35-22 I cannot start X. Alsa works, but it can't see the nvidia sound device.
With 2.6.37-999 I can start X but I have no ALSA and the system doesn't recognize ANY sound device.

Is there a way for me to roll back or install the updated drivers with the 2.6.35-22 kernel short of reinstalling the entire system?
How can I locate and remove all files installed after compiling ALSA?

Generally in my experience with Linux drivers, alot of trouble can be caused when people suggest right away installation/re-installation from packages or source
without first specifying what software/configuration files/libraries need to be removed and how. I'm saying this because previously I've been using ATI
graphics cards, both with the open source and proprietary drivers and the standard commands do not properly remove everything so re-installation
can proceed without conflicts.

So before suggesting software installation one should specify what if any software needs to be removed and how, or state simply that a new install
will overwrite any existing files without problems.

Has anyone got HDMI sound working with fermi cards?
Anybody know how to apply kernel & alsa patches from GIT?
Could someone from the community or preferably NVIDIA simply patch ALSA so we can install and use it with some mainline kernel version?

Thanks

[ARTO222]

Any GIT gurus out there that can help?
How to do what's in post #7 from the following link:

http://www.nvnews.net/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=154755&highlight=hdmi+audio

Thanks.

[CMDR:ZOD]

Hey ARTO222,

Ive got 3 480 gtx's in sli and the audio one them worked right from first boot of maverick. Are you using the hdmi adaptor or are you using the mini hdmi out? I use the mini hdmi out and when I am not fighting with other audio problems (other cards) it works pretty well, and with obvious delay when first used after boot or a while since audio has played.

[ARTO222]

Thanks for the reply CMDR:ZOD.

I was offline due to unrelated hardware problems.

HDMI sound is now working, but I'm not sure I can reproduce this on a fresh install, so
I can't mark this thread SOLVED just yet.

As previously mentioned after initial ubuntu and propriatery nvidia driver installation, the
audio devices of the gtx 460 where not recognized. They only appeared after installing the latest mainline kernel.

I have the following two driver related PPAs enabled on my system:
1) ppa:ubuntu-audio-dev/ppa (alsa, sound)
2) ppa:ubuntu-x-swat/x-updates (graphics drivers)

I can't vouch for the exact order in which I performed the following, but as I recall:
1) booted into 2.6.37-999-generic
2)

sudo apt-get remove --purge nvidia-current nvidia-setttings

3) After enabling the PPAs:

sudo apt-get dist-upgrade

because the simple install commands did not work.

4) followed the steps from theComprehensive Sound Problem Solutions Guide to uninstall & reinstall alsa:

sudo apt-get --purge remove linux-sound-base alsa-base alsa-utils
sudo apt-get install linux-sound-base alsa-base alsa-utils
sudo apt-get install gdm ubuntu-desktop

5) tried compiling ALSA from source because the previous step didn't solve the problem.

Several reboots and a few days later:

6) booted into 2.6.35-22-generic
from the command line I gave:

sudo apt-get remove --purge nvidia-current nvidia-settings
sudo apt-get dist-upgrade

7) checked sound preferences and saw the nvidia audio device listed and activated. I then checked for sound on a video played by VLC. Sound came on only after I activated "ALSA" from VLC preferences.

Today I booted into 2.6.35-22-generic (the speaker icon is grayed out and alsa is not installed in 2.6.37-999-generic) but I had to go into sound preference and manually
activate GF 104 High Definition Controller because the settings from yesterday were not
made persistent for some reason.

I used both DVI to HDMI & the mini HDMI connector previously, but since I got sound on
the DVI to HDMI I've kept it on and haven't retried the mini HDMI. But I expect it should work.

I don't know which step exactly got sound working. I also noticed a new ALSA build posted on the PPA. Maybe that did the trick.

What I'd like to do (and many others I reckon) is to reinstall ubuntu, update, enable the PPAs for the latest drivers, install them and have HDMI audio working.

If anyone can untangle the mess and write up a guide it would be much appreciated.
I'll experiment when I have time and maybe hit upon the exact commands to get all this working from scratch.

[my92agsr]

I am going through the same problem. Gtx 470 on AMD x4 phenom 955.

I tried downloading the new kernel headers and I couldn't start X under the newest one. I got it working at some point without the nvidia drivers, but it defeated the purpose as 1080p was no longer an option.

I'm back to the main distro 10.10 kernel headers, and now Ubuntu will not recognize my HDMI out for sound, as in it doesn't even appear under the output options. When I got it working temporarily under the new kernel headers, there was a completely different tab for my nvidia card in Alsa; that tab only says Nvidia ID10 in this current, but stable not working kernel.

Any help?

[my92agsr]

Ok. I figured it out!

This is what I did:

I'm in kernel 2.6.35-22. I added the Repository for Alsa dev updates and updated Alsa, outlined here.

Rebooted.
Came back in and the sound out option finally recognized my Gtx 470's HDMI out. I selected it, nothing happened.

I ran VLC. Selected Audio option in preferences. Selected Alsa output. Then, instead of Device: Auto, I selected "HDA NVidia:HDMI 0 (hw:1,7). Now there is audio via HDMI in VLC only.

I'm very happy with the progress. Alsa mixer however does not seem to fully recognize my video card HDMI output. In alsa mixer, the two tabs are: VIA VT1828S (my onboard sound) and Nvidia GPU 10 HDMI/DP. On the Nvidia Tab there are no sliders or anything. Just in the bottom box four things to check or uncheck, all labeled IEC958.

I would like to get audio streaming via Hulu and other streaming sources in Chrome or firefox. Anyone know how to get that working from here? Thanks in advance.

Is there a way to specify in Alsa which HDMI audio device to use like you can in VLC? the (hw:1,7) device. All boxes in alsa are unmuted, too. So close...

[my92agsr]

So, basically, does anyone know how to set the output to card 1, device 7?

Edit: Figured it out. Edit Alsa conf as explained here:https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php...ult_sound_card

Now it all works over HDMI. If I want to use my computer speakers I just have to edit the CONF back. Perfect for an HTPC, perhaps I'll hook PC speakers up to different comp. Thanks for starting this thread, it got it all going for me.


So, for anyone struggling to figure out how to get HDMI out audio in FERMI cards, this is what I did:

Updated Alsa files using PPA above. Then updated Alsa-lib using synaptic to dev library. I used VLC to find out which card AND device is the true HDMI audio out, then edited the Alsa conf as explained in the above link. Hours of work, but not it will only take 2 minutes to do it now that we know.

[Tavis]

I still have the same problem I was having a couple of months ago. I've installed all of the updates mentioned above, and dmesg shows a lot of HDMI audio messages, and alsamixer shows my card. But alsa player just hangs:

tavis@baru:~$ aplay -l
**** List of PLAYBACK Hardware Devices ****

[and then nothing happens....]

Also, VLC freezes when I click on Tools->Preferences->Audio

Any ideas?

Thanks,
Tavis

[CMDR:ZOD]

Tavis, I have the same problem as you do. When I have my supreme fx x-fi soundcard enabled all my audio is broken. Have tried many,many, things to fix it but no luck yet. The closest I have come is with the 2.6.35-22 kernel with the audio PPA's enabled. It will still freeze audacious whenever that program tries to play audio.

If you do have an onboard soundcard, try disabling it. Thats what worked for me. I believe this issue has something to do with multiple cards (the supreme fx card and nvidia sound) using snd-hda-intel as the driver.

You should have snd-hda-codec-nvhdmi loaded as a kernel module for the audio to work. With my other soundcard enabled, snd-hda-codec-nvhdmi will not load, although snd-hda-codec-hdmi will. I have not had any success trying to manually load this module either. I would really like to have this other soundcard enabled so I can use txppm to connect my walkera rc model heli controller to fly rc sims on the computer for the winter. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[efflandt]

I just got a GT 430 which is at the bottom of the 4xx series, but wasn't sure if I had enough power for a hotter one (I think my OEM psu is 375 watts). It is so new that lspci does not even show its model, but video works fine with nvidia 260.19.21 that I had already installed from x-swat.

However, no NVidia HDMI devices showed up in aplay -l, and alsamixer said no controls for it. So I followed the link my92agsr provided to install alsa modules from the ppa.

After reboot 4 NVidia HDMI devices showed up, and I unmuted them all in alsamixer, but only one of them worked:

**** List of PLAYBACK Hardware Devices ****
card 0: Intel [HDA Intel], device 0: ALC887 Analog [ALC887 Analog]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 0: Intel [HDA Intel], device 1: ALC887 Digital [ALC887 Digital]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 0: Intel [HDA Intel], device 3: HDMI 0 [HDMI 0]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 0: Intel [HDA Intel], device 7: HDMI 1 [HDMI 1]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 1: NVidia [HDA NVidia], device 3: HDMI 0 [HDMI 0]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 1: NVidia [HDA NVidia], device 7: HDMI 0 [HDMI 0]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 1: NVidia [HDA NVidia], device 8: HDMI 0 [HDMI 0]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 1: NVidia [HDA NVidia], device 9: HDMI 0 [HDMI 0]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0

aplay -D plughw:1,9 /usr/share/sounds/alsa/Front_Center.wav

So with the regular Maverick 64-bit kernel, the only thing I needed to do besides the nvidia and alsa ppa's was this in /etc/pulse/default.pa:

load-module module-alsa-sink device=hw:1,9

The only thing strange is that the speaker test in Sound Preferences does not work for HDA Nvidia in "Hardware" tab, and in "Output" tab I have an extra device (HDA NVidia works on HDMI, NDA NVidia Digital Stereo (HDMI) does not).

So for Rythmbox or flash, I can select Internal Audio Analog Stereo for that or HDA NVidia for HDMI from "Sound Preferences" and either one works.