No sound w/ HDA-Intel Realtek ALC883 - tried *everything*

[lodp]

IT WORKS!

AWESOME! I just had sound for the first time in weeks. can't friggin believe it.

here's how i aplied that patch (there may be ways to do it without recompiling alsa-driver, but i couldn't figure that out right now):

1. i downloaded alsa.patch from Here
2. i downloaded and unpacked alsa-driver 1.0.12rc3 from alsa-project.net, unpacked it
3. i did

patch -p1 < /path/to/acer.patch

and when prompted for the file to patch i entered

/path/to/alsa-driver-1.0.12rc3/alsa-kernel/pci/hda/patch_realtek.c

4. i compiled the driver:

cd /path/to/alsa-driver-1.0.12rc3
./configure --with-cards=hda-intel
make
sudo make install

5. i added to /etc/modules:

snd-hda-intel model=ACER

to /etc/modprobe.d/snd-hda-intel.modprobe i added

options snd-hda-intel model=ACER

to /etc/modprobe.d/alsa-base i added:

options snd-hda-intel model=ACER

(there may be some redundancy in these entries)

5. i rebooted (unloading and reloading the modules didn't do the trick for some reason)

i guess the patch will be added to the next release candidate of ALSA, so there's an end to this nightmare..

EDIT 09/13/06: Alsa driver 1.0.13rc1 from alsa-project.org does indeed containt the modifications in the patch, according to the changelog. so you can skip steps 1 and 3, just download and compile the latest alsa driver. you probably won't even have to add the model option "acer" to all those files, like i did -- your card will probably be detected automatically.

[the_stranger]

I have no sound also maybe one of you could help me. I'm using the live CD right now. Once I the sound working I'll install it permanently.

here's some data:

lspci

ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ lspci
0000:00:00.0 Host bridge: nVidia Corporation nForce2 AGP (different version?) (rev a2)
0000:00:00.1 RAM memory: nVidia Corporation nForce2 Memory Controller 1 (rev a2)0000:00:00.2 RAM memory: nVidia Corporation nForce2 Memory Controller 4 (rev a2)0000:00:00.3 RAM memory: nVidia Corporation nForce2 Memory Controller 3 (rev a2)0000:00:00.4 RAM memory: nVidia Corporation nForce2 Memory Controller 2 (rev a2)0000:00:00.5 RAM memory: nVidia Corporation nForce2 Memory Controller 5 (rev a2)0000:00:01.0 ISA bridge: nVidia Corporation nForce2 ISA Bridge (rev a3)
0000:00:01.1 SMBus: nVidia Corporation nForce2 SMBus (MCP) (rev a2)
0000:00:02.0 USB Controller: nVidia Corporation nForce2 USB Controller (rev a3)
0000:00:02.1 USB Controller: nVidia Corporation nForce2 USB Controller (rev a3)
0000:00:02.2 USB Controller: nVidia Corporation nForce2 USB Controller (rev a3)
0000:00:04.0 Ethernet controller: nVidia Corporation nForce2 Ethernet Controller (rev a1)
0000:00:05.0 Multimedia audio controller: nVidia Corporation nForce Audio Processing Unit (rev a2)
0000:00:06.0 Multimedia audio controller: nVidia Corporation nForce2 AC97 Audio Controler (MCP) (rev a1)
0000:00:08.0 PCI bridge: nVidia Corporation nForce2 External PCI Bridge (rev a3)0000:00:09.0 IDE interface: nVidia Corporation nForce2 IDE (rev a2)
0000:00:0c.0 PCI bridge: nVidia Corporation nForce2 PCI Bridge (rev a3)
0000:00:0d.0 FireWire (IEEE 1394): nVidia Corporation nForce2 FireWire (IEEE 1394) Controller (rev a3)
0000:00:1e.0 PCI bridge: nVidia Corporation nForce2 AGP (rev a2)
0000:01:0b.0 RAID bus controller: Silicon Image, Inc. SiI 3112 [SATALink/SATARaid] Serial ATA Controller (rev 01)
0000:02:01.0 Ethernet controller: 3Com Corporation 3C920B-EMB Integrated Fast Ethernet Controller [Tornado] (rev 40)
0000:03:00.0 VGA compatible controller: ATI Technologies Inc RV350 AR [Radeon 9600]
0000:03:00.1 Display controller: ATI Technologies Inc RV350 AR [Radeon 9600] (Secondary)

lsmod|grep snd

ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ lsmod|grep snd
snd_intel8x0           33692  1
snd_ac97_codec         93088  1 snd_intel8x0
snd_ac97_bus            2304  1 snd_ac97_codec
snd_pcm_oss            53664  0
snd_mixer_oss          18688  1 snd_pcm_oss
snd_pcm                89864  3 snd_intel8x0,snd_ac97_codec,snd_pcm_oss
snd_mpu401              6728  0
snd_mpu401_uart         7808  1 snd_mpu401
snd_rawmidi            25504  1 snd_mpu401_uart
snd_seq_device          8716  1 snd_rawmidi
snd_timer              25220  1 snd_pcm
snd                    55268  12 snd_intel8x0,snd_ac97_codec,snd_pcm_oss,snd_mixer_oss,snd_pcm,snd_mpu401,snd_mpu401_uart,snd_rawmidi,snd_seq_device,snd_timer
soundcore              10208  1 snd
snd_page_alloc         10632  2 snd_intel8x0,snd_pcm

aplay -l

ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ aplay -l
**** List of PLAYBACK Hardware Devices ****
card 0: nForce2 [NVidia nForce2], device 0: Intel ICH [NVidia nForce2]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 0: nForce2 [NVidia nForce2], device 2: Intel ICH - IEC958 [NVidia nForce2 - IEC958]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0

cat /proc/asound/version

ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ cat /proc/asound/version
Advanced Linux Sound Architecture Driver Version 1.0.10rc3 (Mon Nov 07 13:30:21 2005 UTC).

cat /proc/asound/card0/codec#0

ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ cat /proc/asound/card0/codec#0
cat: /proc/asound/card0/codec#0: No such file or directory

I'm guessing this last one might be the problem. Anybody have a solution? Please be as detailed as possible, my experience with Linux is only a couple of hours long. I'm still getting my bearings.

[lodp]

this thread is about sound problems with the ALC883 chip -- you better start a new thread with your problem...

that said, it really looks like the last one's your problem -- but i can't tell why there's no codec. you probably won't get rid of the problem dealing with the livecd. try the comprehensive sound problems solutions guide (sticky in this forum).

[the_stranger]

Sorry about hijacking your thread. I did start a my own, but it fell of the forum with no replies. I thought I might get a better response if I post in an existing thread.

I'm a little hesitent doing a permanent install before clearing up the sound problem. If it turns out the sound problem can't be fixed, then I would have to spend a huge amount of time reinstalling XP and all the programs I have right now.

[iradi8]

Thanks be to the 'puter gods! For the first time since I got my Acer Aspire 1640z I have sound! Blessings be upon you and your electronic endeavors for posting the solution to this vexing problem!

[lodp]

i just read that the patch won't make it into ALSA 1.0.12 final, but it's likly going to be part of 1.0.13rc1.

ubuntu is lagging far behind in terms of alsa - dapper came with 1.0.10 or somthing -- this means a whole lot of acer laptops aren't going to work with ubuntu out-of-the-box for a long time, i guess...

[Culito]

I'm having sound problems too, and I've heard mention of a snddevices and alsaconf script. I can't find either on my system. Where are these scripts?

This is my annoying thread - I've been without sound for a couple of weeks now:
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=238446

[agandar]

I have sound!

I used alsa.patch and alsa-driver 1.0.12rc3 from alsa-project.net, and now all works.

[johan.t]

lodp: You are my HERO!!! Thx! Everything seems to work after doing exactly what you wrote! Thx Thx! Thx!

[Helio Azevedo]

Hi

I had the same problem that you describe. When I was giving up I have made a last try.

In start "System Setting" at KDE start menu. After that I access the tab "Hardware" present in "Sound System Configuration". At this tab I change "Select the audio devide" to "Open Sound System" and the sound came up.

in fact the sound is not good, bat I is bether than nothing.

Do you find a more robust solution ?

Thanks