[gutsy] Sound very quiet (Intel 82801G/ALC861)

Bug #138322 reported by Dave Gilbert
30
Affects Status Importance Assigned to Milestone
linux (Ubuntu)
Invalid
Undecided
Unassigned
linux-source-2.6.22 (Ubuntu)
Won't Fix
Medium
Ubuntu Audio Team

Bug Description

This bug seems different from the other Intel HDA bugs I can see; the sound is working but the volume is very low; to the point where to get it to about the right level output I have to turn up the amp and the analogue control on the laptop and the mixer to full and then it is just OK.

Note:
  The sound worked on Feisty.
  This is on a Toshiba Equium A100 laptop,
  This is the behaviour after a reboot, after a resume I suffer #134167 (no sound at all)

Feel free to ask for any other machine details;

aplay --list-devices
**** List of PLAYBACK Hardware Devices ****
card 0: Intel [HDA Intel], device 0: ALC861 Analog [ALC861 Analog]
  Subdevices: 0/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 0: Intel [HDA Intel], device 6: Si3054 Modem [Si3054 Modem]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0

chunk of lspci -v:

00:00.0 Host bridge: Intel Corporation Mobile 945GM/PM/GMS/940GML and 945GT Express Memory Controller Hub (rev 03)
        Subsystem: Toshiba America Info Systems Unknown device ff10
        Flags: bus master, fast devsel, latency 0
        Capabilities: [e0] Vendor Specific Information

00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation Mobile 945GM/GMS/940GML Express Integrated Graphics Controller (rev 03) (prog-if 00 [VGA])
        Subsystem: Toshiba America Info Systems Unknown device ff10
        Flags: bus master, fast devsel, latency 0, IRQ 16
        Memory at dc100000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=512K]
        I/O ports at 1800 [size=8]
        Memory at c0000000 (32-bit, prefetchable) [size=256M]
        Memory at dc200000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=256K]
        Capabilities: [90] Message Signalled Interrupts: Mask- 64bit- Queue=0/0 Enable-
        Capabilities: [d0] Power Management version 2

00:02.1 Display controller: Intel Corporation Mobile 945GM/GMS/940GML Express Integrated Graphics Controller (rev 03)
        Subsystem: Toshiba America Info Systems Unknown device ff10
        Flags: bus master, fast devsel, latency 0
        Memory at dc180000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=512K]
        Capabilities: [d0] Power Management version 2

00:1b.0 Audio device: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) High Definition Audio Controller (rev 02)
        Subsystem: Toshiba America Info Systems Unknown device ff10
        Flags: bus master, fast devsel, latency 0, IRQ 22
        Memory at dc240000 (64-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=16K]
        Capabilities: [50] Power Management version 2
        Capabilities: [60] Message Signalled Interrupts: Mask- 64bit+ Queue=0/0 Enable-
        Capabilities: [70] Express Unknown type IRQ 0

-----------
from asound/oss/sndstat:
Mixers:
0: Realtek ALC861

 amixer
Simple mixer control 'Master',0
  Capabilities: pswitch
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Mono:
  Front Left: Playback [on]
  Front Right: Playback [on]
Simple mixer control 'PCM',0
  Capabilities: pvolume
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 255
  Mono:
  Front Left: Playback 255 [100%] [0.00dB]
  Front Right: Playback 255 [100%] [0.00dB]
Simple mixer control 'Front Mic',0
  Capabilities: cswitch cswitch-joined cswitch-exclusive
  Capture exclusive group: 0
  Capture channels: Mono
  Mono: Capture [off]
Simple mixer control 'Line',0
  Capabilities: cswitch cswitch-joined cswitch-exclusive
  Capture exclusive group: 0
  Capture channels: Mono
  Mono: Capture [off]
Simple mixer control 'CD',0
  Capabilities: cswitch cswitch-joined cswitch-exclusive
  Capture exclusive group: 0
  Capture channels: Mono
  Mono: Capture [off]
Simple mixer control 'Mic',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pswitch cswitch cswitch-joined cswitch-exclusive
  Capture exclusive group: 0
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Capture channels: Mono
  Limits: Playback 0 - 23
  Mono: Capture [on]
  Front Left: Playback 0 [0%] [-36.00dB] [off]
  Front Right: Playback 0 [0%] [-36.00dB] [off]
Simple mixer control 'Capture',0
  Capabilities: cvolume cswitch
  Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Capture 0 - 13
  Front Left: Capture 0 [0%] [-6.00dB] [on]
  Front Right: Capture 0 [0%] [-6.00dB] [on]
Simple mixer control 'Mixer',0
  Capabilities: cswitch cswitch-joined cswitch-exclusive
  Capture exclusive group: 0
  Capture channels: Mono
  Mono: Capture [off]
Simple mixer control 'Caller ID',0
  Capabilities: pswitch pswitch-joined
  Playback channels: Mono
  Mono: Playback [off]
Simple mixer control 'Off-hook',0
  Capabilities: pswitch pswitch-joined
  Playback channels: Mono
  Mono: Playback [off]

Tags: cft-2.6.27
Revision history for this message
Basilio Kublik (sourcercito) wrote :

Hi Dave.
i presume you're using gutsy with all packages up to date, is that correct?, if no could you please provide the version of the software you're running.

if you execute the following command does make any difference:

user@machine:~$ amixer -c 0 sset "Master",0 100%

i ask you because i just see the PCM volume level.

Revision history for this message
Dave Gilbert (ubuntu-treblig) wrote :

Hi Basilio,
  Thanks for the reply.
  Yes this is a Gutsy up to date as of yesterday 8th September 2.6.22-10-generic kernel;

That amixer command isn't happy:

dg@davros:~$ amixer -c 0 sset "Master",0 100%
amixer: Invalid command!

Is this because according to the amixer output my master is a switch rather than a volume?
(I wish I had the output of amixer from my feisty install, but I don't think I've got it anywhere).

Dave

Revision history for this message
Dave Gilbert (ubuntu-treblig) wrote :

Just upgraded to the 2.6.22-11 kernel; same problem.

Dave

Revision history for this message
Basilio Kublik (sourcercito) wrote :

Hi Dave
could you try this https://help.ubuntu.com/community/HdaIntelSoundHowto, the section about module parameters, no the kernel/alsa rebuild stuff.
also please include the dmesg output as attachment.

Revision history for this message
Dave Gilbert (ubuntu-treblig) wrote :

Yeh! model=3stack appears to have done the trick
(I did it just by unloading the module and reloading it with the model=3stack parameter
the model=toshiba did NOT work even though it is a tosh laptop)

dmesg attached and also an lspci -nnvv

Thanks!

Revision history for this message
Dave Gilbert (ubuntu-treblig) wrote :
Revision history for this message
Basilio Kublik (sourcercito) wrote :

Glad to see you solve your problem.
Just out of curiosity if you use model=auto instead of 3stack, does the soundcard works?

Revision history for this message
Dave Gilbert (ubuntu-treblig) wrote :

Interesting - yes model=auto works great and removing the model= altogether goes back to being broken.

(Hint: If you are doing this test by modprobe'ing the module back in remember to remove the option entry
you added to the modprobe.d ! It fooled me the first few times!)

Does that mean there is something overriding the default auto behaviour?

For reference the laptop is a Toshiba Equium A100-306; I've attached the output of dmidecode;
it really looks like it is an Intel reference design tweaked (I love the fun bits left in like the 52U enclosure and 18 power cords - a bit excessive for a laptop).

Revision history for this message
Basilio Kublik (sourcercito) wrote :

Thank you for the confirmation, I was asking to give the developers more clues about the behaviour of this driver. Since there are many people having troubles with this driver and the majority seems to solve they issues passing this parameters to the module, maybe could be added as default values.

I think this is enough information for the team to start working on this.

Changed in linux-source-2.6.22:
assignee: sourcercito → ubuntu-audio
status: Incomplete → Triaged
Revision history for this message
Ryan Siew (siew-ryan) wrote :

I had the exact same problem on my Toshiba A100. I had this problem in Feisty too. I applied the same trick that I used in Feisty to get it working and it worked. Volume works fine now. For the Feisty bug reference: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux-source-2.6.20/+bug/94373
You'll see my comment.

What I did was:
echo "options snd-hda-intel model=3stack" >> /etc/modprobe.d/alsa-base

and rebooted.

From lspci:
00:1b.0 Audio device: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) High Definition Audio Controller (rev 02)
        Subsystem: Toshiba America Info Systems Unknown device ff10
        Control: I/O- Mem+ BusMaster+ SpecCycle- MemWINV- VGASnoop- ParErr- Stepping- SERR- FastB2B-
        Status: Cap+ 66MHz- UDF- FastB2B- ParErr- DEVSEL=fast >TAbort- <TAbort- <MAbort- >SERR- <PERR-
        Latency: 0, Cache Line Size: 64 bytes
        Interrupt: pin A routed to IRQ 22
        Region 0: Memory at f0b40000 (64-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=16K]
        Capabilities: [50] Power Management version 2
                Flags: PMEClk- DSI- D1- D2- AuxCurrent=55mA PME(D0+,D1-,D2-,D3hot+,D3cold+)
                Status: D0 PME-Enable- DSel=0 DScale=0 PME-
        Capabilities: [60] Message Signalled Interrupts: Mask- 64bit+ Queue=0/0 Enable-
                Address: 0000000000000000 Data: 0000
        Capabilities: [70] Express Unknown type IRQ 0
                Device: Supported: MaxPayload 128 bytes, PhantFunc 0, ExtTag-
                Device: Latency L0s <64ns, L1 <1us
                Device: Errors: Correctable- Non-Fatal- Fatal- Unsupported-
                Device: RlxdOrd- ExtTag- PhantFunc- AuxPwr- NoSnoop+
                Device: MaxPayload 128 bytes, MaxReadReq 128 bytes
                Link: Supported Speed unknown, Width x0, ASPM unknown, Port 0
                Link: Latency L0s <64ns, L1 <1us
                Link: ASPM Disabled CommClk- ExtSynch-
                Link: Speed unknown, Width x0

Revision history for this message
DaveAbrahams (boostpro) wrote :

I had what I thought was the same problem for a while. In the end it turned out that the mixer's PCM channel was wedged somehow at a really low volume. Double-clicking my volume applet to bring up the mixer and adjusting the PCM channel (which looked like it was at maximum volume but obviously wasn't) fixed everything.

Revision history for this message
fikar (rd-dian) wrote :

i need it

Revision history for this message
Chris Coulson (chrisccoulson) wrote :

It unfortunately appears that this bug is not yet resolved. Does this issue still exist in the Hardy Heron 8.04 LTS release? If so, the Intrepid Ibex 8.10 Alpha2 is also scheduled for release today. It will appear at the following when available: http://www.ubuntu.com/testing/intrepid/alpha2 . It contains the actively developed 2.6.26 Ubuntu kernel. It would be great if you could test this upcoming release via a LiveCD and verify if the issue still exists. If you still need to manually specify options when loading the snd-hda-intel module, please follow the steps and include the appropriate debugging information as outlined at https://wiki.ubuntu.com/DebuggingSoundProblems . Thanks in advance.

Changed in linux:
status: New → Incomplete
Revision history for this message
Leann Ogasawara (leannogasawara) wrote :

The Ubuntu Kernel Team is planning to move to the 2.6.27 kernel for the upcoming Intrepid Ibex 8.10 release. As a result, the kernel team would appreciate it if you could please test this newer 2.6.27 Ubuntu kernel. There are one of two ways you should be able to test:

1) If you are comfortable installing packages on your own, the linux-image-2.6.27-* package is currently available for you to install and test.

--or--

2) The upcoming Alpha5 for Intrepid Ibex 8.10 will contain this newer 2.6.27 Ubuntu kernel. Alpha5 is set to be released Thursday Sept 4. Please watch http://www.ubuntu.com/testing for Alpha5 to be announced. You should then be able to test via a LiveCD.

Please let us know immediately if this newer 2.6.27 kernel resolves the bug reported here or if the issue remains. More importantly, please open a new bug report for each new bug/regression introduced by the 2.6.27 kernel and tag the bug report with 'linux-2.6.27'. Also, please specifically note if the issue does or does not appear in the 2.6.26 kernel. Thanks again, we really appreicate your help and feedback.

Revision history for this message
Sergio Zanchetta (primes2h) wrote :

The 18 month support period for Gutsy Gibbon 7.10 has reached its end of life -
http://www.ubuntu.com/news/ubuntu-7.10-eol . As a result, we are closing the
linux-source-2.6.22 kernel task. It would be helpful if you could test the
new Jaunty Jackalope 9.04 release and confirm if this issue remains -
http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu/releasenotes/904overview. If the issue still exists with the Jaunty
release, please update this report by changing the Status of the "linux (Ubuntu)"
task from "Incomplete" to "New". Also please be sure to run the command below
which will automatically gather and attach updated debug information to this
report. Thanks in advance.

apport-collect -p linux-image-2.6.28-11-generic 138322

Changed in linux-source-2.6.22 (Ubuntu):
status: Triaged → Won't Fix
Revision history for this message
Przemek K. (azrael) wrote :

We are closing this bug report because it lacks the information we need to investigate the problem, as described in the previous comments. Please reopen it if you can give us the missing information, and don't hesitate to submit bug reports in the future. To reopen the bug report you can click on the current status, under the Status column, and change the Status back to "New". Thanks again!

Changed in linux (Ubuntu):
status: Incomplete → Invalid
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