Ubuntu
alsa-driver package

Sound config issues in Lucid

Asked by Esther Strom

I recently installed Lucid on a Sony Vaio laptop. Everything works just fine except for sound. I've followed the instructions at https://help.ubuntu.com/community/SoundTroubleshooting up until this point:

"Now take a look at ALSA-Configuration.txt again, and you will find a section that looks like this, which matches up with my soundcards codec:

   STAC9227/9228/9229/927x
   ref Reference board
   3stack D965 3stack
   5stack D965 5stack + SPDIF
   dell-3stack Dell Dimension E520
   dell-bios Fixes with Dell BIOS setup"

Based on the webpage generated about my system (located at http://www.alsa-project.org/db/?f=e6c182d2ecde87f01f348dffa6e2660c30e724ea) I know that my computer is using alsa driver version 1.0.21, so I went to the git project and found the correct alsa configuration text file (http://git.alsa-project.org/?p=alsa-kmirror.git;a=blob;f=Documentation/ALSA-Configuration.txt;h=7f4dcebda9c62d75fa7a3d23709fc77dbb42cf77;hb=f302c020fc66f9e890a69d06a03bdff492bfad4f).

My computer is using the snd_hda_intel module, which I found in the configuration file. I also know it's using the Realtek ALC269 codec. However, there's nothing in the configuration text file that matches that codec. So where do I go from here, since I can't complete the last few steps of the troubleshooting guide without that information? (I'm pretty new to Linux, so please be verbose with your answers!)

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Mark Rijckenberg (markrijckenberg) said : 		#1

I believe you need a newer Ubuntu kernel to the sound output issue:

Please open a terminal and run the following commands:

wget http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v2.6.35-rc1-lucid/linux-headers-2.6.35-020635rc1-generic_2.6.35-020635rc1_i386.deb

wget http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v2.6.35-rc1-lucid/linux-headers-2.6.35-020635rc1_2.6.35-020635rc1_all.deb

wget http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v2.6.35-rc1-lucid/linux-image-2.6.35-020635rc1-generic_2.6.35-020635rc1_i386.deb

sudo dpkg -i linux-headers-2.6.35-020635rc1-generic_2.6.35-020635rc1_i386.deb

sudo dpkg -i linux-headers-2.6.35-020635rc1_2.6.35-020635rc1_all.deb

sudo dpkg -i linux-headers-2.6.35-020635rc1-generic_2.6.35-020635rc1_i386.deb

sudo dpkg -i linux-image-2.6.35-020635rc1-generic_2.6.35-020635rc1_i386.deb

sudo update-grub

Then reboot and choose kernel 2.6.35-020635rc1-generic in the grub boot menu.

Then retest sound output using headphones and speakers while using kernel 2.6.35-020635rc1-generic.

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Esther Strom (esthermstrom-gmail) said : 		#2

Thanks. I tried that, but on the first sudo command, I got an error message. Here's the output:

esther@estherLinuxSony:~$ sudo dpkg -i linux-headers-2.6.35-020635rc1-generic_2.6.35-020635rc1_i386.deb
[sudo] password for esther:
Selecting previously deselected package linux-headers-2.6.35-020635rc1-generic.
(Reading database ... 151365 files and directories currently installed.)
Unpacking linux-headers-2.6.35-020635rc1-generic (from linux-headers-2.6.35-020635rc1-generic_2.6.35-020635rc1_i386.deb) ...
dpkg: dependency problems prevent configuration of linux-headers-2.6.35-020635rc1-generic:
 linux-headers-2.6.35-020635rc1-generic depends on linux-headers-2.6.35-020635rc1; however:
  Package linux-headers-2.6.35-020635rc1 is not installed.
dpkg: error processing linux-headers-2.6.35-020635rc1-generic (--install):
 dependency problems - leaving unconfigured
Errors were encountered while processing:
 linux-headers-2.6.35-020635rc1-generic

Do I continue anyway with the subsequent commands, or is there something else I need to do?

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Mark Rijckenberg (markrijckenberg) said : 		#3

In this specific case, you can ignore this error and continue with the remaining commands.

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Esther Strom (esthermstrom-gmail) said : 		#4

OK, I've done all that and still no sound. Do I now need to go back up to where I was in the troubleshooting guide? Or Am I just out of luck?

Revision history for this message
Mark Rijckenberg (markrijckenberg) said : 		#5

If you successfully installed and then BOOTED kernel 2.6.35-020635rc1-generic and still got no sound, then I think you are out of luck....

Revision history for this message
Esther Strom (esthermstrom-gmail) said : 		#6

So I have this brand-new laptop that does everything fantastically, but I can't get sound on it, even with the most up-to-date drivers and kernel? That kind of sucks. Why is this the case? (I'm new to Linux, and just don't understand.) Did the sound card manufacturer not create a driver for Linux, or is the Linux development missing something? Would a different distro possibly be able to recognize my sound card?

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Mark Rijckenberg (markrijckenberg) said : 		#7

Try ALL the suggestions that I gave in the following thread:

https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/alsa-driver/+question/117443

If that does not help, then I doubt that any other distribution will solve the sound issue.

Please understand that it takes time, lots of time for developers to support all the new hardware that is coming out.

Ubuntu support for older hardware is excellent, but it takes time to get all the newest hardware supported in the kernel AND in the ALSA sound system ....

Your laptop MIGHT be too new for Ubuntu at the moment....

Revision history for this message
Mark Rijckenberg (markrijckenberg) said : 		#8

Please ALSO upgrade ALSA to version 1.0.23 using the following link and compile ALSA while using kernel 2.6.35-020635rc1-generic:

http://monespaceperso.org/blog-en/2010/05/02/upgrade-alsa-1-0-23-on-ubuntu-lucid-lynx-10-04/

After upgrading ALSA to version 1.0.23, reboot the PC and boot kernel 2.6.35-020635rc1-generic.

Then retest sound using headphones and speakers.

This is my last suggestion.....

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