Yet another 12.10 user loses audio

[Couch_Potato]

Greetings,

I recently lost my sound. I install a new video card a GeForce GTX560/ti. After installing it sound was fine. After an update this evening or this morning (I think) my sound went away. I have tried manipulating pulseaudio, alsa. I've added a screenshot of pavucontrol. I tried removing pulseaudio and now reinstalled it. Below I will attempt to list as much as I can think of in the way of configuration data:

lsusb:

Bus 002 Device 003: ID 0d8c:0201 C-Media Electronics, Inc. CM6501

$ cat /proc/asound/modules
 0 snd_hda_intel
 1 snd_usb_audio

$ lsmod | grep snd
snd_seq_midi           13324  0 
snd_seq_midi_event     14899  1 snd_seq_midi
snd_seq                61521  2 snd_seq_midi,snd_seq_midi_event
snd_hda_codec_hdmi     32007  4 
snd_hda_intel          33491  4 
snd_hda_codec         134212  2 snd_hda_codec_hdmi,snd_hda_intel
snd_usb_audio         130467  3 
snd_pcm                96580  5 snd_hda_codec_hdmi,snd_hda_intel,snd_hda_codec,snd_usb_audio
snd_hwdep              13602  2 snd_hda_codec,snd_usb_audio
snd_usbmidi_lib        24953  1 snd_usb_audio
snd_rawmidi            30512  2 snd_seq_midi,snd_usbmidi_lib
snd_timer              29425  2 snd_seq,snd_pcm
snd_seq_device         14497  3 snd_seq_midi,snd_seq,snd_rawmidi
snd                    78734  24 snd_seq,snd_hda_codec_hdmi,snd_hda_intel,snd_hda_codec,snd_usb_audio,snd_pcm,snd_hwdep,snd_usbmidi_lib,snd_rawmidi,snd_timer,snd_seq_device
soundcore              15047  1 snd
snd_page_alloc         18484  2 snd_hda_intel,snd_pcm

$ cat /proc/asound/cards
 0 [NVidia         ]: HDA-Intel - HDA NVidia
                      HDA NVidia at 0xfbffc000 irq 19
 1 [Device         ]: USB-Audio - PnP Audio Device
                      PnP Audio Device at usb-0000:00:02.0-7, full speed

~/Downloads/Audio$ aplay doindown.wav
ALSA lib pcm_dmix.c:1018:(snd_pcm_dmix_open) unable to open slave
aplay: main:682: audio open error: No such file or directory

[dmeyer]

Basic sound debugging steps:

Have you tried restarting? Remember, driver and kernel updates are the only time to reboot a Linux machine.

Have you gone to phonon and messed around there? People find phonon an little confusing but you'll be surprised at how amazing it is when you get it properly figured out.

Have you tried "alsamixer" from the terminal? With alsamixer make sure that nothing is muted (look for "00" at the bottom of bars otherwise toggle with "m".) Also change sound cards with F6.

Last question, have you ever let KDE forget any sound devices? Usually comes up as an obnoxious dialog saying devices were removed when they just weren't being used etc.

NO MATTER WHAT YOU DO! DO NOT REMOVE PULSEAUDIO. FORUMS/BLOGS SUGGESTING THAT USUALLY REFER TO EITHER OLD VERSIONS OF KUBUNTU OR ARE JUST PLAIN STUPID>

DISCLAIMER: I'm no sound expert, but I have managed to help a few people.

[SteveRiley]

When I Googled for "ALSA lib pcm_dmix.c:1018snd_pcm_dmix_open) unable to open slave" the result contained a number of links with what appear to contain useful troubleshooting information.

[blobfish]

boot a live cd and prove that it is a OS/Software problem.

[Couch_Potato]

dmeyer,

Thanks for your reply. Yes sorry I forgot to mention it, but I was searching these forums and trying to troubleshoot using alsamixer. Finding it quirky regard the function keys other than F6 (changing the card) to kick me out of the program. I have made sure that no output
sources are muted. I want to attache another screen shot of phonon. I did look around in there as well.






Notice that the connector is the HDMI output. I don't have anything connected to that. I'm using an old 2.1 stereo with a sub-woofer and two speakers plugged into the analog spkr port on my mb.















even when I have the other volumes turned up. No sound.

Thanks again

[Couch_Potato]

Thanks for your reply SteveRiley, I did that duh and the results weren't that encouraging. Just alot of sites linking to other sites w/o any meaningful answers. Perhaps I didn't look very deeply, but I have tried some troubleshooting steps and I think that a recent update changed the drivers that was installed and running on my system. I will keep looking though. Thanks again.

[Couch_Potato]

Thanks, blobfish. I'll need to dig one up. I have some work to do before I can contine though.

[vinnywright]

what happens if you click the profile drop down list in the settings module in your screen shot and select Analog stereo duplex ?

VINNY

[james147]

Change the sound card, you are currently on the one for your hdmi output (probably on your graphics card).

However note that changing the sound card only lets you configure each card, it does not set kde to use that card, for that you need to set the order of preference in the device preferences.

[HalationEffect]

Looking at the screenshot you've provided, I see that the selected sound card / device is the one built into the Nvidia graphics card, and not your motherboard's built-in sound chip. I suspect this may be at the root of your loss of sound from the motherboard's output.

[Couch_Potato]

Thanks HalationEffect and james147. Yes that is apparently what is occurring. Unfortunately, It no longer appears when I click on pulldown window.


The Sound meter was much more animated I caught it at the end of its test run. So I'm weighging possible options: blacklist/disable the hdmi driver or go buy a hdmi video cable with an audio jack? and plug it into my monitor and speakers? My LCD monitor doesn't have HDMI just DVI so I'd need a adapter cable. These are available. With and audio jack though I don't know. Google is my friend.

Thanks again

[Couch_Potato]

Thanks vinnnywright,

When I do that no analog devices appear. Apparently the're not being loaded into the kernel.

Regards

[james147]

Thanks vinnnywright,

When I do that no analog devices appear. Apparently the're not being loaded into the kernel.

Regards

HDMI dosn't have a analog channel as far as I know so you cannot do that with the hdmi device... I wonder where your other sound cards are? From what I can read of the screen shot it is listing the HDMI twice, on the "Audio Hardware Setup" page are any other sound cards listed under the "Sound card" drop down menu?

[Couch_Potato]

Well,

I believe that another update corrected the unknown issue why I couldn't see the Analog Audio device. After a reboot and select the CM6501 Analog Audio Device. Whala it now works.

Thanks again who posted.

[Couch_Potato]

Well,

After another update, I have lost sound again. This is maddening. The funny thing is when I start up my vmplayer vm of win 7 pro 64 I get sound. I probably check those drivers and see what windows seez :-l.