Audio not working in Kubuntu 14.04 LTS

[ebinrock]

I'm not getting any audio playback in my new Kubuntu 14.04 LTS installation. Here are my specs:

Type: Desktop (custom-built by me in 2012)
Motherboard: ASUS M5A99X EVO (1st Generation)
CPU: AMD FX 4100 Quad-Core 3.6 GHz; computer set up for 64-bit system
GPU: NVIDIA 8400 GS - 1 GB, 64-bit processing
RAM: 8 GB DDR3 PC1333 (Crucial brand)
HDD's: Two WD's, both SATA III (6 Gb/s) - one 500 GB (first HDD on SATA 0, running Windows 10), another 750 GB (second HDD on SATA 1, running Kubuntu 14.04.3), dual boot
Optical Drives (both internal SATA): One BD writer - Pioneer BDR-206DBKS (first), another DVD writer - Samsung TS-H353C (second)
Also Sony internal multi-card reader (forgot model #) and Bytecc UFE-421 internal USB 3.0/Firewire/eSATA front port

The audio is internal to the ASUS M5A99X EVO motherboard - Realtek chipset (not sure what the model # is, it wouldn't say in Windows' Device Manager).

[Simon]

I am assuming you checked the hardware? Such as speakers powered up and plugged in etc..

My issues sound issues have always been related to PulseAudio, but it has always been poor audio (popping and cracking) never the lack of audio. Bring up your K Mixer and make sure nothing is muted. Also check your audio source you could have more than one audio output;

From Terminal
$ aplay -l | grep card
card 0: Intel [HDA Intel], device 0: ALC662 rev1 Analog [ALC662 rev1 Analog]
card 1: HDMI [HDA ATI HDMI], device 3: HDMI 0 [HDMI 0]

As you can see my video card has HDMI audio. If I have card 1 as my output, I would hear nothing. You can also use the aplay command to test your hardware;

$ aplay -D plughw:0,0 music.wav

The D switch plays from the device named and 0,0 is card 0 subdevice 0.

For this to work, you need a wav file in the same folder that you are working.

[sithlord48]

Check in . After you have checked that its not muted in the system tray
System Settings -> Multimedia

from there you can set card preferences and test the various cards.

[ebinrock]

Okay, I went into System Settings > Multimedia and went to Audio and Video Settings. Clicked on the Audio Hardware Setup tab. For the High Definition Audio Controller setup, I turned the Profile to Off. In the Hardware section, switched Sound Card to Built-in Audio, switched Profile to Analog Stereo Output. In Device Configuration section, switched Sound Device to Playback (Built-in Audio Analog Stereo). The Connector choice keeps flickering between Analog Output and Headphones, and would not let me make a solid choice. And I was still not getting any audio. Volume control for Built-in Audio Analog Stereo in the mixer was flickering too. Just for grins, I tried unplugging my speakers from the mint green connector on the back of my computer and plugging it into my front headphone port. I finally got audio, but really choppy. Plugged it back into the mint green connector and got audio too, also choppy. So something about that flickering and choppy audio must mean something's unstable about it. BTW, I found out my built-in motherboard audio controller is a Realtek ALC892.

[Rod J]

I think your problem may be related to this bug: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+s...x/+bug/1321421

Apparently this bug has been fixed in later kernels (3.15-rc8 and later). I'm not sure what kernel you are using but my 14.04 is still using the 3.13 kernel. If your kernel is later than 3.13 it should already have the fix for this problem so the following won't work.

One workaround that seems to have fixed the problem for some people has been to execute this command in a terminal:

echo "options snd-hda-intel vid=8086 pid=8ca0 snoop=0" > sudo /etc/modprobe.d/fix-sound-intel97

and reboot.

[Simon]

I finally got audio, but really choppy. Plugged it back into the mint green connector and got audio too, also choppy. So something about that flickering and choppy audio must mean something's unstable about it. BTW, I found out my built-in motherboard audio controller is a Realtek ALC892.

You may try to shut down PA just to eliminate this as the culprit. PulseAudio cannot be stopped with pkill or end process from the task manager. You need to use the command;
$ pulseaudio --kill

If there is no improvement in audio, you can either reboot or turn PA back on with the command;
$pulseaudio --start

If your audio is better without PA, then you can look up how to remove or disable it. Most sound cards work well with the default ALSA sound manager and some programs have issues with PA. Choppy audio is one of PA's best features.

[ebinrock]

I think your problem may be related to this bug: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+s...x/+bug/1321421

Apparently this bug has been fixed in later kernels (3.15-rc8 and later). I'm not sure what kernel you are using but my 14.04 is still using the 3.13 kernel. If your kernel is later than 3.13 it should already have the fix for this problem so the following won't work.

One workaround that seems to have fixed the problem for some people has been to execute this command in a terminal:

echo "options snd-hda-intel vid=8086 pid=8ca0 snoop=0" > sudo /etc/modprobe.d/fix-sound-intel97

and reboot.

Intel, even though my CPU is AMD?

[ebinrock]

You may try to shut down PA just to eliminate this as the culprit. PulseAudio cannot be stopped with pkill or end process from the task manager. You need to use the command;
$ pulseaudio --kill

If there is no improvement in audio, you can either reboot or turn PA back on with the command;
$pulseaudio --start

If your audio is better without PA, then you can look up how to remove or disable it. Most sound cards work well with the default ALSA sound manager and some programs have issues with PA. Choppy audio is one of PA's best features.

Do I type the $ or not? And for "kill", you have a space before "pulseaudio"; with start, it immediately follows the $. Which is it?

[ebinrock]

I tried both Rod's and Simon's procedures; neither solved the choppy audio problem, unfortunately. I did find an official Linux driver on Realtek's site, but it looks like you have to compile the source code, which I have never done before. Would that likely solve the problem, and if so, could one of you guys please walk me through that process? How risky is compiling source code to install an audio driver? If I break something in my system, is there a way to go back to a "restore" point a la Windows?

[ebinrock]

I think your problem may be related to this bug: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+s...x/+bug/1321421

Apparently this bug has been fixed in later kernels (3.15-rc8 and later). I'm not sure what kernel you are using but my 14.04 is still using the 3.13 kernel. If your kernel is later than 3.13 it should already have the fix for this problem so the following won't work.

One workaround that seems to have fixed the problem for some people has been to execute this command in a terminal:

echo "options snd-hda-intel vid=8086 pid=8ca0 snoop=0" > sudo /etc/modprobe.d/fix-sound-intel97

and reboot.

My kernel version is 3.19.0-39-generic. KDELibs version is 4.13.3. Qt version is 4.8.6. The OS is Kubuntu 14.04.3.

[Rod J]

The '$' isn't part of the command.

In the terminal you will see that the command prompt ends in a '$' which is indicative of a normal user. If you were 'root' (admin) user the prompt would change to a '#'.

The difference in the two commands given by Simon is just a typo.

[Rod J]

Intel, even though my CPU is AMD?

Looks like I got my wires crossed with the motherboard there, sorry.

In any case the bug I thought you had has been fixed in the later kernel that you have, so the workaround wouldn't have been needed anyway.

[Rod J]

Looks like that motherboard has audio problems even with some Windows installs it seems: http://www.tomshardware.com/answers/...-problems.html

The guy tried it with Ubuntu and had the same problem.

All I can suggest is keep googling as I have done and maybe you'll find something that works.

[ebinrock]

The '$' isn't part of the command.

In the terminal you will see that the command prompt ends in a '$' which is indicative of a normal user. If you were 'root' (admin) user the prompt would change to a '#'.

The difference in the two commands given by Simon is just a typo.

Seeing the $ prompt in the terminal (Konsole), I figured as much, but I just wanted to be sure. Thanks for the clarification.

[ebinrock]

Looks like that motherboard has audio problems even with some Windows installs it seems: http://www.tomshardware.com/answers/...-problems.html

The guy tried it with Ubuntu and had the same problem.

All I can suggest is keep googling as I have done and maybe you'll find something that works.

Well, tonight I'll try connecting the speakers to my headphone jack in the front. That may be more stable, since the choppiness seems to be related to the Connector choice in the audio settings flickering. Alternatively, I could disable the built-in audio chipset in the BIOS and try to get a good deal on a dedicated sound card, maybe even from a discount electronics store that sells used. Know of any that works well with Ubuntu/Kubuntu?