ALSA setup intel8x0

Forum: Multimedia
Topic: ALSA setup intel8x0
started by: 9a6or

Posted by 9a6or on Dec. 16 2005,23:32

My Dell Dimension 8300 used to work fine with ALSA in DSL1.5.
In DSL 2.0 I run alsa.dsl (from MyDSL Testing area) after I run gnu-utils.dsl and dsl-dpkg.dsl. The Alsa Setup Script recognises the sound chip as intel8x0 Intel Corp. 82801EB/ER (ICH5/ICH5R) AC'97 Audio Controller and then "Configuring snd-intel8x0" but after the terminal closes, still no sound.

Please help, it used to work...

Posted by !sLEEP on Dec. 29 2005,21:11

Steps I found useful for setting up ALSA with an i810 device under DSL 2.0:

1. Verify that your card is detected during the bootup.
2. VERY IMPORTANT!! Use the 'dsl alsa' boot option at the boot prompt (see Note B below).
3. Using MyDSL, get the alsa.dsl package (in MyDSL->Multimedia).
4. Verify that alsa is installed-Right-click on the desktop and select MyDSL. Verify that 'Alsa Config' is there, but DO NOT run it yet.
5. Using MyDSL, get the gnu-utils.dsl package (in MyDSL->System).
6. Run 'Alsa Config' under MyDSL.
7. In the terminal app, choose the defaults. Once you are finished, it will close automatically.
8. Verify sound using xMMs. Pressing the play button should automatically link xMMs to SKY.FM Classical.

NOTES:
A. If you don't see that the sound device is detected (autoconf doesn't load 'i810_audio'), this post isn't for you. This device needs to be found before you can use sound and autodetect is having a problem finding it...possibly check BIOS to see that it's enabled.
B. You must use the 'dsl alsa' boot option. Alsa won't work if you don't use it (verified my me!). Also, This step is important because 'alsa' isn't listed on the option screen after you press 'F2' and it won't be obvious that it's available as a boot option.
C. For some reason, I needed to download the alsa.dsl package before downloading the gnu-utils.dsl package to make this work. If I downloaded the gnu-utils first, I would get a 'Download or Checksum error' after I downloaded the 'alsa.dsl' package. You can also download the alsa.dsl package using the package list, wget, and emelfm as outlined in the PDF doc that explains how to get other packages from the web.
D. I suggest not to use the alsadebs.dsl package in MyDSL->System because I couldn't get it to work and I stopped trying when I found the alsa.dsl package in MyDSL-Multimedia. Also, you need to download dsl-dpkg.dsl to use it and I think the alsa.dsl in Multimedia is newer. It really shouldn't matter because some may need to download dsl-dpkg.dsl anyway, but if you don't use this package or don't know if you're going to use it and you don't download it, the method outlined above will get sound working on your system faster.
E. If anyone knows why there is an error when downloading the alsa.dsl package after downloading gnu-utils, please post. I don't think this should be happening and it isn't obvious why it does. If you know of a link or post already explaining this, please post a link to it.
F. The method listed above may work for other devices other than the i810 sound device. If you get your sound device to work using this method, please post your results.
H. I did not need to use modprobe or change any IRQ settings. You may need to do this if still don't have any sound. I have seen other threads that explain how to do this. Also, I don't know that much about Alsa, but the Alsa Config may make these changes for you.

I have used DSL 1.4 and 1.5 on another machine and it worked great! The sound worked for it, but I was using a VIA-based chipset and Autoconfigure detected the VIA82xxx_audio device. I did not need to use the method listed above to get sound working. I popped in the CD, let the system boot up and I was off and running. I have not tried using DSL 2.0 with this system yet and I don't know if I need to use Alsa with it. Judging by the amout of posts (very little) I've seen throughout my research to get this sound device running, I don't think there will be a problem. If I do have to install Alsa to get the VIA audio device running, I'll post my results.

Anyway, I hope this helps some of those first trying out DSL 2.0. Remember, post your results if you get it to work.

Posted by cbagger01 on Dec. 29 2005,21:22

FYI

alsadebs.dsl is for DSL versions 0.8 though 1.5

alsa.dsl is for DSL versions 2.0+

Posted by bata on Jan. 23 2006,12:05

Sleep
I did so, the new sound card dont work, I dont understand point 7> In the terminal app chose the default.
The configuration seems to be right, but dont work. It recognize the sound card on boot, Ive got the alsa.dsl first, then the gnu-utils.dsl, Ive run the alsa setup in My DSL, it seems to go right, configure the sound card, only have a message error> /usr/sbin/alsaconf line 684 /etc/init.d/alsaconf : No such a file or directory.
I have frugall install, how can I boot dsl alsa. I ve run the same alsa config in Knoppix and works well.
what is Gtk2?

Posted by clacker on Jan. 23 2006,12:36

bata, from your "/usr/sbin/alsaconf line 684 /etc/init.d/alsaconf : No such a file or directory" error message, it looks like the menu item for alsa is there but the files are not. You probably had the menu in filetool.lst so it got backed up on shutdown.

You need to set up either you grub or lilo configuration to start with alsa added to the boot command line. If you don't do this then dsl finds your sound card itself and that dwill prevent alsa from working with it. Then you need to load gnu-utils.dsl and alsa.dsl again. After a reboot the files in frugal will no longer be there. It looks like you backed up the menu but the files themselves that alsa needs are no longer there. I believe if you put alsa.dsl and gnu-utils.dsl at the top of your directory then they will be loaded automatically on startup.

If that's too much, go back to dsl 1.5 which worked so well and wait for the next version of dsl which they say will go back to doing things the 1.5 way, using the old alsadebs and nvidia that everyone loved.