Mga2Alpha3 lot of problems

[smoreau]

Mga2 install from dvd (i586) on laptop (core 2duo).
T4500, 2.3GHz,
Sound : MCP High Definition Audio (nVidia) driver snd_hda_intel
Messages during boot process :
failed to start legacy module configuration
starting recreate volatiles files and directories see systemctl status systemd for detailed
boot hangs after started restore sound card state (more than 3 minutes, particularly after the last update this morning)

Then :
no sound at all, no sound devices detected ( in french "sortie factice" )
Unable to detect any printer either on usb or on cups server. Attempts to use gateway (livebox) printer lead to the following message : print file was not accepted.

SM

[jaywalker]

Hmm, sounds familiar indeed.

I had similar boot issues (see "Tonight's updates have broken startup/shutdown") , as have others. I also encountered problems with the latest snd-hda-intel driver (see "Warning for Alpha 3 snd-hda-intel users with ALC662 codec")

Coincidentally, my motherboard also has an nVidia chipset (MCP61 I think). Can you tell us which codec is implemented on your sound card?

Richard

[smoreau]

MPC79 high Definition audio using snd_hda_intel module. I dont the codec on the audio card.

[doktor5000]

I dont the codec on the audio card.

You can check via

Code: Select all

grep -Ri codec /proc/asound/card*

[jaywalker]

A quick and reasonably painless way to see if the recent (kernel v3.2.0+) changes to snd-hda-intel are affecting you is to get the rt kernel for Cauldron as it is at version 3.0.14. Look for kernel-rt-3.0.14-0.rt31.1.mga2.

As to the codec, I reckon it might be my friend, the Realtek ALC662 rev. 1 . Check this out;https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Acer_Aspire_R3610

The "model" type looks like it should be set for that Acer Aspire. They recommend

Code: Select all

options snd-hda-intel model=3stack-6ch-dig


If that's what you need too then you are out of luck on MGA2's current kernel which no longer supports that model for the ALC662. See thread at https://forums.mageia.org/en/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=1773

Richard

[smoreau]

You can check via

Code: Select all

grep -Ri codec /proc/asound/card*

OK: Realtek ALC888
Nvidia MCP79/7A HMDI

[jaywalker]

Whoops. The latest alsa driver in the current MGA2 kernel does not explicitly support the various ALC888 "modelname" options which you may need. This is the same problem I have with the ALC662 because the auto-detection of my soundcard's sockets and controls does not work.

If you are having the same problem, then you can try using the Real Time kernel mentioned above which does provide the various modelname options. These are the modelname options from the RT kernel which are recognised for the ALC888

ALC882/883/885/888/889
======================
3stack-dig 3-jack with SPDIF I/O
6stack-dig 6-jack digital with SPDIF I/O
arima Arima W820Di1
targa Targa T8, MSI-1049 T8
asus-a7j ASUS A7J
asus-a7m ASUS A7M
macpro MacPro support
mb5 Macbook 5,1
macmini3 Macmini 3,1
mba21 Macbook Air 2,1
mbp3 Macbook Pro rev3
imac24 iMac 24'' with jack detection
imac91 iMac 9,1
w2jc ASUS W2JC
3stack-2ch-dig 3-jack with SPDIF I/O (ALC883)
alc883-6stack-dig 6-jack digital with SPDIF I/O (ALC883)
3stack-6ch 3-jack 6-channel
3stack-6ch-dig 3-jack 6-channel with SPDIF I/O
6stack-dig-demo 6-jack digital for Intel demo board
acer Acer laptops (Travelmate 3012WTMi, Aspire 5600, etc)
acer-aspire Acer Aspire 9810
acer-aspire-4930g Acer Aspire 4930G
acer-aspire-6530g Acer Aspire 6530G
acer-aspire-7730g Acer Aspire 7730G
acer-aspire-8930g Acer Aspire 8930G
medion Medion Laptops
targa-dig Targa/MSI
targa-2ch-dig Targa/MSI with 2-channel
targa-8ch-dig Targa/MSI with 8-channel (MSI GX620)
laptop-eapd 3-jack with SPDIF I/O and EAPD (Clevo M540JE, M550JE)
lenovo-101e Lenovo 101E
lenovo-nb0763 Lenovo NB0763
lenovo-ms7195-dig Lenovo MS7195
lenovo-sky Lenovo Sky
haier-w66 Haier W66
3stack-hp HP machines with 3stack (Lucknow, Samba boards)
6stack-dell Dell machines with 6stack (Inspiron 530)
mitac Mitac 8252D
clevo-m540r Clevo M540R (6ch + digital)
clevo-m720 Clevo M720 laptop series
fujitsu-pi2515 Fujitsu AMILO Pi2515
fujitsu-xa3530 Fujitsu AMILO XA3530
3stack-6ch-intel Intel DG33* boards
intel-alc889a Intel IbexPeak with ALC889A
intel-x58 Intel DX58 with ALC889
asus-p5q ASUS P5Q-EM boards
mb31 MacBook 3,1
sony-vaio-tt Sony VAIO TT
auto auto-config reading BIOS (default)

If you are lucky you may recognise precisely which one you need from the names, otherwise just try them one at a time.

Richard

[doktor5000]

Here's a link to the model codes, always up-to-date, this also comes with the kernel source:
http://www.mjmwired.net/kernel/Document ... Models.txt

[smoreau]

Here's a link to the model codes, always up-to-date, this also comes with the kernel source:
http://www.mjmwired.net/kernel/Document ... Models.txt

I do not clearly understand what does that mean. Is there no hope that the new Mageia2 will be able to drive the sound card of my laptop which is only one year old ?

[doktor5000]

Nope. Also recently there have been some issues around sound recognition, those should all be fixed before Mageia 2 is released.
Also with an up-to-date cauldron installation your problems should be fixed already. If not, you may want to have a look at
https://www.zarb.org/pipermail/mageia-d ... 11416.html for how to fix the underlying problem manually.

[jaywalker]

APOLOGY APOLOGY APOLOGY

I got it wrong. There has been NO CHANGE to the "models" supported for the ALC888 codec in the current MGA2 kernel. doctor5000 provided a link to the supported models list which is absolutely correct. Incidentally, the linked document actually illustrates my problem with the ALC662 codec, but that is another matter.

I do not clearly understand what does that mean. Is there no hope that the new Mageia2 will be able to drive the sound card of my laptop which is only one year old ?

This is my understanding. Hopefully you will see how it might apply to you: the snd-hda-intel driver looks like it is only for Intel implementations of the high definition audio standard. In fact, all manufacturers must produce "sound cards" which properly implement the high definition audio standard, so in theory one driver should do all. In practice they all do their own thing with tweaks and enhancements, and sometimes (mostly?) with some mistakes. In addition, motherboard BIOS representation of motherboard "sound cards" isn't always accurate.

The result is that the Alsa driver writers have a lot of moving targets which we want them to hit accurately every time a new one appears. Many "special cases" must be handled, particularly when probing methods do not get all the information needed. Just look again at the "models" listed for your ALC888 codec (manufactured by Realtek, I think). Some of the names clearly relate to specific implementations in specific manufacturers' computer designs (eg. acer-aspire-7730g). Others are more generally applicable to some types of motherboard implementation which may be used by more than one manufacturer (eg. 3stack-dig). There is also one which the driver writer hopes will be good enough for most people with most examples of this codec in most equipment; it's called "auto" and it causes the BIOS and hardware to be probed for information so that the right connections can be set up (we hope!).

If you are NOT using a "options snd-hda-intel model=some-model-name" line in your /etc/modprobe.conf file or in a file in your /etc/modprobe.d directory THEN you are, by default, using the "auto" model.

Your original statement of your problem looks like it is more fundamental than just not detecting all of the right connections for your sound hardware. By now it is possible that updates have corrected some of the initialisation issues you have suffered. The fix indicated by doctor5000 is quite easy to apply and solved a lot of problems for me.

Finally there is the "obfuscation" of the details of your sound hardware caused (quite deliberately and with good intentions) by the pulseaudio layer. In my limited experience and exposure, Pulse mixers tend to simplify the view presented to you of the underlying hardware. You may look to see the cause of a problem of no sound, and all of the possible Pulse level controls may be at maximum, but perhaps the input you are using wasn't even detected by the driver so no amount of twiddling controls will help. The information you need is in the system (probably in the /proc directory) but it can be easier to use a simple Alsa mixer to get an understandable overview of what inputs and outputs and switches are available.

For example, my TV sound is connected to the CD header plug on the motherboard. After a kernel update last week it went silent. When I look at the alsamixer representation of my sound hardware I can immediately see there is no longer a CD level control or a CD capture option available. Instead I have numerous inputs and outputs which simply do not exist on my motherboard. That is a clear indication that something went wrong in the detection of my sound hardware capabilities.

What is the current status? Can you get sound from any input, or from audio or video file playback? Can you play a CD or a DVD with sound? Does your microphone work?

If you would like to post the contents of /proc/asound/card0/codec#0 (assuming this exists on your system) it would show the detail of what capabilities have been detected.

Hope this helps add to your understanding and not to your confusion

Richard