[SOLVED] No sound at all

[yonyz]

Hi,

I've had OSS v4 installed for 2 days. When I tried to launch its mixer, it said "no mixers are available", or "no mixers found". Bottom line: ossxmix was not installed.
So I uninstalled OSS v4. I then followed the official Ubuntu documentation (help.ubuntu.com) and removed ALSA and installed some stuff related to OSS v4 (under the prerequisites category in the help document). I then installed OSS v4 using the mercurial repositories. That also installed ossxmix. I then saw that there was no Production option available under 'src', in the mixer, so I found this guide: http://www.opensound.com/forum/viewtopi ... 730#p14690

It did let me choose the Production option, but now I have no sound at all, and ALSA is gone as well (not that I'm willing to revert back to it). Before recompiling OSS v4 with Production src enabled, I did have sound using OSS v4. I should mention that I now have no sound at all, no matter the src I use. Strangely enough, the mixer does show activity when I play a video or music.

Does anyone have any idea how to fix this? Maybe an explanation on how to completely remove OSS v4, so that I can completely reinstal it from scratch, would work.

Thanks in advance.

Edit: Results of ossinfo:

Code: Select all

Version info: OSS 4.2 (b 2003/201012200112) (0x00040100) OSS_HG
Hg revision: changeset: 920:232d0de71550, tag: tip, date: Tue Nov 02 23:45:15 2010 +0200, summary: Misc changes to ossplay
Platform: Linux/i686 2.6.35-23-generic #41-Ubuntu SMP Wed Nov 24 10:18:49 UTC 2010 (yonyz-Ubuntu)

Number of audio devices:   4
Number of audio engines:   8
Number of MIDI devices:      2
Number of mixer devices:   1


Device objects
0: osscore0 OSS core services
1: oss_envy24ht0 Ego Systems Juli@ interrupts=107142 (107142)
2: oss_usb0 USB audio core services

MIDI devices (/dev/midi*)
0: Ego Systems Juli@ input (MIDI port 1 of device object 1)
1: Ego Systems Juli@ output (MIDI port 2 of device object 1)

Mixer devices
0: Ego Systems Juli@ (Mixer 0 of device object 1)

Audio devices
Ego Systems Juli@ front out       /dev/oss/oss_envy24ht0/pcm0  (device index 0)
Ego Systems Juli@ digital out     /dev/oss/oss_envy24ht0/spdout  (device index 1)
Ego Systems Juli@ analog in       /dev/oss/oss_envy24ht0/pcmin0  (device index 2)
Ego Systems Juli@ digital in      /dev/oss/oss_envy24ht0/spdin  (device index 3)

Nodes
  /dev/dsp -> /dev/oss/oss_envy24ht0/pcm0
  /dev/dsp_in -> /dev/oss/oss_envy24ht0/pcm0
  /dev/dsp_out -> /dev/oss/oss_envy24ht0/pcm0
  /dev/dsp_ac3 -> /dev/oss/oss_envy24ht0/spdout
  /dev/dsp_mmap -> /dev/oss/oss_envy24ht0/pcm0
  /dev/dsp_multich -> /dev/oss/oss_hdaudio0/pcm0
  /dev/dsp_spdifout -> /dev/oss/oss_envy24ht0/spdout
  /dev/dsp_spdifin -> /dev/oss/oss_envy24ht0/spdin


I hope someone here knows what it means.

Edit 2: I've reinstalled alsa-utils, so now I can access System>Preferences>Sound (using Ubuntu). Apparently, no hardware appears under the Hardware tab. Also, Dummy Output is the only output available.
Before I messed with my OSS installation, both my built-in Realtek sound chipset and my ESI Juli@ card appeared. They are both gone now. So it seems that OSS v4 is installed fine, as far as I know, but Ubuntu no longer recognizes my hardware. I hope this helps identifying a solution.

Edit 3: I've installed some missing... umm... thing, and now ALSA works, but OSS does not. When ALSA is used, my ESI Juli@ is identified and appears under the Hardware tab of Sound, but not when OSS is used.

[igorzwx]

Before experimenting with Ubuntu, it makes sense to try OSS4 with Arch LiveCD.
The manual is here:
viewtopic.php?f=3&t=3933#p15851
viewtopic.php?f=3&t=3933

With Arch LiveCD, you can test how OSS4 works with your hardware, and you can learn the basic principles.

Generally speaking, Ubuntu is not perfectly suitable for Linux newbies. If it does not work "out of the box", you are out of luck. It is much more easier to install Arch on 20 different computers than to fix Ubuntu on one computer. Ubuntu is so designed that you should be really very advanced Linux user to be able to fix it.

If OSS4 does not work with your soundcard, you may try ALSA as well
viewtopic.php?f=3&t=3981

[yonyz]

Considering it's popularity and use of GNOME, I thought of Ubuntu to be easier for newbies. But is configuring OSS on Arch that much different than configuring it on Ubuntu? Meanwhile, I'll be downloading the Arch LiveCD...

Edit: There is no LiveCD version to Arch, is there? I assume you meant to download and burn the image on a CD, and then boot from it without installing. Am I right?

[igorzwx]

Considering it's popularity and use of GNOME, I thought of Ubuntu to be easier for newbies. But is configuring OSS on Arch that much different than configuring it on Ubuntu? Meanwhile, I'll be downloading the Arch LiveCD...

Edit: There is no LiveCD version to Arch, is there? I assume you meant to download and burn the image on a CD, and then boot from it without installing. Am I right?

Exactly. You do not need to install anything on your computer.
When you boot Arch LiveCD, Arch is loaded to RAM. After reboot, it will vanish.
So that, you boot Arch LiveCD, then install some software (to RAM), and after reboot, everything is cleaned.

OSS is configured on Arch in the same way as on Ubuntu.
Everything is practically the same. You can even copy some executables (e.g. "gnome-sound-properties", "ossxmix", etc.) from Ubuntu to Arch and run them (no recompilation is required). Linux is everywhere the same.

Arch LiveCD is here:

http://godane.wordpress.com/2010/08/25/archiso-live-20100825-release/
root password is ArchLinux
arch password is arch
Here is the iso, md5, and package list.

[yonyz]

So, if configuring OSS on Arch is the same as configuring it on Ubuntu, why bother with Arch when I already have Ubuntu installed? Is it because OSS is already installed and configured in Arch, so that if it doesn't work out-of-the-box, it probably won't work at all?

[igorzwx]

OSS4 is installed on Arch LiveCD, but it is not loaded.
You have to unload ALSA, load OSS4 and configure it.
This may help you to understand how to correctly install OSS4 on Ubuntu.
If OSS4 is installed in a wrong way, it will not work. This may explain you problems with OSS4.

EDIT: To be fair, learning of Linux may cost a lot of your valuable time. From my subjective point of view, it might be reasonable to start with Arch Linux. It may make things easier. The basic manual is here: https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Beginners'_Guide

[yonyz]

I merely wish to use Linux for browsing the web, listening to music and watching movies. With good sound quality, like I have on Windows.
I've had a few major problems with Ubuntu so far, mainly a problem where X would not start, so I had no GUI. But I figured it out after an hour or so.
Right now, my only problem with Ubuntu, or Linux in general, is its sound - ALSA sounds really bad with my card. So thanks for the link to the beginners' guide, but I'm not sure I really need it.

Edit:The beginners' guide seems to have a Sound section, so I guess I should use it.
In fact, I have a question regarding it: do I need to follow the Install process mentioned in the following link? Because I thought OSS is already installed.
https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/OSS#Install

[igorzwx]

I merely wish to use Linux for browsing the web, listening to music and watching movies. With good sound quality, like I have on Windows.
I've had a few major problems with Ubuntu so far, mainly a problem where X would not start, so I had no GUI. But I figured it out after an hour or so.
Right now, my only problem with Ubuntu, or Linux in general, is its sound - ALSA sounds really bad with my card. So thanks for the link to the beginners' guide, but I'm not sure I really need it.

Edit:The beginners' guide seems to have a Sound section, so I guess I should use it.
In fact, I have a question regarding it: do I need to follow the Install process mentioned in the following link? Because I thought OSS is already installed.
https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/OSS#Install

The guide for Arch LiveCD is here:
viewtopic.php?f=3&t=3933#p15851
You do not need to install OSS4 on Arch LiveCD, because it is already installed.

The beginners manual for Arch is the installation guide. It is suggested that you learn Linux during installation. You may try it on an old computer, if you have one for experiments.

[yonyz]

From your link:

SOLUTION is very simple:
1. Remove PulseAudio, ESound, alsa-tils and alsa-oss
2. Unload ALSA modules
3. Start OSS by running "sudo soundon"

But how do I remove PulseAudio, ESound, alsa-tils and alsa-oss?
And how do I unload the ALSA modules?

[igorzwx]

From your link:

SOLUTION is very simple:
1. Remove PulseAudio, ESound, alsa-tils and alsa-oss
2. Unload ALSA modules
3. Start OSS by running "sudo soundon"

But how do I remove PulseAudio, ESound, alsa-tils and alsa-oss?
And how do I unload the ALSA modules?

Read "Listing from Terminal" here:
viewtopic.php?f=3&t=3933#p15851

[yonyz]

I'm getting a "FATAL: Module sndn_pcm still in use" error when executing this command:

Code: Select all

modprobe -rf snd_hda_codec_si3054 snd_hda_codec_analog snd_hda_codec snd_hwdep snd_pcm snd snd_timer soundcore snd_page_alloc

How do I kill the aforementioned module?

[igorzwx]

I'm getting a "FATAL: Module sndn_pcm still in use" error when executing this command:

Code: Select all

modprobe -rf snd_hda_codec_si3054 snd_hda_codec_analog snd_hda_codec snd_hwdep snd_pcm snd snd_timer soundcore snd_page_alloc

How do I kill the aforementioned module?

The problem is that some sound applications (e.g. mixer applet) are using ALSA.
You can kill them all with one command:

Code: Select all

$ sudo /usr/lib/oss/scripts/killprocs.sh

You should have it, if OSS4 is installed. It is located here: /usr/lib/oss/scripts/killprocs.sh
If you have not folder /usr/lib/oss , it means that OSS4 is not installed.

The easiest way is right click on the mixer applet on the panel and select "remove from panel". This is sufficient in the most of cases.

Another method:

Code: Select all

$ xfce4-taskmanager

You may try to kill this or that process and see the result. If something goes wrong, you can always reboot LiveCD and continue experiments.

[yonyz]

I've tried all three methods, but I keep getting the same error. I will proceed without executing that command.

Edit: No sound. I'll try applying the instructions in Ubuntu.

[yonyz]

Alright. I got it working, with the Production option as well. On Ubuntu. I'm happy now.
I'm not even sure what was the problem that I fixed, but I do know how to make this thing work from scratch. I just needed to remove OSS, and then reinstall it correctly.

[igorzwx]

Alright. I got it working, with the Production option as well. On Ubuntu. I'm happy now.
I'm not even sure what was the problem that I fixed, but I do know how to make this thing work from scratch. I just needed to remove OSS, and then reinstall it correctly.

You may mark it as "SOLVED". For some strange reason, training with Arch always helps to fix Ubuntu. You may also read this: https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/OSS