Alsa mixer doesn't work anymore with Realtek ALC861

[Mathias Hasselmann]

The Alsa mixer, and therefore also GNOME's mixer don't work anymore with Realtek ALC861.
With the older kernel models of Feisty and Gutsy it worked.

Update: in intrepid, same Problems. The linked bug is one of tons of similar bugs in Alsa-Bugtracker.

[Mathias Hasselmann (hasselmm)]

$ strace -o /tmp/strace-alsamixer.txt alsamixer

alsamixer: function snd_mixer_load failed: No such file or directory

[Mathias Hasselmann (hasselmm)]

$ strace -o /tmp/strace-amixer.txt amixer
amixer: Mixer default load error: No such file or directory

[Mathias Hasselmann (hasselmm)]

Seems strace doesn't properly resolve ALSA ioctls, so here my guess work:

USBDEVFS_CONTROL - _IOWR('U', 0) => SNDRV_IOCTL_READV - _IOW ('K', 0)
USBDEVFS_RELEASEINTERFACE - _IOR ('U', 16) => SNDRV_CTL_IOCTL_ELEM_LIST - _IOWR('U', 16)
USBDEVFS_CONNECTINFO - _IOW('U', 17) => SNDRV_CTL_IOCTL_ELEM_INFO - _IOWR('U', 17)
USBDEVFS_IOCTL - _IOWR('U', 18) => SNDRV_CTL_IOCTL_ELEM_READ - _IOWR('U', 18)

[Mathias Hasselmann (hasselmm)]

Ok, that's the content of the info structure passed to the failing snd_ctl_hw_elem_info() call:

$1 = {id = {numid = 21, iface = 2, device = 0, subdevice = 0,
    name = "Master Playback Volume", '\0' <repeats 21 times>, index = 0}, type = 0, access = 0,
  count = 0, owner = 0, value = {integer = {min = 0, max = 0, step = 0}, integer64 = {min = 0,
      max = 0, step = 0}, enumerated = {items = 0, item = 0, name = '\0' <repeats 63 times>},
    reserved = '\0' <repeats 127 times>}, dimen = {d = {0, 0, 0, 0}, d_ptr = 0x0},
  reserved = '\0' <repeats 55 times>}

Seems SNDRV_CTL_IOCTL_ELEM_LIST reports existance of a "Master Playback Volume" channel, but SNDRV_CTL_IOCTL_ELEM_INFO cannot retreive the details.

[Mathias Hasselmann (hasselmm)]

git HEAD works for me

[Grizzly (sven-witterstein)]

hm, same here on asus pundit p1-ah2 w. alc861 - just realized that after kernel update 2.6.24-20 (oh, also buggy) 5.1 was gone.

@Mathias: how do I find info on obtaining and building git HEAD of alsa - to give that a try?

(I mean, I know git and m-a but I cant fit the two together?)

btw. I always used model=3stack, now I am trying model=6stack-dig in /etc/modules.d/alsa-base and /etc/modules (because there's 3 or 4 outs on the rear, two on the front and a fronside "sic" s/pdif...

[Leann Ogasawara (leannogasawara)]

Hi Guys,

The kernel for the upcoming Intrepid Ibex 8.10 release will have an updated alsa stack. It's still under development but if you want to give it a test the latest Alpha's can be found at http://www.ubuntu.com/testing .

Also, beginning with the Intrepid Ibex 8.10 development cycle the linux-ubuntu-modules package was actually merged with the linux kernel package. Going forward, bugs that would have been reported against linux-ubuntu-modules should now just be reported against linux. I'll go ahead and add the 'linux' task for this report so that this remains open against the actively developed kernel. Unfortunately against linux-ubuntu-modules-2.6.24 this will likely be closed as it does not qualify for a Stable Release Update - http://wiki.ubuntu.com/StableReleaseUpdates . Thanks.

[Leann Ogasawara (leannogasawara)]

The Ubuntu Kernel Team is planning to move to the 2.6.27 kernel for the upcoming Intrepid Ibex 8.10 release. As a result, the kernel team would appreciate it if you could please test this newer 2.6.27 Ubuntu kernel. There are one of two ways you should be able to test:

1) If you are comfortable installing packages on your own, the linux-image-2.6.27-* package is currently available for you to install and test.

--or--

2) The upcoming Alpha5 for Intrepid Ibex 8.10 will contain this newer 2.6.27 Ubuntu kernel. Alpha5 is set to be released Thursday Sept 4. Please watch http://www.ubuntu.com/testing for Alpha5 to be announced. You should then be able to test via a LiveCD.

Please let us know immediately if this newer 2.6.27 kernel resolves the bug reported here or if the issue remains. More importantly, please open a new bug report for each new bug/regression introduced by the 2.6.27 kernel and tag the bug report with 'linux-2.6.27'. Also, please specifically note if the issue does or does not appear in the 2.6.26 kernel. Thanks again, we really appreicate your help and feedback.

[Grizzly (sven-witterstein)]

Just updated to Intrepid Ibex Alpha5. No positive effects, however "normal" 2-channel downmixed digital and analog 5.1 output works...

a) mplayer -ao hwac3 does not work (silence) - used to work in hardy yesterday...
b) mythtv with "ac3 passthrough" activated gives ugly pulsating noise when switching to dvb-ac3 (used to be silence in hardy)
c) alsamixer in terminal only offers one single bar für pulse audio (no iec851 etc. ppp. selectors or the 2ch/6ch switch offered)

d) this is also funny, the asus pundit does not have an hdmi-interface nor any way to output 7.1 audio:

front:CARD=NVidia,DEV=0
    HDA NVidia, ALC861 Analog
    Front speakers
surround40:CARD=NVidia,DEV=0
    HDA NVidia, ALC861 Analog
    4.0 Surround output to Front and Rear speakers
surround41:CARD=NVidia,DEV=0
    HDA NVidia, ALC861 Analog
    4.1 Surround output to Front, Rear and Subwoofer speakers
surround50:CARD=NVidia,DEV=0
    HDA NVidia, ALC861 Analog
    5.0 Surround output to Front, Center and Rear speakers
surround51:CARD=NVidia,DEV=0
    HDA NVidia, ALC861 Analog
    5.1 Surround output to Front, Center, Rear and Subwoofer speakers
surround71:CARD=NVidia,DEV=0
    HDA NVidia, ALC861 Analog
    7.1 Surround output to Front, Center, Side, Rear and Woofer speakers
hdmi:CARD=NVidia,DEV=0
    HDA NVidia
    HDMI Audio Output
null
    Discard all samples (playback) or generate zero samples (capture)

e) the entry "options snd-hda-intel model=3stack-dig" in /etc/modules.d/alsa-base is still needed to work at all, but adding "snd-hda-intel model=3stack-dig" in /etc/modules silences the pc.

f) kaffeine still has no option to activate ac3 passthrough (used to work automagically in hardy)

I would like to get rid of Pulse and set everything to "alsa" - however, again, when I do that the pc remains totally silent and purging pulse is not possible, as almost everything depends on it.

Need specific instructions how to track this down. But right now I am so frustrated, I am considering simply getting a new htpc and get rid of this alc861-chip...

[Grizzly (sven-witterstein)]

Now, several updates later, I am back with "model=3stack-dig" and "3stack-dig" in /etc/modules.d/alsa and /etc/modules.
On Pulse, not much work. Switching np. Kaffeine to "Alsa", now I can select AC3 Passthrough and that works. On mythtv, there is only awful noise. To the contrary, neither alsamixer nor gnome-mixer offer to change anything for "center" "rear" "iec958" or similar.

However, I have a new board now in my desktop that sooner or later shall replace the said htpc. Vendor sais that it is a Realtek 889A built on that one, but alsa sais it's 885 - and again no surround settings in gnome-mixer, while alsa-mixer does show them. But that's on intrepid alpha, so I can't say if it counts or not...

[Grizzly (sven-witterstein)]

after a weekend of pure enjoyment (htpc had ac3 passthrough in kaffeine) now nothing again on intrepid - alsamixer is said to be 1.0.17 and only shows ONE Bar for pulse audio, but "Audio Settings is on alsa..." and trying to "m-a a-i alsa" gives a "error: implicit declaration" in line 90 of ainfo.c.

The strange thing is, that I didnt edit any configs. Just happens with the various initrd-updates I guess.

[Grizzly (sven-witterstein)]

I should add it is impossible to switch on / switch off the front headset output. Skype does play sound with some settings, but never records from mic (however there is a setting in alsamixer that makes it possible to use the headset microphone as pa in conjunction with speakers.
Noticable, there is no way to select 2ch vs 6ch output.

If anybody could hint me, what output to provide to make this bug traceable?