Realtek ALC260 Audio Driver Problem with Mint-17.3 Rosa and kernel 3.19.0-32-generic #37~14.04.1-Ubuntu SMP

[shdawson]

Hi,

I have recently upgraded my laptop from Linux Mint 13.x to 17.3.

I have a problem with the audio driver for my Realtek ALC260 Audio Driver Problem with Mint-17.3 Rosa and kernel 3.19.0-32-generic #37~14.04.1-Ubuntu SMP. Mint 13's alsa drivers worked fine at all times.

SYMPTOMS:
-The audio applications crackle on MP3 files when playing with the internal Realtek sound card, but not when using an external USB sound card.

-Streaming on YouTube does not crackle, but the volume level is noticeably low.

-Streaming radio stations via Banshee does crackle.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
The problem was first noticed when I was running the ISO in live mode. There are 3 loud sound crackles before the desktop appears. These same 3 loud crackles are also present before the login window appears, after the successful 17.3 installation. There are no login chimes/sound as the desktop loads.

I have lowered the volume sound levels in sound card applet, alsamixer, and pcm mixer to eliminate the crackle. However, the the overall audio sound level remains noticeably low with all applications.

OUTPUT OF aplay -l SHOWS:
**** List of PLAYBACK Hardware Devices ****
card 0: Intel [HDA Intel], device 0: ALC260 Analog [ALC260 Analog]
 Subdevices: 1/1
 Subdevice #0: subdevice #0

OUTPUT OF lsmod SHOWS:
Module Size Used by
snd_hrtimer 16384 0
snd_seq_dummy 16384 0
ip6t_REJECT 16384 1
nf_reject_ipv6 16384 1 ip6t_REJECT
nf_log_ipv6 16384 10
deflate 16384 0
ctr 16384 0
twofish_generic 20480 0
twofish_i586 16384 0
twofish_common 24576 2 twofish_generic,twofish_i586
camellia_generic 32768 0
serpent_sse2_i586 36864 0
xts 16384 1 serpent_sse2_i586
serpent_generic 32768 1 serpent_sse2_i586
lrw 16384 1 serpent_sse2_i586
gf128mul 16384 2 lrw,xts
glue_helper 16384 1 serpent_sse2_i586
ablk_helper 16384 1 serpent_sse2_i586
cryptd 16384 1 ablk_helper
blowfish_generic 16384 0
blowfish_common 20480 1 blowfish_generic
cast5_generic 24576 0
cast_common 16384 1 cast5_generic
des_generic 24576 0
cmac 16384 0
xcbc 16384 0
rmd160 20480 0
xt_hl 16384 6
crypto_null 16384 0
ip6t_rt 16384 3
af_key 32768 2
xfrm_algo 16384 1 af_key
rfcomm 61440 0
bnep 20480 2
bluetooth 430080 10 bnep,rfcomm
nf_conntrack_ipv6 20480 11
nf_defrag_ipv6 28672 1 nf_conntrack_ipv6
ipt_REJECT 16384 1
nf_reject_ipv4 16384 1 ipt_REJECT
nf_log_ipv4 16384 17
nf_log_common 16384 2 nf_log_ipv4,nf_log_ipv6
xt_LOG 16384 27
binfmt_misc 20480 1
xt_limit 16384 28
xt_tcpudp 16384 46
xt_addrtype 16384 4
tifm_sd 20480 0
nf_conntrack_ipv4 16384 11
nf_defrag_ipv4 16384 1 nf_conntrack_ipv4
xt_conntrack 16384 22
ip6table_filter 16384 1
ip6_tables 20480 1 ip6table_filter
nf_conntrack_netbios_ns 16384 0
snd_hda_codec_realtek 69632 1
nf_conntrack_broadcast 16384 1 nf_conntrack_netbios_ns
snd_hda_codec_generic 65536 2 snd_hda_codec_realtek
nf_nat_ftp 16384 0
nf_nat 24576 1 nf_nat_ftp
snd_hda_intel 32768 3
nf_conntrack_ftp 16384 1 nf_nat_ftp
snd_hda_controller 32768 1 snd_hda_intel
snd_usb_audio 143360 0
snd_hda_codec 122880 4 snd_hda_codec_realtek,snd_hda_codec_generic,snd_hda_intel,snd_hda_controller
nf_conntrack 90112 8 nf_nat_ftp,nf_conntrack_netbios_ns,nf_nat,xt_conntrack,nf_conntrack_broadcast,nf_conntrack_ftp,nf_conntrack_ipv4,nf_conntrack_ipv6
snd_usbmidi_lib 28672 1 snd_usb_audio
iptable_filter 16384 1
snd_hwdep 16384 2 snd_usb_audio,snd_hda_codec
ip_tables 20480 1 iptable_filter
x_tables 24576 13 ip6table_filter,xt_hl,ip_tables,xt_tcpudp,xt_limit,xt_conntrack,xt_LOG,iptable_filter,ip6t_rt,ipt_REJECT,ip6_tables,xt_addrtype,ip6t_REJECT
snd_pcm 94208 4 snd_usb_audio,snd_hda_codec,snd_hda_intel,snd_hda_controller
snd_seq_midi 16384 0
snd_seq_midi_event 16384 1 snd_seq_midi
snd_rawmidi 28672 2 snd_usbmidi_lib,snd_seq_midi
snd_seq 57344 3 snd_seq_midi_event,snd_seq_dummy,snd_seq_midi
snd_seq_device 16384 4 snd_seq,snd_rawmidi,snd_seq_dummy,snd_seq_midi
snd_timer 28672 3 snd_hrtimer,snd_pcm,snd_seq
pcmcia 53248 0
dm_multipath 24576 0
scsi_dh 16384 1 dm_multipath
snd 69632 18 snd_hda_codec_realtek,snd_usb_audio,snd_hwdep,snd_timer,snd_pcm,snd_seq,snd_rawmidi,snd_hda_codec_generic,snd_usbmidi_lib,snd_hda_codec,snd_hda_intel,snd_seq_device
ipw2200 139264 0
joydev 20480 0
yenta_socket 40960 0
libipw 36864 1 ipw2200
pcmcia_rsrc 20480 1 yenta_socket
lib80211 16384 1 libipw
serio_raw 16384 0
pcmcia_core 24576 3 pcmcia,pcmcia_rsrc,yenta_socket
soundcore 16384 2 snd,snd_hda_codec
tifm_7xx1 16384 0
lpc_ich 20480 0
cfg80211 450560 2 libipw,ipw2200
tifm_core 16384 2 tifm_7xx1,tifm_sd
sony_laptop 49152 0
parport_pc 32768 0
ppdev 20480 0
mac_hid 16384 0
lp 16384 0
parport 40960 3 lp,ppdev,parport_pc
dm_mirror 24576 0
dm_region_hash 20480 1 dm_mirror
dm_log 20480 2 dm_region_hash,dm_mirror
hid_generic 16384 0
usbhid 49152 0
hid 98304 2 hid_generic,usbhid
i915 921600 3
i2c_algo_bit 16384 1 i915
firewire_ohci 36864 0
drm_kms_helper 114688 1 i915
firewire_core 65536 1 firewire_ohci
psmouse 102400 0
e100 36864 0
pata_acpi 16384 0
mii 16384 1 e100
crc_itu_t 16384 1 firewire_core
drm 286720 5 i915,drm_kms_helper
video 20480 1 i915

OUTPUT OF dmesg | grep "intel" SHOWS:
[ 1.171186] intel_idle: does not run on family 6 model 13
[ 2.187720] agpgart-intel 0000:00:00.0: Intel 915GM Chipset
[ 2.187739] agpgart-intel 0000:00:00.0: detected gtt size: 262144K total, 262144K mappable
[ 2.188081] agpgart-intel 0000:00:00.0: detected 8192K stolen memory
[ 2.188250] agpgart-intel 0000:00:00.0: AGP aperture is 256M @ 0xc0000000
[ 3.074926] fb: switching to inteldrmfb from VESA VGA
[ 3.631787] fbcon: inteldrmfb (fb0) is primary device
[ 3.631891] i915 0000:00:02.0: fb0: inteldrmfb frame buffer device
[ 19.115840] intel_rng: FWH not detected
[ 19.431776] libipw: Copyright (C) 2004-2005 Intel Corporation <email address hidden>

OUTPUT OF sudo lshw SHOWS:
  *-multimedia
    description: Audio device
    product: 82801FB/FBM/FR/FW/FRW (ICH6 Family) High Definition Audio Controller
    vendor: Intel Corporation
    physical id: 1b
    bus info: pci@0000:00:1b.0
    version: 03
    width: 64 bits
    clock: 33MHz
    capabilities: pm msi pciexpress bus_master cap_list
    configuration: driver=snd_hda_intel latency=0
    resources: irq:24 memory:b0000000-b0003fff

OUTPUT OF lspci -v SHOWS:
00:1b.0 Audio device: Intel Corporation 82801FB/FBM/FR/FW/FRW (ICH6 Family) High Definition Audio Controller (rev 03)
 Subsystem: Sony Corporation Device 81bb
 Flags: bus master, fast devsel, latency 0, IRQ 24
 Memory at b0000000 (64-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=16K]
 Capabilities: <access denied>
 Kernel driver in use: snd_hda_intel

Is there a workaround for this, or will I have to wait for a later kernel or Mint release? The audio is pretty unworkable in its current state.

Thank You,
SHD

[shdawson (service-shdawson)]

Formatting change.
SHD

[shdawson (service-shdawson)]

OUTPUT OF sudo lspci -v SHOWS:

00:1b.0 Audio device: Intel Corporation 82801FB/FBM/FR/FW/FRW (ICH6 Family) High Definition Audio Controller (rev 03)
 Subsystem: Sony Corporation Device 81bb
 Flags: bus master, fast devsel, latency 0, IRQ 24
 Memory at b0000000 (64-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=16K]
 Capabilities: [50] Power Management version 2
 Capabilities: [60] MSI: Enable+ Count=1/1 Maskable- 64bit+
 Capabilities: [70] Express Root Complex Integrated Endpoint, MSI 00
 Capabilities: [100] Virtual Channel
 Capabilities: [130] Root Complex Link
 Kernel driver in use: snd_hda_intel