PCI/internal sound card not detected

[Michael]

Upsstream says try a newer kernel, but I am on the LTS HWE kernels for Xenial, and want to solve this on this version. This is a Think Centre M710e Model/Type 10UR, and the snd_hba_intel correctly loads, but finds no codecs. This is the onboard audio card, and don't think they have chnaged it much in years, so I expect that at least SOME codecs should be detected. Played with various alsa conf settings, no joy..

options snd-hda-intel single_cmd=1
options snd-hda-intel probe_mask=1
options snd-hda-intel model=thinkpad
options snd-hda-intel position_fix=3

Tried model(s) generic, and auto.. always the same in bootup..

[ 12.684107] snd_hda_intel 0000:00:1f.3: bound 0000:00:02.0 (ops i915_audio_component_bind_ops [i915])
[ 12.827419] snd_hda_intel 0000:00:1f.3: CORB reset timeout#1, CORBRP = 0
[ 12.830129] snd_hda_intel 0000:00:1f.3: no codecs found!

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 16.04
Package: alsa-base 1.0.25+dfsg-0ubuntu5
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 4.15.0-96.97~16.04.1-generic 4.15.18
Uname: Linux 4.15.0-96-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.20.1-0ubuntu2.23
Architecture: amd64
AudioDevicesInUse: Error: command ['fuser', '-v', '/dev/snd/seq', '/dev/snd/timer'] failed with exit code 1:
CurrentDesktop: X-Cinnamon
Date: Tue Apr 14 15:00:59 2020
InstallationDate: Installed on 2019-11-03 (163 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu-Server 16.04.6 LTS "Xenial Xerus" - Release amd64 (20190226)
PackageArchitecture: all
SourcePackage: alsa-driver
Symptom: audio
Title: PCI/internal sound card not detected
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
dmi.bios.date: 06/05/2018
dmi.bios.vendor: LENOVO
dmi.bios.version: M1ZKT23A
dmi.board.name: 313C
dmi.board.vendor: LENOVO
dmi.board.version: SDK0J40697 WIN 3305181519567
dmi.chassis.type: 3
dmi.chassis.vendor: LENOVO
dmi.chassis.version: None
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnLENOVO:bvrM1ZKT23A:bd06/05/2018:svnLENOVO:pn10UR001JUS:pvrThinkCentreM710e:rvnLENOVO:rn313C:rvrSDK0J40697WIN3305181519567:cvnLENOVO:ct3:cvrNone:
dmi.product.family: ThinkCentre M710e
dmi.product.name: 10UR001JUS
dmi.product.version: ThinkCentre M710e
dmi.sys.vendor: LENOVO
mtime.conffile..etc.modprobe.d.alsa-base.conf: 2020-04-13T16:09:19.881423

[Hui Wang (hui.wang)]

Is there an audio enable option in the BIOS? Maybe it is disabled?

Or the codec is damaged physically? You could install the newer kernel to verify if the codec is good or not, if it is good and newer kernel could work, then we will bisect the kernel to find the fix for this issue.

[Michael (linuxmagic)]

Follow-up, and bug can be closed, hardware issue.

For the record, I do think that the frustration in the original bug
report does point out that there is a need for a low level testing tool,
to help identify if it is an actual hardware issue, or a problem with
detection, or the drivers etc..

Out of frustration, I ended up calling the vendor (Lenovo) and while I
haven't been happy with their hardware historically, and don't laugh
that I ended up buying a ThinkCentre for a Linux station, I was
pleasantly surprised with their support.

I was able to get a hold of a human almost right away, but I do think
that Lenovo has a known hardware issue, that they only tell people about
if they call for support. AS soon as I mentioned 'audio' problems, he
surprised me by not questioning it at all, and that 'they would send a
technician out to replace the motherboard'.

(I thought he would at least put me through a testing song and dance,
but no, no questions asked.. 4 minutes later off the phone)

Took about 10 days, but true to their word, motherboard was shipped, and
technician showed up, replaced the motherboard, and all sound devices
detected on boot, immediately. (No changes need to sound configuration)

I guess it passes the hardware compatability with 16.04 ;)

Thanks all for your comments though.. but consider that some form of
'testing' tool, should have come to the conclusion this was a hardware
issue and saved me a few days of learning low level alsa/sound.

On 2020-04-14 5:44 p.m., Hui Wang wrote:
> Is there an audio enable option in the BIOS? Maybe it is disabled?
>
> Or the codec is damaged physically? You could install the newer kernel
> to verify if the codec is good or not, if it is good and newer kernel
> could work, then we will bisect the kernel to find the fix for this
> issue.
>