PCI/internal sound card seems to be detected, but is not available

[EPO4it]

In my PC is a VT8237A/VT8251 HDA Controller from VIA Technologies, Inc.
When I open the sound preferences, I only see a dummy output.
I tried a lot of commands to figure out the pronblem. It seems that the PCI sound controller is found.
Somehow it is not recognized as an audio device.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 11.10
Package: alsa-base 1.0.24+dfsg-0ubuntu2
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.0.0-16.28-generic 3.0.17
Uname: Linux 3.0.0-16-generic i686
AlsaDevices:
 total 0
 crw-rw----+ 1 root audio 116, 1 2012-02-13 11:37 seq
 crw-rw----+ 1 root audio 116, 33 2012-02-13 11:37 timer
AlsaVersion: Advanced Linux Sound Architecture Driver Version 1.0.24.
AplayDevices: aplay: device_list:240: no soundcards found...
ApportVersion: 1.23-0ubuntu4
Architecture: i386
ArecordDevices: arecord: device_list:240: no soundcards found...
AudioDevicesInUse: Error: command ['fuser', '-v', '/dev/snd/seq', '/dev/snd/timer'] failed with exit code 1:
Date: Mon Feb 13 12:04:02 2012
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 11.10 "Oneiric Ocelot" - Release i386 (20111012)
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: 04/23/2007
dmi.bios.vendor: Phoenix Technologies, LTD
dmi.bios.version: 6.00 PG
dmi.board.name: K8M890-8237A
dmi.board.vendor: Foxconn
dmi.chassis.type: 3
dmi.chassis.vendor: OEM
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnPhoenixTechnologies,LTD:bvr6.00PG:bd04/23/2007:svnFoxconn:pnOEM:pvr:rvnFoxconn:rnK8M890-8237A:rvr:cvnOEM:ct3:cvr:
dmi.product.name: OEM
dmi.sys.vendor: Foxconn

[Daniel Letzeisen (dtl131)]

So the issue is:
[ 7.379223] hda-intel: ioremap error
[ 7.379231] HDA Intel 0000:80:01.0: PCI INT A disabled

See if adding pci=use_crs to your boot line fixes it. Reference: https://bugzilla.kernel.org/show_bug.cgi?id=16921#c5

[EPO4it (info-epo4it)]

IT WORKS!!! Thanks a lot for the quick reaction.

I like to make one comment on the sentence "to your boot line".
The change is rather simple, but it took me a lot off time to get to the right place.
I did know something about the grub.conf, but could not find it in the first place. After some searching I rebooted my PC with the live-CD of Ubuntu 11.10, but Ubuntu did not show up (I installed my PC with this CD-rom). Then I decided to start with an old Fedora 14 live-CD. I could reach my harddisk and mount it. I could get to the grub.conf file, but it was read-only. This was easy to change with chmod. Finally I added the extra parameter and rebooted.

My conclussion: I find it strange that a solution is rather simple. We could wonder why it takes such an effort to perform it.
Thanks to your knowledge my problem is solved.
Kind regards, Erik

[Daniel Letzeisen (dtl131)]

You're welcome.
Just a note: with GRUB2, you should modify /etc/default/grub file and not touch the /boot/grub/grub.cfg file directly

[EPO4it (info-epo4it)]

I did not know about /etc/default/grub . The idea is great so I executed: "info -f grub -n 'Simple configuration'" as was mentioned in the file. Alas I must say, that it probably would have cost me more time to make the change in the boot line and verify the result. I think I had to use "GRUP_CMDLINE_LINUX=pci=use_crs" and then run "update-grup".

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.

[Jakub Mihalciak (anambroid)]

Thank you Dave, your fix works.
I was struggling with the same problem.

[Bjorn Helgaas (bjorn-helgaas)]

Anybody seeing this problem on a Foxconn K8M890-8237A system, please test this patch. With it, sound should work without having to boot with "pci=use_crs". If you test it, please attach the complete dmesg log here. Thanks!

[Ubuntu Foundations Team Bug Bot (crichton)]

The attachment "quirk to turn on pci=use_crs on Foxconn K8M890-8237A" seems to be a patch. If it isn't, please remove the "patch" flag from the attachment, remove the "patch" tag, and if you are a member of the ~ubuntu-reviewers, unsubscribe the team.

[This is an automated message performed by a Launchpad user owned by ~brian-murray, for any issues please contact him.]

[Marcus Tomlinson (marcustomlinson)]

This release of Ubuntu is no longer receiving maintenance updates. If this is still an issue on a maintained version of Ubuntu please let us know.

[Marcus Tomlinson (marcustomlinson)]

This issue has sat incomplete for more than 60 days now. I'm going to close it as invalid. Please feel free re-open if this is still an issue for you. Thank you.

[Bjorn Helgaas (bjorn-helgaas)]

This issue should be resolved by https://git.kernel.org/linus/1dace0116d0b, which appeared in v4.2. If the kernel contains that commit, the "pci=use_crs" boot parameter should not be needed.