No sound on Dell Dimension E520

[Likewise]

Dell Precision E520 running Ubuntu 9.04 Jaunty beta gives no sound at all. (8.04.x still does.)

Linux witty 2.6.28-11-generic #42-Ubuntu SMP Fri Apr 17 01:57:59 UTC 2009 i686 GNU/Linux

leon@witty:~/sandbox/sheevaplug/openembedded$ sudo lspci -nn
00:00.0 Host bridge [0600]: Intel Corporation 82P965/G965 Memory Controller Hub [8086:29a0] (rev 02)
00:01.0 PCI bridge [0604]: Intel Corporation 82P965/G965 PCI Express Root Port [8086:29a1] (rev 02)
00:19.0 Ethernet controller [0200]: Intel Corporation 82562V 10/100 Network Connection [8086:104c] (rev 02)
00:1a.0 USB Controller [0c03]: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) USB UHCI Controller #4 [8086:2834] (rev 02)
00:1a.1 USB Controller [0c03]: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) USB UHCI Controller #5 [8086:2835] (rev 02)
00:1a.7 USB Controller [0c03]: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) USB2 EHCI Controller #2 [8086:283a] (rev 02)
00:1b.0 Audio device [0403]: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) HD Audio Controller [8086:284b] (rev 02)
00:1c.0 PCI bridge [0604]: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) PCI Express Port 1 [8086:283f] (rev 02)
00:1d.0 USB Controller [0c03]: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) USB UHCI Controller #1 [8086:2830] (rev 02)
00:1d.1 USB Controller [0c03]: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) USB UHCI Controller #2 [8086:2831] (rev 02)
00:1d.2 USB Controller [0c03]: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) USB UHCI Controller #3 [8086:2832] (rev 02)
00:1d.7 USB Controller [0c03]: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) USB2 EHCI Controller #1 [8086:2836] (rev 02)
00:1e.0 PCI bridge [0604]: Intel Corporation 82801 PCI Bridge [8086:244e] (rev f2)
00:1f.0 ISA bridge [0601]: Intel Corporation 82801HH (ICH8DH) LPC Interface Controller [8086:2812] (rev 02)
00:1f.2 RAID bus controller [0104]: Intel Corporation 82801 SATA RAID Controller [8086:2822] (rev 02)
00:1f.3 SMBus [0c05]: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) SMBus Controller [8086:283e] (rev 02)
01:00.0 VGA compatible controller [0300]: nVidia Corporation G70 [GeForce 7600 GT] [10de:0391] (rev a1)

[rasto1968 (rob-a-stone)]

I have the same problem - E520 no sound. Sound worked fine on previous releases (8.04 and 8.10).

I have followed various troubleshooting guides, but none of them have worked.

Rob

[rasto1968 (rob-a-stone)]

If I type 'alsactl init' I get the following message:

Unknown hardware: "HDA-Intel" "SigmaTel STAC9227" "HDA:83847618,102801dd,00100201" "" ""
Hardware is initialized using a guess method

This doesn't sound too good.

[emreakbas (emreakbas)]

I have a desktop machine. I get the same output. Sound was working fine with Kubuntu 8.04

[Eric Kuzmenko (gralco)]

This bug needs to be triaged, I have the same problem with jaunty

[nowai (nowai-wow)]

I am, I believe, having a similar issue. The PulseAudio seems to know about sound occurring, as when I open up volume control, etc, I see activity, but I never get any sound to come out of the Headset jack. I have tried a number of solutions posted on the forums to get sound working in general, but none of them have worked for the E520.

[emreakbas (emreakbas)]

Here are more details about my machine:

~$ aplay -l
**** List of PLAYBACK Hardware Devices ****
card 0: Intel [HDA Intel], device 0: STAC92xx Analog [STAC92xx Analog]
  Subdevices: 0/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0

~$ lspci | grep Audio
00:1b.0 Audio device: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) HD Audio Controller (rev 02)

~$lspci -v
...
00:1b.0 Audio device: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) HD Audio Controller (rev 02)
        Subsystem: Dell Device 01dd
        Flags: bus master, fast devsel, latency 0, IRQ 16
        Memory at dffdc000 (64-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=16K]
        Capabilities: <access denied>
        Kernel driver in use: HDA Intel
        Kernel modules: snd-hda-intel
...

~$ alsactl init
Unknown hardware: "HDA-Intel" "SigmaTel STAC9227" "HDA:83847618,00000100,00100201" "" ""
Hardware is initialized using a guess method

[emreakbas (emreakbas)]

I appended the following line to "/et/modprobe.d/alsa-base.conf" and rebooted:

options snd-hda-intel model=ref

Now Amarok works fine but I'm not getting any sound from flash (youtube on firefox). Any suggestions?

[emreakbas (emreakbas)]

I killed both Amarok and Firefox, then started Firefox first. I got sound from flash and amarok. They both work.

[Likewise (leonw)]

I can confirm that at least my Front Speaker (Headphones) now work with the change suggested by emreakbas (thanks!).

Using "options snd-hda-intel model=ref" in "/et/modprobe.d/alsa-base.conf" then rebooting.

The expectedly correct "options snd-hda-intel model=dell-e520" does not work, which is strange, as this is a Dell E520 workstation.

[rasto1968 (rob-a-stone)]

Can I add a 'thanks to emreakbas', I added the above option to alsa-base.conf and my sound also now works :)

Thank you emreakbas

[Likewise (leonw)]

So, we have a tripple confirmed "workaround" solution.

linux/Documentation/sound/alsa/ALSA-Configuration.txt

explicitly mentions:

options snd-hda-intel model="dell-3stack" for the "Dell Dimension E520", which does not work for posters.

whereas

options snd-hda-intel model="ref" works for Dell Dimension E520 users.

A regression in the Linux upstream kernel, or Ubuntu specific?

[Rejean (rejean-melancon)]

Hello,

Following the recommendation of Arnaudus, I just edit my alsa-base.conf by adding the following line:

options snd-hda-intel model = "ref"

After reboot, everything works properly.

[Arnaudus (a-lerouzic)]

Three or four independent reports of the success of the workaround. I think the bug can be confirmed.

[andso (andso)]

warning
options snd-hda-intel model=ref ( "ref" works ?)

[andso (andso)]

i confirm, that's ok for Dell Dimension E520

[rudirakete (rudirakete)]

I confirm that it worked on my DELL dimension E521 also. Thanx and rock on!

[andso (andso)]

the user i was helping, had again no sound, after reboot, and a new guy has explained he has just
grep audio /etc/group
response
audio:x:29:pulse
changed it to
audio:x:29:username
and by System => Preference => Sound default mixer track
HDA Intel (Alsa Mixer)
all was ok

I 'm using 8.04 and not have /etc/group
Is this the mistake?

french forum:
http://forum.ubuntu-fr.org/viewtopic.php?pid=2646314#p2646314

[andso (andso)]

oups!
i have /etc/group on the 8.04
but the workaround is good on 9.04
post #32 on
http://forum.ubuntu-fr.org/viewtopic.php?pid=2648316#p2648316

[netoak (netoak)]

thank you everybody for the suggestion because after a two weeks research I finally resolve my sounds problems wind Dell Dimension E520

[stonew508 (stonew508)]

Pardon my ignorance, since I'm VERY new to ubuntu, but where do I find /et/modprobe.d/alsa-base.conf exactly? What is it? Is this in a file somewhere? I have no idea what to do. Thank you anyone who can help.

[stonew508 (stonew508)]

ok, I found the file. How do I give permission to edit it? Its not letting me.

[andso (andso)]

hi,
you have to type in a terminal
gksu gedit /etc/modprobe.d/alsa-base.conf (on 8.04, alsa-base only)
type your password (not visible)
apply the modif and learn about ubuntu

[stonew508 (stonew508)]

thanks andso! And by the way, it worked! Yay! Although the sound volume is pretty low, and I checked all the audio settings... hmm...

[andso (andso)]

i' have just helped users, no owner of a Dell Precision E520, so read my #17 post, maybe usefull for you, and the associated forum,
or someting i have not seen
and bienvenue in this world.
@ +
and your thank is a jewel!

[helpdeskdan (helpdeskdan-gmail)]

model=ref!!! Finally, the answer!! Thanks! Any chance this could be fixed?

[[e-mail] (bramblek)]

Go to this site, (http://driver-pro.com/related/english/device-driver-updates/?a=16688&gclid=CISZ5KqpuZ0CFQ4MDQodwiWljQ&hit=1) Then you chose want you want, as shown. After you download it, you run it in wine and anything is a ok. but make sure in perferces--->sound, that you make sure it is HDA intel (Alsa Mixer)...........http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/jj117/bramblek/Screenshot.png

[Optimus (meachamus-prime+launchpad)]

For the Dell Precision M6400, I had to use the following in my /etc/modprobe.d/alsa-base.conf file:

options snd-hda-intel model=hp-hdx

[quailwoods (quailwoods)]

I too have an E520, but Andso's fix did not work for me. Originally I was running Vista, but when the Service Pack broke my sound, I switched to Linux. I put in a new sound card, installed Alsa and everything else listed on linux and kubuntu forums: no luck. I keep getting a prompt that says "audio playback device. . .does not work, falling back to pulse audio." I've disabled HDA intel in BIOS: no luck. I've ordered a SECOND sound card to try that (and I've switched sockets the first soundcard plugged into, also without luck). It's supposed to work, but just doesn't. Should I throw it away?

[Brad Figg (brad-figg)]

This bug was filed against a series that is no longer supported and so is being marked as Won't Fix. If this issue still exists in a supported series, please file a new bug.

This change has been made by an automated script, maintained by the Ubuntu Kernel Team.