No sound from speakers - VIA VT8237A/VT8251 HDA

lucbertz · 2023-01-05 17:06:59

Hi.
I'm glad to have found Devuan, a distribution still user friendly with old hardware.
Devuan works smoothly on my old HP Mini 2133, boots in one minute and I can also surf the web by mean of SeaMonkey.
Everything works as expected, with the exception of an audio issue I describe:
- no sound can be heard from the speaker with Devuan, ExeGNU, MIYO, antiX, MX, SLAX, Porteus, ... ;
- sound can be heard from the speaker with Windows (from XP to 8.1) and Ubuntu (only 11.10 and 12.04) always and with Slackware 15.0 until a reboot;
- headphones works correctly with every OS I tried;
- mixer software show moving bars if speaker output is selected.

There are many topics on other distributions' forums which reports the same issue with VIA VT8237A/VT8251 HDA, all unresolved.
The one on antiX seems the more complete, but it is for 17.1 version and I don't know to apply this on Devuan:

Configure audio card VIA VT8237A/VT8251 HDA driver: snd_hda_intel
sudo nano /etc/modprobe.d/alsa-base.conf

# autoloader aliases
install sound-slot-0 /sbin/modprobe snd-card-0
install sound-slot-1 /sbin/modprobe snd-card-1
install sound-slot-2 /sbin/modprobe snd-card-2
install sound-slot-3 /sbin/modprobe snd-card-3
install sound-slot-4 /sbin/modprobe snd-card-4
install sound-slot-5 /sbin/modprobe snd-card-5
install sound-slot-6 /sbin/modprobe snd-card-6
install sound-slot-7 /sbin/modprobe snd-card-7
# Cause optional modules to be loaded above generic modules
install snd /sbin/modprobe --ignore-install snd && { /sbin/modprobe --quiet snd-ioctl32 ; /sbin/modprobe --quiet snd-seq ; : ; }
install snd-rawmidi /sbin/modprobe --ignore-install snd-rawmidi && { /sbin/modprobe --quiet snd-seq-midi ; : ; }
install snd-emu10k1 /sbin/modprobe --ignore-install snd-emu10k1 && { /sbin/modprobe --quiet snd-emu10k1-synth ; : ; }
install snd-via82xx /sbin/modprobe --ignore-install snd-via82xx $CMDLINE_OPTS && { /sbin/modprobe --quiet --use-blacklist snd-seq ; }
# Keep snd-pcsp from beeing loaded as first soundcard
options snd-pcsp index=-2
# Keep snd-usb-audio from beeing loaded as first soundcard
options snd-usb-audio index=-2
# Prevent abnormal drivers from grabbing index 0
options bt87x index=-2
options cx88_alsa index=-2
options snd-atiixp-modem index=-2
options snd-intel8x0m index=-2
options snd-via82xx-modem index=-2
options snd-usb-caiaq index=-2
options snd-usb-ua101 index=-2
options snd-usb-us122l index=-2
options snd-usb-usx2y index=-2
options snd-pcs index=-2
options usb-audio index=-2
#VIA VT8237A/VT8251 (power_save if you have no sound from speaker at boot or distortion)
options snd-hda-intel model=laptop position_fix=3 power_save=0 power_save_controller=N 
alias snd-card-0 snd-hda-intel
alias sound-slot-0 snd-hda-intel

https://www.antixforum.com/forums/topic/workaround-on-hp2133/

Is there a list of checks / packages installation / configuration about ALSA, Pulseaudio, OSS ... I can perform to identify the cause of these "muted" speakers?
As extreme solution, is it possible to "port" configuration (and drivers, if needed) from Ubuntu 12.04 to Devuan Chimaera?

Thank you for your suggestions and help.

lucbertz · 2023-01-09 12:29:19

Following a hint on Ubuntu server, after suspend sound in the speakers is reproduced.
Where can I find the commands performed by suspend (launched by obsession-logout) and the subsequent wake up of the system?
I would like to isolate the command that restores audio.

MiyoLinux · 2023-01-09 14:43:17

I'm no sound-expert, so these are just tips that have worked for me. You may want to wait and see if people with more knowledge respond before trying what I'm going to post here.

Assuming you are using only Alsa for sound...

You can look at this and see if it helps...

https://sourceforge.net/p/miyolinux/wiki/Sound/

Next, if you open a terminal, and enter the command...

alsamixer

...do you see a column for Speakers?

If so, at the bottom of that column, is it showing MM?

If so, that means your speakers are muted.

If that's the case, with that MM highlighted, can you press m on your keyboard to unmute your speakers, and then use your arrow keys to increase the volume?

Also, there is an Automute column that may appear if you use your arrow key to scroll to the right. If it's there, highlight it, and use your "up/down" arrow key to turn that off.

Is the issue with "no sound" coming from trying to hear things in your web browser (SeaMonkey)? I haven't use SeaMonkey in many years. So, I'm not familiar with it these days.

If I recall correctly, Seamonkey uses the same rendering engine as Firefox.

What I can tell is...if you're using alsa-only in Firefox, the package apulse is needed to have sound...but I don't understand why you would have sound in your headphones but not the speakers.

Camtaf · 2023-01-09 15:08:07

Check F6 in alsamixer, it may be trying to use the wrong output....

Also, if using pulseaudio, again, check that it is using the right output....

(Default output is HDMI if I remember.)

Last edited by Camtaf (2023-01-09 15:10:03)

Head_on_a_Stick · 2023-01-09 15:57:33

lucbertz wrote:

The one on antiX seems the more complete, but it is for 17.1 version and I don't know to apply this on Devuan

Create a file at /etc/modprobe.d/fix-my-sound.conf with this content:

options snd-hda-intel model=laptop position_fix=3 power_save=0 power_save_controller=N

Then rebuild the initramfs:

# update-initramfs -u -k all

And reboot.

MiyoLinux wrote:

if you're using alsa-only in Firefox, the package apulse is needed to have sound

No it isn't.

MiyoLinux · 2023-01-09 16:02:29

Head_on_a_Stick wrote:

MiyoLinux wrote:
if you're using alsa-only in Firefox, the package apulse is needed to have sound
No it isn't.

Do you mind explaining why it isn't needed?

I don't use Firefox-ESR (or Firefox) from the repos. I use the packages from Mozilla, and they won't work out of the box without apulse.

Head_on_a_Stick · 2023-01-09 16:04:06

The firefox-esr packages are compiled with the --enable-alsa option, unlike the shite Mozilla ship.

https://salsa.debian.org/mozilla-team/f … fig.in#L32

EDIT: so you don't mind user studies being enabled? That would bother me.

Last edited by Head_on_a_Stick (2023-01-09 16:04:41)

MiyoLinux · 2023-01-09 16:13:15

Head_on_a_Stick wrote:

The firefox-esr packages are compiled with the --enable-alsa option, unlike the shite Mozilla ship.
https://salsa.debian.org/mozilla-team/f … fig.in#L32
EDIT: so you don't mind user studies being enabled? That would bother me.

Okay. Well see, that's why I said Firefox and not Firefox-ESR from the repos. The OP is using Seamonkey, and Seamonkey isn't in the repos. Therefore, I assume he's installing it apart from the repos. Hence, my assumption that it too may possibly require apulse in order to work out of the box...but I have no idea.

I disable all of those studies right after installing it. So unless something nefarious is going on, no, they aren't enabled.

Last edited by MiyoLinux (2023-01-09 16:15:09)

Head_on_a_Stick · 2023-01-09 16:17:10

MiyoLinux wrote:

that's why I said Firefox and not Firefox-ESR from the repos.

Ah. Sorry Miyo.

lucbertz · 2023-01-10 10:54:47

MiyoLinux wrote:

Is the issue with "no sound" coming from trying to hear things in your web browser (SeaMonkey)? I haven't use SeaMonkey in many years. So, I'm not familiar with it these days.
If I recall correctly, Seamonkey uses the same rendering engine as Firefox.
What I can tell is...if you're using alsa-only in Firefox, the package apulse is needed to have sound...but I don't understand why you would have sound in your headphones but not the speakers.

Thank you MiyoLinux. I found your derivative distribution very interesting; it should become an official alternative release of Devuan, in my opinion.

The issue is general; I can't hear anything, neither using VLC, MPlayer, qmmp and any other software.

Regarding SeaMonkey, I installed it from the packages provided by the official web page. Unfortunately it has a very slow development; it is still based on Firefox-ESR 78 and many web sites considers it as obsolete; sometimes they deny access. I still use it because it integrates mail client and it is still lightweight, but I have to use also alternative browsers. I consider Firefox and Chromium quite heavy, also on modern hardware. Many alternative projects are updated seldom or do not offer a 32 bit release. Now I use Falkon and I'm trying also Epiphany, available in Devuan 32 bit repositories.

Camtaf wrote:

Check F6 in alsamixer, it may be trying to use the wrong output....
Also, if using pulseaudio, again, check that it is using the right output....
(Default output is HDMI if I remember.)

Hi Camtaf. I tried many configurations in alsamixer, with no success. Pulseaudio is not installed. I tried also to change output in VLC preferences to every available option, with no success. It seems the speaker output is configured as disabled at hardware level, in a physical way, like happens with the WiFi switch button.

Head_on_a_Stick wrote:

lucbertz wrote:
The one on antiX seems the more complete, but it is for 17.1 version and I don't know to apply this on Devuan
Create a file at /etc/modprobe.d/fix-my-sound.conf with this content:
options snd-hda-intel model=laptop position_fix=3 power_save=0 power_save_controller=N
Then rebuild the initramfs:
# update-initramfs -u -k all
And reboot.

Hi Head_on_a_Stick. Thank you for the precise suggestion; so, is this essentially a configuration of snd-hda-intel to be applied at boot in initramfs?
I will try it tonight.

Head_on_a_Stick · 2023-01-10 18:13:33

lucbertz wrote:

is this essentially a configuration of snd-hda-intel to be applied at boot in initramfs?

Yes, that's right. It's probably not necessary to apply the configuration as early as the initramfs but it won't do any harm.

lucbertz · 2023-01-11 07:43:25

Unfortunately it did not work.
I recap the behaviour:
- shut down and power on the laptop > sound from speaker is missing;
- suspend and resume the laptop > sound from speaker is working;
- restart the laptop after a suspend > sound from speaker is working;
- restart the laptop after a shutdown > sound from speaker is missing.
So, the rule is do a suspend and then... never shutdown it!

I would check suspend, resume, restart and shutdown logs (do you know log files names?) and running configuration status of audio and power configuration (do you know any commands with detailed output?).
Thank you.

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#1 2023-01-05 17:06:59

No sound from speakers - VIA VT8237A/VT8251 HDA

#2 2023-01-09 12:29:19

Re: No sound from speakers - VIA VT8237A/VT8251 HDA

#3 2023-01-09 14:43:17

Re: No sound from speakers - VIA VT8237A/VT8251 HDA

#4 2023-01-09 15:08:07

Re: No sound from speakers - VIA VT8237A/VT8251 HDA

#5 2023-01-09 15:57:33

Re: No sound from speakers - VIA VT8237A/VT8251 HDA

#6 2023-01-09 16:02:29

Re: No sound from speakers - VIA VT8237A/VT8251 HDA

#7 2023-01-09 16:04:06

Re: No sound from speakers - VIA VT8237A/VT8251 HDA

#8 2023-01-09 16:13:15

Re: No sound from speakers - VIA VT8237A/VT8251 HDA

#9 2023-01-09 16:17:10

Re: No sound from speakers - VIA VT8237A/VT8251 HDA

#10 2023-01-10 10:54:47

Re: No sound from speakers - VIA VT8237A/VT8251 HDA

#11 2023-01-10 18:13:33

Re: No sound from speakers - VIA VT8237A/VT8251 HDA

#12 2023-01-11 07:43:25

Re: No sound from speakers - VIA VT8237A/VT8251 HDA

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