THinkpad 600E Soundcard Not Working

[bobbear43]

The soundcard is a Neomagic 256AV. Have run valsaconf which finds the card and uses CS4236 driver to configure it and says it is working. alsamixer does not find, "no device." aplay -l says no sound card present. Here is lsmod output.

root:# lsmod
Module                  Size  Used by
nls_iso8859_15          5504  1
nls_cp437               6656  1
vfat                   10240  1
fat                    41372  1 vfat
xt_limit                3200  0
xt_pkttype              2688  0
ipt_REJECT              4864  1
xt_tcpudp               3968  4
ipt_LOG                 6144  0
xt_state                2816  7
iptable_mangle          3200  0
iptable_nat             6660  0
iptable_filter          3328  1
ip_conntrack_irc        6128  0
ip_nat_ftp              3584  0
ip_nat                 13868  2 iptable_nat,ip_nat_ftp
ip_conntrack_ftp        6640  1 ip_nat_ftp
ip_conntrack           37600  6 xt_state,iptable_nat,ip_conntrack_irc,ip_nat_ftp,ip_nat,ip_conntrack_ftp
ip_tables              12020  3 iptable_mangle,iptable_nat,iptable_filter
x_tables               11140  8 xt_limit,xt_pkttype,ipt_REJECT,xt_tcpudp,ipt_LOG,xt_state,iptable_nat,ip_tables
cpufreq_conservative     6536  0
cpufreq_ondemand        5900  0
cpufreq_performance     2816  0
cpufreq_powersave       2560  0
speedstep_lib           4740  0
freq_table              4512  0
fuse                   37780  0
snd_opl3_lib            8960  0
snd_hwdep               7428  1 snd_opl3_lib
snd_cs4236_lib         14336  0
snd_mpu401_uart         7040  0
snd_cs4231_lib         19968  1 snd_cs4236_lib
snd_seq_dummy           3716  0
snd_seq_oss            27392  0
snd_seq_midi_event      6528  1 snd_seq_oss
snd_seq                42320  5 snd_seq_dummy,snd_seq_oss,snd_seq_midi_event
snd_pcm_oss            37280  0
snd_mixer_oss          14080  1 snd_pcm_oss
sg                     25500  0
pcmcia                 22560  0
shpchp                 29604  0
usb_storage            72384  1
evdev                   8320  0
intel_agp              19100  1
snd_cs46xx             72520  0
gameport               11912  1 snd_cs46xx
snd_rawmidi            18592  2 snd_mpu401_uart,snd_cs46xx
snd_seq_device          6924  5 snd_opl3_lib,snd_seq_dummy,snd_seq_oss,snd_seq,snd_rawmidi
snd_ac97_codec         80160  1 snd_cs46xx
snd_ac97_bus            3072  1 snd_ac97_codec
snd_pcm                61828  5 snd_cs4236_lib,snd_cs4231_lib,snd_pcm_oss,snd_cs46xx,snd_ac97_codec
snd_timer              18692  4 snd_opl3_lib,snd_cs4231_lib,snd_seq,snd_pcm
snd                    39780  15 snd_opl3_lib,snd_hwdep,snd_cs4236_lib,snd_mpu401_uart,snd_cs4231_lib,snd_seq_oss,snd_seq,snd_pcm_oss,snd_mixer_oss,snd_cs46xx,snd_rawmidi,snd_seq_device,snd_ac97_codec,snd_pcm,snd_timer
soundcore               8032  1 snd
yenta_socket           22156  3
serio_raw               6148  0
snd_page_alloc          8072  3 snd_cs4231_lib,snd_cs46xx,snd_pcm
rsrc_nonstatic         10624  1 yenta_socket
i2c_piix4               8076  0
i2c_core               16256  1 i2c_piix4
pcmcia_core            31512  3 pcmcia,yenta_socket,rsrc_nonstatic
pcspkr                  3456  0

[lagagnon]

I can't help you too much other than to point you here:

http://www.linux-on-laptops.com/ibm.html

Find the notes for the 600E, and notice how some have had sound problems, others haven't. There are solutions listed. It seems to me the main problem might be that the snd_cs46xx module is loaded and it really should be the snd_cs4236 module instead...

Try removing the latter and inserting the former, ie : #rmmod snd_cs46xx ; #modprobe snd_cs4236

[bobbear43]

CS4236 is what valsaconf associated with my Neomagic sound card, and is the solution mentioned under other Linuxes for this card. Most of the 600E solutions are discussing drivers for Crystal cards.

[lagagnon]

Yes, but I believe the NM256AV is essentially the same chipset as the Crystal 4236 ( http://www.linuxforums.org/forum/linux-laptops/28985-omnibook900-neomagic-nm2200-256av-alsa-problems.html ) but you could try inserting the "snd-nm256" module then and see if that makes any difference.

[bobbear43]

Thanks. How do I get the snd_256 module?

[dawnsboy]

I have the same sound card on my HP Omnibook 900.  ALSA correctly identifies the card but will not load the module for it.  When I allow ALSA to probe for legacy cards and allow it to probe for all possible configurations it bypasses the 4236 and selects the 4231 (windows sound system) module.  It works wonderfully.  The  only issue I have is that in XFCE (I only use occasionally) I have to change the sound source to PCM from the properties dialogue for the XFCE4-Mixer.  Otherwise the mixer is useless.

However, I did once upon a time have an IBM 770X.  I loaded this laptop with VL.  I had the same problem that you are currently describing.  I found an answer for it on linuxquestions.org.

This may also be pertinent to you because another well known user on the VL Forums at the time had a 600 series laptop and had the same issue with ALSA.  This solution worked for both of us.

I discovered that if I entered the BIOS setup utility and disabled the "quick configure" option ( I think that is the name) that the problem resolved immediately and I could setup ALSA to use the 4236 sound card.

As I said it worked perfectly for me and I passed it onto Pastor Ed who reported that it also worked on his IBM 600x laptop.

I hope that this is usefull info.

[lagagnon]

Thanks. How do I get the snd_256 module?

It is included in your system. Try the following as root in a terminal:

Code:

rmmod snd_cs46xx
modprobe snd_nm256

PS: There is a very fast compressed database of every file on your system, accessible with the "locate" command. But first you need to keep the database current with "updatedb". That is how I found the module nm256, I just did a "locate nm256" and it spat out the pathname (/lib/modules/2.6.20.3/kernel/sound/pci/nm256/snd-nm256.ko). "locate" is one of the more useful Unix commands around, FWIW...

[dawnsboy]

The 770X and 600E to my knowledge will correctly setup the cs-4236 module from ALSACONF on your laptop.  This is based on personal experience.  But no sound will be available on these laptops until a change is made in the BIOS setup utility (then use alsaconf).  This works and this knowledge is based on personal experience.  I do not recall the exact step by step procedure but I know that if I had a 600E on the table in front of me right now I would have sound working in just a minute or two using the BIOS setup utility. 
 
I searched high and low for a solution to this identical problem.  The answer was (and to my knowledge) still is not available on Linux on Laptops.  There was only one workable response posted at the Linux forums.  No other usable option could be dredged up on Google, etc.

Good Luck! 

[bobbear43]

There is nothing associated with the multi-media card in the bios setup utility other than to test the sound and video. There is no change available for it.

[dawnsboy]

That is correct.  You are not looking for multimedia card or sound configuration options.  As I recall there is an option in the BIOS setup utility for "configure".   Selecting this option (or one similarly labeled) offers the user an option to "enable" or "disable" quick configuration.  I assumed at the time this had some affect on the boot up process that enabled ALSA to make use of the sound system.

There are a couple of things that I can think of off hand that would affect your ability to implement this solution to your problem.  The first is poor explanation on my part.  My apologies.  I usually remember these things in better detail.   The second thing that may affect this solution is that IBM did release a BIOS flash update somewhere along the line for the 600E. 

I just remember being able to "disable" or "enable" a quick configuration (which I assumed to be how the configuration info was passed onto the OS at boot).  If I remember this correctly "disable" or "enable" should be the only options available on the appropriate screen.  I will see if I can google up a manual for this laptop and get back to you.

[bobbear43]

"Quick boot" corresponds to what you are describing. I disabled that before doing Linux because it was recommended somewhere. Also searching for BIOS updates but not sure if I have the ability to do that as the IBM process requires a floppy disk. I haven't used floppies in years, and my laptop has no floppy drive, just CD.

There are 10 BIOS updates beyond the level of my BIOS, however none has anything to do with multi-media or sound cards. I have avoided this BIOS update process in the past as I saw no relevant items, and it is a dangerous process which can leave one with a dead systemboard. I only did it when a laptop belonged to IBM.    And then it would be their problem to get me a new one. This particular laptop really doesn't matter because it is only useful if I can use it with Linux or go back to Windoze 98. Otherwise it is a boat anchor.

http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/DSHY-46HLKQ.html

Working on this laptop is kind of a "demonstration project." I support my family and my friends as their frequent "computer technician." Where they don't really need Windoze such as on a traveling laptop, and can perform all tasks they need in Linux and by using the Internet, they could have a much "lighter system" which doesn't spend a half hour getting system and virus updates when it is turned on. Somewhat exaggerated, but turn on a Windows XP or Vista system after it hasn't been used for a week or two. It's always uncool for an unsophisticated user to also have such automated processes start up while they're making a presentation, and the performance suddenly goes deep south! If you set them off and make them manuel, then the computer isn't protected because the user won't remember to run them; if you try to tell them how to turn off the processes temporarily, then they will f-u things.

(I pity the guys in Brazil who bought 50,000 computers configured with "Linux-XP," which absolutely sucks in configuration and documentation, when their clients start adding something to their computers.)