Asus A8Js and audio

Did you unmute it? ALSA mutes the controls by default when first set up.

Seablade

What software are you using, and what WM? Reason I ask, some WMs use a sound server(Arts on KDE for example) that interferes with other software trying to run.

Are you sure the approriate modules are loaded? lspci -v and lsmod should tell you.

Seablade

Ok my first thought would be to disable ESD and then test with aplay, see if it gives you any messages on the commandline, I can't remember if there is a verbose message output or not on it, but it might be worth checking. I saw at one time a nice and easy way to check the sound device, but I can't remember it right now, so I will see if I can find it online and post it, essentially it sent random noise that as a result sounds like white noise to your sound device. Gimme a bit. I am assuming dmesg shows nothing out of the ordinary when it is set up? Seablade

Hmm not at my box right now to check it, but I believe the command was something to the effect of...

cat /dev/rnd > /dev/sound

where /dev/rnd was a device node set up to generate random data, and /dev/sound was your sound card. I can't remember though if the output of rnd was by default in the correct value range, so this could be very dangerous to test. At any rate, let me know what aplay says, if it says anything.

Seablade

You probably need to add some configuration options for the snd_hda_intel module. Here's some information from the kernel-documentation.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Module snd-hda-intel
------------------------
Module for Intel HD Audio (ICH6, ICH6M, ICH7), ATI SB450, VIA VT8251/VT8237A

model - force the model name
position_fix - Fix DMA pointer (0 = FIFO size, 1 = none, 2 = POSBUF)

Module supports up to 8 cards.

Each codec may have a model table for different configurations. If your machine isn't listed there, the default (usually minimal) configuration is set up. You can pass "model=<name>" option to specify a certain model in such a case. There are different models depending on the codec chip.

Model Name Description
--------------------------------
ALC880
3stack 3-jack in back and a headphone out
3stack-digout 3-jack in back, a HP out and a SPDIF out
5stack 5-jack in back, 2-jack in front
5stack-digout 5-jack in back, 2-jack in front, a SPDIF out
6stack 6-jack in back, 2-jack in front
6stack-digout 6-jack with a SPDIF out
w810 3-jack
z71v 3-jack (HP shared SPDIF)
asus 3-jack
uniwill 3-jack
F1734 2-jack
CMI9880
minimal 3-jack in back
min_fp 3-jack in back, 2-jack in front
full 6-jack in back, 2-jack in front
full_dig 6-jack in back, 2-jack in front, SPDIF I/O
allout 5-jack in back, 2-jack in front, SPDIF out
auto auto-config reading BIOS (default)

Note 2: If you get click noises on output, try the module option position_fix=1 or 2. position_fix=1 will use the SD_LPIB register value without FIFO size correction as the current DMA pointer. position_fix=2 will make the driver to use the position buffer instead of reading SD_LPIB register. (Usually SD_LPLIB register is more accurate than the position buffer.)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I would start with by forcing the model with adding the following line to your alsa configuration file;

options snd_hda_intel model=z71v

Because the A8Js has a headphone shared SPDIF out, in front. If that doesn't work, you can try other model names. Next you can tinker around with fixing the DMA pointer by adding the following line to your alsa configuration file;

position_fix=1

I got this same codec finally working on my Tecra S3 by adding a position_fix=2 to my alsa configuration file. It's a Gentoo distro, and the alsa configuration file is located at /etc/modules.d/alsa. Also after editing it I need to do a /sbin/modules-update to apply the configuration. Then restarting the alsasound service is all I needed for testing.

Your configuration file for alsa might be different, depending on the distro, but the process is essentially the same. If you get it working, let us all know the settings. Good Luck..

For anyone else following this thread. I thought I had sound on my A8Js working with Gentoo, by using the external driver (not the kernel built one) v. 1.0.13, and the DMA fixed position 2 option to the alsa config file, but what I have is sound coming out of only one speaker, and if I adjust the volume at all, sound cuts out, and I have to unload and then reload the alsa drivers to get the one speaker sound back. So I tried a bunch of different options choices listed above, both force model and DMA fixed position, and nothing changes the situation, including no options in the alsa config file. So linux alsa support for the sound on the A8Js needs to get sorted out with maybe an alsa driver update. It's not a config option for me.

Ok.. A poster over at the Notebookreviews forums, in the Asus section, found the correct configuration which was noted on the Alsa bugtracker. I added the following to my alsa config file, did a modules update and restarted alsasound, and it's working perfectly. The config option is;

Thanks. I have been getting erratic operation without this.

Adewolf (or anyone else runnig Linux on an A8Js),

Do you have CPU frequency scaling working? If so, what kernel options did you enable to get it working. (CPU Architecture, Sub-Architecture, and CPU Frequency Scaling options)

Thanks