Really annoying sound problems...

[Madokai]

I am a fan of Mandrake Linux and have recently just sat down and dedicated myself to learning the operating system. I installed Mandrake 10.0 CE over the weekend and have been dealing with a troubling error:

 

Informational - artsmessage

 

Sound server informational message:

 

Error while initializing the sound driver:

device /dev/dsp can't be opened (No such file or directory)

The sound server will continue using the null output device

 

So I took it upon myself to search the internet for a possible solution but I have found no answers to my problem. Just before anyone asks if I have a /dev/dsp or /dev/snd or /dev/sound directory I don't have any of them...

 

I also installed the Redhat sndconfig tool but I can't figure out where it's located or how to run it. The mixers don't do anything either. Also I have tried switching between ALSA, OSS, and all the other sound systems, but none seem to work.

 

Help is greatly appreciated.

[alexpank]

Welcome to the board, Madokai.

 

I'm not sure about your hardware problems, but as far as sndconfig goes, you should be able to go to the command line and type in 'sndconfig'. I'm not sure, you might have to su to root first :unsure:

 

HTH

 

Alex

[brkville42NY]

thats awkward...try to install it again.

 

 

 

OUT

[tyme]

welcome to the board madoki.

 

while a reinstall has a small chance of doing something I highly doubt it will. Let's consider another route.

 

Madoki, have you tried go int Mandrake Control Center, the Hardware section of it, and looking to see if your sound card is identified? If so, have you tried running the config tool and changing the driver?

 

/dev/dsp probably doesn't exist because the driver for your sound card isn't working. What sound card do you have?

[Madokai]

Ok I ran sndconfig and I heard the sample sound... but I still don't seem to be able to get any sound out of KDE or XMMS for that matter.

 

As for my sound card info its a Sound Blaster AWE32 (I'm poor lol).

 

So I tried installing the AWE32/64 sfx driver but now when I try to configure my sound the system hangs. I can't even open HardDrake anymore. Anyways I'll reinstall once I get home and I will have to start from scratch on this problem again. please continue to submit help as the problem will still be there (I've reinstalled twice already.

[aRTee]

1) reinstalling is not the answer

2) sb awe32 is a great card, I had one for a long time; sound went bad, due to wearing out of the capacitors

3) after running sndconfig and hearing the sound, check the following, and post the results here:

 

cat /etc/modules.conf

cat /etc/modprobe.conf

ls -l /dev/s*nd

ls -l /dev/dsp

[ljf5000]

yeah I had the same problem. I was able to temporarily fix the problem (maybe somebody can help me finish the fix).

I did a

 

modprobe [sound driver for my nforce]

 

and it worked just fine. Problem is, I need to keep doing that command every time I log in. I tried adding the line to /etc/modprobe.preload as a permanent fix, but that didn't seem to work.

 

Any more help? Thanks

[Madokai]

I realise that reinstalling won't fix the sound problem.. I was just stating that I may have modified something which is causing HardDrake to hang everytime I try to load it up.

 

Also I never said the AWE32 was a bad card... on the contrary. I love the card, and have never had any problems with it (until now but it's fixable). Anyways I did what you said and here are the results:

 

/etc/Modules.conf

probeall scsi_hostadapter imm ppa

probeall usb-interface usb-uhci

alias eth0 tulip

alias sound-slot-0 sb

options sound dmabuf=1

options opl3 io=0x388

alias synth0 awe_wave

post-install awe_wave /bin/sfxload /etc/midi/GU11-ROM.SF2

options sb io=0x220 irq=5 dma=0 dma16=0 mpu_io=0x330

 

/etc/modprobe.conf

alias eth0 tulip

install scsi_hostadapter /sbin/modprobe imm; /sbin/modprobe ppa; /bin/true

install usb-interface /sbin/modprobe usb-uhci; /bin/true

 

ls -l /dev/s*nd

total 0

crw-------  1 joel root 14, 4 Dec 31  1969 audio

crw-------  1 joel root 14, 5 Dec 31  1969 dspW

crw-------  1 joel root 14, 1 Dec 31  1969 sequencer

crw-------  1 joel root 14, 8 Dec 31  1969 sequencer2

 

ls -l /dev/dsp

ls: /dev/dsp: No such file or directory

[Madokai]

I hate to bump but I'm having serious problems... like I said after I ran sndconfig programs began to start hanging on me, most seriously Konqueror. Can anyone help?

[aRTee]

Sorry to get back to you so late (strange no one else did). Not at my machine, so not too precise, but I see your problem:

 

you run mdk10.0ce with the normal settings I presume, which is with kernel 2.6.3-4mdk

The 2.6 kernel series use /etc/modprobe.conf instead of /etc/modules.conf that was used for 2.4 kernels. As you can tell, the soundcard stuff is not in there. Unluckily, the syntax is different for modprobe.conf.

Do

man modprobe.conf

to find out more about the exact syntax.

 

It could be that adding the following lines to modprobe.conf file will help:

alias sound-slot-0 sb
options sound dmabuf=1
options opl3 io=0x388
alias synth0 awe_wave
options sb io=0x220 irq=5 dma=0 dma16=0 mpu_io=0x330

but this line I'm quite sure needs a different syntax:

post-install awe_wave /bin/sfxload /etc/midi/GU11-ROM.SF2

Edited April 16, 2004 by aRTee

[jarefri]

If you can figure this problem out, please post your answer on this thread. I have a sound blaster live 5.1 which has been giving me the same error response that you received. I have been having this problem since I started using Mandrake with version 7.1. I have searched and filed bug reports with mandrake and KDE with no relief. There are bug reports from other users having the same problem. Here is what I know. for me, this error only occurs when starting KDE. It never happens when I'm using Gnome. The only way I have found to 'fix' the problem is a reboot. I have a laptop that I have been installing Linux on since 7.1 as well. It has a no name sound chip and it works flawlessly. Almost all of the bug reports are coming from other creative/sound blaster users. This problem used to be an occassional headache for me before 10CE. Sound now breaks everytime on the second login after a reboot. ie I log in, log out, and try to log in again.