A new laptop sound problem - Page 3

Silent Observer · posted: 2014-03-23 21:07

This is what I got:

root@Little-Luddite:/home/dqualls# adduser dqualls audio
The user `dqualls' is already a member of `audio'.
root@Little-Luddite:/home/dqualls#

Silent Observer · posted: 2014-03-23 21:23

Oh, yes; I couldn't get a freshly burned Live USB of antiX 13.2 to start (in order to try to get the default package list out of Synaptic); I got an error about a"possible kernel version mismatch" saying a folder ("modules" in the path, ending with the file name of the 3.7.10 antiX kernel, I didn't think to write it down) wasn't found -- the error was"non-fatal" but attempting to continue (as opposed to reboot or power down) repeatably resulted in a system halt after giving me instructions for how to change my root folder and, I think, correct the"missing" kernel modules folder (though how I'd do that with a system that won't boot even to a limited command line, I'm not sure).

This happened with two consecutive attempts to put Live antiX on that USB (using antix2usb from my Athlon XP system and the same downloaded copy of antiX 13.2 .iso that I used to install this version on this laptop). I have to do a little trickery to even start this computer from USB; it requires starting a PLOP CD to get to Plop Boot Manager, which is capable of starting from USB on a system without BIOS support for USB boot. I don't know that this is related to the sound issue; it's possible that there's a bug in antix2usb in 13.2, or that my downloaded .iso file is corrupted (I'll try to download it again and see if that changes anything).

Eino · posted: 2014-03-23 21:45

Post outputs to below

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su root password <enter>
/bin/bash <enter>
fuser -v /dev/snd/* <enter>
cat /proc/asound/pcm <enter>

As user

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cat ~/.config/volumeicon/volumeicon <enter>

Silent Observer · posted: 2014-03-24 00:38

Okay, the USB sound is plugged in, and was when I booted this session:

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root@Little-Luddite:/home/dqualls# fuser -v /dev/snd/*
Specified filename /dev/snd/by-id is not a mountpoint.
Specified filename /dev/snd/by-path is not a mountpoint.
Specified filename /dev/snd/controlC1 is not a mountpoint.
Specified filename /dev/snd/pcmC1D0c is not a mountpoint.
Specified filename /dev/snd/pcmC1D0p is not a mountpoint.
Specified filename /dev/snd/seq is not a mountpoint.
Specified filename /dev/snd/timer is not a mountpoint.
root@Little-Luddite:/home/dqualls# cat /proc/asound/pcm
01-00: USB Audio : USB Audio : playback 1 : capture 1
root@Little-Luddite:/home/dqualls# exit
exit
dqualls@Little-Luddite:~
$ cat ~/.config/volumeicon/volumeicon
[StatusIcon]
stepsize=5
lmb_slider=true
mmb_mute=false
use_horizontal_slider=false
show_sound_level=true
onclick=roxterm -e 'alsamixer'
theme=Default

[Hotkeys]
up_enabled=false
down_enabled=false
mute_enabled=false
up=XF86AudioRaiseVolume
down=XF86AudioLowerVolume
mute=XF86AudioMute

[Alsa]
card=default
dqualls@Little-Luddite:~

Eino · posted: 2014-03-24 10:09

run as a user, with the usb sound plugged in.

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fuser -v /dev/snd/*

This is what It should look like
.

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fuser -v /dev/snd/*
                     USER        PID ACCESS COMMAND
/dev/snd/controlC0:  Eino       4205 F.... volumeicon
/dev/snd/seq:        timidity   3936 F.... timidity

I'm looking for the way to correct it now.

Silent Observer · posted: 2014-03-27 01:08

Okay, here's what I got:

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$ fuser -v /dev/snd/*
Specified filename /dev/snd/by-id is not a mountpoint.
Specified filename /dev/snd/by-path is not a mountpoint.
Specified filename /dev/snd/controlC1 is not a mountpoint.
Specified filename /dev/snd/pcmC1D0c is not a mountpoint.
Specified filename /dev/snd/pcmC1D0p is not a mountpoint.
Specified filename /dev/snd/seq is not a mountpoint.
Specified filename /dev/snd/timer is not a mountpoint.

Clearly not even close. USB sound was connected when I ran this, but not when I booted this session.

Honestly, I'm starting to think Roky had the right idea; I'm finding other stuff that doesn't work (possibly unintentionally removed packages, but possibly not), getting system lockups in screensaver (always, if it runs long enough, which require power switch to exit, leading to the same abuse of the file system as a power drop) -- I think I've got corrupted files in more than the sound system. If I can ever get this machine to boot from USB again (requires cold starting from a PLOP CD to use PLOP Boot Manager -- which won't let Win98 boot if I install on the hard disk) I think I'll reinstall antiX; now that I have a working battery, this machine should be safe from the short power drops we get here every so often (longer term, I need to find a way to replace the CD drive, which appears to be either getting flakey or only partly compatible with CD-R media).

Eino · posted: 2014-03-27 10:34

I think I've got corrupted files in more than the sound system.

That's most likely the reason fuser, is not working correctly.
Not showing the PID and, access commands.

Silent Observer · posted: 2014-03-27 23:45

Well, look for the new thread on the bizarre outcome of the reinstall...

BitJam · posted: 2014-03-28 07:30

I think that is a bug in fuser. Google(fuser Specified filename is not a mountpoint) and you will see that other people have bumped into this recently. I think the bug is in
========= SCRAPER REMOVED AN EMBEDDED LINK HERE ===========
url was:"https://www.mail-archive.com/debian-bugs-dist@lists.debian.org/msg1199445.html"
linktext was:"fuser version 22.21-1"
====================================
but other versions might be affected too. Version 22.20 on Gentoo and version 22.19 on antiX/MX both seem to work here.

Try using lsof instead:

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lsof /dev/snd/*

fatmac · posted: 2014-03-28 09:21

I notice you said you are using CD-R in an old cdrom drive, this could be a problem depending on the cdrw drive you are using to create the media. I had a problem like that, had to use another drive to create the disc & burnt it at the slowest speed. I think it was something to do with the track width, the newer ones were burnt thinner than the old drive read head. Another problem is the CD-R media, another manufacturers discs could work better.
(Just my thoughts.)

BitJam · posted: 2014-03-28 16:53

Good point fatmac. If the LiveCD can boot then you can use"F4 Options" -->"check md5" in the bootloader to verify its integrity.

Silent Observer · posted: 2014-03-29 00:11

Fatmac, I'm starting from antiX on a USB, using a Plop Linux CD for its boot manager. The problem is that a CD that boots fine one time will give read errors, high numbers of retries, and even completely fail another. The CD-ROM drive in the laptop seems to work better on a fresh cold start; it's almost reliable then, but on a restart, it gets flakier. It might be a temperature issue, if temperatures barely above room temperature can be called that; the longer I try to use the CD-ROM drive, the worse it works. And it's not just CD-R media; it won't even complete installing from the Win98 CD (definitely not a burned disk).

jdmeaux1952 · posted: 2014-03-29 02:25

Silent Observer wrote: The problem is that a CD that boots fine one time will give read errors, high numbers of retries, and even completely fail another.

Sounds to me like a Cd burner that is slowly dying. I know its a PITA to replace one, but if you can get an external USB cd burner to boot from, that would be the answer.

Silent Observer · posted: 2014-03-29 16:43

The only way to boot this 1998 laptop from a USB device is to first boot it from a boot manager that supplies USB boot support; the 1997 vintage BIOS doesn't know USB is a place to store information, never mind boot from. I've at least found a reasonably reliable way to get a boot from USB (after the 20th time): I use the Plop Linux CD to install the Plop Boot Manager to the hard disk, on the presumption that when I get a completely Linux install GRUB will overwrite the Plop Boot Manager. It's a kludge, but it's what seems to work best; I've even gotten multiple reboots without having to re-burn the USB using this method (though, presumed unrelated, I haven't gotten a successful install in six tries, using the self-same ISO file I originally used to install 13.2 on both my Athlon XP and the laptop).

fatmac · posted: 2014-03-29 19:14

It does rather sound like your cdrom drive is knackered.
How about taking out the drive you want to install to, put it in one of your other machines, install the distro, replace it into your old machine. Would that work for you(?).
N.B. There are cable adapters to convert sata to ide disks, if needed.