Ubuntu
alsa-utils package

'VIA DXS' elements must be unmuted by default for audible volume on newer Via hardware

Bug #31784 reported by Francis
18
Affects Status Importance Assigned to Milestone
alsa-utils (Ubuntu)
Fix Released
Medium
Unassigned

Bug Description

Ubuntu version: Dapper, latest (as of this date).

dw@kubuntu:~$ dpkg -l|grep alsa
ii alsa-base 1.0.10-4ubuntu3 ALSA driver configuration files
ii alsa-utils 1.0.10-1ubuntu7 ALSA utilities

dw@kubuntu:~$ lspci|grep -i audio
0000:00:11.5 Multimedia audio controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT8233/A/8235/8237 AC97 Audio Controller (rev 60)

While I do have sound, all the sound output is very very low, and if settings are left as standard medium volume up (as I'd usually have my speakers), it's barely audible. Turning the volume up to near-max shows that there is indeed some sound.

(i) all settings in alsamixer are appropriately high and unmuted.
(ii) volume on speakers is very loud.
(iii) might also be worth noting that the speaker system worked perfectly on warty/hoary/breezy.

Revision history for this message
Eric (Black_pignouf) (eric-duminil) wrote :

I have exactly the same problem on my Dapper flight 5.
But I don't where it comes from.

I tried to change the mixer setting, but controls act in a funny way and I can't move the scroller where I want them to

Revision history for this message
Francis (francis) wrote :

Crimsun suggested the fix for this, and it worked. Consisted in forcibly ending all alsa modules (modprobe -r), then deleting /var/lib/alsa/asound.state, and then reloading snd-via82xx

Sound worked fine, after doing that.

Revision history for this message
Ignacio Lago Fontán (nacho-exr) wrote :

Confirmed problem with my hardware too. Sound is too low.

Ubuntu: Dapper Flight 5 (up-to-date)

Volume is extremely low. No problems in Breezy but in Dapper the volume at 100% is hard to find some audible signal.

All controls unmute and at 100%.

Tested with some audio players (beep-media-player, zinf...).

Laptop: Compaq Evo N600c
Multimedia audio controller: ESS Technology ES1988 Allegro-1 (rev 12)

Revision history for this message
Ignacio Lago Fontán (nacho-exr) wrote :

Fixed.

The process to fix the problem is similar to the above.

What I do:

First set all controls to 100%
Then stop ALSA:
  $ sudo /etc/init.d/alsa-utils stop
Then unload all modules related to sound:
  $ sudo rmmod snd
Then remove the configuration:
  $ sudo rm /var/lib/alsa/asound.state

Reboot and the sound is back.

What actions are useful and what not... I don't know but these works. I hope this error wil be fixed soon because is hard to new users to fix them.

Revision history for this message
Marcel Camijn (marcel-wastedworld) wrote :

there are 4 mixer levels called VIA DXS, when these mixers are high the volume is back at a normal level. without reloading any modules.

My vume leveles are not restored properly after a reboot (or logout) using kubuntu. I tried an alsactl store but that did not work as well, I think the problem with my volum levels is with kde though.

Revision history for this message
Daniel T Chen (crimsun) wrote :

All DXS mixer elements need to be unmuted and set to 80% by initscript.

Changed in alsa-driver:
status: Unconfirmed → Confirmed
Revision history for this message
Daniel T Chen (crimsun) wrote : debdiff against alsa-utils_1.0.10-1ubuntu11

debian/init: Unmute all 'VIA DXS' elements for newer Via hardware

Changed in alsa-utils:
status: Confirmed → In Progress
Revision history for this message
Martin Pitt (pitti) wrote :

 alsa-utils (1.0.10-1ubuntu12) dapper; urgency=low
 .
   * debian/init: Unmute all 'VIA DXS' elements for newer Via hardware.
     Closes: LP#31784, LP#40810.

Changed in alsa-utils:
status: In Progress → Fix Released
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