[SOLVED]: alsa and hda-nvidia guidance

[Member techore]

I am seeking guidance on how to use alsa without pulseaudio on a computer using a discrete NVidia GPU.

Details:

1. Disabled the system board audio in BIOS
2. nVidia GPU installed using ddm-mx -i nvidia
3. alsa-set-sound-card reports only one card detected, “NVidia: HDA-Intel – HDA NVidia
4. alsamixer displays the HDA NVidia device and five(?) spdif (MM); depressing “m” results with (00)
5. EDIT: testing applications including aplay, qutebrowser, and firefox-esr result with no sound
6. Audio works after installing pulseaudio, pulseaudio-utils, and pavucontrol with no further changes

Both antix-core and antix-base exhibit the same symptoms on the computer.

My feeling is I have failed to configure alsa correctly, but that is a guess.

• This topic was modified 8 months ago by techore.
• This topic was modified 8 months ago by Brian Masinick.

[Member techore]

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Additional details:

cat /proc/asound/cards
 0 [NVidia         ]: HDA-Intel - HDA NVidia
                      HDA NVidia at 0xf7080000 irq 17

lspci |grep -i nvidia
01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: NVIDIA Corporation TU116 [GeForce GTX 1650 SUPER] (rev a1)
01:00.1 Audio device: NVIDIA Corporation TU116 High Definition Audio Controller (rev a1)
01:00.2 USB controller: NVIDIA Corporation TU116 USB 3.1 Host Controller (rev a1)
01:00.3 Serial bus controller [0c80]: NVIDIA Corporation TU116 USB Type-C UCSI Controller (rev a1)

sudo lsmod |grep snd_hda_codec_hdmi
snd_hda_codec_hdmi     69632  1
snd_hda_codec         143360  2 snd_hda_codec_hdmi,snd_hda_intel
snd_hda_core           90112  3 snd_hda_codec_hdmi,snd_hda_intel,snd_hda_codec
snd_pcm               126976  4 snd_hda_codec_hdmi,snd_hda_intel,snd_hda_codec,snd_hda_core
snd                    94208  6 snd_hda_codec_hdmi,snd_hwdep,snd_hda_intel,snd_hda_codec,snd_timer,snd_pcm

ls /proc/asound/card0
codec#0  eld#0.1   eld#0.11  eld#0.3  eld#0.5  eld#0.7  eld#0.9  pcm10p/  pcm3p/  pcm8p/
eld#0.0  eld#0.10  eld#0.2   eld#0.4  eld#0.6  eld#0.8  id       pcm11p/  pcm7p/  pcm9p/qq

cat /proc/asound/card0/eld#0.4
monitor_present		1
eld_valid		1
monitor_name		DENON-AVR
   
connection_type		DisplayPort
eld_version		[0x2] CEA-861D or below
edid_version		[0x3] CEA-861-B, C or D
manufacture_id		0xee11
product_id		0x45
port_id			0x400
support_hdcp		0
support_ai		0
audio_sync_delay	256
speakers		[0x5f] FL/FR LFE FC RL/RR RC RLC/RRC
sad_count		7
sad0_coding_type	[0x1] LPCM
sad0_channels		8
sad0_rates		[0x1ee0] 32000 44100 48000 88200 96000 176400 192000
sad0_bits		[0xe0000] 16 20 24
sad1_coding_type	[0x7] DTS
sad1_channels		6
sad1_rates		[0x6c0] 44100 48000 88200 96000
sad1_max_bitrate	1536000
sad2_coding_type	[0x2] AC-3
sad2_channels		6
sad2_rates		[0xe0] 32000 44100 48000
sad2_max_bitrate	640000
sad3_coding_type	[0xb] DTS-HD
sad3_channels		8
sad3_rates		[0x1ec0] 44100 48000 88200 96000 176400 192000
sad4_coding_type	[0xa] E-AC-3/DD+ (Dolby Digital Plus)
sad4_channels		8
sad4_rates		[0xc0] 44100 48000
sad5_coding_type	[0xc] MLP (Dolby TrueHD)
sad5_channels		8
sad5_rates		[0x1ec0] 44100 48000 88200 96000 176400 192000
sad6_coding_type	[0xb] DTS-HD
sad6_channels		8
sad6_rates		[0x1ec0] 44100 48000 88200 96000 176400 192000

cat /var/log/Xorg.0.log |grep HDMI
[   512.534] (II) config/udev: Adding input device HDA NVidia HDMI/DP,pcm=3 (/dev/input/event2)
[   512.534] (II) config/udev: Adding input device HDA NVidia HDMI/DP,pcm=7 (/dev/input/event3)
[   512.535] (II) config/udev: Adding input device HDA NVidia HDMI/DP,pcm=8 (/dev/input/event4)
[   512.535] (II) config/udev: Adding input device HDA NVidia HDMI/DP,pcm=9 (/dev/input/event5)
[   512.535] (II) config/udev: Adding input device HDA NVidia HDMI/DP,pcm=10 (/dev/input/event6)
[   512.535] (II) config/udev: Adding input device HDA NVidia HDMI/DP,pcm=11 (/dev/input/event7)

[Member ModdIt]

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Hi techore, very quiet here, probably no helper has a similar setup
in usage.

I do have NVidia graphics (back at last) but use an audigy soundcard,
bit shy of experimenting too much, was unable to connect to NVidia sound
in a quick check..

Best suggestion I can make is to start with a full antix version and get
sound working with that than transfer knowledge, or slim down the full version,
something I have found much easier than building from base.

If you can get and set sound with the controll center application it should
enable easy transfer of sound related settings such as alsarc etc.

[Member techore]

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I gave a antix-base a go but I didn’t give antix-full a try. Simple enough to download, install on USB, and test. An excellent suggestion. *fingerscrossed*

[Member marcelocripe]

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Hello techore.

6. Audio works after installing pulseaudio, pulseaudio-utils, and pavucontrol with no further changes

Some people are getting the audio following this thread Pipewire to manage audio in antiX 21.
I don’t own two audio cards like you, but I got some good results with PipeWire, but in some specific cases I needed to install PulseAudio, as the computer got very slow after installing PulseAudio, I disabled it from antiX startup 21. When I need PulseAudio, I click on the menu PulseAudio Activator and Deactivator

marcelocripe
(Original text in Brazilian Portuguese language)

– – – – –

Olá techore.

6. Audio works after installing pulseaudio, pulseaudio-utils, and pavucontrol with no further changes

Algumas pessoas estão obtendo o áudio seguindo este tópico Pipewire to manage audio in antiX 21.
Eu não possuo duas placas de áudio como você, mas consegui alguns bons resultados com o PipeWire, mas em alguns casos específicos, eu precisei instalar o PulseAudio, como o computador ficou muito lento depois da instalação do PulseAudio, eu o desativei da inicialização do antiX 21. Quando eu preciso do PulseAudio, clico no menu Ativador e Desativador do PulseAudio

marcelocripe
(Texto original em idioma Português do Brasil)

[Member techore]

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marcelocripe wrote:

Some people are getting the audio following this thread Pipewire to manage audio in antiX 21.

It chaps my hide that I don’t have sufficient knowledge to get alsa working for the descrete GPU. Works fine on my other four boxes using built-in system board audio chips. I am determined to get alsa working, however, pipewire would be a acceptable alternative while I figure it out.

Thank you for the suggestion.

[Member ModdIt]

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Hi techore, maybe some help in

https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=186597

Hard to understand how setting one card can push the default to the GPU
but worth a try.

[Member techore]

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Agreed. Doesn’t make sense. I’ll read it again and check my assumptions.

Thank you, @Moddit.

[Member techore]

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After reading it again, my take away is the poster is dealing with two sound devices and wants to use the second device as the default. Interesting reading and “emeres” knows his stuff.

I will keep digging and appreciate the reference.

[Member Wallon]

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Hello,

On my desktop with antiX Full, I use the sound of the motherboard to connect my 2.1 stereo speakers with subwoofer in addition (it’s Logitech). I don’t use the sound provided by my NVIDIA GTX960 graphics card on my 2 monitors which also have speakers.
I don’t think it’s interesting to disable the sound on a motherboard from the bios. I have no problem with Alsa.

Best regards,
Wallon

[Member techore]

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@wallon, not suggesting folks not use onboard audio chips and, yes, they are, generally, easy to setup with alsa.

The computer with the audio issue is a home theater system, so it makes sense to send the two-channel digital audio using the hdmi to the receiver in “direct” mode. A decade ago, I used good quality audio boards with optical out to serve the same purpose. An option, I would prefer to avoid ($$$).

[Member ModdIt]

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Hi Techore, the posts do make sense to me although seem confusing.
You also have 2 sound devices.

 cat /proc/asound/cards
 0 [NVidia         ]: HDA-Intel - HDA NVidia

I have 3. Intel is off in BIOS but strangely still active. Audigy set to default.
cat /proc/asound/cards
 0 [PCH            ]: HDA-Intel - HDA Intel PCH
                      HDA Intel PCH at 0xf7310000 irq 34
 1 [NVidia         ]: HDA-Intel - HDA NVidia
                      HDA NVidia at 0xf7080000 irq 17
 2 [Audigy2        ]: Audigy2 - SB Audigy 2 ZS [SB0350]
                      SB Audigy 2 ZS [SB0350] (rev.4, serial:0x20021102) at 0xc000, irq 18

Maybe I can find time to try and get sound from my NVidia card over the weekend, might find some
clues to help with your issue.

@wallon, techore wants sound through his NVidia card.
There are many reasons for wanting to use a discrete card for sound.

Gamers or those working with video will want sound in synch with scenes and thus prefer
to use the Graphics card. I prefer my audigy card as the sound quality is vastly better
than onboard. But if for any reason a lot of frames drop in video sound is out of synch..

[Member ModdIt]

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@ techore wondering if aplay -L will provide any clues.

Maybe worth trying, if you have not done so already, you will
need to insert correct device.

.asoundrc-device addition (my output device is hw:0,3):

pcm.stereo {
type plug
slave {
pcm { type hw card 0 device 3 subdevice 0 }
channels 2
}
}

• This reply was modified 8 months ago by ModdIt.

[Member techore]

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I got it! and thank you, @Moddit.

Your response set me on a line of discovery that was fruitful.

Ultimately, I just needed to:

1. Set the default card, *device*, and control in /etc/asound.conf
2. Unmute the alsa device s/pdif1 using ‘alsamixer’
3. Save to persist across reboots using ‘alsactl store’ which updates /var/lib/alsa/asound.state

Step one may not stick on package updates and steps 2 and 3 are just awkward. However, it works!

head -15 /etc/asound.conf

Results:

# v4.0
# Requires alsa-utils libasound2-plugin-equal

# ***** Defaults *******************************************************

# Audio card/chip and device to use and control
# In most cases these settings should remain commented (#)
# When commented, card and device 0 are usually automatically selected
# When uncommented, the item corresponding to the number is selected
defaults.pcm.card 0
defaults.pcm.device 7
defaults.ctl.card 0

Some of the more useful references I found.

References:
https://download.nvidia.com/XFree86/gpu-hdmi-audio-document/#_trouble_shooting
https://alsa.opensrc.org/Asoundrc
https://www.mythtv.org/wiki/Using_ALSA%27s_speaker-test_utility
https://www.alsa-project.org/main/index.php/Asoundrc
https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=152288
https://www.volkerschatz.com/noise/alsa.html

[Member ModdIt]

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Good news Techore,
I find every layer on top of alsa makes sound
more murky and artificial, with a good audio setup that is
important.
Enjoy :-).

I think the setup problem may not have happened with a full version
of antiX as the control center tools generaly do the settings
reliably on a user to user basis.

Maybe worthwhile exploring the antiX scripts. The gui is only icing on
the cake so with little change they should be usable in the terminal
on more minimal systems.

My system wide default card setting with etc/asound.conf is
empty/commented out.
Asound.rc does the job for me as an individual user configuration.
Regarding asound not always sticking on updates, set it read only
which should help.

Thanks for links, especialy the first one sound from NVidia is well
written and easy to understand. Noted for future use.

Second user is for official work, endless hard to understand
forms churned out by German officials to show the masses how
powerless they are in the face of the state.

• This reply was modified 8 months ago by ModdIt.
• This reply was modified 8 months ago by ModdIt.

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