ALSA: cannot find card '0'

[greyblake]

Hello guys.
After some upgrades I noticed that sound disappeared on my computer.
I'm using Debian Suqeeze.
When I try run any player I got the next trace:

Running the server...
Trying JACK...
Trying ALSA...
ALSA lib confmisc.c:768:(parse_card) cannot find card '0'
ALSA lib conf.c:4154:(_snd_config_evaluate) function snd_func_card_driver returned error: Нет такого файла или каталога
ALSA lib confmisc.c:392:(snd_func_concat) error evaluating strings
ALSA lib conf.c:4154:(_snd_config_evaluate) function snd_func_concat returned error: Нет такого файла или каталога
ALSA lib confmisc.c(snd_func_refer) error evaluating name
ALSA lib conf.c:4154:(_snd_config_evaluate) function snd_func_refer returned error: Нет такого файла или каталога
ALSA lib conf.c:4633:(snd_config_expand) Evaluate error: Нет такого файла или каталога
ALSA lib pcm.c(snd_pcm_open_noupdate) Unknown PCM default
Trying OSS...

FATAL_ERROR: No valid sound driver

FATAL_ERROR: Server exited

I found the same trace on debian bug tracker but that was a permissions issue.
I have only 1 audio device:

# ls /dev/*audio*
/dev/audio1

I'm not sure but it seems like after upgrade the device was renamed from /dev/audio to /dev/audio1. However on my lap top it is /dev/audio.
The stack trace looks like ALSA searches for device number 0.
I've tried to create links /dev/audio -> /dev/audio1 and even renamed it but it didn't help.

Also, I'm sure that my sound card is OK.
I can listen to audio files specifing audio device manually:

mp3-decoder -a /dev/audio1 ./some_file.mp3

Does anybody know how to fix it? I think there should be some way to specify audio device in alsa configuration but I didn't find it.

Thanks for any help.

[Iorek]

Hey greyblake!

I will give you a small introduction. When it doesn't help you I will check, how you can really fix you alsa when I'm back home!

I do not think that the driver is broken. The audio driver is a standard program handled by the kernel nearly just-in-time. The kernel loads the right things. But debian (i think you're using gnome) has got a configuration, where it saves your standard devices. In the main menu System|Preferences|Audio you can select the right one. Nevertheless players like VLC use their own configuration. Check their configuration (extended config-mode). I am using Lenny, so maybe that menu is somewhere else.

Check also the Volume-Manager, which device is activated. Maybe the sound of you "changed" device is switched off.

KDE, XFCE should have their own configurations! I think that should help you. Otherwise post me, I will see what I can do!

by the way, a link to audio1, etc. won't help. Actual kernel using /dev/audio for all devices. I don't really know how that works in detail, but i think it is to use different devices at the same time!


wkr Iorek

[aspnair]

Post the output of

Code: Select all

cat /proc/asound/cards
cat /proc/asound/modules
cat /proc/asound/devices

[greyblake]

Hello everyone! Thanks for trying to help me.

Lorek, yes I'm using gnome. But I can't play sound even without X11. I've tried to use moc player in console mode.
I've got only one device in my configuration (System|Preferences|Audio) it's titled "PnP Audio Device(Alsa mixer)".
Also I had not success to configure VLC to play sound.


Aspnair,

# cat /proc/asound/cards
1 [default ]: USB-Audio - PnP Audio Device
PnP Audio Device at usb-0000:00:02.0-7, full speed

# cat /proc/asound/modules
1 snd_usb_audio

# cat /proc/asound/devices
2: : timer
3: : sequencer
4: [ 1- 0]: digital audio playback
5: [ 1- 0]: digital audio capture
6: [ 1] : control


Thanks.

[aspnair]

So are you using a USB sound card as your audio device?
It looks like you might have removed some audio device from your computer, that is why card0 is missing, where as usb card is configured as card1.
Edit /etc/modprobe.d/alsa-base.conf, include/modify the line for snd-usb-audio

Code: Select all

options snd-usb-audio index=0

This would update snd-usb-audio to card0, in case you want that as the first card.

[greyblake]

I'm using a built in sound card. I guess it iteracts with motherboard via USB interface.
I didn't touch my hardware at all.
However

Code: Select all

options snd-usb-audio index=0

really helped! Thanks a lot!
I spent about a month with this trouble)