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I upgraded a linux box from LM 22 to LM 22.1 via software manager when prompted, but now have no sound, because HDMI does not appear in sound manager as an output option, only SPDIF. I have tried changing drivers. How to fix please?
On Sun, 8/10/2025 8:23 PM, Felix wrote:
I upgraded a linux box from LM 22 to LM 22.1 via software manager when prompted, but now have no sound, because HDMI does not appear in sound manager as an output option, only SPDIF. I have tried changing drivers. How to fix please?
[Picture]
https://i.postimg.cc/3xbJ7gyz/LM221-soundworks-HDMI.png
The sound driver on three audio devices in INXI, is "snd_hda_intel",
because some controller in there, looks like a bus host for
HDAudio serial bus.
Video cards first had no sound. HDMI existed and worked, but
no 8ch LPCM (linear pulse code modulation) was available. The HDMI standard defined how the audio samples were to be multiplexed in, but the cards
didn't have the logic block for it at the time.
The first HDMI "experiment", was to place a 2-channel SPDIF TTL-level signal on
a connector on the top edge of the video card. This should not require a driver,
as the SPDIF was just multiplexed into HDMI right from the connector
(with suitable rate adaptation). A number of motherboards, had an SPDIF connector
coming from the motherboard audio chip, but not a lot of users had the balls to
connect that signal to their (expensive) video card and risk blowing it. And there
was no documentation (as usual), defining the electrical characteristic on either end. It's just my *guess*, it was a TTL or 3.3V CMOS type logic signal,
with not a lot of drive capability (less than 8mA drive).
But this isn't particular "standards based". NVidia had the dinky connector. AMD did not.
Was a patent involved ? Dunno.
The next thing that happened, is an HDAudio block was placed inside the
GPU. On AMD cards, they didn't want to write their own driver, so they
bought a driver (maybe a RealTek, I forget the branding of the driver).
Maybe AMD actually bought an HDAudio IP block (a logic block designed
by someone else), because AMD no longer enjoys crafting such shit.
The AMD southbridge today, is designed by Asmedia, as an example of how
much they enjoy designing USB host blocks. This all started when the
SB400 had a slower-than-normal USB2 block on it, AMD was ashamed, and
AMD then developed a phobia about doing any more of those. Whereas
NVidia fouled up regularly, made hardware mistakes, held head high
and made their next mistake and so on. You can't let these little things bother you, in the hardware business. In the rush to market, everyone
is forced to make mistakes.
Eventually, both NVidia and AMD wrote their own branded HDAudio drivers, and we are
then "at the level of operation standard today". On the Linux side, it
still needs a driver (of course), so some branding of a standard driver
must be present. Most of these "bodge" drivers, all they ever implemented
was stereo, which for a lot of people, is sufficient audio to keep beeps
and alerts and so on. You may find today, the 8ch LPCM, more "modes" are available, but by default it is likely to be a stereo button. That
could be what you see in my picture.
Your job, is to dump an inxi -F
and see if the Audio section shares a common characteristic with mine.
Now, you didn't say what your video card is, but if your HDMI audio
worked before the upgrade, it should really work after the upgrade.
Even if Nouveau was driving the card,
I think PNP can sniff the existence
of that logic block. It's not like the video driver status "blocks"
the audio. Obviously, if the crossbar is not working in the video card,
and there IS no HDMI signal at all, then a "working" HDAudio block in the video card can do nothing for you. The HDMI signal has to be working,
as a minimal condition, and your machine should have a picture on the
HDMI monitor.
Paul--
video is fine. just no sound :(
On Mon, 8/11/2025 10:38 PM, Felix wrote:
video is fine. just no sound :(I tested my audio over HDMI, and one thing I noticed
was the volume had to be 100%, to get any sort of level.
The audio from the RealTek analog output, I only need
30-40% of the slider, to get about the same level from it.
Does your NVidia HDAudio block, show that it is
driven by the Intel item shown in my picture ("snd_hda_intel") ?
I'm guessing, in the audio panel for selecting an output,
you don't have the HDMI entry (on my picture, that's the
button on the left in the Sound control panel).
[Picture]--
https://i.postimg.cc/3xbJ7gyz/LM221-soundworks-HDMI.png
The OS was a fresh install. I tried to update an older disk
with Mint on it, but the upgrade did not proceed, so I had
to blow it away, and just install LM221 in the partition instead.
But Clems little toy script was a bit too brittle to waste
more hours on it. I've had some other Upgrades that went well.
Paul
Paul wrote:
On Mon, 8/11/2025 10:38 PM, Felix wrote:
video is fine. just no sound :(I tested my audio over HDMI, and one thing I noticed
was the volume had to be 100%, to get any sort of level.
it could be just that the video card digital audio output is low.
maybe switch on over amplification, and see if that helps?
The audio from the RealTek analog output, I only need
30-40% of the slider, to get about the same level from it.
Does your NVidia HDAudio block, show that it is
driven by the Intel item shown in my picture ("snd_hda_intel") ?
yes
I'm guessing, in the audio panel for selecting an output,
you don't have the HDMI entry (on my picture, that's the
button on the left in the Sound control panel).
yes I didn't have it. But wonders will never cease. I fired up the PC tonight and switched the driver back to the Nouveau driver, rebooted,
and I have sound. However that was the driver in use after the upgrade
when the sound didn't work, so I'm guessing that the upgrade affected
that driver somehow. But that wouldn't explain why the Nvidia drivers
didn't produce sound? I checked inxi and the audio entries are
identical for when there was no sound and now that-a there is.
-a-a-a-a-a [Picture]
-a-a-a-a-a https://i.postimg.cc/3xbJ7gyz/LM221-soundworks-HDMI.png
The OS was a fresh install. I tried to update an older disk
with Mint on it, but the upgrade did not proceed, so I had
to blow it away, and just install LM221 in the partition instead.
But Clems little toy script was a bit too brittle to waste
more hours on it. I've had some other Upgrades that went well.
-a-a-a Paul
