original post:
> ibm t41 laptop running ubuntu 8.10
>
> my audio for such as timidity, play, etc has ceased to
> work.
> terminal beeps sound fine.  the sound up/down buttons seem
> to function normally.
>
> a month ago, the sound worked fine -- now it doesn't.
> could there be some software switch i've inadvertantly
> thrown, or is this likely to be a hardware failure?

i received numerous tips from the disussion group, and now
understand that the beep comes from a different system, but
have been unable to resolve the issue.  since my last post i
went to ubuntu forums looking for ideas and followed the
suggestions given there:

  http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=205449&highlight=ibm+t41+audio

% aplay -l

  **** List of PLAYBACK Hardware Devices ****
  card 0: I82801DBICH4 [Intel 82801DB-ICH4], device 0: Intel ICH [Intel 82801DB-ICH4]
    Subdevices: 1/1
    Subdevice
  card 0: I82801DBICH4 [Intel 82801DB-ICH4], device 4: Intel ICH - IEC958 [Intel 82801DB-ICH4 - IEC958]
    Subdevices: 1/1
    Subdevice

% lspci -v

     .
     .
  00:1f.5 Multimedia audio controller: Intel Corporation 82801DB/DBL/DBM (ICH4/ICH4-L/ICH4-M) AC'97 Audio Controller (rev 01)
    Subsystem: IBM Device 0537
    Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 0, IRQ 11
    I/O ports at 1c00 [size=256]
    I/O ports at 18c0 [size=64]
    Memory at c0000c00 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=512]
    Memory at c0000800 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=256]
    Capabilities: <access denied>
    Kernel driver in use: Intel ICH
    Kernel modules: snd-intel8x0
     .
     .

all this looked normal, so i reinstalled the sound stuff as
suggested.

% sudo apt-get --purge remove linux-sound-base alsa-base alsa-utils
% sudo apt-get install linux-sound-base alsa-base alsa-utils
% sudo apt-get install gdm ubuntu-desktop

then rebooted -- no change -- no audio.

% grep audio /etc/group

  audio:x:29:pulse:moylan

ok, so i'm in the audio group

% cat /proc/asound/modules

  0 snd_intel8x0

presumably this is the sound module required.

% lsmod | grep snd

  snd_intel8x0           37532  3
  snd_ac97_codec        111652  1 snd_intel8x0
  ac97_bus                9856  1 snd_ac97_codec
  snd_pcm_oss            46848  0
  snd_mixer_oss          22784  1 snd_pcm_oss
  snd_pcm                83204  3 snd_intel8x0,snd_ac97_codec,snd_pcm_oss
  snd_seq_dummy          10884  0
  snd_seq_oss            38528  0
  snd_seq_midi           14336  0
  snd_rawmidi            29824  1 snd_seq_midi
  snd_seq_midi_event     15232  2 snd_seq_oss,snd_seq_midi
  snd_seq                57776  7 snd_seq_dummy,snd_seq_oss,snd_seq_midi,snd_seq_midi_event
  snd_timer              29960  2 snd_pcm,snd_seq
  snd_seq_device         15116  5 snd_seq_dummy,snd_seq_oss,snd_seq_midi,snd_rawmidi,snd_seq
  snd                    63268  17 snd_intel8x0,snd_ac97_codec,snd_pcm_oss,snd_mixer_oss,snd_pcm,snd_seq_oss,snd_rawmidi,snd_seq,snd_timer,snd_seq_device
  soundcore              15328  1 snd
  snd_page_alloc         16136  2 snd_intel8x0,snd_pcm

this looks good to me, the required module at the top of the list.

% alsamixer

[AlsaMixer v1.0.17 (Press Escape to quit)]
 Card: PulseAudio                                                             
 Chip: PulseAudio                                                             
 View: [Playback] Capture  All                                                
 Item: Master                                                                 
                                                                              
                                                                          
                                                                          
                                                                          
                                                                          
                                                                          
                                                                          
                                                                          
                                                                          
                                                                          
                                                                          
                                                                          
                                                                          
                                                                          
                                     OO                                     
                                                                          
                                   100<>100                                   
                                  < Master >                                  


that certainly looks ok.

i took the computer to the marathon computer in framingham,
where i had bought it, and they tested it and pronounced the
audio hardware aok -- said the problem must be in my linux
system.  (grumble.)

is there any way for me to test the audio system independent
of my current ubuntu installation, perhaps booting from a
cdrom?  or indeed any other suggestions?  tia.

dan

j. daniel moylan
84 harvard ave
brookline, ma 02446-6202
617-232-2360 (tel)
810-454-1823 (fax)
jdm-LPA1KyJyIuz1P9xLtpHBDw@public.gmane.org
www.moylan.us
[death to html bloat!]