No sound in KDE, but I can aplay from command line

[njcwotx]

When I startx I cant get sound in KDE. I have an AC97 sound card in virtual box. Proper settings, AC97 codec in the config is set. I *CAN* use aplay to play a .wav file from cli. However, if I start kde, it detects sound card and offers up a volume control, yet I get no sound. i get a ton of volume options in mixer, but only master is unmuted, tried unmuting all of them and no luck.

try aplay from cli in konsole in ode, and it plays no sound with same command that works in cli without any x running.
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[Romanticio]

In KDE System Settings/Audio/Configure, have you tried different profiles? May need to log out and back in.

[njcwotx]

When I go into system settings there is no audio section. There is a multi media section but nothing about the hardware. Did a quick Google check and saw something that said install pulse audio and I tried that but I still do not have audio in my configuration. There is a volume setting on the taskbar but when I move it it does not change or make any sounds it does list my card name in volume control but it doesn’t seem to help
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[Romanticio]

If "Audio" is not an available settings option in System Settings Hardware section means your audio device is not ready.
It is possible you do not have proper codecs enabled in the kernel or something.
Can you post the results of the command below:

[njcwotx]

gentoo ~ # lspci -nnk | grep Audio -A 1
00:05.0 Multimedia audio controller [0401]: Intel Corporation 82801AA AC'97 Audio Controller [8086:2415] (rev 01)
Subsystem: Dell 82801AA AC'97 Audio Controller [1028:0177]
Kernel driver in use: snd_intel8x0

gentoo /usr/src/linux # cat .config | grep AUDIO
# CONFIG_LEDS_TRIGGER_AUDIO is not set
gentoo /usr/src/linux # cat .config | grep CODEC
CONFIG_SND_AC97_CODEC=y
# CONFIG_SND_HDA_CODEC_REALTEK is not set
# CONFIG_SND_HDA_CODEC_ANALOG is not set
# CONFIG_SND_HDA_CODEC_SIGMATEL is not set
# CONFIG_SND_HDA_CODEC_VIA is not set
# CONFIG_SND_HDA_CODEC_HDMI is not set
# CONFIG_SND_HDA_CODEC_CIRRUS is not set
# CONFIG_SND_HDA_CODEC_CONEXANT is not set
# CONFIG_SND_HDA_CODEC_CA0110 is not set
# CONFIG_SND_HDA_CODEC_CA0132 is not set
# CONFIG_SND_HDA_CODEC_CMEDIA is not set
# CONFIG_SND_HDA_CODEC_SI3054 is not set
gentoo /usr/src/linux # cat .config | grep HDA
CONFIG_SND_HDA=y
CONFIG_SND_HDA_INTEL=y
# CONFIG_SND_HDA_INTEL_DETECT_DMIC is not set
CONFIG_SND_HDA_HWDEP=y
# CONFIG_SND_HDA_RECONFIG is not set
# CONFIG_SND_HDA_INPUT_BEEP is not set
# CONFIG_SND_HDA_PATCH_LOADER is not set
# CONFIG_SND_HDA_CODEC_REALTEK is not set
# CONFIG_SND_HDA_CODEC_ANALOG is not set
# CONFIG_SND_HDA_CODEC_SIGMATEL is not set
# CONFIG_SND_HDA_CODEC_VIA is not set
# CONFIG_SND_HDA_CODEC_HDMI is not set
# CONFIG_SND_HDA_CODEC_CIRRUS is not set
# CONFIG_SND_HDA_CODEC_CONEXANT is not set
# CONFIG_SND_HDA_CODEC_CA0110 is not set
# CONFIG_SND_HDA_CODEC_CA0132 is not set
# CONFIG_SND_HDA_CODEC_CMEDIA is not set
# CONFIG_SND_HDA_CODEC_SI3054 is not set
# CONFIG_SND_HDA_GENERIC is not set
CONFIG_SND_HDA_POWER_SAVE_DEFAULT=0
CONFIG_SND_HDA_CORE=y
CONFIG_SND_HDA_PREALLOC_SIZE=64
# CONFIG_SENSORS_HDAPS is not set
gentoo /usr/src/linux # cat .config | grep SND
CONFIG_SND=y
CONFIG_SND_TIMER=y
CONFIG_SND_PCM=y
CONFIG_SND_HWDEP=y
CONFIG_SND_SEQ_DEVICE=y
CONFIG_SND_JACK=y
CONFIG_SND_JACK_INPUT_DEV=y
# CONFIG_SND_OSSEMUL is not set
CONFIG_SND_PCM_TIMER=y
CONFIG_SND_HRTIMER=y
# CONFIG_SND_DYNAMIC_MINORS is not set
CONFIG_SND_SUPPORT_OLD_API=y
CONFIG_SND_PROC_FS=y
CONFIG_SND_VERBOSE_PROCFS=y
# CONFIG_SND_VERBOSE_PRINTK is not set
# CONFIG_SND_DEBUG is not set
CONFIG_SND_VMASTER=y
CONFIG_SND_DMA_SGBUF=y
CONFIG_SND_SEQUENCER=y
CONFIG_SND_SEQ_DUMMY=y
CONFIG_SND_SEQ_HRTIMER_DEFAULT=y
CONFIG_SND_AC97_CODEC=y
CONFIG_SND_DRIVERS=y
# CONFIG_SND_PCSP is not set
# CONFIG_SND_DUMMY is not set
# CONFIG_SND_ALOOP is not set
# CONFIG_SND_VIRMIDI is not set
# CONFIG_SND_MTPAV is not set
# CONFIG_SND_SERIAL_U16550 is not set
# CONFIG_SND_MPU401 is not set
# CONFIG_SND_AC97_POWER_SAVE is not set
CONFIG_SND_PCI=y
# CONFIG_SND_AD1889 is not set
# CONFIG_SND_ALS300 is not set
# CONFIG_SND_ALS4000 is not set
# CONFIG_SND_ALI5451 is not set
# CONFIG_SND_ASIHPI is not set
# CONFIG_SND_ATIIXP is not set
# CONFIG_SND_ATIIXP_MODEM is not set
# CONFIG_SND_AU8810 is not set
# CONFIG_SND_AU8820 is not set
# CONFIG_SND_AU8830 is not set
# CONFIG_SND_AW2 is not set
# CONFIG_SND_AZT3328 is not set
# CONFIG_SND_BT87X is not set
# CONFIG_SND_CA0106 is not set
# CONFIG_SND_CMIPCI is not set
# CONFIG_SND_OXYGEN is not set
# CONFIG_SND_CS4281 is not set
# CONFIG_SND_CS46XX is not set
# CONFIG_SND_CTXFI is not set
# CONFIG_SND_DARLA20 is not set
# CONFIG_SND_GINA20 is not set
# CONFIG_SND_LAYLA20 is not set
# CONFIG_SND_DARLA24 is not set
# CONFIG_SND_GINA24 is not set
# CONFIG_SND_LAYLA24 is not set
# CONFIG_SND_MONA is not set
# CONFIG_SND_MIA is not set
# CONFIG_SND_ECHO3G is not set
# CONFIG_SND_INDIGO is not set
# CONFIG_SND_INDIGOIO is not set
# CONFIG_SND_INDIGODJ is not set
# CONFIG_SND_INDIGOIOX is not set
# CONFIG_SND_INDIGODJX is not set
# CONFIG_SND_EMU10K1 is not set
# CONFIG_SND_EMU10K1X is not set
# CONFIG_SND_ENS1370 is not set
# CONFIG_SND_ENS1371 is not set
# CONFIG_SND_ES1938 is not set
# CONFIG_SND_ES1968 is not set
# CONFIG_SND_FM801 is not set
# CONFIG_SND_HDSP is not set
# CONFIG_SND_HDSPM is not set
# CONFIG_SND_ICE1712 is not set
# CONFIG_SND_ICE1724 is not set
CONFIG_SND_INTEL8X0=y
CONFIG_SND_INTEL8X0M=y
# CONFIG_SND_KORG1212 is not set
# CONFIG_SND_LOLA is not set
# CONFIG_SND_LX6464ES is not set
# CONFIG_SND_MAESTRO3 is not set
# CONFIG_SND_MIXART is not set
# CONFIG_SND_NM256 is not set
# CONFIG_SND_PCXHR is not set
# CONFIG_SND_RIPTIDE is not set
# CONFIG_SND_RME32 is not set
# CONFIG_SND_RME96 is not set
# CONFIG_SND_RME9652 is not set
# CONFIG_SND_SE6X is not set
# CONFIG_SND_SONICVIBES is not set
# CONFIG_SND_TRIDENT is not set
# CONFIG_SND_VIA82XX is not set
# CONFIG_SND_VIA82XX_MODEM is not set
# CONFIG_SND_VIRTUOSO is not set
# CONFIG_SND_VX222 is not set
# CONFIG_SND_YMFPCI is not set
CONFIG_SND_HDA=y
CONFIG_SND_HDA_INTEL=y
# CONFIG_SND_HDA_INTEL_DETECT_DMIC is not set
CONFIG_SND_HDA_HWDEP=y
# CONFIG_SND_HDA_RECONFIG is not set
# CONFIG_SND_HDA_INPUT_BEEP is not set
# CONFIG_SND_HDA_PATCH_LOADER is not set
# CONFIG_SND_HDA_CODEC_REALTEK is not set
# CONFIG_SND_HDA_CODEC_ANALOG is not set
# CONFIG_SND_HDA_CODEC_SIGMATEL is not set
# CONFIG_SND_HDA_CODEC_VIA is not set
# CONFIG_SND_HDA_CODEC_HDMI is not set
# CONFIG_SND_HDA_CODEC_CIRRUS is not set
# CONFIG_SND_HDA_CODEC_CONEXANT is not set
# CONFIG_SND_HDA_CODEC_CA0110 is not set
# CONFIG_SND_HDA_CODEC_CA0132 is not set
# CONFIG_SND_HDA_CODEC_CMEDIA is not set
# CONFIG_SND_HDA_CODEC_SI3054 is not set
# CONFIG_SND_HDA_GENERIC is not set
CONFIG_SND_HDA_POWER_SAVE_DEFAULT=0
CONFIG_SND_HDA_CORE=y
CONFIG_SND_HDA_PREALLOC_SIZE=64
CONFIG_SND_INTEL_NHLT=y
# CONFIG_SND_USB is not set
# CONFIG_SND_PCMCIA is not set
# CONFIG_SND_SOC is not set
CONFIG_SND_X86=y
_________________
Drinking from the fountain of knowldege.
Sometimes sipping.
Sometimes gulping.
Always thirsting.

[njcwotx]

taking your lead on the missing audio section, did some research...i first emerged pulseaudio and no luck but then i emerged plama-pa and the widget appeared...however it still saw no devices. Then i found i don't have the pulseaudio use flag...

I added pulseaudio to USE variable in make.conf and am doing a world update. might take several hours, but im crossing fingers this is the fix.

Ill update solved or not when im done.
_________________
Drinking from the fountain of knowldege.
Sometimes sipping.
Sometimes gulping.
Always thirsting.

[njcwotx]

ok, still no go for sound via KDE gui, I can go to CLI and use aplay to play a wav file.

System Settings does show Audio as an option now, just no registered devices.

so far..I can see kernel is giving me a driver and wav files play, that appears ok.


added pulseaudio to make.conf use variable, and emerged pulseaudio and plasma-pa which gave me the widget, just no devices.
_________________
Drinking from the fountain of knowldege.
Sometimes sipping.
Sometimes gulping.
Always thirsting.

[njcwotx]

ok. so i found a post that said to run a command pulseaudio --start, its not in init, its in usr/bin so rc-update not going to work.

There are some etc files, just need to figure out how to get that to start with X...maybe xinitrc?
_________________
Drinking from the fountain of knowldege.
Sometimes sipping.
Sometimes gulping.
Always thirsting.

[njcwotx]

added
/usr/bin/pulseaudio --start
to .xinitrc for users and i have sound...seems like its a bandaid..perhaps a better way to get this?
_________________
Drinking from the fountain of knowldege.
Sometimes sipping.
Sometimes gulping.
Always thirsting.

[Romanticio]

Kind of odd, however I do start building Gentoo with the pulseaudio use flag and there is never issues. Not sure if it makes a difference and will check my other Gentoos, but I noticed during my first installation how many pulseaudio tutorials mentioning it is best the user does not belong to the audio group. I'm currently on a virtual machine where audio works and my user does not belong to the audio group.
Other than that...
Not sure what to say, there's no systemd unit here related to pulseaudio, are you using rc or systemd?

[AECFXI]

I discovered this thread after having this exact issue.

Brand new systemd plasma installation with all of the current software as of this comment. I carefully and repeatedly followed both the handbook and Gentoo wiki pages for ALSA, Pulseaudio, Systemd, and Plasma.

I was able to open alsamixer and see unmuted the soundcards. I was able to play a test sound using aplay -L. My user was in the audio group. However Plasma's settings menu showed a blank page under Audio and the system tray icon showed no detected sound cards. No audio played from applications.

Absolutely nothing seemed to work until I ran /usr/bin/pulseaudio --start as noted in this thread, and now audio works perfectly in my Plamsa session from all applications.

This was such an incredible pain for such a basic issue of simply just having pulseaudio start, and it took days of struggling to get to this thread. That said, I did also discover this service can be initiated by systemd on startup with the following command:

systemctl --user enable pulseaudio

I will aim to add this to the Gentoo wiki page for pulseaudio as an installation step on systemd.