[soder]

Maybe you can help me with my problem. I installed Ubuntu 7.10 this weekend, and I cant get sound working. Only through my analog headphones.
In mp3s, vidoes, and videos with ac3.
BUT, in XBMC, the latest, or at least the version from this weekend, I get sound from i.e some .mkv-movies in ac3, through my coax to my reciever, but not mp3s and soo...

What do I have do in Ubuntu to make the sound work in digital?
I use the automatic options in preferences.
/Söder

[althekiller]

@soder, please resolve your ubuntu problems in their forums. If the problem persists only in XBMC then ask here.

[Noodle]

I had same issue as soder. and fixed by turn IEC958 on.

Soder, you can use amixer to check if IEC958 is off (just type "amixer" in terminal). if so, use some command line like: "amixer IEC958 Playback on" to turn it on. You can test it from "system" -> "preference" -> "Sound", and then press "Test" button, if you can hear sound, Music play in XBMC should be fine.

[Noodle]

Ok, the command is:
amixer sget IEC958
to check.
amixer sset IEC958 Playback on
to turn it on.

[BLKMGK]

now it only applies the AESX=XX options if your devicestring is iec958, (since that is probably the only one that can take those options)

on my ubuntu the iec958 pcm device is defined in /usr/share/alsa/pcm/iec958.conf

Thrashing around in Ubuntu 10.10 trying to get HDMI passthru. Looking up some of the error messages I'm getting while using custom hardware devices I found this old thread. Above it's stated that the AESX=XX options will only be applied when the device string is iec958 which I don't believe I'm using. The error I receive is as follows:

Code:

ALSA lib conf.c:4500:(parse_args) Unknown parameter AES0
ALSA lib conf.c:4633:(snd_config_expand) Parse arguments error: No such file or directory
ALSA lib pcm.c:2208:(snd_pcm_open_noupdate) Unknown PCM plughw:NVidia,3,AES0=0x6,AES1=0x82,AES2=0x0,AES3=0x2

Not sure but it looks like something may be having issues parsing? I am attempting to use "plughw:NVidia,3" as my custom device string FWIW. I get a red X message and a failure to initialize the audio device error.

Is it possible this bug has come back? It seems to tack on AES0= stuff onto the string I feed it for a custom device.

More info: speaker-test works using plughw:0,3 or hw=0,3 or plughw:NVidia,3 I am using the 6 channel switch with speaker-test like so:

Code:

speaker-test -D plughw:NVidia,3 -c 6

Channels do not appear to be mapped right but w/e - the hardware I'm choosing appears correct but parsed badly. This is pre-11.0 Git:844c6c7
XBMC log here -> http://pastebin.com/NMhyjatj

Note these lines in the log:

Code:

15:19:02 T:140492188669696 M:1080512512   DEBUG: Initialize - using alsa device hw:0,3,AES0=0x6,AES1=0x82,AES2=0x0,AES3=0x2
15:19:02 T:140492188669696 M:1080385536   ERROR: Initialize - failed to open custom device hw:0,3,AES0=0x6,AES1=0x82,AES2=0x0,AES3=0x2 (error:No such file or directory), retry with default hw:0,3
15:19:02 T:140492188669696 M:1080385536   ERROR: Initialize - pcm_open_lconf, alsa error: -16 - Device or resource busy

I think it's clear XBMC is not sending the custom hardware string to ALSA. Old bug is back?

One last tidbit - Movie plays in Ubuntu including sound although the CPU chokes BAD

[BLKMGK]

Fixed! These steps worked for both a fresh install starting with 10.10 server 64bit and with a full desktop install of 10.10 for which I'd ripped out Pulse using the apt purge command. Whew!

http://forum.xbmc.org/showpost.php?p=745150&postcount=5 with much advice pulled from http://forum.xbmc.org/showthread.php?tid=74778

This works on both my Zotac MAG machines and my ASROCK 330 box. If you've got an ION this is worth a shot IMO!