Sound not working on ThinkPad 600X

[kjellinux]

I have an IBM ThinkPad 600X that is running antiX 23.1 (system information below). When running the program for chosing sound card, it said "No sound cards/devices were found. Nothing to do." In a post in a thread in the antiX forum, I was told I "need to figure out how to get a driver working for your audio card. Right now it says N/A because it doesn’t have one." In another post I was told "The ThinkPad 600X needs cs46xx sound support." In this post there was also a link to an article by Ted Felix about "IBM ThinkPad 600X and Linux". In this article, there's a section about Sound and "how to fix it...". The text in the section assumes a level of Linux knowledge that I do not posess. It also links to two articles that are even more beyond my Linux skills, Debian bug #476672 and ALSA's cs46xx page. As far as I understand, they describe how you build the components you need and then put them together to make sound work.

In yet another post in another thread, it was suggested that "the new kernels (since the 2.6.X from the link) should have the Cirrus stuff already". Results of 2

Code: Select all

modinfo 

below.

So, it appears I do at least have some of the components I need to get sound working on the old IBM ThinkPad 600X. Now I need to know what else I have to do to get sound working.

Code: Select all

modinfo snd-cs46xx

Code: Select all

filename:       /lib/modules/5.10.197-antix.1-486-smp/kernel/sound/pci/cs46xx/snd-cs46xx.ko
license:        GPL
description:    Cirrus Logic Sound Fusion CS46XX
author:         Jaroslav Kysela <perex@perex.cz>
firmware:       cs46xx/cwcdma
firmware:       cs46xx/cwcbinhack
firmware:       cs46xx/cwcsnoop
firmware:       cs46xx/cwcasync
firmware:       cs46xx/cwc4630
alias:          pci:v00001013d00006004sv*sd*bc*sc*i*
alias:          pci:v00001013d00006003sv*sd*bc*sc*i*
alias:          pci:v00001013d00006001sv*sd*bc*sc*i*
depends:        snd-pcm,snd-ac97-codec,snd,snd-rawmidi,gameport
retpoline:      Y
intree:         Y
name:           snd_cs46xx
vermagic:       5.10.197-antix.1-486-smp SMP mod_unload modversions 486 
parm:           index:Index value for the CS46xx soundcard. (array of int)
parm:           id:ID string for the CS46xx soundcard. (array of charp)
parm:           enable:Enable CS46xx soundcard. (array of bool)
parm:           external_amp:Force to enable external amplifier. (array of bool)
parm:           thinkpad:Force to enable Thinkpad's CLKRUN control. (array of bool)
parm:           mmap_valid:Support OSS mmap. (array of bool)

Code: Select all

modinfo soundcore

Code: Select all

filename:       /lib/modules/5.10.197-antix.1-486-smp/kernel/sound/soundcore.ko
alias:          char-major-14-*
license:        GPL
author:         Alan Cox
description:    Core sound module
depends:        
retpoline:      Y
intree:         Y
name:           soundcore
vermagic:       5.10.197-antix.1-486-smp SMP mod_unload modversions 486 
parm:           preclaim_oss:int

**********

Code: Select all

System:
  Kernel: 5.10.197-antix.1-486-smp arch: i686 bits: 32 compiler: gcc v: 12.2.0
    clocksource: acpi_pm Desktop: IceWM v: 3.4.5 dm: slimski v: 1.5.0
    Distro: antiX-23.1_386-full Arditi del Popolo 21 February 2024 base: Debian
    GNU/Linux 12 (bookworm)
Machine:
  Type: Laptop System: IBM product: 26453EG v: N/A
    serial: <superuser required> Chassis: type: 10 serial: <superuser required>
  Mobo: IBM model: 26453EG serial: <superuser required> BIOS: IBM
    v: ITET55WW date: 11/30/1999
Battery:
  ID-1: BAT0 charge: 14.1 Wh (100.0%) condition: 14.1/34.6 Wh (40.7%)
    volts: 11.8 min: 10.8 model: IBM Corporation ThinkPad Battery type: Li-ion
    serial: N/A status: N/A
Memory:
  System RAM: total: N/A available: 554.4 MiB used: 405.1 MiB (73.1%)
  RAM Report: permissions: Unable to run dmidecode. Root privileges
    required.
CPU:
  Info: single core model: Pentium III (Coppermine) bits: 32
    arch: P6 III Coppermine rev: 1 cache: 256 KiB note: check
  Speed (MHz): 448 min/max: N/A core: 1: 448 bogomips: 896
  Flags: cmov cpuid cx8 de fpu fxsr mca mce mmx msr mtrr pae pge pse pse36
    sep sse tsc vme
Graphics:
  Device-1: Neomagic NM2360 [MagicMedia 256ZX] vendor: IBM ThinkPad 600X
    driver: N/A bus-ID: 01:00.0 chip-ID: 10c8:0006 class-ID: 0300
  Display: server: X.Org v: 1.21.1.7 driver: X: loaded: vesa dri: swrast
    gpu: N/A display-ID: :0.0 screens: 1
  Screen-1: 0 s-res: 1024x768 s-dpi: 96 s-size: 271x203mm (10.67x7.99")
    s-diag: 339mm (13.33")
  Monitor-1: default res: 1024x768 size: N/A modes: N/A
  API: EGL v: 1.5 platforms: device: 0 drv: swrast surfaceless: drv: swrast
    x11: drv: swrast inactive: gbm,wayland
  API: OpenGL v: 4.5 vendor: x.org mesa v: 22.3.6 glx-v: 1.4 es-v: 3.2
    direct-render: yes renderer: llvmpipe (LLVM 15.0.6 128 bits)
    device-ID: ffffffff:ffffffff
Audio:
  Device-1: Cirrus Logic CS 4614/22/24/30 [CrystalClear SoundFusion Audio
    Accelerator] vendor: IBM ThinkPad 600X/A20m driver: N/A bus-ID: 00:06.0
    chip-ID: 1013:6003 class-ID: 0401
  API: ALSA v: k5.10.197-antix.1-486-smp status: kernel-api with: apulse
    type: pulse-emulator
  Server-1: PipeWire v: 1.2.1 status: off with: 1: pipewire-pulse
    status: off 2: wireplumber status: off 3: pipewire-alsa type: plugin
    4: pw-jack type: plugin
Network:
  Device-1: Intel 82371AB/EB/MB PIIX4 ISA type: network bridge driver: N/A
    port: N/A bus-ID: 00:07.0 chip-ID: 8086:7110 class-ID: 0680
  Device-2: Intel 82371AB/EB/MB PIIX4 ACPI type: network bridge driver: N/A
    port: N/A bus-ID: 00:07.3 chip-ID: 8086:7113 class-ID: 0680
  Device-3: Realtek RTL8188EUS 802.11n Wireless Network Adapter
    driver: r8188eu type: USB rev: 2.0 speed: 12 Mb/s lanes: 1 bus-ID: 1-1:2
    chip-ID: 0bda:8179 class-ID: 0000 serial: <filter>
  IF: wlan0 state: up mac: <filter>
  IP v4: <filter> scope: global broadcast: <filter>
  IP v6: <filter> scope: link
  WAN IP: <filter>
Bluetooth:
  Message: No bluetooth data found.
Logical:
  Message: No logical block device data found.
RAID:
  Message: No RAID data found.
Drives:
  Local Storage: total: 37.26 GiB used: 5.81 GiB (15.6%)
  ID-1: /dev/sda vendor: Hitachi model: DK23EB-40 size: 37.26 GiB
    speed: <unknown> tech: N/A serial: <filter> fw-rev: A0C0 scheme: MBR
  Floppy-1: /dev/fd0
  Optical-1: /dev/sr0 vendor: TOSHIBA model: CD-ROM XM-1702BC rev: 1566
    dev-links: cdrom
  Features: speed: 24 multisession: yes audio: yes dvd: no rw: none
    state: running
Partition:
  ID-1: / size: 36.38 GiB used: 5.81 GiB (16.0%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/sda1
    label: rootantiX23 uuid: fa18cd2b-e7f1-4bc7-8a39-9d9b4a84153d
Swap:
  ID-1: swap-1 type: file size: 554 MiB used: 5.5 MiB (1.0%) priority: -2
    file: /swap/swap
Unmounted:
  Message: No unmounted partitions found.
USB:
  Hub-1: 1-0:1 info: full speed or root hub ports: 2 rev: 1.1 speed: 12 Mb/s
    lanes: 1 chip-ID: 1d6b:0001 class-ID: 0900
  Device-1: 1-1:2 info: Realtek RTL8188EUS 802.11n Wireless Network Adapter
    type: Network driver: r8188eu interfaces: 1 rev: 2.0 speed: 12 Mb/s lanes: 1
    power: 500mA chip-ID: 0bda:8179 class-ID: 0000 serial: <filter>
Sensors:
  Src: lm-sensors+/sys Message: No sensor data found using /sys/class/hwmon
    or lm-sensors.
Repos:
  Packages: pm: dpkg pkgs: 1785
  Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/antix.list
    1: deb [signed-by=/etc/apt/keyrings/antix-archive-keyring.gpg] http://ftp.acc.umu.se/mirror/mxlinux.org/packages/antix/bookworm bookworm main nonfree nosystemd
  Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/bookworm-backports.list
    1: deb http://deb.debian.org/debian bookworm-backports main contrib non-free non-free-firmware
  Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/debian-stable-updates.list
    1: deb http://ftp.se.debian.org/debian/ bookworm-updates main contrib non-free non-free-firmware
  Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/debian.list
    1: deb http://ftp.se.debian.org/debian/ bookworm main contrib non-free non-free-firmware
    2: deb http://security.debian.org/ bookworm-security main contrib non-free non-free-firmware
  No active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/librewolf.list
  No active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/liquorix.list
Info:
  Processes: 111 Uptime: 20m wakeups: 0 Init: SysVinit v: 3.06 runlevel: 2
  default: 2 Compilers: gcc: 12.2.0 alt: 12 Shell: Bash v: 5.2.15
  running-in: roxterm inxi: 3.3.31

[kjellinux]

Since I started this thread and wrote the first post, there have been some advances in the antiX forum. Using the description for Debian 8 "Jessie" in the Debian Wiki for snd-cs46xx, I have now managed to get the appropriate device driver in place.

Code: Select all

inxi -Axxx

Audio:
  Device-1: Cirrus Logic CS 4614/22/24/30 [CrystalClear SoundFusion Audio
    Accelerator] vendor: IBM ThinkPad 600X/A20m driver: snd_cs46xx v: kernel
    bus-ID: 00:06.0 chip-ID: 1013:6003 class-ID: 0401
  API: ALSA v: k4.19.276-antix.2-486-smp status: kernel-api with: apulse
    type: pulse-emulator
  Server-1: PipeWire v: 1.0.3 status: off with: 1: pipewire-pulse
    status: off 2: wireplumber status: off 3: pipewire-alsa type: plugin
    4: pw-jack type: plugin

There is still no sound though. In the Alsamixer, the bars for Capture are all locked to zero and will not change regardless what I try. When first trying to open the Alsamixer it returned "Host computer is down". I installed QasMixer hoping it would perform better, but it returned the same error message. This makes me suspect that the problem has something to do with how the mixer communicates with the host computer and how it detects if it's up or down. Is there anyone who can point me in the right direction towards a solution?

[axur-delmeria]

I have a PCI sound card with the CS4280 (which uses the same drivers as the CS4624), followed the instructions in the Debian Wiki and got it working without issue. I'm puzzled by the error you're having.

OTOH, the Thinkwiki page https://www.thinkwiki.org/wiki/CS4624 suggests using the AC97 driver instead.