Old hardware help in Ubuntu
These are the steps I took in enabling the ESS 1869 sound chip to work in Ubuntu.
These fixes will actually work on any GNU/Linux distribution provided you have alsa. This is a fix for the ESS Audiodrive 18XX series of sound chips, not just for the 1869. Those chips were low cost alternatives to full fledged sound cards such as the Sound Blaster 16, both running on an ISA bus and with comparable features: Full-Duplex sound, 44.1kHz 16-bit audio sampling, FM synthesis and Plug-and-play(pnp). Mind you, pnp was a great feature at the time! No longer did you need to manually configure the settings, the drivers would automatically detect and configure the hardware… at least in theory!
Manual configurations were still required to guarantee smooth operation, pnp hence obtaining the redefinition of “Plug and Pray”. In my case, this is exactly what happened; ISA pnp is a little bit flakey and to make the sound chip work, I had to specify the drivers as well as the card settings.
A driver is a piece of software used to allow the kernel (the operating system) to interact with some hardware. modprobe is a tool used to add or remove modules from the kernel (the real operating system) and we will use it to load the driver. sudo (super-user do) is a program used execute other programs with super-user priviledges (similar to an administrator for windows users), alternatively, one could use the su command to put a terminal in super-user mode.
Step 1
Go to /etc/modprobe.d/ and create a file name soundcard there. ( requires super user priviledges)
Copy and paste this in the file:
alias sound-slot-0 snd-card-0
alias snd-card-0 snd-es18xx
options snd-es18xx enable=1 isapnp=0 port=0×220 mpu_port=0×388 fm_port=0×330 irq=5 dma1=1 dma2=5
The “options” line should contain the settings of your sound card, which may or may not be the settings above.
Step 2
To test if the settings are correct, try these commands on a terminal:
sudo modprobe snd-es18xx
sudo /etc/init.d/alsa-utils restart
Now play a sound file. If it works, awesome, if not, you may have to change the sound device settings to use Alsa. If it still doesn’t work, maybe you have to change the sound card settings.
Step 3
For a permanent fix, you will want to load that driver module everytime your computer starts.
Edit the file /etc/modules and add the following line to the bottom:
snd-es18xx
and voilà, you’re pretty much set.
Saturday, July 15th, 2006 @ 3:12 pm 
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July 27th, 2006 at 6:32 pm
Great!!
You made my day!
You made my week!
Half a year of silence has come to an end on my good ole “Siemens Mobile 750″ Notebook. Perfect time now to apt-get install xmms
)))
Just one thing left: the snd-es18xx did’nt find the OPL part (as can seen in dmesg). Any guess?
July 28th, 2006 at 12:48 am
Hey! I’m glad I was of some help
As for the OPL part, could you check if you’ve got the fm address correctly? I think fixing that will fix your problem. Good luck!
November 13th, 2006 at 11:16 pm
thanks
i fix the problem in ubuntu 6.06, but now i install ubuntu 6.10 and i can’t use this metod
please help
November 13th, 2006 at 11:31 pm
that is the messages in console
alex@alex-desktop:~$ cd /etc/modprobe.d/
alex@alex-desktop:/etc/modprobe.d$ sudo gedit soundcard
Password:
ALSA lib confmisc.c:670:(snd_func_card_driver) cannot find card ’0′
ALSA lib conf.c:3479:(_snd_config_evaluate) function snd_func_card_driver returned error: No such device
ALSA lib confmisc.c:391:(snd_func_concat) error evaluating strings
ALSA lib conf.c:3479:(_snd_config_evaluate) function snd_func_concat returned error: No such device
ALSA lib confmisc.c:1070:(snd_func_refer) error evaluating name
ALSA lib conf.c:3479:(_snd_config_evaluate) function snd_func_refer returned error: No such device
ALSA lib conf.c:3947:(snd_config_expand) Evaluate error: No such device
ALSA lib pcm.c:2146:(snd_pcm_open_noupdate) Unknown PCM default
alex@alex-desktop:/etc/modprobe.d$ sudo modprobe snd-es18xx
FATAL: Error inserting snd_es18xx (/lib/modules/2.6.17-10-generic/kernel/sound/isa/snd-es18xx.ko): No such device
alex@alex-desktop:/etc/modprobe.d$
November 27th, 2006 at 7:19 pm
I, too, am having the same problem…if I solve it, I will add to Ubuntu’s WIKI
January 23rd, 2007 at 9:44 am
For Ubuntu 6.06 your need fix alsa-base file in /etc/modprobe.d/
No need creation of soundcard file
January 23rd, 2007 at 5:21 pm
Hi guys!
I seem to have the same problem, because I just installed xubuntu 6.10 on my compaq deskpro with pII and 256 mb RAM (tuned it, of course), ran the updatemanager, installed easyubuntu, xgine is able to connect to my favourite online stream here:
http://stream.tonkuhle.de:8000/hifi.ogg.m3u
that means I see it in it`s display, yet no noise. Tried all channels. Remember having seen something like ESS something in the bios. Is there an option to access bios or another way to have a look, if system lists the card (it `s a soundblaster, for sure), while staying online?
Humble regards, although I’m almost sure to have you pull your hair out over my ignorance. Never mind. Maybe I can play some songs for you one day.
Love and Peace
Maren
January 23rd, 2007 at 5:23 pm
in case u were wondering…
peaceworkband.ca
myspace.com/peacework
January 23rd, 2007 at 7:00 pm
Now,
I just turned alsa on in the services manager, downloaded flash plugin for myspace, files play as far as the graphics show me, yet, still no sound. Gonna boot down now and check bios for my soundcard
This popped up, while runiing easy ubuntu:
W: GPG error: http://medibuntu.sos-sts.com edgy Release: The following signatures couldn’t be verified because the public key is not available: NO_PUBKEY 2EBC26B60C5A2783
January 24th, 2007 at 1:31 pm
Ok,
just want to let you ppl know, that I have sound (installed easyUbuntu and got all the codecs) and probably had it all along, only didn’t hear anything, I guess, until I chased the signal through my altec lansings – I added an ENSONIC 1371 and after booting system gave me all channel controls in the sound manager – mic volume seems to be too low to make Skype work, though, any better numbers for my sound resources?
Your input is appreciated!
Peace out
Maren
January 24th, 2007 at 8:12 pm
hello Maren,
try running ‘alsamixer’ in a terminal.
You’ll have access to all sorts of volume controls, and if you’re lucky, you’ll be able to get decent sound!
Things you should do:
1. Enable Mic Boost (if not already on… its +20dB!)
2. Increase Mic volume
Let me know how it goes!
Olivier
January 26th, 2007 at 4:19 pm
Olivier –
I ‘d rather fix the on board sound card now, because I had blank screen and three very nasty beeps (the middle one longer, which made it even more gruesome) after I booted again with the added card. Took it out, everything back to normal after that – but:
I can’t execute your fix, because I don’t know how to make/create a file in the terminal (tried to research, but terminal doesn’t want any of my tries with mkfs and so forth. Could you elaborate on how to create and then open the file (double click on the file in Thunar, edit with mousepad and save?)? Thunar doesn’t let me do this in the modprobe.d directory – why is that, actually? super user issues?
alsamixer seems to be the 3rd step before the 1st:
maren@SLOMO:~$ alsamixer
alsamixer: function snd_ctl_open failed for default: No such device
Mic-boost is on (did a lot of digital editing for radio in the late 90ies)
Good to have somebody to ask!
Have a good day!
Maren
January 26th, 2007 at 6:03 pm
here my unsuccessful tries:
maren@SLOMO:~$ cd /etc/modprobe.d
maren@SLOMO:/etc/modprobe.d$ sudo make soundcard
Password:
make: *** No rule to make target `soundcard’. Stop.
maren@SLOMO:/etc/modprobe.d$ sudo make soundcard.ex2
make: *** No rule to make target `soundcard.ex2′. Stop.
maren@SLOMO:/etc/modprobe.d$ sudo modprobe snd-es18xx
FATAL: Error inserting snd_es18xx (/lib/modules/2.6.17-10-generic/kernel/sound/isa/snd-es18xx.ko): No such device
maren@SLOMO:/etc/modprobe.d$ sudo make file soundcard
make: *** No rule to make target `file’. Stop.
maren@SLOMO:/etc/modprobe.d$ sudo gedit soundcard
sudo: gedit: command not found
maren@SLOMO:/etc/modprobe.d$ sudo cc sudo makefile soundcard
cc: sudo: No such file or directory
cc: makefile: No such file or directory
cc: soundcard: No such file or directory
cc: no input files
maren@SLOMO:/etc/modprobe.d$ sudo makefile soundcard
sudo: makefile: command not found
maren@SLOMO:/etc/modprobe.d$ makefile soundcard
bash: makefile: command not found
maren@SLOMO:/etc/modprobe.d$ mkfiledic
file name prefix=[..] you can change this by -p option.
failed to open file dictionary file (anthy.dic).
maren@SLOMO:/etc/modprobe.d$ sudo echo
Password:
maren@SLOMO:/etc/modprobe.d$ sudo modprobe snd-es18xx
FATAL: Error inserting snd_es18xx (/lib/modules/2.6.17-10-generic/kernel/sound/isa/snd-es18xx.ko): No such device
maren@SLOMO:/etc/modprobe.d$ sudo /etc/init.d/alsa-utils restart
* Shutting down ALSA… * warning: ‘alsactl store’ failed with error message ‘alsactl: save_state:1163: No soundcards found…’… [fail]
* Setting up ALSA… * warning: ‘alsactl restore’ failed with error message ‘alsactl: load_state:1236: No soundcards found…’… [ ok ]
maren@SLOMO:/etc/modprobe.d$ sudo echo alias sound-slot-0 snd-card-0
alias sound-slot-0 snd-card-0
maren@SLOMO:/etc/modprobe.d$ alias snd-card-0 snd-es18xx
bash: alias: snd-card-0: not found
bash: alias: snd-es18xx: not found
maren@SLOMO:/etc/modprobe.d$ options snd-es18xx enable=1 isapnp=0 port=0×220 mpu_port=0×388 fm_port=0×330 irq=5 dma1=1 dma2=5 > soundcard
bash: soundcard: Permission denied
maren@SLOMO:/etc/modprobe.d$ sudo options snd-es18xx enable=1 isapnp=0 port=0×220 mpu_port=0×388 fm_port=0×330 irq=5 dma1=1 dma2=5 > soundcard
bash: soundcard: Permission denied
maren@SLOMO:/etc/modprobe.d$ sudo modprobe snd-es18xx
FATAL: Error inserting snd_es18xx (/lib/modules/2.6.17-10-generic/kernel/sound/isa/snd-es18xx.ko): No such device
maren@SLOMO:/etc/modprobe.d$
January 26th, 2007 at 7:10 pm
I finally got it right (just the command), but this came up:
maren@SLOMO:/etc/modprobe.d$ sudo echo alias sound-slot-0 snd-card-0 alias sound-slot-0 snd-card-0 alias snd-card-0 snd-es18xx options snd-es18xx enable=1 isapnp=0 port=0×220 mpu_port=0×388 fm_port=0×330 irq=5 dma1=1 dma2=5 > soundcard
bash: soundcard: Permission denied
maren@SLOMO:/etc/modprobe.d$
What? Can it take too long, thus the password times out?
April 6th, 2007 at 9:23 am
the “touch” command creates a file. You must be a super user to use touch. Alternatively you can just open an editor such as vim with a file name that doesn’t exist and save it.
sudo -i
cd /etc/modprobe.d/
touch soundcard
vim soundcard
(not if youve never used vim before, to enter text you need to go into insert mode by pressing “i” and then to get back into command mode you hit escape, :w will write, :q will quit, :wq will write then quit.
However, I’m on a Compaq DeskPro with an ess es1869f chip in it, on edgy 6.10 and I get the following regardless of whats in modprobe.d (and I have checked the settings in the bios, all the irq etc is correct):
# modprobe snd-es18xx
FATAL: Error inserting snd_es18xx (/lib/modules/2.6.17-11-386/kernel/sound/isa/snd-es18xx.ko): No such device
Does this method simply not work in 6.10?
April 16th, 2007 at 12:27 pm
Hi, Oli and all of you and thanks for the tips, but for me it also doesn’t seem to work with 6.10.
I am trying to get the sound to work on a Compaq Deskpro EN with the 1869 chip onboard.
If anybody has figured it out, please post! So will I.
Kare
May 31st, 2007 at 4:25 pm
Hey everybody!
Kare, my work around that compaq onboard sound card that never got detected by ubuntu: I added an old soundblaster in a different slot and got that to work in the here described manner.
Now I took that one out again, because I want to use it in a different pc. To replace it, an Ensoniq 1370 went in (you can probably get them more less for free in computer stores or on kijiji.com, especially as xp needs special drivers which I couldn’t get to operate that card). In my ubuntu compaq, this card was recognized on first boot, down to the very detail of the chip set (Kasahi or so). Totem plays mp3 from an external hard drive fine, firefox just won’t play any myspace and web songs.
Ever heard of that?
Keep it up and Peace!
Maren
June 2nd, 2007 at 3:35 am
Thank you so much!!
I have tried a lot of things, but this one did the trick!
Thanks again