[PLUG] Somewhat random failures

[Denis Heidtmann]

Eric Wilhelm wrote:
> # from Denis Heidtmann
> # on Saturday 19 July 2008 14:32:
> 
>> Remove and reseat connectors?
> 
> It is related to PCI, so perhaps check the startup messages for 
> something to that effect and also run `lspci` when you're in a state 
> of "sound card missing".
> 
> If that is your only pci card, finding something (spare NIC?) to plug-in 
> next to it would help you determine whether you're suffering a bad 
> connection at the card or a problem with pci on the motherboard.  (If 
> you have two pci cards plugged in and lspci shows one but not the sound 
> card, that points at the sound card (or at least that slot on the MB.))
> 
> I don't know what the output of lspci would look like if the pci bus 
> were MIA.
> 
> So, you'll need to try to reliably replicate the "missing sound card"  
> state - does reboot vs power cycle vs cold boot make a difference?  If 
> it is too frustrating to replicate, replacing the motherboard and/or 
> sound card might be more fun.
> 
> --Eric
Well, I would not characterize the problem as the "missing sound card".  lspci 
returns identical results, whether the system comes up using either:

00:00.0 Host bridge: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT8753 [P4X266 AGP] (rev 01)
00:01.0 PCI bridge: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT8633 [Apollo Pro266 AGP]
00:05.0 Ethernet controller: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. 
RTL-8139/8139C/8139C+ (rev 10)
00:08.0 Multimedia audio controller: Creative Labs SB0400 Audigy2 Value
00:11.0 ISA bridge: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT8233 PCI to ISA Bridge
00:11.1 IDE interface: VIA Technologies, Inc. 
VT82C586A/B/VT82C686/A/B/VT823x/A/C PIPC Bus Master IDE (rev 06)
00:11.2 USB Controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82xxxxx UHCI USB 1.1 Controller 
(rev 1b)
00:11.3 USB Controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82xxxxx UHCI USB 1.1 Controller 
(rev 1b)
00:11.4 USB Controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82xxxxx UHCI USB 1.1 Controller 
(rev 1b)
00:11.5 Multimedia audio controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT8233/A/8235/8237 
AC97 Audio Controller (rev 30)
01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: nVidia Corporation NV34 [GeForce FX 5200] 
(rev a1)

Also, lshw shows Audigy to be #0, regardless of the sound state:
*-multimedia:0
              description: Multimedia audio controller
              product: SB0400 Audigy2 Value
              vendor: Creative Labs
              physical id: 8
              bus info: pci at 0000:00:08.0
              version: 00
              width: 32 bits
              clock: 33MHz
              capabilities: pm bus_master cap_list
              configuration: driver=EMU10K1_Audigy latency=32 maxlatency=20 
mingnt=2 module=snd_emu10k1

and the on-board sound #1:

*-multimedia:1
              description: Multimedia audio controller
              product: VT8233/A/8235/8237 AC97 Audio Controller
              vendor: VIA Technologies, Inc.
              physical id: 11.5
              bus info: pci at 0000:00:11.5
              version: 30
              width: 32 bits
              clock: 33MHz
              capabilities: pm cap_list
              configuration: driver=VIA 82xx Audio latency=0 module=snd_via82xx

But when the system comes up with the on-board sound, amixer thinks the VIA is #0:

amixer -c 0 info
Card hw:0 'V8233'/'VIA 8233 with ALC200,200P at 0xb800, irq 11'
   Mixer name    : 'Realtek ALC200,200P rev 0'
   Components    : 'AC97a:414c4710'
   Controls      : 44
   Simple ctrls  : 30

I cannot reliably cause the failure, but it occurs about 50% of the time. 
However, if in the failed mode, only a power off reboot seems to change the state.

Does any of this help?

-Denis