Jun 18

Dell Vostro 1510 with Ubuntu 8.04 (getting Sound to work!)

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Recently i got my new Dell Vostro 1510.

Ubuntu 8.04 works out of the box, only my microphone isn’t working, and the speakers aren’t muted, when plugging in the headphone. So the next few post will cover my battle against Ubuntu and the ALSA drivers ;-)


Thats the output of lspci:

00:00.0 Host bridge: Intel Corporation Mobile PM965/GM965/GL960 Memory Controller Hub (rev 0c)
00:01.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation Mobile PM965/GM965/GL960 PCI Express Root Port (rev 0c)
00:1a.0 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) USB UHCI Controller #4 (rev 03)
00:1a.1 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) USB UHCI Controller #5 (rev 03)
00:1a.7 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) USB2 EHCI Controller #2 (rev 03)
00:1b.0 Audio device: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) HD Audio Controller (rev 03)
00:1c.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) PCI Express Port 1 (rev 03)
00:1c.1 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) PCI Express Port 2 (rev 03)
00:1c.3 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) PCI Express Port 4 (rev 03)
00:1c.4 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) PCI Express Port 5 (rev 03)
00:1d.0 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) USB UHCI Controller #1 (rev 03)
00:1d.1 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) USB UHCI Controller #2 (rev 03)
00:1d.2 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) USB UHCI Controller #3 (rev 03)
00:1d.7 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) USB2 EHCI Controller #1 (rev 03)
00:1e.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801 Mobile PCI Bridge (rev f3)
00:1f.0 ISA bridge: Intel Corporation 82801HEM (ICH8M) LPC Interface Controller (rev 03)
00:1f.1 IDE interface: Intel Corporation 82801HBM/HEM (ICH8M/ICH8M-E) IDE Controller (rev 03)
00:1f.2 SATA controller: Intel Corporation 82801HBM/HEM (ICH8M/ICH8M-E) SATA AHCI Controller (rev 03)
00:1f.3 SMBus: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) SMBus Controller (rev 03)
01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: nVidia Corporation GeForce 8400M GS (rev a1)
06:00.0 Network controller: Intel Corporation PRO/Wireless 4965 AG or AGN Network Connection (rev 61)
07:00.0 Ethernet controller: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL8111/8168B PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet controller (rev 02)
08:05.0 FireWire (IEEE 1394): O2 Micro, Inc. Firewire (IEEE 1394) (rev 02)
08:05.2 SD Host controller: O2 Micro, Inc. Integrated MMC/SD Controller (rev 02)
08:05.3 Mass storage controller: O2 Micro, Inc. Integrated MS/xD Controller (rev 01)

First I installed the backports, as this blog post suggests: http://linuxtechie.wordpress.com/2007/10/19/getting-intel-ich8-family-rev-3-sound-card-to-work-in-gutsy/

sudo apt-get install linux-backports-modules-hardy

# not -generic (named different now!)

Edit:

inserting the following line to /etc/modprobe.de/alsa-base did a great job for now:

options snd-hda-intel model=toshiba position_fix=0 enable=yes

The microphone still has a litte problem, as it seems that is faaaaaaaar to loud, so recording with the mic gives me just garbage noise (but i can identify my words [that they start & end] ), but muting the speakers now works!

Edit2:

Microphone now works: just turn down PCM to about 1/3 and increase mic-boost to 100.

Edit3: (5th of July)

Check if no channel is muted (using alsamixer on console!)

24 Responses to “Dell Vostro 1510 with Ubuntu 8.04 (getting Sound to work!)”


  1. Mark778 Says:
    Juni 21st, 2008 at 01:00

    Hi! I’ve read in another blog that ethernet realtek doesn’t work out-of-the-box.
    Have you tested it or not? It’s very important for me because for now I have not wireless option.

    And SUSPEND mode works correctly?

    Thank you. Bye.


  2. Mark778 Says:
    Juni 21st, 2008 at 01:03

    Ah… Excuse me, the last thing…

    BRIGHTNESS with F keys works out-of the box?
    Thank you very much.


  3. Cici Says:
    Juni 22nd, 2008 at 15:17

    Hi Mark!

    1.) Yes, brightness works out-of-the box (as all other fn.keys do)

    2.) i have not tested the suspend modes & the network card right now, but i will do so next week, and share my experience with you.

    bye!


  4. Cici Says:
    Juni 26th, 2008 at 14:49

    lan works, sometimes you have to multiple run dhclient!


  5. Ignacio Says:
    Juli 4th, 2008 at 21:00

    Hey i couldn’t make the mic to work. Any new advice about it?
    Other things that don’t work right now. Numeric keypad (i suspect of wrong keyboard layout). Bluetooth indicator (bluetooth works right, but the indicator don’t). Scroll lock (probably same problem as numeric keypad).
    Things i didn’t test yet. PCMCIA expansion slot, but since it’s an old technology it should work.
    Firewire.
    CD/DVD-R. Works for reading CD and DVD but i didn’t test recording functions yet (i post this because on my desktop i have problems to record with new ubuntu 8.04).
    In the other hand, WiFi indicator didn’t work out of the box but it works after a simple driver backport.


  6. Stephan Says:
    Juli 4th, 2008 at 22:01

    Hi
    your post let me hope, that my mic will work soon :-) But at the moment, it doesn’t. Can you tell me:
    What input source is the integrated mic? Front Mic or Mic?
    Do you have another hint for me?
    Best regards Steve


  7. Cici Says:
    Juli 5th, 2008 at 00:29

    @Stephan: Mic-Source is “mic” – another problem was that pcm was too high, so it “overtuned” and no real voice was recorded. Test it by recording some speech using the audio-recorder which you find in your applications-menu!

    please tell me if it worked!

    @Ignacio: I found out that the NUMBER-KEYS would only work with Num-Lock already enabled (wich is a normal key!), so you don’t need to press the blue FN-key!

    WiFi indicator did always work!
    Bluetooth: i don’t have a module, so i don’t know it…

    I also didn’t test recording by now, but you can view this post about my tests by now: http://www.stupent.at/2008/06/22/ubuntu-linux-on-a-dell-vostro-1510-a-review/


  8. Stephan Says:
    Juli 5th, 2008 at 22:19

    Hi Cici
    thank’s for your hints. PCM is on the playback tab, right? If i take it down, sound is very low on playback. And on the recording i can’t here anything. Maybe i have to say, that i installed the 64bit kernel… but don’t know, if its the reason for my problems. All other things are working great.
    @Ignacio: Also Bluetooth out of the box with my nokia n95 for file exchange. Didn’t test other services like Dial up or voice (headset).

    Best regards
    steve


  9. Cici Says:
    Juli 6th, 2008 at 20:55

    @Stephan:

    I have installed the generic kernel (Output of uname -a: “2.6.24-19-generic #1 SMP Wed Jun 18 14:43:41 UTC 2008 i686 GNU/Linux”).

    I think that i’ve read about problems with 64bit kernel, but im not sure where is was.

    regards,
    Christoph


  10. Ignacio Says:
    Juli 6th, 2008 at 21:53

    Tests update.
    Data DVD Recording works perfect (with Brasero tool).
    NUMPAD. Works by enabling Numlock (da! da!)
    ScrollLock Still doesn’t work.
    Front Mic input works, but built-in mic still doesn’t work. (Just turn down the digital and capture input levels, turn up the mic and front mic boost level, and select mic as input device)
    Webcam works great.


  11. Cici Says:
    Juli 7th, 2008 at 11:50

    @Ignacio: There is a builtin mic? maybe the second hole next to the webcam ;-) I’ll take a look!


  12. darien Says:
    Juli 22nd, 2008 at 22:47

    @Cici : can you explain the dhclient tweak? My lan doesn’t work most of the times I boot the computer, but that’s my only problem.


  13. Cici Says:
    Juli 24th, 2008 at 09:36

    hi,

    it seemed to me (very empirical results!) that if lan won’t work you can open your console and type: sudo dhclient

    sometimes you will get an IP-adress immediatly – sometimes you have to try this multiple times. if it will not work, use the patch suggested in this post:

    http://www.martinhenze.de/2008/05/24/ubuntu-linux-on-dell-vostro-1510/

    or try this:
    http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=538448
    http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=799662


  14. darien Says:
    Juli 24th, 2008 at 19:17

    Thanks !
    The lan didn’t work with dhclient, no matter how many times i launched it, but disabling “Shutdown Wake on Lan” in my vista session worked (as said in your first link)

    I’m glad I don’t have to run Windows no more to use internet !


  15. Marc Says:
    August 5th, 2008 at 08:57

    I just bought a vostro 1510 like yours, and I’ve tried many things to make the built-in micro work… without success so far…

    Have anybody managed it to work?


  16. Cici Says:
    August 5th, 2008 at 22:05

    right now i haven’t tried – but i will do so in the next week!


  17. luis Says:
    August 8th, 2008 at 23:48

    Hi all, have you found a way to get built-in mic working?

    I did partition my vostro 1510 with ubuntu hardy, but, cannot talk in skype with the built in mic like I do into the other windows xp partition.

    Thank you beforehand for your efforts, I will be anxiously waiting for a reply.


  18. Cici Says:
    September 11th, 2008 at 21:03

    Sorry, not yet. but i’ll keep trying!


  19. Cici Says:
    Oktober 4th, 2008 at 12:08

    Hi guys. The blogger here [1] seems to have a solution. Give it a try:

    [1] http://paul.jurco.ro/2008/10/03/opensuse-110-how-to-fix-sound-and-mic-on-dell-vostro-1510/trackback/


  20. Paul Jurco Says:
    Oktober 5th, 2008 at 16:40

    Hi,
    You should try adding the line below (on vostro 1510) into /etc/modprobe.d/sound :
    options snd-hda-intel enable=1 index=0 model=dell
    (read more from source source: http://en.opensuse.org/SDB:AudioTroubleshooting)
    Replace “dell” with “auto” if it not works.

    I switched to opensuse from ubuntu as it broke my hdd of dell inspiron 1501. But that’s another story.

    HTH
    Paul


  21. stupent - students @ work » Blog Archive » Ubuntu Linux on a Dell Vostro 1510 - A review Says:
    Dezember 26th, 2008 at 17:01

    [...] needs some work (see this post) [...]


  22. Swift Arrow Says:
    September 28th, 2009 at 06:50

    Hi,
    I have the same system. I had given up on getting the mic to work in 8.10, but now I’m on Intrepid, and am still only having partial success.

    I have the same system as you, except a less powerful processor and the stock screen :)

    My Symptoms:
    1. There are two fields for “Input Source” under the Options tab in the volume control. I don’t understand it, but the top one seems to have no effect whatsoever.

    2. Setting input source to Mic produces a clicking sound (feedback?) whenever any thing plays out of the speakers. But the mic itself won’t pick up any noise (playing with the volume sliders just makes the clicking louder or quieter.) Also, covering the mic doesn’t affect the clicking, so it must be some internal feedback on the sound card?

    3. External mic actually works, when “Front Mic” is selected.
    With front mic selected, and playing a bit with the levels, I can get decent sound from an external mic. However, there is alot of static noise (hissss), whether or not the mic is plugged in. The internal mic doesn’t work at any point.

    Do you still have that vostro? Are you planning to upgrade to Intrepid? Going over your post, it’s confusing on which method to use…


  23. Swift Arrow Says:
    September 28th, 2009 at 07:12

    Correction:
    I just saw your last post, and that fixed it:
    add
    options snd-hda-intel enable=1 index=0 model=dell
    to the end of /etc/modprobe.d/alsa-base.conf file
    sudo alsa reload
    open volume control panel, set first source to Mic, second to Front Mic, mute Capture1, and everything works from internal mic.
    Plug in an external mic and unmute capture 1, and the front mic now works.
    NOTE that the mute button doesn’t always work properly: it sometimes gives teh wrong indication. Just click once or twice as needed.

    Thanks!


  24. Swift Arrow Says:
    September 28th, 2009 at 08:02

    If I may take the liberty, I’ve written a detailed step-by-step on my blog: http://s227842398.onlinehome.us/testament/ubuntu-904-dell-vostro-1510-mic-problems

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