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deb http://www.backports.org/debian lenny-backports main deb http://backports.debian.org/debian lenny-backports main
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 1. Update the list of available packages and install the DebianPkg:lenny-backports/debian-backports-keyring package: {{{  1. Update the list of available packages: {{{
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# aptitude -t lenny-backports install debian-backports-keyring
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 As your system does not yet have the GnuPG archive key of the backports.org repository installed, you will be asked to confirm installation of a package from an untrusted repository. Enter {{{Yes}}} when prompted.
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# aptitude update

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(!) ?Discussion

Cirrus Logic Sound Fusion CS4280, CS461x, CS462x, CS463x devices

This page describes the state of support for sound devices based on CS46xx chipsets on Debian systems.

Contents

  1. Cirrus Logic Sound Fusion CS4280, CS461x, CS462x, CS463x devices
    1. Installation
      1. Lenny
      2. Etch
      3. Squeeze
    2. Troubleshooting
    3. Supported Devices
    4. See Also

snd-cs46xx is a kernel module supporting Cirrus Logic's Sound Fusion CS46xx audio controllers. It is an ALSA driver provided in Linux 2.6 mainline kernels.

In linux-2.6 2.6.23-1, the binary-only firmware in this driver was removed (see the package changelog), due to discovered firmware licensing issues. The driver was disabled at this time. Firmware was also removed from the alsa-source package to resolve bug 483918.

In linux-2.6 2.6.31-1~experimental.1, the snd-cs46xx driver was re-enabled and patched to use firmware from userspace (resolving Debian bug 464197).

Device firmware is unable to be distributed by the Debian project, as the snd-cs46xx driver has no license.1 A free redistribution license has been requested from Cirrus Logic.2

Installation

Lenny

The snd-cs46xx module is not present in Debian 2.6.26 kernel images.

The snd-cs46xx module is included in Debian 2.6.32 kernel images, which are available for Lenny systems from Debian Backports. You also are required to supply one firmware file for device use.

  1. Install the build-essential package: 

    $ su
# aptitude update && aptitude install build-essential
# exit

  2. Download cs46xx_image.h from Linus' kernel tree: 

    $ wget 'http://git.kernel.org/?p=linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux-2.6.git;a=blob_plain;f=sound/pci/cs46xx/cs46xx_image.h;hb=HEAD' -O cs46xx_image.h

  3. Download source code for a program to write out firmware from cs46xx_image.h: 

    $ wget 'http://wiki.debian.org/snd-cs46xx?action=AttachFile&do=get&target=write_images.c' -O write_images.c

  4. Download a patch against cs46xx_image.h: 

    $ wget 'http://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?msg=181;att=0;bug=464197' -O cs46xx_image.diff

  5. Apply the patch: 

    $ patch -i cs46xx_image.diff

  6. Compile the write_images program: 

    $ gcc -o write_images write_images.c

  7. Execute the program to write out firmware: 

    $ ./write_images

  8. Install the firmware: 

    $ su
# mkdir -p /usr/local/lib/firmware/cs46xx
# cp cs46xx/cs46xx-old.fw /usr/local/lib/firmware/cs46xx

  9. Add the Debian Backports repository to /etc/apt/sources.list. For example: 

    # Backported packages for Debian Lenny
deb http://backports.debian.org/debian lenny-backports main

  10. Update the list of available packages: 

    # aptitude update

  11. Install a Linux 2.6.32 kernel image appropriate for your system, along with the alsa-base and alsa-utils packages. For example: 

    # aptitude -t lenny-backports install linux-image-2.6-$(uname -r | sed 's,.*-,,') alsa-base alsa-utils

  12. If not already performed, add your user account to the audio group: 

    # adduser yourusername audio
  13. Restart your system and boot with the newly installed kernel.

  14. Run alsamixer(1) to unmute channels and raise the volume levels.

  15. Test the sound device, for example: 

    $ aplay /usr/share/sounds/alsa/Noise.wav
$ speaker-test -t sine -f440 -c2
$ speaker-test -t wav -c 2

Etch

2.6.18 kernel

The snd-cs46xx module is included in Debian 2.6.18 kernel images. No firmware from userspace is required.

2.6.24 kernel

The snd-cs46xx module is not present in Debian 2.6.24 kernel images.

Squeeze

The snd-cs46xx module is included in Debian 2.6.32 kernel images. You are required to supply one firmware file for device use.

  1. Install the build-essential package: 

    $ su
# aptitude update && aptitude install build-essential
# exit

  2. Download cs46xx_image.h from Linus' kernel tree: 

    $ wget 'http://git.kernel.org/?p=linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux-2.6.git;a=blob_plain;f=sound/pci/cs46xx/cs46xx_image.h;hb=HEAD' -O cs46xx_image.h

  3. Download source code for a program to write out firmware from cs46xx_image.h: 

    $ wget 'http://wiki.debian.org/snd-cs46xx?action=AttachFile&do=get&target=write_images.c' -O write_images.c

  4. Download a patch against cs46xx_image.h: 

    $ wget 'http://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?msg=181;att=0;bug=464197' -O cs46xx_image.diff

  5. Apply the patch: 

    $ patch -i cs46xx_image.diff

  6. Compile the write_images program: 

    $ gcc -o write_images write_images.c

  7. Execute the program to write out firmware: 

    $ ./write_images

  8. Install the firmware: 

    $ su
# mkdir -p /usr/local/lib/firmware/cs46xx
# cp cs46xx/cs46xx-old.fw /usr/local/lib/firmware/cs46xx

  9. Reload the snd-cs46xx module: 

    # modprobe -r snd-cs46xx ; modprobe snd-cs46xx

  10. If not already performed, install the alsa-base and alsa-utils packages: 

    # aptitude install alsa-base alsa-utils

  11. If not already performed, add your user account to the audio group, then log out and log back into your system: 

    # adduser yourusername audio
# exit
$ exit

  12. Run alsamixer(1) to unmute channels and raise the volume levels.

  13. Test the sound device, for example: 

    $ aplay /usr/share/sounds/alsa/Noise.wav
$ speaker-test -t sine -f440 -c2
$ speaker-test -t wav -c 2

Troubleshooting

  • Examine the kernel ring buffer (dmesg(1)) to verify firmware is being loaded.

    • If output similar to the following is shown: 

      [16576.681738] Sound Fusion CS46xx 0000:00:06.0: found PCI INT A -> IRQ 11
[16576.681774] Sound Fusion CS46xx 0000:00:06.0: sharing IRQ 11 with 0000:00:02.0
[16576.681827] Sound Fusion CS46xx 0000:00:06.0: sharing IRQ 11 with 0000:01:00.0
[16577.224760] Sound Fusion CS46xx 0000:00:06.0: firmware: requesting cs46xx/cs46xx-old.fw
[16577.403887] cs46xx: firmware hunk out of range
[16577.406087] image download error
[16577.412213] Sound Fusion CS46xx: probe of 0000:00:06.0 failed with error

      The firmware is not in the correct format.

      • Ensure the patch for cs46xx_image.h is applied prior to compiling write_images.c.

      • Ensure write_images is executed on a system where unsigned long is little-endian 32-bit.

Supported Devices

The page HowToIdentifyADevice/PCI explains how to identify a PCI device.

The following list is based on the alias fields of modinfo snd-cs46xx in Debian 2.6.32 kernel images. 

  • PCI: 1013:6001 Cirrus Logic CS 4610/11 [CrystalClear SoundFusion Audio Accelerator]
PCI: 1013:6003 Cirrus Logic CS 4614/22/24/30 [CrystalClear SoundFusion Audio Accelerator]
PCI: 1013:6004 Cirrus Logic CS 4614/22/24 [CrystalClear SoundFusion Audio Accelerator]

See Also

CategoryHardware | CategorySound

  1. CS46xx sound driver carries no license - Kernel Bug Tracker Bug 10750 (1)

  2. cs46xx_image.h (sound/pci/cs46xx) - KernelFirmwareLicensing (2)