# Alsa broken on v17 rpi2

**URL:** https://dietpi.com/forum/t/alsa-broken-on-v17-rpi2/335
**Category:** Troubleshooting
**Created:** [9 May 2016 12:16 UTC](https://dietpi.com/forum/t/alsa-broken-on-v17-rpi2/335 "2016-05-09T12:16:38Z")
**Posts on this page:** 10
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![nitrogen\_widget1](https://dietpi.com/forum/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/n/67e7ee/32.png) [@nitrogen\_widget1](https://dietpi.com/forum/u/nitrogen_widget1)
#### Post date: [9 May 2016 12:16 UTC](https://dietpi.com/forum/t/alsa-broken-on-v17-rpi2/335/1 "2016-05-09T12:16:38Z")

</div>

Hi,  
Since I updated to v17 my apps are giving me alsa errors and it doesn’t look like i have a sound card anymore.  
Also, boot up shows audio isn’t initializing.  
I’ve re-run the sound config & made sure Alsa was installed via the software installer.  
Same with apt-get.

Any ideas?

Thanks.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![Fourdee](https://dietpi.com/forum/user_avatar/dietpi.com/fourdee/32/11_2.png) [@Fourdee](https://dietpi.com/forum/u/Fourdee)
#### Post date: [9 May 2016 12:38 UTC](https://dietpi.com/forum/t/alsa-broken-on-v17-rpi2/335/2 "2016-05-09T12:38:27Z")

</div>

Hi Nitrogen,

Are you using the inbuilt RPi soundcard?

Also, please run the following:

```nohighlight
apt-get install -y alsa-utils

```

Then paste results of:

```nohighlight
aplay -l
cat /etc/asound.conf
cat /DietPi/config.txt | grep 'dtoverlay'

```

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![nitrogen\_widget1](https://dietpi.com/forum/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/n/67e7ee/32.png) [@nitrogen\_widget1](https://dietpi.com/forum/u/nitrogen_widget1)
#### Post date: [9 May 2016 22:40 UTC](https://dietpi.com/forum/t/alsa-broken-on-v17-rpi2/335/3 "2016-05-09T22:40:22Z")

</div>

yes.  
Onboard sound.

Alsa tool allready installed.

root@DietPi:~# aplay -l  
aplay: device\_list:268: no soundcards found…

cat /etc/asound.conf  
cat: /etc/asound.conf: No such file or directory

root@DietPi:~# cat /DietPi/config.txt | grep ‘dtoverlay’  
dtoverlay=rpi-bcm2835  
root@DietPi:~#  
root@DietPi:~# Fourdee  
bash: Fourdee: command not found  
root@DietPi:~# Site Admin  
bash: Site: command not found  
root@DietPi:~#  
root@DietPi:~# Posts: 684  
bash: Posts:: command not found  
root@DietPi:~# Joined: Tue Feb 06, 2007 12:36 pm  
bash: Joined:: command not found

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![nitrogen\_widget1](https://dietpi.com/forum/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/n/67e7ee/32.png) [@nitrogen\_widget1](https://dietpi.com/forum/u/nitrogen_widget1)
#### Post date: [10 May 2016 11:01 UTC](https://dietpi.com/forum/t/alsa-broken-on-v17-rpi2/335/4 "2016-05-10T11:01:24Z")

</div>

got it.  
searched for the “no soundcard…” message aplay gave me and found if I added:  
dtparam=audio=on to /boot/config.txt and rebooted everything worked.

Thanks for getting me that far.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![Fourdee](https://dietpi.com/forum/user_avatar/dietpi.com/fourdee/32/11_2.png) [@Fourdee](https://dietpi.com/forum/u/Fourdee)
#### Post date: [10 May 2016 11:39 UTC](https://dietpi.com/forum/t/alsa-broken-on-v17-rpi2/335/5 "2016-05-10T11:39:14Z")

</div>

> [@nitrogen\_widget](#):
>
> got it.  
> searched for the “no soundcard…” message aplay gave me and found if I added:  
> dtparam=audio=on to /boot/config.txt and rebooted everything worked.
> 
> Thanks for getting me that far.

I’ve not seen “dtparam=audio=on” option before, must be a new one. There’s so many undocumented options that can be used in config.txt, wish the RPi guys would list them “all”.

Thanks for letting us know 🙂

**If you have some spare time, could you run the following and paste result for me please:**

```plaintext
uname -a

```

I just want to see if a recent kernel update has caused this on the RPi. Will also see if i can replicate this on my RPi 2.

Thanks Nitrogen.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![k-plan](https://dietpi.com/forum/user_avatar/dietpi.com/k-plan/32/12_2.png) [@k-plan](https://dietpi.com/forum/u/k-plan)
#### Post date: [10 May 2016 15:13 UTC](https://dietpi.com/forum/t/alsa-broken-on-v17-rpi2/335/6 "2016-05-10T15:13:58Z")

</div>

Hi,

> [@Fourdee](#):
>
> If you have some spare time, could you run the following and paste result for me please:
> 
> ```plaintext
> uname -a
> 
> ```

Would interested me too.

> [@Fourdee](#):
>
> I’ve not seen “dtparam=audio=on” option before, must be a new one.

As far as I know, it is new on: =\>\> 4.4 kernel

> [@dom » Sat Jan 30](#):
>
> > [@DirkS](#):
> >
> > Isn’t
> > 
> > ```plaintext
> > dtparam=audio
> > 
> > ```
> > 
> > in config.txt the ‘modern’ way of getting the module loaded?
> 
> Yes, absolutely. Using /etc/modules is deprecated and no longer supported on 4.4 kernel.  
> dtparam=audio will be a default setting in config.txt in future raspbian images.

> [@Fourdee](#):
>
> Will also see if i can replicate this on my RPi 2.

You can do a Kernel and Firmware update and test it:

```plaintext
BRANCH=next rpi-update

```

or  
 ![160501-0001.gif](https://dietpi.com/forum/uploads/default/original/1X/0e6650098c64fe43a3555c1d1bcc09eb8b0bb369.gif)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![Fourdee](https://dietpi.com/forum/user_avatar/dietpi.com/fourdee/32/11_2.png) [@Fourdee](https://dietpi.com/forum/u/Fourdee)
#### Post date: [11 May 2016 15:01 UTC](https://dietpi.com/forum/t/alsa-broken-on-v17-rpi2/335/7 "2016-05-11T15:01:32Z")

</div>

> [@k-plan](#):
>
> Hi,
> 
> > [@Fourdee](#):
> >
> > If you have some spare time, could you run the following and paste result for me please:
> > 
> > ```plaintext
> > uname -a
> > 
> > ```
> 
> Would interested me too.
> 
> > [@Fourdee](#):
> >
> > I’ve not seen “dtparam=audio=on” option before, must be a new one.
> 
> As far as I know, it is new on: =\>\> 4.4 kernel
> 
> > [@dom » Sat Jan 30](#):
> >
> > > [@DirkS](#):
> > >
> > > Isn’t
> > > 
> > > ```plaintext
> > > dtparam=audio
> > > 
> > > ```
> > > 
> > > in config.txt the ‘modern’ way of getting the module loaded?
> > 
> > Yes, absolutely. Using /etc/modules is deprecated and no longer supported on 4.4 kernel.  
> > dtparam=audio will be a default setting in config.txt in future raspbian images.
> 
> > [@Fourdee](#):
> >
> > Will also see if i can replicate this on my RPi 2.
> 
> You can do a Kernel and Firmware update and test it:
> 
> ```plaintext
> BRANCH=next rpi-update
> 
> ```
> 
> or

K-Plan, legend as always, great find 🙂

I’ll integrate this new option into DietPi, as well as keeping /etc/modules code in there: [https://github.com/Fourdee/DietPi/issues/327](https://github.com/Fourdee/DietPi/issues/327)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![nitrogen\_widget1](https://dietpi.com/forum/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/n/67e7ee/32.png) [@nitrogen\_widget1](https://dietpi.com/forum/u/nitrogen_widget1)
#### Post date: [12 May 2016 10:13 UTC](https://dietpi.com/forum/t/alsa-broken-on-v17-rpi2/335/8 "2016-05-12T10:13:52Z")

</div>

```nohighlight
root@DietPi:~# uname -a
Linux DietPi 4.4.9-v7+ #884 SMP Fri May 6 17:28:59 BST 2016 armv7l GNU/Linux
root@DietPi:~#

```

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![Fourdee](https://dietpi.com/forum/user_avatar/dietpi.com/fourdee/32/11_2.png) [@Fourdee](https://dietpi.com/forum/u/Fourdee)
#### Post date: [12 May 2016 10:46 UTC](https://dietpi.com/forum/t/alsa-broken-on-v17-rpi2/335/9 "2016-05-12T10:46:30Z")

</div>

> [@nitrogen\_widget](#):
>
> ```plaintext
> root@DietPi:~# uname -a
> Linux DietPi 4.4.9-v7+ #884 SMP Fri May 6 17:28:59 BST 2016 armv7l GNU/Linux
> root@DietPi:~#
> 
> ```

There she is 4.4 😃 Thanks for confirming Nitrogen.

As of v118, DietPi will also update the dtparam=audio setting accordingly, when changing soundcards.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![k-plan](https://dietpi.com/forum/user_avatar/dietpi.com/k-plan/32/12_2.png) [@k-plan](https://dietpi.com/forum/u/k-plan)
#### Post date: [12 May 2016 20:09 UTC](https://dietpi.com/forum/t/alsa-broken-on-v17-rpi2/335/10 "2016-05-12T20:09:15Z")

</div>

Hi Nitrogen,

Thanks for your acknowledgement and assistance.

cu  
k-plan