Installing Realtek ALC892 Audio Driver on Linux Mint

daniellago85
  11 years ago
  6

Hello folks. This is a quick tutorial for who are having problems with swapped surround sound problems using realtek alc892.

 

By default Linux Kernel/ALSA does not support this chipset correctly. It swaps the rear speakers, the side speakers and the LFE/center speakers as well. In other words, only the front speakers works right.

Using the "automated" realtek official driver installation leaves you to a no-sound and no hardware sound support.

So, how to install the correctly and working drivers:

 

1. Visit "http://www.realtek.com.tw/downloads/downloadsCheck.aspx?Langid=1&PNid=14&PFid=24&Level=4&Conn=3&DownTypeID=3&GetDown=false" and download the lastest Unix/Linux driver. In this example,

2. Open terminal.

3. Type: "sudo su" and enter root password.

4. Change to the folder where you downloaded the driver (ie: "cd ~/Downloads")

4. Type: "tar -xjf LinuxPkg_XXX.tar.bz2" , where XXX is the version of your downloaded driver (as sown in filename, example: "tar -xjf LinuxPkg_5.17rc13.tar.bz2").

5. Type: "cd realtek-linux-audiopack-YYY" , where YYY is the version of your downloaded driver (as shown if folder name, example: "cd realtek-linux-audiopack-5.17").

6. Type "tar -xjf alsa-driver-ZZZ.tar.bz2" , where ZZZ is the version corresponding to the filename (example: "tar -xjf alsa-driver-1.0.25-5.17rc13.tar.bz2").

7. Type "cd alsa-driver-WWW" , where WWW is the version corresponding to the folder name (example: "cd alsa-driver-1.0.25").

8. Type "./configure --with-cards=hda-intel"

9. Type "make"

10. Type "make install"

11. Reboot

12. Test the audio output. You can do this by right-clicking on you speaker icon and selecting sound preferences -> hardware -> select the desired audio output -> select the desired surround profile (ie: Analog Surround 5.1 Output + Analog Stereo Input) -> Test Speakers. During the installation the sound level can be mutted, check out in the slider if it is not mute!

 

I hope it helps. It took a long time to reach this. This tutorial probably also applies to:

ALC100,100P
ALC200,200P
ALC650D
ALC650E
ALC650F
ALC650
ALC655
ALC653
ALC658
ALC658D
ALC850
ALC101
ALC202
ALC250
ALC203
ALC221
ALC260
ALC262
ALC267
ALC268
ALC259
ALC269
ALC270
ALC271X
ALC272
ALC273
ALC275
ALC276
ALC280
ALC281X
ALC282
ALC283
ALC290
ALC656
ALC660
ALC660VD
ALC661
ALC662
ALC663
ALC665
ALC668
ALC670
ALC671
ALC672
ALC680
ALC861
ALC861VD
ALC880
ALC882
ALC883
ALC885
ALC888
ALC889A
ALC898
ALC892
ALC899
ALC900
ALC1150
ALC1200

Comments
CyberGhosT 8 years ago

Awesome, Thank You OP for this.


desQEDo 10 years ago

I've got an Asus P9X79 Pro with Realtek ALC898 on board running LM17 64 on two SSDs, on Cinnamon the other MATE. The sound was unbelievably choppy, i.e. crackly, on both Cinnamon & MATE so I tried this method on the Cinnamon install; downloaded the latest Realtek driver and installed it following the instructions to a T. Result? Dummy output, no sound!
So then I followed this guys instructions (http://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?f=49&t=180643&p=937161&hilit=choppy+sound&sid=7871f36a3579dd99f873b52aa5b75fef#p937161) and did: sudo apt-get install linux-generic (left out the -r) and got my choppy sound back.
Finally I went into BIOS, turned off the Azalia HD sound and set AC97 for the front speaker connection, saved the setting & rebooted, checked and the card was, of course, not there. Then I went into BIOS again, turned on the Azalia HD only, saved the setting & rebooted and the static/choppiness was gone, clear sound on both C & M! I'm not gonna try reverting the AC97 setting to HD as the sound is now good, the front connection is not used and I'm not that curious!
Hope this helps someone.


isomage 10 years ago

Hi,

I have Linuxmint 13 "Maya" installed on a Dell XPS 15z machine, which uses the Realtek ALC665 Audio card.

When I go to the Realtek site, I see two options to download Linux drivers: one link says "AC'97 Audio Codecs" and the other says "High Definition Audio Codecs", with version numbers "4.06a" and "5.18rc8" respectively.

My question is:
Which Linux Audio driver should I download from these two options?

Thanks,
Isomage


karakartala 10 years ago

Thanks. But commands has changed. New commands in installation guide. Installation guide next to the installation file. New commands:

1. Download Driver
If your Linux system Playback is no sound output or Recording is failed.
Please download workarround driver from Realtek website.
http://www.realtek.com/

2. Unzip the driver source code
tar jxvpf LinuxPkg_x.xxrcxx.tar.bz2
tar jxvpf alsa-driver-1.0.xx.tar.bz2

3. Config compile environment
./configure
This will check your system which compile capabilities is.
If you want to compile the HDA driver part only, please follow belowing.
./configure --with-cards=had-intel

4. Compile driver source code
make

5. Install the new driver
make install

And if the problem could not solved;

sudo (your text editor name, pluma gedit etc.) /etc/modprobe.d/alsa-base.conf

And one file opens. You write the last line in:

options snd-hda-intel probe_mask=1 model=auto

Reboot now. Alternatives proposed solution;

options snd-hda-intel probe_mask=1 model=auto
instead

options snd-hda-intel model=basic
or
options snd-hda-intel model=generic

Note: I know little English.


Bitboy 10 years ago

This manual needs the package build-essential to be installed.

BUT it isn't working with LinuxMint 16 and ALC850. After installing the driver, there is only a dummy soundcard left.


Random_12 11 years ago

For anyone else who finds that this procedure kills their sound altogether,
I was able to undo these changes by using package manager to mark my kernel packages for reinstallation, applying, and rebooting.

For me it was linux-kernel-generic, linux-image-3.11.0-12-generic and linux-image-extra-3.11.0-12-generic, but just mark whatever you see installed for reinstallation.

I'm sure it could be done with apt-get via the command line as well.


Random_12 11 years ago

Daniel, Do you check comments here? I built a new machine with an ASROCK Extreme4/TB4 motherboard with a RealTek ALC1150 sound chip. A base Mint install (Mint 13 and 16 behaved identically in this regard) gave me left channel sound coming out of my right speaker and no other sound.

I followed your instructions along with an extra cd to the alsa directory noted by pj98765. Everthing seemed to build and install just fine.
However, when I rebooted I had no sound or sound devices whatsoever.

Is there a way to undo what I did short of reinstalling Mint?
Do you have any suggestions for how I might get things to work?

Thanks.


nadim 11 years ago

Cannot download at realtek.com.tw


Hammer459 11 years ago

Nice and clear after the change. Good job :-)


daniellago85 11 years ago

Thanx for your comments, Hammer.

XXX is actually different from YYY and WWW from ZZZ because there are release candidates versions. I've updated the tutorial with your suggestions and put examples in these values.


Hammer459 11 years ago

Nice tutorial. I have not tried it as I do not have realtek but it is nicely written with step-by-step and good reference.
A couple of minor thoughts.
The tar-command works just as well with just -xjf that produces less output.
In step 5 replace YYY with XXX as that should realisticly be the same number?
In step 7 replace WWW with ZZZ as that should realisticly be the same number?